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 get a little power. And I understand that was the way that it was back

 in their homeland, you know, they had all these little cliques and were

 extremely jealous of one another. If we could ever get them to pull

 together and there are some very intelligent people down there.

 I mean, hell, you know, we've got a lot of lawyers and doctors and bankers

 and some excellent people. But they know that the big problem they have

 is the petty jealousy. If they ever decide to all pull together, they

 will be a hell of a force. But it is going to take some strong man to

 come along and grab the leadership and truthfully, right now we don't

 have it. We have a guy down there that I like very, very much and he

 is the one that I trust the most. He is a stock broker by the name of

 Jose Casanova, but he can't get them all together.

 J.B.: They have the potential to be a significant political force in

 this state.

 Thomas: They certainly do. You know, I'm sure that you are aware of

 this, but the Cubans in Tampa and the Cubans in Miami are two distinct

 different breed of cats. The Cubans in Tampa, most of them are Democrats.

 They are second and third and fourth and fifth generation Americans, you

 know. And they are Democrats. They have been steeped in the Democratic

 party politics of Hillsborough County. And the Cubans in the Miami area

 are completely different. Most of them have been here less than twenty

 years, you know. I don't know what the percentage is, but there are a

 lot of brand new ones and they are completely different from the Tampa

 variety. But boy, you are right, if they ever decide. And I have been

 trying to tell them that for a couple ofkears. But you know, you have

 got to have one strong man.

 J.B.: Who is the leading potential candidate for lieutenant governor

 among the Republican candidates?

From the Southern Oral History Program, #4007, Interview /4-6 in the Southern Historical Collection,
University of North Carolina Library, Chapel Hill. FOR REFERENCE ONLY: PERMISSION TO
PUBLISH MUST BE REQUESTED. WARNING: MOST MANUSCRIPTS ARE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT.