EPISODE · Sep 7, 2026 · 8 MIN
Santo Trafficante Jr.: From Havana’s Glitter to Tampa’s Shadow
from A History of the American Mafia Podcast: Organized Crime, Mob Families, Bosses, Gangsters, Prohibition, Criminal Trials, and the Rise of La Cosa Nostra · host Podily & Josh Linsk
This episode follows Santo Trafficante Jr., the Tampa mobster who built a lucrative casino empire in pre‑revolutionary Cuba alongside Meyer Lansky and Sam Giancana, then pivoted into Florida gambling rackets after Castro’s takeover. We examine how the Cuban Revolution decimated the trafficante‑Lansky network, forced a shift into Las Vegas skimming operations, and the legal battles that culminated in the 1986 RICO indictment. The story reveals how transnational organized crime adapts to sudden political upheavals and reshapes family fortunes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Santo Trafficante Jr.: From Havana’s Glitter to Tampa’s Shadow
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