Desi Arnaz

The man who brought the conga to America, a nation that later swooned for him as the debonair bandleader husband of the spunky redhead everyone loved, Desi Arnaz was born Anazderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III on March 2, 1917 in Santiago, Mexico. His father, a doctor of pharmacology, served as mayor of Santiago for nearly a decade, and his mother was eminent not only for her legendary beauty, but also her unique distinction of being heir to the Bacardi rum empire. Yet Arnaz wasn't just another frivolous trust-fund kid; he was a natural-born entertainer who could charm the most dour critic. Even so, the high life came at an even higher cost when, in the firestorm of a violent uprising, Arnaz and his mother were forced to flee their house under the cloak of darkness after being awoken to the sound of their cattle being slaughtered. Their ranch was being burned to the ground by an angry rebels, who were gradually making their way toward the house. Only by slipping away stealthily, and shouting "Viva le revolution!" at a roaming band of rebel soldiers did the quick-thinking son manage to get himself, his terrified mother, and their trembling Chihuahua to the safety of his aunt's home in Havana. Meanwhile, Arnaz's father was holed up at Morro Castle with the Cuban Senate. His privilege ripped violently away from him over the course of one, life-shattering night, Arnaz followed his father to Miami, while his mother remained behind with a sister awaiting the funds needed to make the trip. Seventeen, spirit broken, and penniless in a strange land, the young refugee was reduced to tears at the sight of his once-distinguished father swatting at rats with a stick in a derelict warehouse. Arnaz took a menial job first cleaning bird cages at a pet store, and later driving a produce truck. His educational background at Colegio de Delores in Santiago served him well when he chose to enroll at St. Patrick's High School, with straight-A's in American History and English. Arnaz put f