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List Of People From Puerto Rico

List of people from Puerto Rico

This is a List of famous and notable Puerto Ricans (including people of Puerto Rican descent) in alphabetical order by last names, where applicable. This would include persons who are known to a large number of people and is not based on the extent of their popularity. Neither is the list viewed from the context of the present. Their fame could be brief, what matters is that they were well-known during the peak of their popularity.

Puerto Rican	Puerto Rican
Flag of Puerto Rico	Coat of Arms

Actors, actresses, and comedians

- Kirk Acevedo, actor, (T.V. series Oz)
- Jose Miguel Agrelot, "Don Cholito", comedian
- Miguel Angel Alvarez "El Men", comedian
- Victor Argo, actor (Coyote Ugly)
- Raymond Arrieta, comedian
- Alicia Moreda, soap opera actress
- Rick Aviles, actor/comedian (Ghost)
- Millie Aviles, soap opera actress
- Charlotte Ayanna, actress
- Adrienne Bailon,Member of Platnium R&B group 3LW,Actress
- Alba Raquel Barros, comedian/actress
- Ivonne Belen, documentary director and producer
- Lucy Boscana, actress, pioneer in Puerto Rico's television
- Giselle Blondet, actress/TV host
- Norma Candal, comedian
- Irene Cara, singer/actress (Fame)
- Jorge Castro, soap opera actor
- Braulio Castillo, soap opera actor
- Braulio Castillo, hijo, soap opera actor
- Melwin Cedeño, comedian
- Lynette Chico,actress Puerto Rico T.V.
- Ivonne Coll, actress (The Godfather II)
- Miriam Colon, actress (Scarface)
- Paquito Cordero, TV producer/comedian
- Mapy Cortes, actress
- Mara Croatto, soap opera actress
- Wilson Cruz actor (TV series My So-Called Life; film Party Monster)
- Blanca de Castejon, international actress
- Henry Darrow, actor, "Manolito" (TV series The High Chaparral)
- Rosario Dawson, actress (Men In Black,The Rundown) Puerto Rican grandparent
- Alba Nydia Diaz, actress
- Sully Diaz, soap opera actress
- Sammy Davis, Jr.,actor (Puerto Rican on his mother's side)
- Lydia Echevarria, soap opera actress
- Hector Elizondo, actor (Pretty Woman, The Princess Diaries)
- Erik Estrada, actor (TV series CHiPs, Sealab 2021)
- José Ferrer, actor (Cyrano de Bergerac), first Hispanic actor to win an Academy Award
- Miguel Ferrer, (RoboCop, The Manchurian Candidate)
- Franky G, actor (Confidence, The Italian Job)
- Miriam Gonzalez, model
- Rick Gonzalez, actor (The Rookie, Coach Carter)
- Meagan Good, actress
- Bruce Gray, actor, S.W.A.T (born and raised in Puerto Rico)
- Luis Guzman, actor (Carlito's Way, Traffic, The Count of Monte Cristo)
- Juano Hernandez, actor, the first Puerto Rican star in the Negro Film Industry
- Lillian Hurst, comedian/actress (Dharma and Greg)
- Raúl Juliá, actor (Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Addams Family)
- Eva LaRue, actress of Puerto Rican descent (All My Children)
- John Leguizamo, actor (Moulin Rouge!, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar) (Puerto Rican on Father's side)
- Adamari Lopez, actress of soap operas
- Jennifer López, actress (Selena, The Cell)
- Sunshine Logroño, comedian
- Justina Machado, actress (T.V. series Six Feet Under)Final Destination 2,Torque
- Eddie Marrero, actor (Navy Seals: Untold Stories)
- Claribel Medina, actress soap operas
- John Melendez, "Stuttering John" ("Howard Stern Show" and "The Tonight Show")
- Angela Meyer, actress, comedian and producer
- Ari Meyers, actress (TV series Kate & Allie)
- Karla Michelle, actress Puerto Rican T.V.
- Eddie Miro, T.V. Host
- Esai Morales, actor (La Bamba)
- Jacobo Morales, actor (Bananas)
- Rita Moreno, actress, winner of an Oscar, a Tony Award, an Emmy Award and a Grammy Award
- Frankie Muniz, actor (TV series Malcolm in the Middle) (Puerto Rican on father's side)Agent Cody Banks,Big Fat Liar
- Rafo Muñiz, comedian
- Tommy Muñiz, T.V. producer/comedian
- Marian Pabon, actress
- Rosie Perez, actress (White Men Can't Jump, Fearless)
- Joaquin Phoenix, actor (Signs, Gladiator) (born in Puerto Rico)
- Freddie Prinze, comedian/actor (TV series Chico and the Man) (Puerto Rican mother)
- Freddie Prinze, Jr., actor (Scooby-Doo) (Puerto Rican grandmother)
- Carmen Belen Richardson, comedian/actress
- Chita Rivera, "Broadway Legend", winner of 2 Tony Awards
- Luis Antonio Rivera, "Yoyo Boing" comedian
- Ramón (Diplo) Rivero, comedian
- Adalberto Rodríguez, "Machuchal" comedian
- Freddie Rodríquez, actor (T.V. series Six Feet Under)
- Gladys Rodríguez, comedian/soap opera actress
- Michelle Rodríquez, actress (The Fast and the Furious)
- Marcelino Sanchez, actor ("The Warriors","Bloodhound Gang"
- Roselyn Sanchez, actress (Rush Hour 2)
- Jose Vega Santana, "Remi" the Clown, (also see: Cartoonists)
- Jon Seda, actor (Selena)
- Jimmy Smits, actor (TV series L.A. Law & NYPD Blue; movie Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith)
- Talisa Soto, actress/model, (Licence to Kill,Mortal Kombat)
- Miguel Ángel Suárez, actor (Stir Crazy, Under Suspicion)
- Rachel Ticotin, actress (Total Recall, Con Air)
- Benicio del Toro, actor (Traffic), Academy award winner
- Liz Torres, actress (T.V. series Gilmore Girls)
- Alanna Ubach, actress (Meet The Fockers (mother is Puerto Rican)
- Lauren and Loraine Velez, actress's, (T.V. series "New York Undercover", "Oz")
- Christina Vidal,actress, (TV series Taina)
- Lisa Vidal, actress (Night in the City), (TV series ER)
- Luis Vigoreaux, TV host
- Luisito Vigoreaux, TV host
- Sylvia Del Villard, actress, bailarina and choregrapher
- Otilio Warrington, "Bizcocho" comedian
- Sandra Zaiter, TV host of children shows

