Episode 127  is the second episode in a multiple episode wander about the epoch 1946 Havana Conference held by the Mafia on the island of Cuba. The conference defined the involvement of organized crime on the island through 1959 and up to the fall of Bautista. This is part of a larger wander and a larger story tell of the history of Cuba dating all the way back to the island conquest by Spain. We have already taken you swiftly through hundreds of years of colonial rule that shaped the geopolitics of the region and defined its 20th century relationship with the United States. Now we begin to tell the story of the Mafia and its influence and control of the island that has it's roots all the way back to the early 1920's. In today's episode we finish covering the period and events that set the stage for the Havana Conference including the original vision that Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano set forth for the island as a future haven and enclave for the mafia. We introduce you to Fulgencio Bautista who would eventually rise to become the President of Cuba in a corrupt partnership with  Meyer Lansky and the syndicate. And finally we cover the events of the Havana Conference Itself. It is here on this island nation where the story eventually converges around the modern Cubans, CIA men and the mafia. All in one place. Join us in this continuing miniseries on Cuban history as we continue to set the stage the stage and explore the forces that were shaping the world in that era of the twentieth century. It's history that immerses us in the Cuban story  including  politics, geography, and economic circumstances  that would all collide and create an epicenter of geopolitical consequences. Consequences that would intersect in a crescendo right at the moment that JFK was coming to the Presidency. Understanding the leadup and history of Cuba is critical to this part of the journey that is JFK the Enduring Secret. 

 Let us know  what you like about the podcast or just provide us with comments on the episode via  email at [email protected] or get active in our blog for each episode at www.podcastjfk.com   Either way, keep listening, and join us for the whole series of episodes about the fantastic goings on that encompass this part of the JFK story. 

Now we enter the unknown with evidence that is complex, incomplete and sometimes conflicting. 

Even as early as 1964, rumors and serious concerns over  the lone gunman theory and the evidence that might contravene it,  were becoming a major concern for the government and the commission. Conspiracy theories were contrary to the government's stated narrative from the very beginning. Stay tuned as there are many more episodes to come!

This series comprehensively explores the major facts,  themes, and  events leading up to the assassination in Dealey Plaza and the equally gripping stories surrounding the subsequent investigation. We  review  key elements of the Warren Commission Report , and the role of the CIA and FBI. We explore the  possible involvement of the Mafia in the murder and the review of that topic by the government's House Select Committee on Assassinations in the 1970's. We explore the Jim Garrison investigation and the work of other key figures such as Mark Lane and others. Learn more about Lee Harvey Oswald the suspected killer and Jack Ruby the distraught Dallas night club owner with underworld ties and the man that killed Oswald as a national TV audience was watching.  Stay with us as we take you through the facts and theories in bite sized discussions that are designed to educate, and inform as well as entertain the audience. This  real life story is more fascinating than fiction. No matter whether you are a seriou