| With "Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba and Then Lost It to the Revolution," T.J. English has delivered the most comprehensive look at mob influence in Cuba. He carefully uses history to create a story that you just can’t put down. If you read this book and follow it up with "Telex from Cuba" (reviewed here as well) you will have a very comprehensive look at pre-Castro Cuba and you will also understand why the Cuban people were originally very supportive of Castro and the change he promised to deliver. |
This book discusses in great detail the criminal genius behind Meyer Lansky and how he led the rest of the American criminal underworld to riches and power in the Cuban market. Cuba was the Las Vegas of the Caribbean before Vegas was a success in the United States. Unfortunately, the tourism, gambling and sex trade that the mob brought to Cuba also brought great political corruption. It made a few people phenomenally wealthy and left the rest to deal with an oppressive government that ruled with a secret police composed of thugs.
The book exposes little known historical facts about entertainers and politicians that many believe are perfect. One example, is John F. Kennedy. According to the book, he was treated by the mob to an orgy in a huge hotel casino suite in Cuba. This proves that some things never change with time. We still have politicians, celebrities and wealthy individuals with huge appetites and shadowy characters who are willing to satisfy those appetites.
The book is superbly researched and the bibliography is comprehensive. This is not a fluff tell-all book, but instead a serious attempt at exposing a corrupt moment in time in Cuban and American history. If you have any curiosity about the United States mob, the government of dictator Fulgencio Batista or the events that led to a communist state 90 miles away from us, then this is the book for you.
