I consider the period from 1955 - 1959 to be the "Golden Years" of casino gaming in Cuba. The "mob" influence was at it's height and there were many new hotel/casinos built during this period, all funded by the American "mob". Below are two links that will hopefully give you an idea of just how popular the casinos in Cuba were at the time and if not for the Revolution could possibly have been what Las Vegas is today. The first is a directory of the 'major' gaming spots of the time with links to scans of the gaming chips and some other artifacts. The second is a link to a condensed article I put together from some various sources about the casinos of Cuba. The main source "Little Man : Meyer Lansky and the Gangster Life" by Robert Lacey, is a MUST read for it's the best historical record of the casinos of Cuba that I've been able to find.

Mob Era Casinos Directory.

Cuban Casino Article.

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