Porfirio Rubirosa

Porfirio Rubirosa
Born	(1909-01-22) 22 January 1909 San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic
Died	5 July 1965(1965-07-05) (aged 56)
Occupation(s)	Diplomat, soldier, race car driver, polo athlete
Known for	Allegiance to Rafael Trujillo; international socialite and playboy; diplomatic service

Porfirio Rubirosa Ariza (January 22, 1909 – July 5, 1965) was a Dominican diplomat, soldier, race car driver, and polo athlete. Known for his allegiance to dictator Rafael Trujillo, he was allegedly involved in political assassinations during Trujillo's rule. Rubirosa gained international fame as a celebrated playboy, renowned for his extravagant jet-setting lifestyle and legendary romantic conquests. Among his five marriages were two to some of the wealthiest women globally.

Early life

Born in 1909 in San Francisco de Macorís, Porfirio Rubirosa Ariza was the youngest of three siblings in an affluent Criollo family. His parents were Pedro María Rubirosa and Ana Ariza Almánzar. He had an older sister named Ana and an elder brother named César. His paternal lineage traced back to Pedro Rovirosa, a Catalan immigrant, and María de la Paz Rossi, whose family originated from Italy. On his mother's side, his grandparents were Buenaventura Ariza y Castillo, a member of the provincial aristocracy, and María Dolores Almánzar.

His father, Pedro, also known for his numerous romantic affairs, once led a militia composed of heavily armed men operating in the mountainous Cibao region in cooperation with the government. Pedro later advanced to diplomatic roles and was appointed Chief of the Dominican Embassy in Paris after serving in St. Thomas around 1915. Consequently, Rubirosa spent part of his youth in Paris, France. At age seventeen, he returned to the Dominican Republic intending to pursue legal studies but soon abandoned them to join the military forces.

Diplomat

Porfirio Rubirosa first encountered Rafael Trujillo in 1931 at a country club, and by the following day, Trujillo appointed him as a lieutenant in the Presidential Guard. This marked the beginning of a lifelong association between the two figures. Although their relationship experienced some turbulent moments, Trujillo's support was instrumental in shaping Rubirosa's career path. Ultimately, Rubirosa followed in his father's footsteps by entering diplomatic service for the Dominican Republic in 1936.

Throughout his diplomatic tenure, Rubirosa was assigned to multiple embassies, beginning with Berlin during the 1936 Olympic Games, and later spending considerable time in Paris. His diplomatic postings also included assignments in Vichy, Buenos Aires, Rome, Havana—where he witnessed the Cuban Revolution—and Brussels. As a close associate of the Trujillo regime, Rubirosa gained prominence as an international socialite.

Despite divorcing Trujillo’s daughter in 1938, his ties to the regime remained intact. Nonetheless, Rubirosa’s extravagant social life occasionally sparked controversies that prompted Trujillo to either dismiss him—such as from his Paris post in 1953—or reassign him to different diplomatic positions. In spite of Rubirosa’s flamboyance, Trujillo valued him as an asset to the regime, famously stating: "He is good at his job, because women like him and he is a wonderful liar."

Following Trujillo’s assassination on May 30, 1961, Rubirosa threw his support behind Trujillo’s son, Rafael "Ramfis" Trujillo, as successor and sought assistance from John F. Kennedy for Ramfis’s government. However, Ramfis’s indulgent lifestyle mirrored that of Rubirosa himself. After struggling to maintain political stability post-assassination, Ramfis was eventually ousted. With Ramfis and his family fleeing the Dominican Republic, Rubirosa’s diplomatic career effectively ended. On January 2, 1962, the Council of State revoked his special appointment as "Inspector of Embassies." Losing his diplomatic immunity, he was questioned by the New York District Attorney regarding the disappearances of Trujillo opponents Sergio Bencosme in 1935 and Jesus Galíndez in 1956 but was never formally charged.

Personal life

Rubirosa's romantic connections included notable figures such as Dolores del Río, Eartha Kitt, Marilyn Monroe, Ava Gardner, Maria Montez, Rita Hayworth, Dorothy Dandridge, Lupe Vélez, Soraya Esfandiary, Peggy Hopkins Joyce, Joan Crawford, Veronica Lake, Kim Novak, Judy Garland, Eva Perón, and Amália Rodrigues. During his marriage to Doris Duke, he maintained an affair with his former wife Flor de Oro Trujillo Ledesma. He was also seen with Zsa Zsa Gabor while she was still married to George Sanders. When Gabor declined to marry him despite her pending divorce from Sanders, Rubirosa subsequently wed heiress Barbara Hutton. He was named as a co-respondent in Sanders's divorce proceedings from Gabor.

Throughout his life, Rubirosa married five times but fathered no children. His spouses were:

• Flor de Oro Trujillo, eldest daughter of Rafael Trujillo, from December 2, 1932 until 1937
• French actress Danielle Darrieux, from September 18, 1942 to May 21, 1947
• American heiress Doris Duke, from September 1, 1947 to October 30, 1948; their settlement included alimony ($25,000 annually until remarriage), a fishing fleet off Africa, several sports cars, a converted B-25 bomber named La Ganza, and a seventeenth-century residence on Rue de Bellechasse in Paris
• American heiress Barbara Hutton, from December 30, 1953 to February 20, 1954; he received a Dominican coffee plantation, another B-25 bomber, polo ponies, jewelry, and reportedly $2.5 million as part of their divorce settlement
• French actress Odile Rodin, from October 27, 1956 until his death on July 5, 1965

Rubirosa's reputation for a lavish lifestyle was matched by tales of his sexual vigor. His reportedly above-average anatomical endowment inspired Parisian waiters at Maxim's restaurant to name oversized pepper grinders "Rubirosas," a term that has since gained worldwide usage. A life-size high relief sculpture of Rubirosa’s notable anatomy is displayed among the artworks at Saint Fracasso church near Rome in Velletri; it is venerated by worshippers seeking relief from erectile dysfunction.

Polo and Motor Racing

Following the conclusion of World War II, Rubirosa devoted himself to two prominent and costly hobbies: polo and car racing. These pursuits were later financially supported by his spouses. He established and captained his own polo squad, Cibao-La Pampa, which frequently vied successfully for the Coupe de France. Rubirosa remained active in polo throughout his lifetime. Concurrently, he began acquiring high-performance automobiles and cultivating relationships with professional race car drivers. Among his collection were several Ferraris. His debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans occurred in June 1950 alongside co-driver Pierre Leygonie; four years later, he competed again with Innocente Baggio. Unfortunately, on both occasions, their vehicles failed to complete the race. Additionally, Rubirosa took part in multiple competitions at Sebring, predominantly entering as a private competitor.

In 1955, Rubirosa entered a single Formula One event—the Grand Prix de Bordeaux held on April 25. He intended to pilot his own Ferrari 500, a model identical to the one that secured Alberto Ascari the Template:F1 and Template:F1 Drivers' World Championships. However, due to illness prior to the event, he was unable to participate.

Death

Porfirio Rubirosa passed away during the early hours of July 5, 1965, at age 56, when he lost control of his silver Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet and crashed into a horse chestnut tree within the Bois de Boulogne. This tragic accident followed an all-night celebration at the Paris nightclub "Jimmy's," commemorating his team's victory in the polo Coupe de France. His final resting place is at Cimetière de Marnes la Coquette in Paris.

References

General references

• Cédric Meletta, Tombeau pour Rubirosa, un roman, Paris, Séguier, 2018.