Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer.[1] He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom I Love Lucy, in which he co-starred with his then-wife Lucille Ball.[1] Arnaz and Ball are credited as the innovators of the syndicated rerun, which they pioneered with the I Love Lucy series.[2]

Arnaz and Lucille Ball co-founded and ran the television production company called Desilu Productions, originally to market I Love Lucy to television networks. After I Love Lucy ended, Arnaz went on to produce several other television series, at first with Desilu Productions, and later independently, including The Ann Sothern Show and The Untouchables. He was also the bandleader of his Latin group, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra. He was known for playing conga drums and popularized the conga line in the United States.[3]

Early life
Arnaz was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba,[1] to Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Alberni II (March 8, 1894 – May 31, 1973) and Dolores "Lolita" de Acha y de Socias (April 2, 1896 – October 24, 1988). His father was Santiago's youngest mayor and also served in the Cuban House of Representatives. His maternal grandfather was Alberto de Acha, an executive at rum producer Bacardi & Co.[4][5]

A descendant of Cuban nobility, Arnaz was a great-great-great-grandson of José Joaquín. The Cuban Revolution of 1933 forced Arnaz and his family to lose everything and flee Cuba. A mob attacked and destroyed the family's houses, property, and livestock.[6][7] Arnaz narrowly escaped the attack because he was able to hop in a car getting away. His father, Alberto Arnaz, was jailed and all of his property was confiscated. He was released after six months when his father-in-law Alberto de Acha intervened on his behalf.[5]

The family then fled to Miami, where Desi attended high school. They came to the United States with no money and Desi had to live with his father in a garage that was infested with rats and roaches.[6] In the summer of 1934, he attended Saint Leo Prep[8] (near Tampa) to improve his English. His first jobs included working at Woolworth's and cleaning canary cages in Miami. He then went into the tile business with his father before turning to show business full time.[6]