Astrologers

- Anita Cassandra
- Walter Mercado

Authors, poets, and playwrights

- Abelardo Diaz Alfaro, writer
- Miguel Algarin, poet,writer and co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
- Dr.Manuel A. Alonso, poet and author
- Maria Bibiana Benitez, playwright and Puerto Rico's "first" poetess
- Jose Gautier Benitez, poet
- Tomas Blanco, writer and historian
- Dr.Salvador Brau, historian
- Julia de Burgos, poet
- Mayra Calvani, writer
- Nemesio Canales, essayist and poet
- Dr.Cayetano Coll y Toste, historian and writer
- Jesus Colon, writer, father of "Nuyorican" movement
- Juan Antonio Corretjer, poet
- Dr.Jose Antonio Davila, poet
- Virgilio Davila, poet
- Mayra Santos Febres, poet
- Dr.Rosario Ferré, writer
- Dr.Manuel Zeno Gandía, wrote "La Charca", the first Puerto Rican novel
- Alejandrina Benitez de Gautier, poet
- Enrique A. Laguerre, writer, nominated for Nobel Prize in literature
- Georgina Lázaro, children's poet
- Luis Palés Matos, poet of Afro-Caribbean themes
- René Marqués, playwright
- Dr. Concha Melendez, poet, writer
- Manuel Mendez Ballester, writer
- Mercedes Negron Muñoz, "Clara Lair", poet
- Dr. Antonio S. Pedreira, writer and educator
- Pedro Pietri, poet,playwright, co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
- Miguel Piñero, playwright, writer, co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
- José Rivera, playwright, first Puerto Rican nominated for an "Oscar" in "Best Adopted Screenplay" category
- Luis Rafael Sanchez,playwright
- Dr. Wilfredo Santa Gomez,self help books author
- Esmeralda Santiago, author
- Alejandro Tapia y Rivera, writer and poet, "The Father of Puerto Rican Literature"
- Piri Thomas, writer, poet
- Abraham Rodriguez Jr., author, "Spidertown"
- Lola Rodriguez de Tio, poet, wrote lyrics to the revolutionary "Borinqueña"
- Edwin Torres, "Nuyorican Movement" poet
- Judge Edwin Torres, writer (Carlito's Way), New York Supreme Court Justice
- Luis Llorens Torres, poet
- Ana Lydia Vega, writer
- William Carlos Williams (Puerto Rican on his mother's side), Modernist poet.

