The Last Playboy
At the height of his fame in the 1950s Rubirosa had risen from his start in a Caribbean backwater with no money of his own to become a socialite who ran with the rich, famous and powerful. He combined careers as an ambassador, polo player, Formula One driver, jewel thief and suspect courier with his real work: the seduction of the world's wealthiest women. His wicked reputation seduced the likes of Eva Peron, Jayne Mansfield, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Ava Gardner and hundreds of others. In an era of mild mannered media Rubirosa inspired a tabloid sensation that celebrated him as the pinnacle of sophistication and sexual prowess.
But the radical 60s eclipsed his status and threatened to lampoon his playboy lifestyle. Rubirosa's last headline pronounced his death in 1964 after he smashed his classic Ferrari into a tree. His name faded into obscurity, and an era fascinated by the mysterious extravagance of the upper crust closed. Magazines today showcase America's new heirs and heiresses by offering a glimpse of their wealth, glamour, affairs and exploits to a rapt public. Rubirosa once captivated his audience with the same power, merely by having everything and being famous for nothing.
Biographer Shawn Levy combed through declassified pages from the files of the FBI, CIA and state department for nearly a decade to compile a thorough portrait of one of the century's most colorful characters. Augmented with interviews and Rubirosa's memoirs, The Last Playboy was published in September by William Morrow. Shawn Levy is the author of Ready Steady Go!, Rat Pack Confidential, King of Comedy, and is a film critic for The Oregonian whose work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian and Premiere Magazine. He is repped by Richard Pine of Inkwell Management.