Casino de Capri, Havana, Cuba Table A Roulette Chip
Obsolete
Last Update: 2014-04-18
Color: Beige
Mold SmKey
Inlay: White
Logo: Logo
Collected By: A. J. Giametta
– Lt Brown
– Blue
– Yellow
– Orange
– Beige- Shown
Calle N. y Calle 21, Vedado
Havana, Cuba
Type: Land Based
Status: Closed
Open: 11/1957, Close: 1959
Table A
Casino closed before last set of chips arrived.
Located on Calle 21, 1 Mp. 8 Vedado, only two blocks from the Hotel Nacional, it opened in November of 1957. With its 250 rooms, the nineteen-story structure was one of the largest hotel/casinos in Havana during its heyday. It boasted a swimming pool on the roof that can be seen in the opening scenes of Carol Reed’s film “Our Man in Havana” and Mikhail Kalatozov’s “I Am Cuba”.
Owned by mobster Santo Trafficante, Jr. of Tampa, Florida, the hotel/casino was operated by Nicholas Di Costanzo racketeer Charles Turin (aliases: Charles Tourine, Charley “The Blade”) and Santino Masselli of the Bronx NY(aliases:”Sonny the Butcher”). After it opened, George Raft was hired to be the public front for the hotel’s club during his gangster days in Cuba. It was believed that he owned a considerable interest in the club.
The SMKEY chips were made for the casino, but never used there because of the revolution. They are plentiful and usually found in new condition.
