One of the more curious aspects of the invitation list was the large number of Penelas cronies in attendance, apparently at the expense of truly notable locals. Lobbyists, political hacks, friends, and relatives colonized the 40 tables, yet not one president of a local university or college attended. No Tad Foote or Mitch Maidique or Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin or Eduardo Padron. And where were the cultural icons? New World Symphony artistic director Michael Tilson Thomas? Miami City Ballet artistic director Edward Villella? Florida Philharmonic music director James Judd? Impresaria extraordinaire Judy Drucker? Surely Jon Secada and Gloria and Emilio Estefan aren't the only cultural gems Miami had to offer the royal couple.
And what about the town's titans of commerce: Micky Arison, Phillip Frost, Richard Fain, Armando Codina, Joseph Lacher, Adolfo Henriques, Stephen Muss, Norman Braman? For that matter how about Rabbi Terry Bookman of Temple Beth Am? Not to mention recently retired U.S. Attorney General and hometown girl Janet Reno. Or Sen. Bob Graham. Or even newly arrived Miami International Airport director Angela Gittens. After all, seaport director Charles Towsley and his wife were there.
Instead King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia got an eyeful of virtuous luminaries such as Herman Echevarria (at the head table no less) and three of his relatives; his friend and business partner Manuel Machado; former Hialeah City Councilman Silvio Cardoso (who pleaded guilty to corruption charges in 1988); former Miami City Commissioner and Penelas confidante Manolo Reboso; lobbyist and Penelas fundraiser Chris Korge; and lobbyists and political operatives Jorge Luis Lopez, Dewey Knight, Michael Benages, Al Lorenzo, Bill Perry, Raul Masvidal, Ric Katz, and Seth Gordon, to name a few.
This wasn't the cream of Miami. It was the grease.
Or as Penelas political advisor Ric Katz put it in defending the guest list: "A very warm and friendly crowd of the people we like to be with." Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez, a long-time political foe of both Penelas and Echevarria, puts it another way: "From what I saw, it was a lot of his buddies, relatives, or friends. It was a place to say, “Look, you owe me for later.'" Echevarria counters that "every key important leader was invited. Some were not able to make it."
While several county commissioners and a smattering of politicians from Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Miami Lakes, and even tiny West Miami attended the gala, Martinez was not invited. Katz gamely argues that the emphasis was on trade between Spain and Miami. Most of the invitees, he says, were the same civic leaders and chamber-of-commerce types who showed up a couple of weeks earlier at the Mayor's Ball benefit for the United Way. "When you have 410 people invited, you know there are 2000 who would have liked to have been there," Katz ventures. "Maybe some were invited and couldn't come. Some people only have one tuxedo, and when you've worn it, that's it."
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce president William Cullom figures he knew about half the people at the dinner, many of whom indeed have some sort of business or cultural connection to Spain. For weeks before the event, Cullom was receiving calls from people who thought the chamber was helping create the list and wanted to be included. "Everybody kept calling me hinting that I had something to do with it, but we didn't," he says. "Usually we contribute to these kinds of things. This time we weren't asked, and we didn't volunteer."
Cullom did wonder how the guest list was assembled, such lists being the sort of thing he puts together routinely for chamber-sponsored gatherings. "I was trying to figure out how you would decide who to invite to this," he recalls. "I was surprised that there weren't academic people -- presidents of the colleges -- but I don't know what the criteria were."
Discretion and good taste apparently were not among the criteria, at least as they applied to the head table, where Miami Mayor Joe Carollo blithely perched next to his escort for the evening, Isabel "Sissi" Fleitas, a shapely Sábado Gigante model about half his age. Some partygoers found that a little hard to swallow with their wine, considering as how the mayor is in the middle of a divorce and facing a battery charge for a much-publicized fight with his estranged wife. "I think Carollo was tacky as hell showing up with Sissi," complains one guest who sat a few tables away. "I mean, he should have gone with his mother."
