The history of the Gomez Mena family in Cuba began between 1830-1840 when Joaquín Gómez arrived from Cadagua, Burgos, Spain.  After arrival, Joaquin was able to build a fortune dealing in the slave trade and contraband.  The Gomez Mena branch of the family began when in 1877 one of his sons, Manuel Gómez-Marañón Díaz Sainz de Velasco Vicario married María Josefa de Mena y Zorrilla in Cadagua.  Manuel and Maria had eight children of which only two, Pedro and Andrés emigrated to Cuba.  

Pedro Gomez Mena (1851- ) emigrated to Cuba in 1864 and settled in Cárdenas but in 1875 moved to Havana where he imported fabric and was involved in the banking business as Vice President of Banco Nacional and in the sugar industry as owner of Central San Antonio. He married Henrietta Waddington, born in Manchester England and had a son named Manuel Gomez Waddington who was also involved in banking and in the sugar industry in Cuba as owner of Central Victoria and Central Ulacia. After being inactive since 1927 Central Ulacia was sold in 1937 to Francisco Blanco Calás.  

Andrés Gómez Mena (1849-1917) married Cuban born Eugenia Carlota Tomasa Vila Pérez (1860- ) in Guanabacoa in 1877.  Andrés was shot and killed on January 11, 1917 by Catalonian watchmaker Fernando Reugart who alleged he had been disrespectful to his wife. Andrés and Eugenia agreed that their four children would carry the Gomez-Mena Vila last names; 

• María Luisa Gomez-Mena Vila (1880-1963) - Married Agapito de la Cagiga Aparicio Mazas de la Bárcenas, born in Santander, Girst Count of Revilla Camargo (title granted by King Alfonso XIII in 1927), industrialist, financier, and resident of Havana where he died in 1952

• ​José Genaro Ramón Gomez-Mena Vila (1881-1960) also known as Don Pepe - Married twice, first marriage to Olga Seiglie Martínez (1885- )  in 1917 resulted in divorce, his second marriage in 1939 was to Elizarda Sampedro-Robato (1905-1983) 

• Andrés Ricardo Gomez-Mena Vila (1882 -1952) - Married Germana Peña

• Alfonso Jerónimo Gómez-Mena Vila ( -1936) - Married his first cousin María Vivanco Gómez Mena (1883-1953) daughter of Daría Gomez Mena, sister of Andrés.  Was acquired in 1940 to the Cia. General de Ingenios SA owned by the Gomez-Mena family with José Gomez-Mena Vila as President.  Since 1945, Olga, Gloria and Alfonso Gomez-Mena Vivanco were the owners of Central Teresa which on December 1957 was foreclosed upon by Luis G Mendoza & Cia. for unpaid debts.

In 1890, Julián de Zulueta began construction of a ones story structure designed by Architect Pedro Tomé Veracruisse. Still unfinished, the building was acquired by Andrés Gómez Mena who completed the first floor and added four more floors between 1916 and 1918.  This structure occupies a whole city block in front of the Parque Central de la Ciudad de La Habana and is better known as La Manzana de Gomez or "The Gomez City Block". Andrés Gomez Mena incursion in the sugar industry began in 1902 under the Compañia Azucarera Gomez Mena which he established with his brother Pedro.  Under the business name they owned four sugar mills. 

• Central Santa Teresa, renamed Central Gomez Mena - located in San Nicolas de Bari, was acquired in 1902.  In 1921, together with Central Amistad, was acquired by Warner Sugar Refining Co. of NY for approximately $16 million.  Per the purchase agreement, management was to be retained for two years after which time the sugar mill was bought back by the Nueva Compañia Azucarera Gomez Mena

• Central Amistad - located in Güines, was acquired in 1906.  In 1910 was the first sugar mill in Cuba to be completely electrified.  In 1921, together with Central Gomez Mena, was acquired by Warner Sugar Refining Co. of NY for approximately $16 million.  Per the purchase agreement, management was to be retained for two years after which time the sugar mill was bought back by the Nueva Compañia Azucarera Gomez Mena

• Central Mercedita - located in Melena del Sur, acquired in 1906

• Central San Antonio - was acquired ca. 1915, was sold to The Hershey Corporation in 1925 

​José Gomez-Mena Vila began his professional career in the banking field.  In 1919, in partnership with Bernardo Solís, they established the mercantile firm Hijos de R. Argüelles which later became Banco del Comercio.  From his marriage to Olga Seiglie Martinez was born his only offspring, Lillian Rosa Gomez-Mena Seiglie (1917-1992) who in 1936 married Alfonso Jerónimo Fanjul Estrada (1909-1980).  Alfonso was the son of Higinio Alberto Fanjul Rionda (1877-1963) and Maria Estrada Neuhauser (1881-1966) and grandson of Spanish immigrant from Noreña, Asturias, Alfonso Fanjul Fernandez and Maria Rionda y Polledo, sister of sugar magnate Manuel Rionda y Polledo. In 1955 their daughter Lian Fanjul Gomez-Mena married Norberto Azqueta Arrandiaga also a member of a prestigious sugar family of Cuba.

Upon the death of his father in 1917, José Gomez-Mena Vila established the Nueva Compañia Azucarera Gomez Mena SA of which he was sole owner.  The new company took over the assets of Compañia Azucarera Gomez Mena SA.  Throughout the years additional sugar mills were added achieving total grinding capacity of 1.35 million bags of sugar per day, representing the 10th major sugar group in Cuba and the 3rd among the locally owned.  In addition of the four sugar mills previously owned by Compañia Azucarera Gomez Mena SA the new company added the following sugar mills: 

• Central Estrada Palma - built between 1922 and 1924 by Manuel Garcia Rubio, in the late 1920's was foreclosed upon by Banco del Comercio of which José Gomez-Mena Vila was majority owner, it was acquired by the Nueva Compañia Azucarera Gomez Mena who incorporated lands from the demolished Central Sofía, in 1944 it was sold to a partnership composed by Julio Lobo and Manuel and Camilo Arcas Campos, the latter two becoming sole owners in 1947

• Central Orozco - reportedly owned for a brief period of time before acquiring Central Resolución in 1935

• Central Resolución - located in Quemado de Güines, acquired in 1935 from a partnership of which Pablo Sampedro, who would become José Gomez-Mena's father-in-law, was a member

• Central Sofía - located in Yara was demolished and its land made part of Central Estrada Palma 

• Central La Julia - located in Durán was demolished and its land made part of Central Estrada Palma and/or Mercedita​

​​The five story building picture below is the Edificio Gomez Vila built in 1909 by by Maria Luisa Gomez-Mena Vila at Teniente Rey & Mercaderes St. at the Plaza Vieja in Havana.