Beauty queens and supermodels

- Deborah Carthy-Deu, Miss Universe 1985
- Susie Castillo, Miss USA 2003 (mother is Puerto Rican)
- Marisol Malaret, first Puerto Rican Miss Universe, 1970
- Marisol Maldonado, fashion model and wife of Matchbox 20 lead singer Rob Thomas
- Wilnelia Merced, Miss World, 1975
- Astrid Munoz, supermodel
- Cynthia Olavarria, Miss Puerto Rico 2005
- Denise Quiñones, Miss Universe 2001
- Chay Santini, supermodel
- Dayanara Torres, Miss Universe 1993
- Gloria Velez, supermodel

Cartoonists

- David Alvarez, creator of "Yenny", illustrator and storyboard artist for Dell Comics Looney Tunes series
- Ricardo Alvarez Rivon, creator of "Turey"
- Vanesa Littlecrow, comic creator
- George Perez, "Marvel" comic book artist
- John Rivas, creator of "Bonzzo"
- Jose Vega Santana, creator of "Remi, The Clown" (see also Actors and Actress)

Composers, singers, and musicians

- Juan F. Acosta, composer of folklore music
- Johnny Albino, singer
- Natalie and Nicole Albino, "Nina Sky" hip hop
- Rafael Alers, danza composer, "first" Puerto Rican to compose a Hollywood musical score
- Tite Curet Alonso, salsa composer El Periódico de Ayer and Las Caras Lindas
- Marc Anthony, singer
- Chucho Avellanet, singer
- Lloyd Banks, (Puerto Rican on his mother's side), rapper
- Ray Barretto, salsa singer, jazz and salsa musician
- John Benitez, "Jellybean Benitez", music producer and remixer
- Lucecita Benítez, singer
- Obie Bermudez,singer
- Big Pun, rapper
- Americo Boschetti, singer and composer
- Roy Brown, folklore singer, composer
- Antonio Caban Vale "El Topo", folklore singer, composer
- Tego Calderón, reggaeton singer
- Juan Morel Campos, composer of Danzas
- Bobby Capo, singer, composer
- Vicente Carattini, singer and composer of Puerto Rican Christmas themes
- Nydia Caro, singer
- Pablo Casals, (Puerto Rican on his mother's side), cellist and composer
- Kevin Ceballo, salsa singer
- Iris Chacón, singer and vedette
- Chayanne, singer
- Jose Miguel Class, "El Gallito de Manati", singer
- Elvis Crespo,salsa singer
- Tony Croatto, singer/composer of Puerto Rican folk songs
- Bobby Cruz,salsa singer
- Willie Colón, salsa singer
- Braulio Dueño Colón, composer of "Canciones Escolares"
- Cesar Concepcion, salsa singer
- Federico A. Cordero, composer and classical guitarist
- Millie Corretjer,singer
- Rafael Cortijo,salsa singer
- Joe Cuba,bandleader, considered to be "The Father of the Boogaloo"
- Daddy Yankee ,reggaeton singer
- Pedro Ortiz Davila, "Davilita", bolero singer
- Justino Díaz, opera singer
- Dr. Rafael Jose Diaz, "Rafael Jose", singer and television host
- Carmen Delia Dipini, singer
- Ruben DJ, rapper
- Howie Dorough, singer, member of the Backstreet Boys
- Gigi Drums, drummer, percussionist, composer
- Johnathan Dwayne, singer, composer
- Rafi Escudero, salsa singer
- Noel Estrada, composer of "En Mi Viejo San Juan"
- Cano Estremera,singer, composer and poet
- Fat Joe, rapper
- Rene Farrait, former member of "Menudo"
- Cheo Feliciano,singer
- José Feliciano, singer, composed "Feliz Navidad"
- Ruth Fernandez, singer
- Narciso Figueroa, "Father of the Modern Danza"
- Pedro Flores, composer
- Luis Fonsi, singer
- Angelo Garcia, singer (former mmeber of Menudo)
- Odilio Gonzalez, singer
- Rafael Hernandez, Composer of "Preciosa" and "Lamento Borincano"
- Giovanni Hidalgo, percussionist
- Rafael Ithier, founder of "El Gran Combo" orchestra
- La India,salsa singer, known as the "Princess of Salsa"
- Carmita Jimenez, singer (known also as "La Dama de la Canción")
- Tito Lara, singer
- Héctor Lavoe, salsa singer
- Raphy Leavitt, composer, director and founder of "La Selecta"