Some of the seating arrangements at the dinner also were curious -- for instance putting strident Elian activist Rosa de la Cruz at the same table as Victor Curry, the influential black minister who was outspoken in his public criticism of strident Elian activists. Or placing Cuban American National Foundation chairman Jorge Mas Santos just a table away from attorney Hank Adorno, who was executive vice president of MasTec before he and Mas Santos had a major rupture and the lawsuits started flying.
Politically curious was the number of anti-Castro Spanish-language radio personalities, such as Marta Flores, Tomas Garcia Fuste, and Raquel Regalado, who attended despite Spain's cozy economic relationship with Cuba. Also present was Raul Alarcon, owner of the Spanish Broadcasting System, which forbids the playing of any Cuban national artists on its stations across the country.
But enough of the curiosities. Peruse the complete list as provided by Penelas's office. Consider it a test of your knowledge of the local civic landscape.
Head Table: His Majesty Juan Carlos I and Sofia, Fernando de Almanza Moreno-Bareda, Francia Valdes-Fauli, Raul Valdes-Fauli, Francisco Javier Ruperez Rubio, Rakela Ruperez Rubio, Margarita Pique Camps, Josep Pique Camps, Alex Penelas, Lilliam Penelas, Archbishop John Favalora, Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan, Herman Echevarria, Nelson Echevarria, Isabel Fleitas, Joe Carollo.
Table 1: Barbara Carey-Schuler, James Lamar Carey-Schuler, Armando Muñoz, Daisy Muñoz, Richard Sasso, Carmen Sasso, Jack Williams, William Simmon, Virginia Sanchez, Rafael Spottorno, Carlos DeCespedez, Martha DeCespedez.
Table 2: Calixton Garcia Velez, Carmen Garcia Velez, Wenceslao Casares, Belle Holahan, Michael Contreras, Milagro Contreras, Donald V. Browne, Maria Junquera, Sonia Puopolo, Sr., Dominic J. Puopolo, Sonia Puopolo, Maria Ashemimry.
Table 3: Gwen Margolis, Vince Post, Philip Levine, William Talbert III, Cindy McCall, Wayne Cotton, Maria Sastre, Dennis Moss, Margaret Moss.
Table 4: Gustavo Alfonso, Margarita Alfonso, Frank Nero, Geraldine Nero, Harold McGovern, Mario del Valle, Clara del Valle, Christopher Korge, Irene Korge.
Table 5: José Fanjul, Emilia Fanjul, Angela Rivado-Garcia, José Miguel Sanchez, Beatriz Sanchez, David Konfino, Marilyn Konfino, Eduardo Masferrer, Maura Masferrer, Miguel Aguirre de Carcer.
Table 6: Silvio Cardoso, Maria Cardoso, Anthony Mijares, Laurie Mijares, Alberto Cardenas, Diana M. Cardenas, Jorge Perez, Darleen Boytel, Peter Deutsch, Laurie Deutsch.
Table 7: Alberto Ibargüen, Susana Ibargüen, José Rodriguez, Martha Rodriguez, Sergio Gonzalez, Ines Gonzalez-Mareno, Ray Rodriguez, Llana Rodriguez, Steve Shiver, Sherry Shiver.
Table 8: Fermin Arrarte, Raquel Arrarte, H.T. Smith, Veronica Garmon, J.P. Miguel, Claudine Miguel, Solomon Schiff, Shirley Schiff, Seth Kaye, Maite-Arrarte Kaye.
Table 9: Donna Voss, Samantha Voss, Daniel Hernandez, Ivonne Hernandez, Bill Perry, Dynise Perry, Gene Prescott, Daniela Castro Quijada, Manuel Machado, Alexandra Villoch, Tomas Ledesma.
Table 10: Benny Klepach, Juliette Klepach, Amancio Suarez, Sr., Maria Fiallo, Cindy Camaraza, Amancio J. Suarez, Aaron Podhurst, Dorothy Podhurst, Diego Suarez, Laura De Ono.
