CUBAN INFORMATION ARCHIVES




DOCUMENT  0349


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Cuban Executives Club
Miami 1961


Dade County Police File
CI-383-D



DATE:   October 23, 1961

TO:   THOMAS J. KELLY, Metropolitan Sheriff

FROM:    LT. FRANK KAPPEL, Supervisor, Criminal Intelligence

SUBJECT:  CUBAN EXECUTIVES CLUB


Reference is made to the attached list of telephone numbers seized by Florida Attorney General Agents during a raid of the Cuban Executives Club located in the Penthouse of the Dade Federal Savings Building.

The list was forwarded to this Unit for examination and possible investigation of subjects suspected of illegal activities in Dade County.

As the examination progressed, it became evident that the majority of the names appearing on the list had been linked with the BATISTA government.  According to reliable information obtained by the writer, several of the persons listed were known to be of dubious morality.  Included in the list were four of the biggest illegal lottery operators, who after fleeing from CASTRO'S regime, allegedly have transferred their operations in Dade County.

ALBERTO ARDURA MOYA, 1430 Cleveland Road, Biscayne Point, phone UN 4-1828 (Case 35837-B August 5, 1959) one of Cuba's biggest lottery operators known as the "banker's banker".  ARDURA was co-owner of the "Tropicana" Club in Havana and was the Manager of the Biltmore Terrace Hotel in Miami Beach.  The Biltmore Terrace had been purchased by FULGENCIO BATISTA's son-in-law, ROBERTO FERNANDEZ MIRANDA, in partnership with ARDURA.  ARDURA, even before his departure from Cuba, had connections with NORMAN ROTHMAN and JOSEPH MEROLA with whom he continued to have contacts in Miami.

ARDURA has transferred his operation to Miami and is alleged to operate from the "Toledo" Restaurant, 204 Biscayne Boulevard.

The Toledo is owned by another subject appearing on the list, MIGUEL ANGEL CANO.  This restaurant is the congregating point of a number of individuals formerly connected with the BATISTA regime.
Photo of Armando Cano
ARDURA and CANO operate from the latter's office in the restaurant and will accept bets only from persons known to them.  A receipt is given to the player who uses it to claim his money in case he

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holds a winning number.  This operation is geared on the numbers drawn for the Cuban National Lottery, better known as Cuba.

Other activities alleged to take place as the Toledo include marijuana and cocaine peddling plus false passport visas to enter the United States.

The third subject is MARTIN FOX, whose name does not appear on the list although he is alleged to be as active as the two subjects previously mentioned.  FOX, according to information received by the writer, operates a counting house at his residence located at 225 S.W. Beacom Boulevard.  FOX drives a 1959 Cadillac coupe, ‘61 Fla. 1WW 7481.  FOX operates closely with ARDURA and CANO in addition to a fourth subject, AMLETO BATTISTI reputed to have been of ARDURA'S magnitude when he operated in Cuba.

The list includes: MARIO COBAS REYES, former minister of transport of the Batista government, FRANCISCO CAJIGAS, leader of a group of anti-Castro exiles formerly connected with the Batista regime.

JUSTO LUIS del POZO, former mayor of Havana.

JUAN RESTOY, 325 S.W. 30th Road, former member of the House of Representatives during Batista's presidency known for misappropriation of government funds.  RESTOY'S daughters apparently played an important part in the activities of the club because their names and addresses appeared several times on the list.

JESUS FERNANDEZ a former employee of the U.S. Embassy in Havana, owner of a travel agency and alleged to be a homosexual.

PUYI, a close friend of JUSTO LUIS del POZO'S son, formerly in the money exchange business.

The names of MIKE RUBIN, a TV cameraman, ENRIQUE MONTANA, actor of the CMQ television station, and JUAN AMADOR RODRIGUEZ, radio commentator also appears on the list along with those of two attorneys, CARLOS FERNANDEZ and LUIS CUBA.

There is reason to believed that the majority of the womens' names appearing on the list belong to call girls who were operating from the club.

An attempt will be made to purchase a number at the Toledo Restaurant through a Cuban informer in order to learn the modus operandi

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of the operation.

Additional information to follow.

Respectfully submitted,

A.L. TARABOCHIA
Intelligence Agent

LT. FRANK KAPPEL, Supervisor
Criminal Intelligence

ALT/ rcw
Attach.


CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA
INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM

To: Det. Chief O.E. Caudell
Date: June 18, 1962
Det. Sgt. J.I. Minix, Special Squad
Subject: Arrests made at Cuban Executive Club Metropolitan Bank Bldg. - 16th Floor on June 16, 1962 - Approx. 1:30 AM.

THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF THE PERSONS ARRESTED:


NAME                                                             ADDRESS                                     CHARGE
MIGUEL A. MAZAS, W/M 57            835 SW 7 ST.                        Operating a gambling house
OSMARO ROSALES, W/M 29            721 SW 6 ST.                           "                   "           "
JOSE M. FAZ-RAMOS W/M 46         2510 SW 9 ST.                          "                   "           "
JULIO PEREZ DE TERAN, W/M 60 275 SW 13 ST.                           "                  "            "
RIGOBERTO CIRILLO                                                                     Aiding & abetting in          
VILLARNOVO, W/M 45                    3550 SW 15 AVE.                  Operating a gambling house
HELDA HECHEVARRIA, W/F 33      721 SW 5 ST.                           "                "               "
ROGELIO ARTILES, W/M 59            458 NW 4 ST.                         Loitering & Gambling House & Possession of Lottery
DESIDERIO S. TABOADA, W/M 31   127 NE 5 ST.                D.C. Loiterring in Gambl. House 
PEDRO ROLANDO MARQUES, W/M 46   1259 NW 34 ST.     "        "                 "          "
IDA SZAPOCZNIK, W/M 41              7055 SW 12 AVE.            "         "                 "          "
GUILLERMO RODRIGUEZ, W/M 39   721 SW 5 ST.                 "         "                 "          "
RAMON GUINONES, W/M 50            418 NE 2 AVE.               "         "                 "          "
SANTIAGO SACRE LLABRE, W/M 52    1020 SW 2 ST.           "         "                 "          "
FRANCISCO BATISTA, W/M 51           708 NW 5 AVE.           "         "                 "          "
OSWALD ARNO ZUBIZARRETA, W/M 54   51 NE 2 CTR.      "         "                  "         "  
RUTH YAGODNIK, W/F 42                 6300 SW 2 ST.               "          "                 "         "
JAIME YAGODNIK, W/M 40               6300 SW 2 ST.               "          "                 "         "
JOHNNY MANUEL SOTOLONGO W/M 35  520 SW 34 AVE.  "          "                 "         "
LOUIS VICTORIANO RODRIGUEZ, 36   1110 NW 1 ST.        "          "                 "          "
BERTO PARTAGAS RODRIGUEZ W/F 50   218 SW 10 AVE   "          "               "            "
JULIO MANUEL RODRIGES W/M 60   111 SE 7 ST                 "          "               "             "
FRANCISCO S. REGALADO, W/M 37   2040 NW 51 ST.          "          "               "             "
ORTIZ ALFREDO RAMOS, W/M 31    PACIFIC HOTEL #1110 "         "              "             "
JOSE MANUEL MORALES, W/M 48   253 SW 2 ST.                 "          "              "             "
ROBERTO A. MANCEBO, W/M 45     3411 NW 2 TERR.          "         "               "             "
SEGUNDO GONZALEZ, W/M 47        353 SW 10 ST.                "         "               "             "
EVARISTO R. GONZALEZ, W/M 40   3320 SW 23 TERR.         "        "               "              "
DIEGO PINO GONZALEZ, W/M 60     210 SW 13 AVE.             "       "                "              "
JOSE MANUEL GARCIA, W/M 30       1166 W. 70 PL., HIALEAH     "               "              "
RUIZ BENITO FUENTES, W/M 58      1886 NW 1 ST.                D.C.                  "               "
EMILIANO FARA, W/M 49                   610 SW 16 AVE.            "       "                "              "
RAYMOND A. DEL RIO W/M 31          551 SW 9 ST.                 "      "                 "              "
JOSE LUIS DEACOSTA, W/M 27          1221 E 6 AVE., HIALEAH    "                "               "
RAMON ALVAREZ CUTO, W/M 37      1471 NW 14 ST.           VAG.                 "               "
JULIO F. BRIQUIER, W/M 40                FAIRFAX HOTEL, M. BEACH             "                "
RAFAEL ASSE, W/M 33                         631 SW 66 AVE.            "       "              "                "
                                                                               

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