I woke up on Saturday to some tragic news. Frank Amadeo, the president of Estefan Enterprises, passed away after suffering a heart attack on Friday night. He was 57 and in good health. When Emilio became a partner at L’ATTITUDE LLC, I became close to the family, but my working relationship was primarily with Frank. He ran everything from their entertainment company to their hotels and restaurants. I never saw Emilio without Frank being there by his side, making sure everything was perfect. He was a nice man and an immensely talented business person. This past Thursday, Frank and I spoke about organizing an intimate dinner at Emilio’s with a select group of Latino influencers. He was energetic and enthusiastic about what we were building together with L’ATTITUDE. The Estefans are devastated and so am I. Frank Amadeo lived an extraordinary life. He was like family to the Estefans, he worked with celebrities, attended the most prestigious events and went places most people could only dream about… and just like that, he is gone. It is a sobering reminder that everything is replaceable except our health. Sol Trujillo and I agreed that we would dedicate 2021 to the memory of Frank Amadeo. Stay safe and please be nice to one another.
Next week, I will be speaking at a Hispanic Leadership Summit at the United Nations. I was asked to speak on the topic of Unity. The following is a preview of my speech.
Happy Thanksgiving! The blog will resume on December 8, 2024.
The image of Latinos is not just a nice thought; it affects everything from business opportunities and access to capital to how our children are treated at school. Latinos are among the hardest workers and most entrepreneurial of any group in America. However, negativity has dominated the narrative about Latinos for far too long. This one is on us.