The Cuban native, Jose Menendez, moved to the States as a penniless teenager and built his career with years of struggle, leading to a high net worth before his departure. Despite his wealth, his children became the hands that took away his life, revealing a dark history of the businessman.
Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1944, Menendez was the youngest child to a father who was a soccer player with an accounting firm and a mother who was a star swimmer and member of the country’s sports hall of fame.
The family decided to send him away to the States during his early teen years as the political condition in the country worsened. Menendez settled in Pennsylvania with his cousin and struggled to learn the language.
In August 1989, Lyle and Erik, the sons of Jose and Kitty Menendez, shot and killed their parents as they lounged in their mansion's living room. pic.twitter.com/kjqZtU5C6W
— Crime Weekly (@CrimeWeeklyPod) April 21, 2024
Moreover, he learned to swim from his mother and obtained an athletic scholarship to Southern Illinois University, where he met his future wife, Mary Louise “Kitty” Andersen. The couple later moved to New York, where Menendez completed his accounting degree.
Initially, Menendez worked in the service industry and washed dishes in several restaurants to save money for college. After his degree, he picked up a job at the Coopers & Lybrand accounting firm, where he was soon promoted to head accounts officer.
Due to his impressive work, he became the company’s president within three years. He then left the position and became Hertz’s executive vice president. By age 35, Menendez had achieved much in his field, and the company then transferred him to its record division.
Additionally, Menendez helped to expand RCA’s Latin music catalog and signed with Duran Duran, the Eurythmics, and the boy band Menudo. His success helped Jose Menendez increase his net worth by moving his family from the suburbs to Beverly Hills.
Despite his wealth, Jose Menendez didn’t have a good relationship with his employees!
Coming from a childhood filled with struggle, Menendez tended to boast power and status within his close circle. According to his son, Lyle, the businessman created a barrier with his staff and treated them rudely.
Talking about their early years, Menendez’s son recalled their father being overtly competitive in sports, education, and relationships. Menendez personally trained his sons in swimming and tennis, but the heavy coaching had the opposite effects.
According to one of Lyle’s coaches, Menendez screamed at his children during friendly matches because he felt they weren’t performing their best, ultimately leading to his loss of self-confidence.
The Menendez Brothers, Part 2 is now out on audio wherever you listen to podcasts. We're diving deeper into the infamous family in this episode, learning about Kitty's mental health struggles and how it affected her sons, as well as how Jose reacted to the trouble at home. pic.twitter.com/E4GUmLwssW
— Crime Weekly (@CrimeWeeklyPod) April 26, 2024
Under their father’s pressure, Lyle and his brother Erik took a devious path, getting in trouble for two burglaries after their family moved to California. While Jose Menendez was busy handling his business and accumulating a high net worth, his sons had trouble at their university.
However, the businessman ensured that word about their ill activities never escaped the family and punished them privately. Given their frequent clashes, Lyle started living in his parents’ guesthouse before his father’s demise.
The money and the fame didn’t mean much to his children, who claimed to have suffered mistreatment at the hands of their father. Moreover, authorities accused Menendez of physically exploiting a member of the boy band in his company.
Such internal build-up led to Lyle and Erik taking their parents’ lives in their Beverly Hills mansion, for which they received a life sentence in prison. After all, the brothers spent more than $700k in six months after Menendez’s departure and later split the businessman’s net worth for court charges, taxes, and lawyer fees.
Additional Information
- Jose Menendez’s case has been investigated and televised for several years. Recently, Netflix announced their story to be featured in the true-crime drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which is set for release on September 19, 2024.
- After the brutal attack by their children, Jose and his wife were unidentifiable, which initially raised suspicion about a mob attack. Lyle and Erik received therapy before their appearance in court for their crime.
