Matanzas.
Originally, it was a small town in Cuba, most famous for the Varadero Beach, rated as one of the world’s eight most beautiful beaches.
Every year, many Aricans travel here to enjoy the beauty of the beach.
Located about 100 kiloters from Havana and closer to Miami in a straight line than Havana, its geographic position, stunning scenery, and proximity to Havana far enough to avoid political impact but close enough to attract tourists made it the ideal site for a casino. This was why it was chosen by Barzini as the location for his casino.
It must be said that Barzini had an excellent vision. This location was exceptionally well-chosen. Since its opening, the number of gamblers has surged, simultaneously boosting the local tourism economy. The local officials were very deferential to Barzini and his team.
This was because the casino brought substantial revenue to the city.
Barzini had beco the true ruler of this small town.
On this day, a 100-ton fishing vessel was sailing ahead, followed by three 50-ton fishing boats, all heading toward the casino’s dock.
To accommodate its guests, the casino had specially constructed its own private dock, where several cruise ships were moored, primarily to ferry tourists from Miami.
Fishing boats coming over wasn’t an unusual sight; sotis they ca to deliver fish.
But after these fishing boats docked, hundreds of n, dressed in uniford military attire, carrying rifles and submachine guns, and with their faces covered in cloth scarves, sward off the boats.
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The people at the dock were shocked.
The mont these n disembarked, they charged toward the casino. The dock was only about a thousand ters from the casino, and they quickly approached the building.
Seeing so many ard n approaching, a security guard panicked and shouted, "What are you doing? This is private property."
"Ratatatatatata!"
The response was a burst of gunfire.
The security guard fell dead on the spot.
This gunshot officially sounded the horn of battle. Hundreds of soldiers stord into the casino, shooting any security personnel who dared to resist.
The gamblers scread in terror, dropping to the ground.
Ignoring the gamblers, the ard n rushed into the casino’s interior.
Another round of fierce gunfire followed.
The casino’s security personnel were swiftly eliminated. Inside the casino’s vault, the attackers found a massive amount of cash—an estimated three to four million dollars. They quickly packed the money into boxes, moved it outside, loaded it onto casino vehicles, and transported it to the dock to be loaded onto the boats.
As for the Arican gamblers inside the casino, they were herded together.
Under the dark barrels of machine guns, the terrified gamblers huddled like quails in a corner of the casino.
"Hand over anything valuable you have," one of the soldiers ordered, throwing several bags into the middle of the crowd.
The gamblers dared not disobey, tossing wallets, watches, necklaces, and all their valuables into the bags. Before long, several bags were filled.
The casino had originally embedded golden stars into its walls to enhance its opulence. So soldiers took crowbars and pried these stars off the walls.
A leader erged, looked at the gathered gamblers, and shouted loudly: "We are the Cuban Revolutionary Army. Our purpose is to overthrow Batista’s dictatorship and eradicate the capitalists who suck the blood of the Cuban people."
"This casino, a den of sin for gambling, drugs, and debauchery, must be destroyed. You may leave, but you must spread the word that the Cuban Revolutionary Army has begun its actions. Sooner or later, we will overthrow Batista and liberate the Cuban people from exploitation."
"Rember my na. I am ’Castro,’ Commander-in-Chief of the Cuban Revolutionary Army, and I will be Batista’s undertaker."
"Now, you may leave."
The gamblers and staff, as if granted amnesty, scrambled to run outside. In no ti, the casino was empty. So n carried barrels of gasoline inside and placed two barrels of explosives in the middle.
The group quickly evacuated.
The bearded leader tossed his cigar onto the gasoline, igniting the explosives, and then got into a vehicle. Just as their convoy reached the dock, a deafening explosion erupted behind them.
"Boom!"
The once-luxurious casino was instantly reduced to rubble. The explosion was followed by a massive fire, with flas soaring dozens of ters into the sky.
The fleeing gamblers hadn’t gotten very far. Hearing the explosion, many scread in fear, so even collapsing to the ground. Thankfully, the attackers had not hard them. If they had been inhuman enough to trap the gamblers inside before detonating the explosives, the thought alone was horrifying.
The Cuban Revolutionary Army’s operation was a trendous success.
They secured much-needed funds, destroyed the casino, and completed their first major action. Through the accounts of the casino’s gamblers, the world would undoubtedly learn about the Cuban Revolutionary Army and Castro.
After the operation, a tally revealed that they had seized a staggering $4.2 million, as well as so gold and silver jewelry, necklaces, and other valuables worth approximately tens of thousands of dollars.
With this newfound wealth, they could now purchase equipnt, supplies, and food, and recruit even more supporters.
The news of the Cuban-Arican casino being blown up quickly spread to the United States, where major newspapers began reporting on it extensively.
It’s important to note that Cuba was essentially Arica’s backyard.
Aricans had significant investnts there, and it was one of their key travel destinations. Several U.S. presidents had even visited Cuba as tourists.
Ernest Hemingway once depicted Cuba during this era, describing its white sandy beaches, Cuban cigars, sweet sugar, Latin-flavored bars under palm trees, and the passionate Cuban won.
But now, the ergence of the Cuban Revolutionary Army had shattered Cuba’s tranquility and charm. The casino, heavily funded by Arican investors to the tune of over $100 million, had only been in operation for six months and was now reduced to rubble—a colossal loss.
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