- Jennifer López, singer and actress
- Johnny Lozada, former member of "Menudo"
- Papo Lucca, Lead Pianist of "La Sonora Ponceña"
- Lunna, singer
- Victor Manuelle, singer
- Ricky Martin, singer former member of "Menudo"
- Angie Martinez, Radio personality/rapper
- Charlie Masso, former member of "Menudo"
- Maxwell (musician), R&B/Nu-Soul singer (father was Puerto Rican)
- Ricky Melendez, former member of "Menudo"
- Ismael Miranda, "El Niño Bonito de la Salsa", singer and composer
- Angel Mislan, composer of Danzas
- Yolandita Monge, singer
- Andy Montañez, salsa singer
- Glenn Monroig,composer, singer, sang the "first" rap song in Spanish
- Gilberto Monroig, bolero singer
- Florencio Morales Ramos, "Ramito", folklore singer
- Ednita Nazario, singer
- Tito Nieves, salsa singer
- Tommy Olivencia, salsa singer
- Don Omar reggaeton singer
- Tony Orlando (Puerto Rican on father's side), singer
- Choco Orta, female,salsa, singer
- Luis "Perico" Ortiz, salsa singer, musician, composer, musical arranger and producer
- Shalim Ortiz, singer
- Eddie Palmieri, bandleader (won 7 Grammy Awards)
- Charlie Palmieri, pianist, bandleader
- Antonio Paolí, opera singer, first person in history to record an entire opera
- Jose Enrique Pedreria, Danza composer
- David Peel, singer, songwriter
- Angel "Cuco" Peña, musician, composer and producer
- Carlos Ponce, singer
- Tito Puente, musician
- Ivy Queen, rapper, known as "The Queen of Reggaeton"
- Luciano Quiñones, danza composer
- Ismael Quintana, salsa singer
- Jose Ignacio Quinton, pianist/composer of danzas
- Richie Ray, singer, composer, known as "The King of Salsa"
- Sylvia Rexach, singer, composer
- Danny Rivera, singer
- Jerry Rivera, salsa singer
- Dr. Graciela Rivera, opera singer
- Ismael Rivera, "El Sonero Mayor", salsa singer
- Roberto Roena, Band Leader of Apollo Sound Orchestra, Bongoes and percussion, dancer
- Felipe Rodriguez, "La Voz", bolero singer
- Julito Rodriguez, singer
- Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, guitarist from The Mars Volta
- Pellin Rodriguez, salsa singer
- Tito Rodriguez, singer
- Kelis Rogers, (mother is Puerto Rican/Chinese), singer and television host
- Tito Rojas, "El Gallo"
- Robby Rosa, former member of "Menudo"
- Willie Rosario, composer, bandleader
- Felipe Rose, the Indian from The Village People, singer
- Julita Ross, singer of Danzas
- Frankie Ruiz, salsa singer
- Fernando and Nefty Sallaberry, former members of "Menudo"
- Claudio Sanchez, lead singer and rhythm guitarist of "Coheed & Cambria
- Jesús María Sanromá, the first person ever to be named official pianist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
- Gilberto Santa Rosa, salsa singer
- Eddie Santiago, salsa singer
- Herman Santiago, rock n roll singer, composed song "Why Do Fools Fall In Love"
- Marvin Santiago, salsa singer
- Dr. Zoraida Santiago, singer and composer
- Daniel Santos, composer, singer of boleros
- Nino Segarra, salsa singer
- Xavier Serbia, former member of "Menudo"
- Myrta Silva, singer, composer
- Arturo Somohano,composer, Symphony orchestra conductor
- Brenda K. Starr,singer (Puerto Rican on mother's side)
- Michael Stuart, singer
- Olga Tañon, singer, composer, (4 Grammys)
- Manuel Gregorio Tavarez, composer known as "The Father of the Puerto Rican Danzas"
- Gerardo Teissonniere, classical pianist and teacher
- Roberto Tirado, Spanish Harlem vocalist
- Yolanda Vadiz, gospel singer
- Bobby Valentin,musician/bandleader
- Alan Vega, rock singer, of Suicide
- Tony Vega, Salsa singer
- Vico C, rapper
- Eric West, singer who recorded Half Life and actor in Lords of Dogtown
- Wilkins, singer and composer

