El Presidente Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 The book "Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba … and Then Lost It to the Revolution" has been out for a few years (from my recollection). it is on my kindle and I will read it on my upcoming trip. 60 hours of travel to and from provides plenty of time. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/mob-havana-cuba-culture-music-book-tj-english-cultural-travel-180960610/?no-ist
Ken Gargett Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 1 hour ago, El Presidente said: The book "Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba … and Then Lost It to the Revolution" has been out for a few years (from my recollection). it is on my kindle and I will read it on my upcoming trip. 60 hours of travel to and from provides plenty of time. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/mob-havana-cuba-culture-music-book-tj-english-cultural-travel-180960610/?no-ist so borrowing it from me about a decade ago wasn't enough?
zeedubbya Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 Good god 60 hours of travel. I really hope that's an exaggeration. Prez--getting of topic here but who will be handling 24:24 duties while you're in Havana?
cigcars Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 I'm always fascinated by stories of the "Mobster" days of their power and influences of yesteryear's businesses and industries in the U.S. and Cuba. Meyer Lansky has always been my favorite "mobster" to study because he was one of the very few big bosses of his day who survived into old age and died of natural causes instead of being "rubbed out", mainly because he NEVER messed with anybody's money. He always made good on monies due, and made sure his gambling machines actually paid out instead of only taking people for a ride. You know people will harm you faster over their money than they will over their own Mama! And you know that in olden days you could get dead insulting somebody about their dear old Mom
HarveyBoulevard Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 It's a fun read. Won't kill 60 hours...unless you read it over and over. No idea on its accuracy but I enjoyed it immensely.
Popular Post PigFish Posted October 31, 2016 Popular Post Posted October 31, 2016 ...so when exactly has Cuba not been run by a crime family??? -LOL -the Pig 7
Ethernut Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 3 hours ago, PigFish said: ...so when exactly has Cuba not been run by a crime family??? -LOL -the Pig LOL YES! I often wonder if Cuba (ahem, the dictators) don't actually have a few billion CUC's stashed in a network swiss and banana republic banks they've squirreled away since the embargo.. If that were true and the people knew.. Revolution part two!
Ethernut Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 19 hours ago, El Presidente said: The book "Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba … and Then Lost It to the Revolution" has been out for a few years (from my recollection). it is on my kindle and I will read it on my upcoming trip. 60 hours of travel to and from provides plenty of time. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/mob-havana-cuba-culture-music-book-tj-english-cultural-travel-180960610/?no-ist Good Gawd man! 60 hours - I think I'd rather have my juevos pulled through my eyeballs..
clutch5150 Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 Well at least the Mob never dreamed of charging hundreds of dollars a night to stay in a Las Vegas hotel like the "corporations" along with the Kiddyland Vegas strip projects that has failed miserably and caused more bankruptcies that have decimated that town in recent years...It would have been VERY interesting what would have happened in Cuba if they really had a stronghold.
PigFish Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 Man of the people? No, Castro lived like a king: Bodyguard says former Cuban leader was worth hundreds of millions and had his own private island Castro was longtime communist leader of Cuba following 1950s revolution While his people suffered poverty he enjoyed luxury on own private island The secret paradise had a beach house with views over the Caribbean Castro even had a 200ft jetty built on the island to accommodate his yacht By PAUL THOMPSON FOR THE DAILY MAIL PUBLISHED: 17:17 EDT, 10 May 2015 | UPDATED: 04:08 EDT, 11 May 2015 e-mail 384shares 139 View comments Lived like a king: Fidel Castro, the longtime communist leader of Cuba, enjoyed a life of luxury while his people suffered hardship He portrayed himself as a man of the people who shunned the trappings of wealth. But in reality Fidel Castro, the longtime communist leader of Cuba, lived a life of pampered luxury and had a fortune of hundreds of millions. Away from the prying eyes of his people who suffered poverty and hardship after he seized power in a communist coup 55 years ago, Castro lived like a king. He had his own private island called Cayo Piedra which featured a floating restaurant, helipad and even a pen containing two pet dolphins. Only those closest to Castro knew about the private paradise south of Havana where the revolutionary leader would spend time with his wife and five children. Few people ever visited the island, one of them being Erich Honecker, the leader of East Germany until the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification of Germany. After seizing power in a communist coup Castro made sure his people, who saw him as a paragon of communist equality, did not know about the island where he would spend weekends relaxing at a beach house with views over the Caribbean. Its existence has been revealed by a former bodyguard who has written a book exposing the double standards of the man know to his people as 'El Commandnate', or the Commander. