Norman Rothman

Norman Rothman (aka "Roughhouse", December 26, 1914 in New York City – October 1985) was an American gangster.

Life

Rothman was an infamous member of the La Cosa Nostra operating in South Florida. In 1945 he joined the U.S. Army. He was a close associate of Santo Trafficante, Jr. with whom he would operate casinos in Havana, most notably, the Sans Souci.^[1] He ran a bookmaking operation in Havana where he also was involved in running guns to Fidel Castro with Joe Merola and the Mannarino brothers, for which he was convicted February 4, 1960.^[2]

After moving back to Miami, Rothman purchased a notable gangster hangout, The Albion Lounge, in the late 1960s and early 70s. He was also involved in narcotics trafficking in Miami. In 1962, he was acquitted for conspiracy to transport, and transporting, stolen securities.^[3] In 1969, he was arrested^[4] and indicted,^[5] and in 1971, he was convicted, of conspiracy relating to the theft of securities.^[6]

Criminal record

• 1/29/48 – Vagrancy – Miami Beach, Fla.
• 3/27/59 – Firearms Act violation – Miami, Fla.
• 4/05/59 – Stolen property – Pittsburgh, Penn. (sentenced to 5 years in prison in 1961)
• 5/01/62 – Receiving and transporting stolen property – Federal Correctional Inst., Tallahassee, Fla.
• 9/11/63 – Stolen property – Eglin Air Force Base prison camp, Okaloosa County, Fla.
• 3/17/69 – Vagrancy – Las Vegas, Nev.

Associates

• Pasquale "Patsy" Erra
• Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal (of the movie "Casino" fame)

Habits

Rothman was known to drink Canadian Club straight with water on the side.

Further reading

• Waldron, Lamar; Thom Hartmann (2006). Ultimate Sacrifice: John and Robert Kennedy, the Plan for a Coup in Cuba, and the Murder of JFK. Carroll & Graf Publishers. pp. 307–308. ISBN 0-7867-1832-3.

References

1. Moruzzi, Peter (2008). Havana Before Castro: When Cuba Was a Tropical Playground. Gibbs Smith. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
2. "6 Convicted of Gun-Running". The New York Times. February 5, 1960. p. 13.(subscription required)
3. "Defendant Cleared in Bond Theft Case". The New York Times. March 3, 1962. p. 8.(subscription required)
4. Murray Illson (May 30, 1969). "F.B.I. Rounds Up 4 In $4-Million Theft Of Securities Here". The New York Times. p. 1.(subscription required)
5. "U.S. Indicts 5 Here In Securities Theft". The New York Times. December 19, 1969. p. 1.(subscription required)
6. "2 Florida Men Convicted In Theft of Securities Here". The New York Times. November 23, 1971. p. 47.(subscription required)

• The Education Forum/Spartacus Educational