El Comandante Americano

December 8, 2008 11:10 AM

William Alexander Morgan: The improbable story of how a high school dropout, ex-con, ranch hand, gambling enforcer, mafia gunrunner and circus fire eater from Ohio, became one of the top leaders in Castro’s revolutionary army (pops), only to be executed as a traitor after the revolution.
posted by mrducts (4 comments total)

Might be worth mentioning that Herman Marks, another American participant in the Cuban revolution, is said to have been the firing squad captain at Morgan's excecution. His whereabouts are unknown to this very day.
posted by scarello at 1:07 PM on December 8, 2008

A frog farm? Now I have heard it all.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:45 PM on December 8, 2008

No, Halloween Jack.

Morgan started using the frog farm’s trucks to take arms to anti-Castro guerrillas in the Escambray mountains.

*Now* you've heard it all.

Great post, mrducts, thanks - an amazing story I knew nothing about. It'd make a great movie. (I'm seeing Brad Pitt shirtless in the jungle...)
posted by mediareport at 2:48 PM on December 8, 2008

gambling enforcer, mafia gunrunner

Another example of the CIA-Mafia connection in the US effort to overthrow Castro?
posted by jamjam at 6:34 PM on December 8, 2008