Garcia, Aquiles, 1927-

Aquiles Garcia was born in January 21, 1927 in Goya, Chaco, Argentina where his grandfather owned half the town. In 1934, Garcia moved with his parents and siblings to Buenos Aires, where he was taken in by his maternal aunt, Esther Larralde de Porta. His aunt was a professor in the Normal School, so he received an excellent education before earning his Bachelor of Arts degree. Garcia served four years in the Argentine Army, the last part under Juan Perón.

Garcia began dancing after he left the Army, but realized he needed to leave Argentina when he and some other dancers were jailed after leaving the theater they were performing at. With $60 in his pocket, he arrived in Pasadena, California, and obtained work as a busboy. His dance career took him to Argentina, Puerto Rico, Europe, and Canada as well as several U.S. states. When Garcia retired from dancing in 1968 at age forty-one, he bused tables at the International Hotel and Casino, then at Piero’s Italian Cuisine before going to dealer’s school. He dealt baccarat and blackjack at The Mint Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, the Golden Nugget Hotel, and the Hilton Hotel before retiring in 2002.