Mona Rico

Personal

Vocation

Family

Mexican-born American actress whose films include Eternal Love (1929), Shanghai Lady (1929), A Devil With Women (1930) and Zorro Rides Again (1937). Rico became an American citizen at age 23. She married wealthy sportsman James N. Crofton, part-owner of the Agua Caliente Club resort in Baja California. They married in Washington, D.C. in 1932. On 14 July 1932, Rico was with Crofton on a plane which crashed near Mexico City. A terrific rain caused the pilot to fly their plane into a mountain. The pilot/airline owner was killed and Rico was severely cut and bruised. Rico filed suit for separate maintenance in March 1933 and asked for a sum of $2,000 monthly from Crofton. In the action Rico stated she was a motion picture actress who earned $375 per week in 1931. However she was no longer able to make her living as an actress because of facial injuries sustained in the airplane crash. The proceedings were later withdrawn and a reconciliation was followed by a second honeymoon to Hawaii. In October 1933 it was rumored that Crofton had established residence in Reno, Nevada to obtain a divorce. He denied this, saying that he was in Reno for a business trip and planned to visit Rico in San Diego, California afterwards. The same month Rico obtained a divorce decree in San Diego. She claimed that her husband frequently used bad language and once struck her in the face. She reportedly obtained a substantial property settlement and $500 a month alimony. Rico died in Los Angeles, California on 15 July 1994 on her 87th birthday. Link to Wikipedia biography