During the nomination process, Acosta was taken aback by a sudden raid on her tortilla factory by U.S. Immigration Service agents. The agents, contrary to their usual methods, reportedly carried out a loud, disruptive raid through the facility, attracting a lot of press attention. However, Nixon sided with her and called the raid politically motivated, charging the Democratic Party with instigating it. She was later vindicated when a Senate investigation ruled that the raid was carried out solely to cause embarrassment to the Nixon administration. Despite the ugly affair, Acosta sailed through the confirmation process to become the nation's 34th Treasurer and the first Latina Treasurer in U.S. history. She took office on December 17, 1971, becoming the highest-ranking Mexican-American in the government. Her daughter said of Acosta's performance, "My mother's legacy is that she ran the place as a business, not just as another wing of the government." Acosta Bañuelos served as treasurer until 1974, by which time Nixon was embroiled in the Watergate affair and would soon resign the presidency to be replaced by Gerald Ford. She resigned as treasurer earlier in the year to return to her businesses, family, and philanthropic pursuits. She said during a 1979 interview with Nuestro magazine, "It was a beautiful experience. I will always be grateful to President Nixon." Later that year, Acosta was a founding member of Executive Women in Government. By 1979, Ramona's was making and distributing 22 different food products. It had more than 400 employees and sales of $12 million a year. The company's success was instrumental in the popularization of Mexican cuisine in the United States. As the Hispanic population of the country grew, so did sales of tortillas, empanadas, and many other traditional favorites. Other ethnic groups began to favor the inexpensive, delicious foods as well, boosting the company's profits. Ramona's continued to grow throughout the 1980s, when it became one of the largest distributors and manufacturers of Mexican food in California. Later life Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Acosta continued to serve as president of Ramona's and Pan-American National, and by 1992, she had served three terms as chair of the bank's board of directors. In the late 1990s she allowed her three children to take over daily operations of Ramona's and to play large roles in the bank's operations. Acosta Bañuelos remained CEO at Pan-American National and president of Ramona's, running both businesses from