In "Havana Nocturne", the author T.J. English very strongly implies that it was Lansky, not Trafficante, who was most threatened by Anastasia's moves into Cuba and Lansky who had the most to gain by Anastasia's departure from our planet.
I haven't read it, but I wouldn't think Lansky had enough pull at that point to kill a boss - if he ever did.
Especialy a cosa nostra boss...
Ehh. Lanksy
was a boss though. He was the single most dominant player in Cuba. If he didn't want someone there that person wasn't going to be there. Like most of the other big moves, Anastasia's murder must have been silently assented to by most of the power players at the time. And that included Lansky. I doubt he solely set up or ordered Anastasia's murder but I believe he would have given his ok. Having Lansky on board also would have been politically useful to anyone worried about reaction from old timers like Luciano/Costello.
In Havana Nocturne the author writes of Lansky's cold unfriendliness towards Anastasia while Anastasia was in Cuba but more to the point he writes of Lansky's change towards calm and peacefulness shortly before Anastasia's murder. The author also argues that Lansky friend Joe Stassi might have been in on the organization of the hit or communication surrounding it, as he had flown to NY and checked into the Park Sheraton under an assumed name 2 days before the hit.