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Not exactly peace in our time as Angela Merkel and Vladimir...Raul Castro reveals he's 'ready to go back to church' after... SHARE THIS ARTICLE Share Juan Reinaldo Sanchez was by the dictator's side for 17 years before becoming disillusioned with his hypocrisy and attempting to flee to the US. In his book 'The Double life of Fidel Castro' Sanchez tells how Castro came across the island hideaway shortly after the failed 'Bay of Pigs' invasion in 1961 when CIA trained exiles tried to overthrow the Cuban Government. Castro visited the region where the landing took place and was told about the island of Cayo Piedra, about 10 miles from the coast, by locals. The Cuban leader had a house built on the island along with a 200ft long jetty to accommodate his personal yacht. Tell-all: The existence of Fidel Castro's island getaway has been revealed by his former bodyguard Juan Reinaldo Sanchez (above), who was by the dictator's side for 17 years before becoming disillusioned with his hypocrisy and attempting to flee to the US Sanchez said Castro's social life centered around a floating pontoon attached to the jetty that contained a bar and BBQ grill as well as an enclosed area for two dolphins to keep children entertained. During his frequent stays Castro would indulge in his hobby of spear fishing. Sanchez writes: 'Fidel Castro also let it be understood, and sometimes directly stated, that the revolution left him no possibility for respite or leisure and that he knew nothing about, and even despised, the bourgeois concept of vacation. Nothing could have been further from the truth. 'From 1977 to 1994, I accompanied him many hundreds of times to the little paradise of Cayo Piedra, where I took part in as many fishing or underwater hunting expeditions.' Castro, who stood down as Cuban leader in 2008 and handed power to his brother Raul, made sure his people were not aware of the island hideaway. Cayo Piedra is located around ten miles off the coast of Cuba and became Fidel Castro's own private island Kept citizens in the dark: Castro, who stood down as Cuban leader in 2008 and handed power to his brother Raul, made sure his people were not aware of the island hideaway Fidel Castro makes rare public appearance in 2013 Progress: 0% 0:00 Previous Play Skip Mute Current Time0:00 / Duration Time1:36 Fullscreen Need Text According to Sanchez he also kept secret his wealth which ran into the 'hundreds of millions' as well as up to 20 other properties dotted around the island. Sanchez, whose book was serialised in the New York Post, also revealed that Castro personal selected the 'criminals' who would be allowed to leave the country for Florida in 1980 after the US Government allowed 100,000 Cubans to seek exile. Instead of allowing families to leave Castro emptied his prisons and mental hospitals in what was know as a Mariel boatlift. Sanchez said Castro personally signed off on murderers and rapists joining the exiles while those imprisoned for opposing his revolution were denied freedom. The mass transfer of exiles to Florida in 1980 inspired the film 'Scarface' starring Al Pacino as a drug crazed killer. When the US government offered 100,000 Cubans exile, Castro emptied his prisons and mental hospitals rather than allowing families to leave. The move, which led to murderers and rapists emigrating to America, inspired the movie Scarface (Al Pacino in starring role, above) Fidel Castro marches with civilians in Cuba in June, 1960 Progress: 0% 0:00 Previous Play Skip Mute Current Time0:00 / Duration Time0:32 Fullscreen Need Text Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3076006/Man-people-No-Castro-lived-like-king-Bodyguard-says-former-Cuban-leader-worth-hundreds-millions-private-island.html#ixzz4Oh5OXtEI Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Nino Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 That map for Cayo Piedra must have been supplied by Cuban Counter-Intel to divert attention from its real location ... :-) Cayo Piedra is actually located south of HAV in the Bay of Pigs, it can be seen off in the distance driving down the road from Playa Larga to Playa Giron. Here some info to it and a map. http://nypost.com/2015/05/10/inside-fidel-castros-luxurious-life-on-his-secret-island-getaway/ 1
ayepatz Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 We stayed in the Hotel Capri earlier this year. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Capri I have to admit, it really tickled me, as I sank my umpteenth mojito of the day in the rooftop bar, that I was staying in what used to be mafia central station.
Saxman Posted November 1, 2016 Posted November 1, 2016 The book "Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba … and Then Lost It to the Revolution" has been out for a few years (from my recollection). it is on my kindle and I will read it on my upcoming trip. 60 hours of travel to and from provides plenty of time. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/mob-havana-cuba-culture-music-book-tj-english-cultural-travel-180960610/?no-istGreat book. Read it years ago and it's an accurate historic representation of what Cuba was like during the time right before the revolution. Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkSaxman
.png.15b5f6bc4159a73805a9f118f79a68ca.png)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now