Unanue family

The Unanue family of New York City is a wealthy American family of Spanish origin. They were the 170th richest family in the United States in 2014 according to Forbes, having a net worth of US$1.1 billion.[1]

Unanue
Business
Current regionManhattan, New York City, United States East Coast
Place of originValle de Mena, Burgos, Spain
Founded
  • Arrival in the U.S.: 1918
  • 102 years ago
FounderPrudencio Unanue Ortiz (1886-1976)
Members12 incl: Joseph A. Unanue
Andy Unanue
Robert Unanue (CEO)
Net worth$1.1 billion

Its founder, Prudencio Unanue Ortiz, migrated from Spain in the 20th century and established Goya Foods, the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States.[2] The family's members include Joseph A. Unanue and Andy Unanue. Goya Foods is the 377th largest private American company.[3] The family supported Michelle Obama in 2012 with MyPlate, an initiative to encourage Hispanics and African Americans eat a balanced meal. [4]

First generation
Don Prudencio Unanue and wife Carolina Casal.[5]

Prudencio Unanue Ortiz (1886–1976),[6] was the founder of Goya Foods. He was born in Villasana de Mena,[6] in the province of Burgos, in northern Spain. In 1903, at the age of seventeen, Unanue migrated to San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, in search of employment opportunities and established a small food distribution business. In 1918 he moved on to New York City, to enroll in the Albany Business School, and in 1921 returned to San Lorenzo to marry Carolina Casal de Valdés (1890–1984), from Pontevedra, Galicia, whom he had met there and whose parents had also emigrated from Spain.[7]

The year after their marriage, the Unanues moved to New Jersey, where Don Prudencio, as he was always known in his firm, became a broker for Spanish foods. The company was originally known as Unuaue & Sons and in 1961 it changed to Goya Foods.[8] The couple had four sons, Joseph A., Charles, Francisco and Anthony.[9]

Second generation
  • Charles Unanue (1923–????) Charles was born in Puerto Rico. In 1969, he was Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer of all of the companies, including Goya. However, he was later dismissed.[10]
  • Joseph A. Unanue (1925–2013) New York-born Joseph Andrew Unanue served as president and CEO of Goya Foods from 1976 until 2004. He had served in the United States Army during World War II, and was awarded the Bronze star for bravery. He married Carmen Ana Casal (b. Puerto Rico) and had four children: Andy, Mimi, Maribel and Mari. He died on June 2013 in Alpine, New Jersey.[11][12]
  • Anthony Unanue (1927–1976) Engineer, while in Maryland worked briefly for the federal government. Died in 1976 aged 48. Had six children, the eldest Robert, Tom, Peter and three others.[13]
  • Francisco Unanue (1931–2002) He founded Goya de Puerto Rico in the 1960s becoming president of that division.[14] He was also a founder of the Spanish Chamber of commerce in New York.[15] Francisco “Frank” Unanue Casal was born on June 17, 1931 in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey and died in Puerto Rico on December 13, 2002 with the funeral held at the Iglesia Santa Teresita in Santurce. He was buried at the Cementerio Porta Coeli in Bayamón.[16] He married Diana Margarita Lopez and had four children,[17] Frankie, Carlos, Anne-Marie, and Jorge.
  • Augusto Falero Unanue (1911–2000)[18][19]

Third generation
  • Andy Unanue, current Managing Partner of AUA Private Equity Partners and former Chief Operating Officer of Goya Foods since 1999. He was the former Chief Operating Officer of Goya Foods.
  • Joseph F. Unanue (1957-1998) vice president of operations for Goya Foods since 1995. He previously was general manager of Goya de Puerto Rico. He was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, and had married Isabel Banuchi having three daughters, Isabel, Sofia and Juliana.[20]
  • Carlos Unanue, as of 2013 is president of Goya de Puerto Rico.[21]
  • Frank Unanue, as of 2013 is president of Goya operations in Florida.[22]
  • Jorge Unanue
  • Robert “Bob” Unanue (1954-), CEO of Goya Foods since 2004. Robert Unanue was born in Wyckoff, New Jersey and the eldest of six children to Anthony Unanue.[23] In 1973 the family moved to Spain for a few years where he assisted his father with an olive oil production business. During this period, he enrolled at the University of Seville. He is married to Muriel Fitzpatrick. Unuaue ran operations in Puerto Rico for seven years during the 1980s.[24]
  • Tom Unanue as of 2008 ran the Florida operations for Goya.[25]
  • Peter Unanue, Executive Vice President of Goya Foods.[26]

