Reel ID, anyone?

[Tightlines667]

The reel in that first picture may be a prewar Cox (just a guess).  It is not a Penn or Ocean City.  The sideplate are beefy, it has a handle grasp indicitiive of the 1930s, appears to be made of plated German silver, and the sideplate look beefy.  Might be tough to I'd from that photo though.

It looks like the reel in the second photo is the same reel not enlarged.

I have to disagree.  The smaller reel mounted on the rod, has different rings, and sideplates, and is an early FinNor (look at the top cross bar), handle, and drag).  The other 2 reel's, in the fighting chair holders, are also early FinNors.  These reel's were popular with American big game anglers, and particularly throughout the Southeastern Atlantic, Gulf Coast, and Carribean at the time.

[Steve-O]

The two watch, stogie chomping Fidel, reel has a prominent star drag which the Fin Nors lack. Plus it sure looks like it has bakelite plates and beauty rings vs the all metal look.

Dominick... I see an enthused angler in the younger Fidel with much energy vs the angry, Communist, America hater we've known for many decades afterwards.

Our early countrymen were revolutionists, too, as I recall from school. I ran across the pics which are online being sold as early rare prints of Che and Fidel together in happier times, fishing, golfing, hanging out, smiling a lot.

[RowdyW]

The reel in that first picture may be a prewar Cox (just a guess).  It is not a Penn or Ocean City.  The sideplate are beefy, it has a handle grasp indicitiive of the 1930s, appears to be made of plated German silver, and the sideplate look beefy.  Might be tough to I'd from that photo though.

It looks like the reel in the second photo is the same reel not enlarged.

I have to disagree.  The smaller reel mounted on the rod, has different rings, and sideplates, and is an early FinNor (look at the top cross bar), handle, and drag).  The other 2 reel's, in the fighting chair holders, are also early FinNors.  These reel's were popular with American big game anglers, and particularly throughout the Southeastern Atlantic, Gulf Coast, and Carribean at the time.

Take another look at the backround. Fighting chair back down rest, piping on the seat cushions, deck hands white lower pant leg. Same reel. It was refered to as the closer of the 2 reels in the enlargement. Two reels in second photo. 

[Robert Janssen]

Referring to the Fiddy with cigar pic,

I'm partly with Tightlines on this. The handle arm looks very thick, and seems to have a full handle knob. Big, thick star... chrome rings on inside of sideplates... Bulge on the drive side, big knob on the left side... To me, that says Ocean City.

All other reels in all the other pics thus far are Fin-Nor.

.

[Steve-O]

To hopefully clarify things.

The first pic... blurry enlargement....is indeed the closest reel of the three Fin Nors in  the Che, Fidel, deckhand and unknown person photo.
The 3rd Fin Nor is over by Chef's left side in a rod holder.

The Fidel with cigar,  cranking a reel on a rod, pic is the one that's not a lever drag Fin Nor but may be a Penn Ocean City.

I think the confusion was about two different pictures.