Francisco was "discovered" by Dancer and Choreographer Katherine Dunham. She asked him to work with her on a Shelly Winters movie called "Mambo." He was only supposed to work for about three months, but eventually Francisco ended up touring Europe with her dance troupe until he came to the United States, where he then went on to work with Peggy Lee for seven years. He says that he really wanted to go back home to Cuba, so he made up some note that he claimed was from his mother, that said he has to go back home. But Katherine repeatedly tried to keep him from going back, and thankfully she succeeded because the rest is history.