Table 11: Manolo Reboso, Nadia Pallais Reboso, Felipe Valls, Sr., Natividad Valls, Felipe Valls, Jr., Nicole Valls, Mari Rosy Toussaint, Robert Steinback, Asuncion Valdes Nicolau, Alfonso Sanz Portoles.
Table 12: Ray Velazquez, Maria Carmen Pedrosa, Tom Mestre, Regina Mestre, Gerardo B. Fernandez, Carlota A. Fernandez, Antonio Rodriguez, Azerida Mendez, Alberto Aza Arias, Alejandro Nuñez, Jesus Fuertes.
Table 13: William Kerdyk, Jr., Lynn Kerdyk, Ramon Flores, Marta Flores, Manty Sabates Morse, Silvio Silveira, Carmen Silveira, Luis Penelas, Maria del Carmen Alvarez.
Table 14: Roberto Alonso, Dania Alonso, Rafael Antun, Mayda Antun, Willy Bermello, Daisy Bermello, Rolando Blanco, Felipe Perez, Gonzalo de Benito Secades, Isalas Peral Puebla.
Table 15: Joaquin Avino, Mercedes Avino, Esteban Bencomo, Millie Bencomo, Toby Brigham, Kathleen Brigham, Dinorah Aruguelle, Sara O. Soto, Ramiro Fernandez Bachiller, Abelino Barros Caballero.
Table 16: Alberto Lorenzo, Margarita Martinez Lorenzo, Richard Kessler, Nestor Rodriguez, Alicio Pina, Nirma Pina, Jorge Plascencia, Father José Pablo Nickse, Juan Roca, Ofelia Roca.
Table 17: Wayne Slaton, Margie Slaton, Jorge Suarez-Menendez, Susan Suarez-Menendez, Ruby Sewzy, Lewis Sewzy, Dorothy Thomson, John Thomson, Alfredo Mason, Ileana Mason.
Table 18: Esther Klepach, Jennifer May, Walter Loy, Kathy Babel, Dwayne Wynn, Evelyn Wynn, Silvia Cairo, Manuel Zubiria, Maria Furest, Dario Moreno.
Table 19: Mario Echevarria, Rosella Echevarria, Hugh Cochran, Lynea Cochran, José Pombo, Vivian Pombo, Monseratta Pombo, José Villalobos, Isabel Villalobos, Luis Penelas, Jr.
Table 20: Pedro Hernandez, Haifa Hernandez, Rudolph O. Moise, Miriam Moise, Luciano Suarez, Ines Suarez, Rebecca Sosa, Armando Sosa, Raul Pozo, Cristina Pozo.
Table 21: Tomas Regalado, Raquel Regalado, Miriam Alonso, Leonel Alonso, Armando Olivera, Maurice Ferré, Mercedes Ferré, Yvonne Sebastian Daniels, Paul Evanson, Carol Evanson, Joe Martinez, Ana Martinez.
Table 22: Guillermo Jacovella, Olga Jacovella, Alberto Rodriguez, Francis Rodriguez, Mario Freixas, Michael Adler, Judy Adler, Pedro Izaguirre, Pedro Reboredo, Norma Reboredo, Dorin Rolle, Judith Rolle.
Table 23: Juan Antonio Garcia-Urgeles, Maria Dolores Lazaro-Blas, Ana Teresa Arizmendi, Ivette Augusti, Jon Secada, Maritere Secada, Manuel Bellod, Alvaro Moncada, Bruno Barreiro, Zoralda Barreiro, Joseph Farina, Joelle Haspil.
Table 24: Carlos Migoya, Johnny Winton, Vicky Winton, Gonzalo Rodriguez de Austria, Jorge Luis Lopez, Mercedes I. Rodriguez, Wilfredo Gort, Tamara S. Gort, Javier Vallaure, Marisa Vallaure.
Table 25: Moni Terner, Mary Terner, Federico Moreno, Maria Cristina Moreno, Tony Ojeda, Philip Martin, Jorge Mas Santos, Aleyda Mas, Sean Anderson, Maria Teresa Anderson.
Table 26: Hank Adorno, Lisa Adorno, Horacio Aguirre, Helena Aguirre, Raul Alarcon, Alma Alarcon, Adrienne Arsht, Victor Diaz, Nora Bulnes, Eva Hughes.
Table 27: Margarita Esquiroz, Alberto Hernandez, Raul Masvidal, Mercedes Masvidal, José Milton, Nilda Milton, José Manuel Vicente Fernandez, Neisen O. Kasdin, Ana Kasdin, Michael Souckar.
Table 28: José Cabrera Garcia, Manuel Barros-Vales, Manuel Rico Perez, Oscar Valbuena, Charles Towsley, Colleen Towsley, Michael Benages, Ursula Ungaro, Juan Varga Aldana, Aida Levitan.
Table 29: Armando Bucelo, Beatrice Bucelo, Francisco Norona, Maria Norona, Jorge Arrizurieta, Maria Arrizurieta, Guillermo Somellian, Elsa Somellian, Simon Cruz, Maria Cruz.
Table 30: Carlos de la Cruz, Rosa de la Cruz, Leo de la Pena, Lourdes Castillo de la Pena, Victor T. Curry, Rosa Sugrañes, Fernando Vila, Juan Manuel Barandica, Tomas Garcia-Fuste, Lina Bryan Garcia-Fuste.
Table 31: Jay Malina, Jane Sigars Malina; Remedios Diaz-Oliver, Fausto Diaz-Oliver, Gus Machado, Lilliam Martinez, Steve Zachs, Anita Petluck, Bernardo Adrover, Margarita Adrover.
Table 32: William Cullom, Caryl Cullom, Carlos Alvarez, Marta Alvarez, José Zayas, Alicia Zayas, Mario Ferro, Elena Ferro, Michael Carricarte, Sr., Odette Carricarte.
Table 33: Cynthia Curry, Garland Curry, Ana Maria Fernandez Haar, Alfredo Balsera, Francois Illias, Martha Hernandez, Candido Creis-Estrada, Alex de la Cruz, Veronica de la Cruz, Javier Carvajosa.
Table 34: Carlos Garcia, Carlos Garcia, Jr., Carlos Gimenez, Lourdes Maria Portella Gimenez, José Gomez, Jorge L. Gomez, Emiliano Salcines, Elsa Salcines, Begona Cristeto, Javier Aznar.
Table 35: Rosita Freixas, Pepe Freixas, Jr., Aileen Ugalde, Joe Garcia, Al Garcia-Serra, Pamela Weller, Joaquin Roy, Barbara Roy, Julian Linares, Maite Linares.
Table 36: Domingo Moreira, Brenda Moreira, José Franciso Hernandez, Annie Hernandez, Dewey Knight III, Sabrina Thomas, Jorge Suarez, Veronica Yussyn, Manuel Machado, Sr., Anicia Machado.
Table 37: Pedro Millian, Beatrice Vives, Betty Aragon, Ramon Moreda, Carlos Iglesias, Carmen Iglesias, Humberto Cortina, Leslie Cortina, Seth Gordon, Laura Gordon.
Table 38: Luis Ester Villamil, José Martinez-Lopez, Leticia Herrera, Hernan Gonzalez, Mario Garcia-Serra, Michael Aller, Julian Kasdin, Ric Katz, Eviva Baer.
Table 39: José Pepe Yedra, Dalia Emlia Yedra, José Pepe Diaz, Maria Diaz, Paul Scherman, Miriam Scherman, Manuel Rodriguez, Irene Rodriguez, Amadeo Lopez-Castro, Maria Lopez-Castro.
Table 40: Alberto Rodriguez, Maria Elena Llansa, Rolando Marante, Annette Marante, Josie Carvajales, Ken Cohen, Muriel Cohen, Raul Rodriguez, Lucresia Rodriguez, Elizabeth Cross.
