Originally Posted By: Turnbull
Originally Posted By: pizzaboy
Originally Posted By: Turnbull
Addendum to above: Lucky convened a Commission meeting in Havana late in '46 and tried to use it to make a comeback. But someon (maybe Vito Genovese) tipped the US government, which leaned on the Cuban government to send him back to Italy.


That was covered in HAVANA NOCTURNE, wasn't it, TB?

The Havana meeting is a matter of record, and all the standard organized crime histories mention it. "Havana Nocturne" (as you know, PB) has the standard photo of Luciano, in gabardine cap, holding a suitcase, and being escorted by military men. Most books say it shows Luciano being escorted out of Cuba, back to Italian exile. "Havana Nocturne" says the photo shows Italian military escorting Luciano to Cuba for the meeting--which I seriously doubt.

The story about Genovese ratting out Luciano's presence in Havana to US authorities was mentioned in one of the books (I've forgotten which), but I haven't read it elsewhere, which is why I said "maybe."


I first read the Genovese the Rat story in "The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano" by Martin Gosch. My understanding is that there are a lot of errors, omissions and lies in the book but there is also some wheat amidst the chaff so to speak.

That book also claims that the Normandie fire was arranged by Albert Anastasia in order to help spark interest (pun intended) among the Navy and civilian intelligence to use underworld leaders to prevent sabotage or filter out spies.

Supposedly Costello and Lansky arranged it politically so that an inexperienced Lieutenant Commander Charles Haffenden was assigned to the project. Haffenden was then advised to talk to Socks Lanza , who in turn promised co-operation but suggested that if Haffenden really wanted to guarantee peace on the waterfront he had to talk to Charlie Lucky..

Luciano also claims that he seriously assaulted Genovese in Havana so I can't say how accurate ALL of the book really is..

"When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives."
Winter is Coming

Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true as the sky; And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk, the Law runneth forward and back; For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.