Hispanic-Americans - Television's first Hispanic superstar was Cuban born Desi Arnaz, the costar of the early sitcom I LOVE LUCY/CBS/1951-61. Born Desi Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III in Santiago, Cuba on March 2, 1917, Desi began as a vocalist with a band at the age of 17 and later had his own Rhumba band. Later traveling to America, he performed on Broadway in Too Many Girls and made his screen debut in its movie spin-off Too Many Girls (1940). His film credits included Father Takes a Bride (1941), Four Jacks and a Jill (1942), Bataan (1943), Holiday in Havana (1949), The Long, Long Trailer (1954), and Forever Darling (1956). On his popular 1950s TV program I LOVE LUCY he played Ricky Ricardo, a hot-tempered Cuban bandleader, who performed at The Tropicana Club in Manhattan. Another popular Latino performer was Xavier Cugat who starred in a twice-weekly, fifteen minute musical series THE XAVIER CUGAT SHOW/NBC/1957. and appeared on the musical programs THE VOICE OF FIRESTONE/NBC/ABC/1949-1963 and AMERICA'S GREATEST BANDS/CBS/1955. Desi Arnaz formerly worked with the Xavier Cugat orchestra soon after he emigrated to Miami from Cuba in 1933.