UNLUCKY STREAK
Havana How Lucky Luciano’s house of cards crumbled
Lucky Luciano quietly entered Cuba in October 1946 and moved into an upscale Miramar neighbourhood. Cuban officials, some in collusion, were very much aware of Luciano’s presence. Things went smooth until February 1947 when a burgeoning columnist named Robert Ruark heard an infamous American gangster living it up in Havana’s night life. Ruark, who in later years admitted as much, knew immediately the scoop could be life-changing. Ironically though, Ruark wasn’t even sure he could positively recognise the mobster, so he asked around, finally landing on Connie Immerman – a guy who knew everyone. Probably with no maligned thought whatsoever, Immerman simply pointed out which fellow was indeed Lucky. The first (of many) articles written by Ruark about the Luciano-sinatra intrigue was published in American papers on 20 February 1947 and drew the attention of Narcotics czar Harry Anslinger, who in turn issued a threat (through the press) of embargo on medicinal narcotics to Cuba unless they kicked Luciano out. Factually however, Anslinger (head of the Narcotics Bureau, under the Treasury Department) had no authority to embargo. Declassified State Department memos reveal they didn’t even know about Anslinger’s threat until Cuban officials voiced frustration and offence to the edict. FBI memos referencing the FBN’S records also confirmed “no actual embargo had been placed on shipments of narcotics to Cuba, despite the statements to the contrary…” Nevertheless, the Cuban government conceded for the same reason the United States government didn’t publicly disavow Anslinger’s bluff – to avoid any more aggravation and potential embarrassment. Luciano was arrested on 22 February at the El Jardin cafe and a month later put aboard the Turkish freighter Bakir to sail back to Italy.