Augustin "Augie" Rodriguez (May 13, 1928 – July 18, 2014) and Margo Bartolomei Rodriguez (April 6, 1929 - January 29, 2019) were American dancers who helped popularize the

Mambo Mambo most often refers to: *Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form *Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music Mambo may also refer to: Music * Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particul ...

. Both were born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. They married in 1950 and opened shows for

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, actor, comedian, dancer, and musician. At age two, Davis began his career in Vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which t ...

and other stars throughout North America, and Europe. Their professional debut was at the

Waldorf Astoria The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story, Art Deco landmark des ...

in 1955 with

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...

but, prior to this, they were the popular adagio dance team at both the

Palladium Ballroom The Palladium Ballroom was a New York City night club. The US mambo craze that started in 1948 began at the Palladium Ballroom. On March 15, 1946, it opened at the northeast corner of Broadway and 53rd Street.''New York Post'', March 14, 1946; ...

, and

Roseland Ballroom The Roseland Ballroom was a multipurpose hall, in a converted ice skating rink, with a colorful ballroom dancing pedigree, in New York City's Theater District, New York, theater district, on 52nd Street (Manhattan), West 52nd Street in Manhattan ...

where the

craze began. Augie Rodriguez died from cancer at the couple's

Deerfield Beach, Florida Deerfield Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States, just south of the Palm Beach County, Florida, Palm Beach County line. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 86,859, making it the Broward County# ...

home on July 18, 2014.

References

* The Opening Act, book about the love story of Augie & Margo Rodriguez, ISBN 1-4196-4275-8 AUTHOR: C. R. HAMER-HODGES

External links

"Chapter 5 -- Mambonicks: The Palladium & its Dancers" ''Latin Music USA''

''The Ed Sullivan Show'' June 14, 1959
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Augie and Margo American dance groups Artists from New York City 2014 deaths 2019 deaths