Waldo De Castroverde

Waldo De Castroverde was born in Havana, Cuba on January 15, 1941. He studied in Cuba at Bethlehem High School at the Sepulveda School. During his early teen years Waldo was passionate about returning freedom to Cuba and was committed to seeing Cuba become a true democracy. He began working with the Directory Revolutionary and the Movement of July 26 in the fight against the Dictatorship of Batista. He Exiled to Mexico in April 1958 until the fall of Batista.

In November 1960 because of the actions of Fidel Castro, he left Cuba for the second time and joined the training camps in Guatemala to begin training for the Bay of Pigs invasion of April 17, 1961. Waldo was a paratrooper and one of 1300 Cuban exiles who made up the military force that took part in the Bay of Pigs.

He was captured and imprisoned in the Castillo del Principe, where he was ultimately sentenced to 30 years in prison. During negotiations for the release of the members of the Brigade, Waldo was elected by his fellow paratroopers to represent them on the commission that was to negotiate the exchange of the prisoners of the Brigade with the Kennedy Administration in Washington D.C. When the negotiations failed, despite knowing that when he returned to Cuba he was facing 30 years imprisonment, he returned to Cuba to continue to serve his time with is fellow compatriots. He did this on two occasions. Waldo then served 20 months in a Cuban prison before ultimately being released in December 1962. While in prison, Waldo debated Fidel Castro in a public arena about democracy, communism, and freedom. He loved to recount that story.

After his release to the United States, Waldo collaborated with groups fighting against Fidel Castro. Waldo never gave up his dream of one day having a free Cuba. Had Castro regime fallen, Waldo would have surely returned to his beloved home to help rebuild the country. One of his nicknames was “El Presidente” and he always had dreams of returning to a Free Cuba and running for higher office.

On September 4, 1965, he married Vivian Sanchez in Los Angeles, California. They were literally inseparable until the day he passed. They had four children: Waldo, Ana, Alex and Orlando. His children loved him more than words can convey. He was also blessed with ten grandchildren whom he loved dearly.

In 1970, he graduated with a Bachelors in Spanish and Social Sciences at St. Mary's College. In 1987, he moved to Reno, Nevada to become a Blackjack Dealer at the MGM Grand so he could provide a better life for his family.

Three years after moving to Reno, Old College School of Law opened and Waldo seized the opportunity to follow in his father’s footsteps who was an attorney in Cuba. He attended law school at night, while working full time at a casino during the day and raising four children. Upon graduating from law school and passing the bar exam on his first attempt, he was hired as a Deputy Attorney General and worked in the Carson City office for three years.

Waldo ultimately started a small law firm in Reno, Nevada and later moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. He was later joined by two of his sons Alex and Orlando who later formed The De Castroverde Law Group, a firm devoted to serving the Las Vegas Hispanic community.

Waldo is a published author of two books – one of which he wrote while he was attending law school. His biography is titled “Que La Patria Se Siente Orgullos” (“That the Homeland Feels Proud”). The book details the efforts he made throughout his life in pursuit of a Free Cuba and his pursuit for success here in the United States.

Waldo lived his life to the fullest. He loved to travel around the world, eat good food, and celebrate with his family and friends. We can truly say that he had the best friends anyone could ask for while here on Earth. His friends were there for him during good times as well as bad times. But he, too, was always there for his friends and family.

Because Waldo meant so much to his family and friends, he will be dearly missed. We hope that he is looking down upon us with a smile on his face for everything that he accomplished during his short time here on Earth.