People

Hollywood screenwriters dare not dream up a more improbable script: Descendent of blue blood pioneer Southern family rebels against wicked stepmother, is expelled from military school and seeks refuge in exotic immigrant quarter, where he becomes prince of the underworld. 

Rose V. Ferlita is a Tampa native from “The Heart of Tampa” –Ybor City. Her father and his four brothers, and her Grandfather before them, owned and operated a family business–Ferlita Bakery, which is now home to the Ybor State Museum.

Rose Ferlita is running for Mayor of Tampa.

Carlos was a founding member of Tampa’s “26th of July Movement”, Castro’s revolutionary army. The Tampa branch supported Castro throughout the Cuban Revolution and in the months following the victory, sending Castro money, food, clothing, and medical and military supplies. Some of the Batista supporters who fled Cuba following his ousting moved to Tampa and made it their mission to harass those who helped Castro, which included Carlos. The police did not protect Carlos, nor did the government. The only place he believed he would be safe was in Cuba…or so he thought.