Alvaro Luis Carta was a Cuban-born American businessman. He is considered one of the fathers of the tourism industry in the Dominican Republic.
Early life
Carta was born in Havana, Cuba to Manuel Carta and Clara Ramos. In the early 1960s, he fled communist Cuba to live in Miami, Florida.
Career
After joining the South Puerto Rico Sugar Company in 1964, Carta traveled to the Dominican Republic in the late 1960s. With the backing of South Puerto Rico Sugar's parent company Gulf and Western Industries, Carta formed a new division known as Gulf and Western Americas Corporation. Wanting to use the profits from the Central Romana sugar mill to diversify the business, he hired Pete Dye in 1969 to build a golf course using the land owned by Gulf and Western in La Romana. Teeth of the Dog opened 18 months later in 1971.
Death
Alvaro Carta died on January 14, 2000, in West Palm Beach. He was buried in Vero Beach, where he lived after Gulf and Western sold its holdings in Florida and the Dominican Republic.