Alex Meruelo is a Cuban-American businessman most widely known as the majority owner of the Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...

 of the National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 (pending approval of the purchase by the league).

Biography

Meruelo was born in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 and moved to Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

. He attended Don Bosco Technical Institute

Don Bosco Technical Institute

Don Bosco Technical Institute is an all-male high school in Rosemead, California, combining college-preparatory academic courses and technological education...

 in Rosemead, CA and received his B.S. from California State University, Long Beach

California State University, Long Beach

California State University, Long Beach is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment...

.

He began his career in his father's tuxedo business. In 1985 he opened the first of what became the La Pizza Loca Southern California pizza chain. He expanded his business focus, founding the Meruelo Group, which has grown into a construction and real estate development firm that also owns a bank, KWHY-TV

KWHY-TV

KWHY-TV, channel 22, is a Spanish-language independent station located in Los Angeles, California, USA. KWHY-TV is owned by the Meruelo Group, a Los Angeles-based real estate and investment firm. The station's transmitter is on Mount Wilson.-History:...

, Grand Sierra Resort

Grand Sierra Resort

The Grand Sierra Resort & Casino is a resort hotel located approximately three miles east of Downtown Reno, Nevada. The hotel has 2,001 guest rooms and suites, 10 restaurants, including two by celebrity chef Charlie Palmer, and a casino with of space...

, and other businesses.

Due to the 2011 NBA Lockout

2011 NBA lockout

The 2011 NBA lockout is the fourth lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . The owners began the work stoppage at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2011. The main issues dividing the owners and the players are revenue sharing and the structure of the salary cap...

, Meruelo's deal to buy the Atlanta Hawks fell through on November 4th, 2011.