Jake Lansky
Meyer Lansky's brother, whom FBI reports place in Havana in 1952 'looking after' his brother's interests and, in a 1958 informant report, as 'overseer of operations at the hotel casino' of the Hotel Nacional.
- Rights
- Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal records state.
On the record
- 20 November 1952 — The FBI Legal Attache in Havana reported that a source said Meyer Lansky had to remain in the United States because of a pending charge, "and that in the meantime his brother JAKE LANSKY, is in Havana looking after his interests."
- 1958 — An FBI New York report summarized in February 1958 says Meyer Lansky "closely associates with his brother, JAKE LANSKY, in Florida."
- 9 January 1958 — A 1971 FBI correlation summary relays an informant's report that Santo Trafficante, Jr., visiting the Hotel Nacional in Havana, "was contacting Jake Lansky, overseer of operations at the hotel casino, and not Meyer Lansky, who had a large interest in the casino."
- 31 January 1958 — The same summary says Trafficante's car was at Meyer Lansky's apartment in Havana on a day when Meyer and Jake Lansky held a meeting there; it identifies Jake as Meyer Lansky's brother.
These statements are FBI reports of what sources and informants said; none is a finding. The same 1971 summary names a “Jack Lansky (92-3089)” as manager of the Havana-Riviera casino in 1958, and Joseph Doto told the Kefauver Committee in 1950 that he had known “Jack Lansky” for many years. No record filed here says that Jack and Jake are the same man, so neither statement is placed on this page. No record filed here gives his dates of birth or death.
Records
itemLegal Attache, Havana, to the Director, 20 November 1952: no trace of Luciano in Havana; Lansky's reported share of the Montmartre and bid for Oriental ParkAnswering a report that Luciano had flown from Havana to Philadelphia, the Havana office found nothing in airline lists. It relayed informants' reports that Meyer Lansky had bought a share of the Montmartre night club from Pertierra and was trying to secure the Oriental Park concession, with 'his brother JAKE LANSKY' in Havana 'looking after his interests.'
itemFBI memorandum, F. L. Price to Mr. Rosen, 3 February 1958, and New York report on Meyer Lansky: 'now spending most of time in Havana, Cuba, where he has interests in gambling enterprises'A headquarters memorandum on the Lansky Anti-Racketeering case states that he is 'now spending most of time in Havana, Cuba, where he has interests in gambling enterprises' of variable extent, and that he has been connected with race track and gambling casino operations in Havana 'since at least 1938.' A New York report lists his Havana hangouts.
itemFBI Correlation Summary on Santo Trafficante, Jr. (main file 92-2781, searched 4 March 1971): Havana entries for 1955-1958A 1971 headquarters digest of Bureau references, marked 'NOT SUITABLE FOR DISSEMINATION,' records Legal Attache and informant reports placing Trafficante at the Sevilla Biltmore, the Sans Souci, the Hotel Nacional, the Capri and the Havana-Riviera, nearly all with 'reportedly,' 'allegedly' or 'appeared.'