Politics

In July 2020, Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue visited the White House and pledged one million cans of Goya chickpeas to food banks, saying "Americans are truly blessed to have a leader like Donald Trump."[27] The comments sparked some negative reactions and calls for a boycott of Goya Foods,[28][29] which in turned sparked counter-boycotts in support of Goya.[30][31]

See also

References
  1. "Unanue family". Forbes.com. 2018-12-23. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  2. "How Goya Became One Of America's Fastest-Growing Food Companies". Forbes. May 8, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  3. "America's Largest Private Companies: #377 Goya Foods". Forbes.com. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  4. THe White House, Obama Administration. "First Lady Michelle Obama joins Goya Foods in announcing "Mi Plato" Resources for families". The White House Obama Administration. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  5. "History - Our Company". Goya Foods. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  6. Unanue, Prudencio (1976-03-17). "Unanue, Prudencio (1886-1976), founder of Goya Foods, Inc. | American National Biography". Anb.org. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  7. "Carolina Casal Valdes 1890-1984". familysearch. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  8. Saxon, Wolfgang (December 18, 2002). "Francisco Unanue Casal, 71, A Leader of Goya Food Empire". New York Times. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  9. Craig, Susanne (June 15, 2013). "Joseph A. Unanue, Former Chief Executive of Goya Foods, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  10. "Matter of Unanue". Casetext.com. December 4, 1991. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  11. Craig, Susanne (June 15, 2013). "Joseph A. Unanue, Former Chief Executive of Goya Foods, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  12. "Our Benefactors - Seton Hall University". shu.edu. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  13. De Lollis, Barbara (March 2008). "CEO Profile: At Goya, it's all in la familia". Abc news. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  14. Saxon, Wolfgang (December 18, 2002). "Francisco Unanue Casal, 71, A Leader of Goya Food Empire". New York Times. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  15. Saxon, Wolfgang (December 18, 2002). "Francisco Unanue Casal, 71, A Leader of Goya Food Empire". New York Times. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  16. "Francisco Unanue Casal - Obituary". The New York Times. December 17, 2002. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  17. "Francisco Unanue Casal - Obituary". The New York Times. December 17, 2002. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  18. Claimed as his son (b. 1911) with Ramona Falero.
  19. "Matter of Unanue". Casetext.com. December 4, 1991. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  20. "Joseph F. Unanue, 41, Executive Vice President at Goya Foods". The New York Times. December 4, 1998. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  21. "Goya grows beyond Hispanics". June 9, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  22. "Goya grows beyond Hispanics". June 9, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  23. De Lollis, Barbara (March 2008). "CEO Profile: At Goya, it's all in la familia". Abc news. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  24. "Goya grows beyond Hispanics". June 9, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  25. De Lollis, Barbara (March 2008). "CEO Profile: At Goya, it's all in la familia". Abc news. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  26. "With 3rd Generation at Helm, Latino Food Giant Goya Aims Even Higher". ABC News. October 17, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  27. "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  28. Business, David Goldman, CNN. "Goya Foods boycott takes off after its CEO praises Trump". CNN. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  29. Taylor, Derrick Bryson (2020-07-10). "Goya Foods Boycott Takes Off After Its President Praises Trump". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  30. Stockman, Farah; Kelly, Kate; Medina, Jennifer (2020-07-19). "How Buying Beans Became a Political Statement". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
  31. Board, Post Editorial (2020-07-20). "The telling failure of the Goya boycott". New York Post. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
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