Born: August 22 1900
Died: September 22 1985
Married: Rosario G. Tristani
Children: Pedro Juan III, June & John Serrallés Tristani
The Serralles family owned the Don Q Rum Company (Puerto Rico). At least one member of the family lived at what is now 160 Turtle Pond Road in 1949, in a house later known as the Serralles Cottage.
Pedro Juan Serralles III, a brother of a Latin American patient, was married at St. Bernard's Church. The ceremony was remembered in Saranac Lake because a red carpet was laid down the length of Academy Street between the church and the reception at the Hotel Saranac.
Pedro Juan Serrallés (c. 1900 - 1985) was the grandson of Juan Serrallés Colón (1845–1921) who founded the Hacienda Mercedita in Ponce, Puerto Rico which later became Sucesión J. Serrallés Inc. He founded Destileria Serrallés (right after the US Prohibition era), producers of "Don Q", a world renowned brand of Puerto Rican rum. Pedro Juan Serrallés was the only child of Pedro Juan Serrallés Pérez and Casilda Galiano. He was educated in the United States at Bordentown Military Institute and graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Industrial Engineering. Piguan, as he as known, served in the Puerto Rican legislature until 1940. The family moved to Miami in 1941 with the intent of expanding sugar production in Florida. He founded the Pan American Bank of Miami in 1945, reputedly when he found it difficult to cash a check from banks in Puerto Rico. The timing was just right as Miami was growing with a well to do Hispanic population from several different countries and the bank catered to this segment.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, May 12, 1975
Home Town Jottings from The Guild News of June 1947 —
"The biggest wedding" in these parts in some time was the ceremony which united Miss Conchita Montalvo and Pedro Juan Serrallés III, of Porto Rico. The couple was married at 6 p. m. on June 21 at St. Bernard's Catholic Church with Msgr. Kitts officiating. It was followed by a reception at the Hotel Saranac."
The family is mentioned indirectly in William Chapman White's Adirondack Country on page 175:
The most flamboyant story [about TB patients in Saranac Lake] is that of a Latin-American millionaire whose daughter was curing in town and wanted to see her brother's wedding, scheduled for a Caribbean island. Her father promptly chartered two airplanes, placed bride and groom, guests, wedding cake, and champagne aboard, and flew everything to the Adirondacks. Enough champagne was poured at an open house to float an Adirondack guide boat.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, February 13, 1954
According to announcements received here, June Serrallés was to marry Eugene William McNally at the Church of the Little Flower in Coral Gables. Florida, at 10 o clock this morning.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, September 23, 1957
Mr. and Mrs. Pedro Serrallés of Ponce, Puerto Rico and Miami, Fla., are house guests of Mr. and Mrs. H. Winthrop Lockwood at Turtle Pond Park. Mr. and Mrs. Serrales are former residents of Saranac Lake. W. Carter Lockwood, son of H. Winthrop Lockwood is also a house guest.
Yonkers, NY, Herald Statesman, February 15, 1954
Among Newlywed County Residents
Miss Rosario June Serrallés of Coral Gables, Fla., alumna of Miss Harris' Florida School in Miami, Barry College for Women and Manhattanville College, to Eugene William McNally of Mount Vernon, alumnus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute who was with the Merchant Marine Cadet Corps in World War II and recently served with Army Ordnance in Korea.
