Rosa Lowinger was born in Havana and grew up in Miami. A writer and art conservator, she first visited Tropicana in 1998 and, as she put it, was "struck dumb" by its beauty. She lives with her family in Los Angeles. Ofelia Fox (1924-2006) married Tropicana owner Martin Fox in 1952. They moved to Miami in 1962. After her husband's death, she became a teacher and playwright and was twice awarded the Carlos Felipe Award.