[1] His grandfather, Isaiah Levaillant, founded the League for the Defense of Human and Civil Rights during the Dreyfus Affair.

[2] As a young man, Torrès became an active Communist and worked as a journalist for various socialist publications.

During the First World War, he served as an infantry sergeant, was injured at Verdun and won several medals including the Croix de Guerre.

With Vincent de Moro-Giafferi and César Campinchi he was known as one of the "three Musketeers"—all brilliant young leaders of the Paris bar.

[4] After the Nazi invasion of France, Torrès fled to South America, but was expelled first from Uruguay and then from Brazil because of his leftist associations.