Chapter 222: Cuban Casino Business

The old godfather called a meeting with the heads of the various families. The first call was to the Luccese family in Miami. "Luccese, Hardy has a new idea for making money," the old godfather said.

Luccese, aware of Hardy's knack for profitable ventures, quickly responded, "What's Hardy's idea?"

"We're thinking of opening a casino in Cuba."

Luccese was surprised. "A casino in Cuba? Can it be profitable? We already have casinos in Las Vegas."

"Hardy pointed out that Las Vegas mainly attracts customers from the West Coast. For people on the East Coast, getting to Las Vegas means traveling across the country."

The old godfather elaborated, "Cuba offers beautiful scenery and beaches, unlike Las Vegas, which is just desert and requires extensive development. Every year, millions of tourists visit Miami Beach. These tourists are excellent potential customers. Miami is only 200 miles from Havana—just an hour by plane or an overnight cruise. It would be easy for tourists to spend a few days in Cuba and then return."

He continued, "Opening a casino in Cuba is an extension of Miami's tourism industry. Since Miami doesn't allow gambling, we can build the casino in Cuba. With the beaches, casinos, and exotic Latin American culture, it will attract countless tourists. We can profit from cruise ships, casinos, accommodations, and even drug sales. The atmosphere in Cuba will be freer and wilder than in Las Vegas. We'll draw in people from the East Coast like never before."

The old godfather added that the casino could also be used for money laundering. "Each family has some overseas business. I know your family has sugar operations in Latin America. By using the casino, money can be turned into legal income. Drug money, and even transactions with South America and Europe, can be laundered in the casino, making everything much more convenient."

These points were all Hardy's ideas, and the old godfather was delivering them word-for-word. The proposal was based mostly on truth, which made it even more convincing.

Patriarch Luccese listened intently, and as the old godfather spoke, his eyes lit up. The idea of building a casino in Cuba seemed like a stroke of genius. He admired Hardy even more.

He saw that this plan could bring significant benefits, especially since Miami was so close to Cuba. His family could take a larger share of the profits and become even more powerful.

"Alright, I support this plan, but I want the Luccese family to take a larger share this time," Luccese said.

The old godfather smiled. "Of course. Hardy has already considered this. He said that Miami is crucial to the plan, so in addition to calculating shares based on investment, the Luccese family will also receive a portion of the management shares."

Luccese felt pleased. Hardy had thought of everything, even including a management stake for his family.

"Of course, we'll finalize the details once all the partners are on board, but I don't foresee any issues. After all, we'll need the Luccese family's support to make this happen," the old godfather added.

After ending the call with Luccese, the old godfather contacted other families, including those who hadn't been involved in the 'Venetian' casino project.

The old godfather even reached out to Anthony Stracci, head of the Stracci family, and Philip Tattaglia, head of the Tattaglia family.

The old godfather's connections were vast and deep, and he delivered the same pitch to these families.

The casino would be profitable, facilitate overseas money operations, and serve as a hub for drug money transactions.

Many saw Hardy's plan as brilliant. Even if the casino didn't make a profit, the other two functions alone were enough to justify building it.

Finally, the old godfather called Basini.

Before the old godfather could make his pitch, Basini had already heard rumors about the plan and was taken aback.

Hardy's vision was sharp, and he had identified the untapped potential of Cuba.

Casinos make money, launder overseas funds, and help others do the same. The money laundering business is in high demand, not just for gangsters but for many wealthy and powerful individuals.

If executed well, this business could be incredibly lucrative.

But Basini also saw Hardy's underlying strategy. Previously, Vito Corleone had proposed adding the Los Angeles Syndicate to the Mafia committee, and other families had supported it. This indicated that Hardy was trying to extend his influence into the committee.

Hardy, who had killed Siegel and was now aligned with Corleone, was a natural enemy of Basini. If Hardy joined the committee, Basini feared he would lose his current power.

The Mafia committee's chairman position rotates every two years, and the chairman is more of a meeting convener than someone with veto power. Proposals take effect with an 80% approval rate.

If Hardy won over enough people, Basini knew he wouldn't be able to stop him from joining the committee.

As Basini pondered his next move, the old godfather called.

"Basini, I want to talk to you about building a casino in Cuba," Vito Corleone said in his raspy voice.

"I'm listening, Vito," Basini replied calmly.

The old godfather laid out the benefits of the Cuban casino, knowing that Basini was already aware of the plan. Both men were experienced and knew how to play the game.

But sometimes, the show must go on.

After the old godfather finished his pitch, Basini remained silent for a few moments. The old godfather then said, "Basini, whatever issues we've had in the past were just business. There's no reason we can't move forward. What do you think?"

"Hardy's Cuban casino proposal is solid. We can all invest and make money together. Every family can use the casino as a channel for easier and more convenient financial transactions in the future."

"Basini, Hardy wanted me to tell you that he's not interested in fighting. He hopes we can all make money together instead of wasting energy on internal conflicts, which goes against the committee's original purpose. What do you think, Basini?"

Basini listened, feeling a surge of frustration.

If he agreed to join the venture, it would be like admitting defeat and bowing to Hardy in front of all the other families.

"I need to think about it, Vito," Basini finally said.

"Take your time. I'll be waiting for your call," the old godfather replied before hanging up.

As the dim light cast shadows on Basini's face, he sat deep in thought, contemplating how to deal with this situation.

Opening a casino in Cuba was indeed a brilliant idea.

But if Hardy could do it, so could Basini.

Cuba's current Prime Minister, Fulgencio Batista, was considered a friend. The United States had strong influence over Cuba, and Batista had spent time in the U.S., making connections. Basini had met him back then.

Basini decided to approach Batista and propose building a casino in Cuba.

He could even use his connections to prevent Hardy's group from proceeding with their plans.

If Basini controlled the Cuban casino business, he could rally the other mafia families to his side, causing Hardy's Las Vegas casino alliance to collapse. He could regain his leadership position in the committee and prevent Hardy from ever joining.

The more Basini thought about it, the more determined he became.

The next day, Basini flew to Cuba and met with Batista. Batista liked Basini and appreciated his influence in Washington.

When Basini proposed building a casino in Cuba, Batista agreed. Although Cuba didn't allow gambling at the time, Batista felt that it could be opened to foreigners only, a proposal that could easily pass through Congress.

Moreover, Cuba would benefit from substantial tax revenue, so why not proceed?

After returning from Cuba, Basini was reinvigorated. He immediately began contacting other families, including those who had aligned with Hardy.

Basini called Luccese. 

"Luccese, work with me. Prime Minister Batista is a good friend of mine, and he's agreed to let us build a casino in Cuba. As for anyone else, they won't be able to get involved. We can run the casino, make money, and launder money," Basini said.

He was, of course, referring to Hardy.

Luccese hesitated.

His relationship with Hardy was based on the benefits Hardy could provide. If Hardy could no longer deliver, Luccese had no reason to support him.

Leaders of crime families are pragmatic, and Luccese was no exception.

Now that Basini had secured an agreement with Batista, Hardy's group would likely be shut out. If the Cuban casino was built, Miami—being the closest U.S. city—would benefit the most, and Luccese didn't want to miss out on that.