Background
Andrea was the daughter of a Spanish-born, Roman Catholic mother, Asuncion Maria del Rio, and a German-speaking Swiss father who had abandoned the family.
Andrea was the daughter of a Spanish-born, Roman Catholic mother, Asuncion Maria del Rio, and a German-speaking Swiss father who had abandoned the family.
Born Andrea Louise Heinemann as the second child of Frederick and Elma Heinemann, she was raised in Philadelphia. Andrea also asserted she was of partial "Moorish" origin based on her mother"s exotic looks. At the time of their 1934 engagement, Heinemann worked as a receptionist for the company.
They had four children: former opera Mezzo-soprano singer and New York real estate agent, Joanna Broadway score writer Lucy singer-songwriter Carly photographer Peter The family resided in the Riverdale community of the Bronx.
Heinemann was an activist in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. was actively involved in charitable and community work. This included a stint on the board of directors of the Riverdale Mental Health Association for over 30 years.
She also served as a director of the Riverdale Chapter of the United Nations Association. In 1994, she died of lung cancer in her Riverdale home at the age of 84.