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“My guard will run you through if he catches you looking at my face," said Arianna.
"I don't think so. I think it might be treason to kill a duke," said Luciano.
"But you're not a duke," said Arianna.
"I will be if you marry me," said Luciano.
"Yes, you would be," said Arianna.
"Would?"
"If you are asking me."
"I'm asking."
"And if I accepted."
"Do you?"
"I do. With all my heart.”
― Mary Hoffman, City of Flowers

“I realized that cats make a perfect audience, they don't laugh at you, they never contradict you, there's no need to impress them, and they won't divulge your secrets.”
― Elle Newmark, The Book of Unholy Mischief

“Get off me you dirty turnip!" "Dirty turnip? well, pardon me Signor Cabbage-Head!”
― Elle Newmark, The Book of Unholy Mischief

“As long as Luciano and Arianna were together, he felt that all was right with the world.”
― Mary Hoffman

“In 1934, strongman Fulgencio Batista forced President Grau’s resignation. Then in 1940, Grau lost his bid for the Presidency to his adversary Batista. Four years later in 1944, he did win the election and took office for a four-year term starting on October 10th. After Grau won the election and was the President elect, Batista still in office, blatantly attacked the National Treasury, leaving the cupboards bare by the time Grau was actually sworn in as President.
Since Grau and Batista were staunch adversaries, it is highly unlikely that any deal could have been made in 1946 to allow “Lucky� Luciano into Cuba, especially with Luciano having been exiled to Sicily by the United States government that preceding February. Still, Lansky had enough political pull within the Cuban government to prepare for a strong Mafia presence in Havana.
In October of 1946, in an attempt to keep his whereabouts a secret, “Lucky� Luciano covertly boarded a freighter taking him from Naples, Italy, to Caracas, Venezuela. Then Luciano flew south to Rio de Janeiro and returned north to Mexico City. On October 29, 1946, he arranged for a private flight from Mexico City to Camagüey, Cuba, where Meyer Lansky met him. Having the right connections, Luciano passed through Cuban customs unimpeded and was whisked by car to the splendid Grand Hotel.
Luciano, having just arrived in Cuba, was looking forward to setting up operations. Cuba would actually be a better place than the United States for what he had in mind.”
― Captain Hank Bracker