first to come from the TV business. Dominican Republic Bluhdorn was very aware of the financial potential of the Dominican Republic and invested a significant amount of resources into its social and economic development. Bluhdorn is credited as being the father of the Dominican tourism industry. In 1967, Gulf + Western paid $54 million for South Puerto Rico Sugar Company. Most of the company's operations were in the Dominican Republic, where it owned the extensive Central Romana sugar mill in La Romana and of land. Nearly half of the land was used to produce sugar cane and, at the peak of the cane-cutting season, the company employed 19,000 people, making it the country's largest private employer as well as the largest taxpayer and landowner. Gulf + Western acquired Consolidated Cigar in 1968 and shifted the Canary Island cigar-making operation to La Romana. As Gulf + Western had purchased Paramount in 1966, Bluhdorn had plans to turn the island into a moviemaking mecca. To sell the idea he constantly invited producers, directors, writers and movie stars, to get them to appreciate the natural beauty of the country. The Godfather Part II (1974) – the scenes that took place in Cuba were shot in Santo Domingo. Sorcerer (1977) – produced under rugged conditions in the jungles of the Dominican Republic Apocalypse Now (1979) – some scenes were filmed on the Chavón River In 1975, Gulf + Western developed of the sugar mill's land into the Casa de Campo resort. Casa de Campo is home to three internationally renowned golf courses designed by Pete Dye – Teeth of the Dog, Dye Fore and Links. One of Bluhdorn's Dominican friends, Oscar de la Renta, was hired to do interior design for Casa De Campo and licensed his men's wear line through Kayser-Roth. Kayser-Roth (a division of Gulf + Western), owned the Miss Universe pageant via its acquisition of Pacific Mills. Pacific Mills had invented the pageant to sell its Catalina Swimwear brand. Miss Universe 1977 was held in the Dominican Republic to promote tourism on the island. Former Paramount Studios set designer Roberto Copa designed the artist village of Altos de Chavón in 1976 and it was built by Bluhdorn in the early 1980s. Bluhdorn's daughter, Dominique Bluhdorn, is the current president of the Altos de Chavón Cultural Center. Altos de Chavón also has a 5,000 seat open air Greek style amphitheatre, which was