# FBI memorandum, J. Ryan to Mr. Rosen, 18 March 1947: Luciano, interviewed at the Cuban Immigration Center, names 'Major Gurfeil' and Commander Haffenden

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/fbi-vault-luciano-p01-1947-03-18-tiscornia-interview-gurfein-haffenden/

Headquarters records that the Treasury representative in Havana interviewed Luciano at the Cuban Immigration Center, where Luciano said a former prosecutor helped arrange his parole; on reinterview the representative recalled the name as 'Major Gurfeil,' believed to be Murray I. Gurfein, and said Luciano named Commander Haffenden of Naval Intelligence.

Viewer page 269 of Part 01 is a memorandum of 18 March 1947 from J. Ryan to Mr. Rosen. It reports that the Treasury representative at the American Embassy in Havana "had interviewed subject at the Cuban Immigration Center," where Luciano "claimed that a former assistant United States Attorney by the name of Desfil (phonetic) who prosecuted him in 1936" had helped arrange his parole. The Bureau's files showed no one of that name, but did show Murray I. Gurfein, a former assistant district attorney in New York who reportedly served as liaison for the district attorney's office with Naval Intelligence.

By radiogram of 17 March the Legal Attache reported that the Treasury representative "recalled that subject stated a Major Gurfeil and Commander Haffenden visited him several times while he was in prison, seeking information helpful to the war effort," and that the representative believed Gurfeil was "undoubtedly identical with Murray I. Gurfein." The memo observes that "The files of the Bureau fail to reflect that Haffenden visited with Luciano while he was incarcerated."

This is Luciano's own claim, relayed second-hand by a Treasury official, and part of the memo is redacted. It is filed here for what it shows of his detention at the immigration center before his deportation; it is not evidence of what happened in prison.

## Sources

- FBI Records: The Vault, Charles (Lucky) Luciano / Salvatore Lucania, Part 01: https://vault.fbi.gov/charles-lucky-luciano-salvatore-lucania/Charles%20%28Lucky%29%20Luciano%20-%20Salvatore%20Lucania%20Part%2001/view