The Whites spent three years on Marina, hacking a cistern out of the rough, rocky land and shipping in enough concrete to build a small, sturdy house.

These adventurous years – during which the couple weathered a hurricane, fended off a Nazi skipper, aided Jewish refugees, and survived a surprise visit from White's mother-in-law – are detailed in his memoirs In Privateer’s Bay (1939), Our Virgin Island (1953), and Two on the Isle (1985).

Eugene Tonkonogy took ownership of the island after he persuaded the British colonial governor to grant him a license.

[2] Cuervo Nation and the aforementioned This American Life segment are referenced in Burn Down the Ground: A Memoir by Kambri Crews, who served as a brand ambassador for Jose Cuervo and was on the island when she got news of her father's arrest for attempted murder.

[3] Before Hurricane Irma, Marina Cay was home to Pusser's Restaurant and Villa Rentals; the house Robb and Rodie built served as a reading lounge for the modest tourist complex.