Amadeo Barletta Barletta
| Amadeo Barletta Barletta | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 1894 San Nicola Arcella, Italy |
| Died | 1975 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Occupation | Businessman, Entrepreneur |
| Spouse(s) | Nelia Ricart de Barletta |
| Children | Amadeo Barletta Ricart ["Barletica"], Nelia Barletta Ricart |
| Parent(s) | Giuseppe Barletta (father); Filomena Barletta (mother) |
| Relatives | Grandchildren: Miguel Barletta, Nelia Barletta. Great grandchildren: Ileana Anselin, Amadeo Anselin, Alexis Anselin, Justine Anselin. |
Amadeo Barletta Barletta was born in Italy in 1894 and died in the Dominican Republic in 1975. He was a successful Italian entrepreneur who migrated to the Caribbean in the early years of the 20th century and made significant contributions to the modernization of transportation and the media in the Dominican Republic and Cuba. Barletta’s unusual business acumen and character allowed him to overcome major adversities. A hurricane destroyed his properties in the Dominican Republic in 1930. Trujillo confiscated them in 1935. Batista seized his businesses in 1941. Fidel Castro expropriated them in 1960.
Barletta was a successful Italian entrepreneur who migrated to the Caribbean in the early years of the 20th century. Curiously for an immigrant who transformed the urban landscape of Havana and other Latin American cities with the massive introduction of General Motors vehicles, the year of his birth coincided with the launching of Benz Velo the first standardized car by Karl Benz.
He was born in the small village of San Nicola Arcella in the poor region of Calabria, where he attended elementary school and earned his first income writing letters and documents for the villagers who appreciated his exceptionally good calligraphy. At the early age of 17 he migrated from Italy to Puerto Rico via New York during the summer of 1912. His records are registered in the historical archives of Ellis Island, the only port of entry to America at that time, where he declared to be 18 years old.
Amadeo moved to the Dominican Republic in 1920 and founded Santo Domingo Motors. In Dominican Republic he engaged in the tobacco business, breaking Trujillo’s monopoly with an U.S.A. company. In 1935 Trujillo charged Barletta with conspiring to assassinate him, incarcerating him. Barletta was the Honorary Consul of Italy appointed by Benito Mussolini. Trujillo cancelled his consular credentials by a decree and confiscated his properties and his Tobacco Company.
Benito Mussolini made moves to get his consul out of jail, demanded reimbursement for all losses as a result of Barletta's imprisonment and a $200,000 indemnity. the USA State Department contacted Dominican Republic's Minister to the U. S., Rafael Brache, and Trujillo set a bail and Barletta was released from jail.
Barletta moved to Cuba in 1939 and became the first exclusive distributor of General Motors, outside the United States.
In 1942 Amadeo left Cuba and immigrated to Argentina looking for a neutral country during World War II.
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Wikipedia