Criminals

- Salvador Agron, criminal and poet
- Antonio Correa Cotto, infamous outlaw
- Antonio García López "Toño Bicicleta", famous outlaw
- Victor Manuel Gerena, allegedly stole $7 million from Wells Fargo
- Filiberto Ojeda-Rios, masterminded and lead the plot to steal the $7 million from Wells Fargo
- Isabel la Negra, infamous female gangster
- Jose Padilla, alleged al-Qaeda terrorist
- Tony Tursi, member of the Mafia

Educators and scientists

- Joseph M. Acaba, educator, first Puerto Rican astronaut candidate
- Dr. Ricardo Alegria, anthropologist, archaeologist, educator
- Dr. Pilar Barbosa, UPR prof, author and first modern-day Official Historian of Puerto Rico
- Dr. Jaime Benitez, longest serving chamcellor and president of the University of Puerto Rico
- Anthony M. Busquets, electronic engineer, aero-space technologist
- José A. Cabranes,educator, first Puerto Rican to serve as a U.S. Circuit Court judge
- Dr. María Cadilla, educator, Women rights activist
- Dr. Jose Ferrer Canales, educator, writer and activist
- Dr. Pedro Valle Carlo, educator, environmentalist
- Dr. Victor A. Carreño,inventor, NASA aero-space engineer, aero-space technologist
- Miguel Alvarez Chico, electronic engineer, aero-space technologist
- Dr. Nitza Margarita Cintron,scientist, Chief of NASA's (JSC) Space and Health Care Systems Office
- Rafael Cordero,educator beatified in 2004 by Pope John Paul II
- Dr. Orlando Figueroa, mechanical engineer, Director of Mars Exploration in NASA
- Nilita Vientos Gaston, educator, defended the use of Spanish in the courts of Puerto Rico
- Olga D. Gonzalez, NASA engineer, Member of Ohio's Women Hall of Fame
- Dr. Sixto Gonzalez, scientist, first Puerto Rican Director of the Arecibo Observatory
- Lucas G. Hortas, aero-space engineer, aero-space technologist
- Dr. Carlos A. Liceaga, electronic engineer, aero-space technologist
- Debbie Martinez, computer engineer, aero-space technologist
- Lissette Martinez, electronic engineer, rocket scientist
- Dr. Concha Melendez, educator, writer poet
- Ana G. Mendez, educator, founder of the Ana G. Mendez University System
- Eugenio Maria de Hostos (see also Politicians)
- Aida Negrón de Montilla, former UPR trustee, professor and author
- Ana María O'Neill, educator and women's rights advocate
- Dr. Carlos Ortiz Longo, mechanical engineer, Chief of Crew Health Care Systems and Exercise Countermeasures in NASA
- Lourdes Pamela Pop,educator
- Dr. Antonia Pantoja, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Dr. Angel Ramos, Superintendent of the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind
- Miguel Rodríguez, mechanical engineer, Chief of the Integration Office of the Cape Canaveral Spaceport Management Office
- Dr. Pedro Rodriguez, inventor, mechanical engineer
- Monserrate Roman, scientist, microbiologist
- Ana Roque, educator and suffragist
- Dr. Agustin Stahl, scientist
- Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, pioneer in black history
- Dr. Felix Soto Toro, electrical engineer, astronaut applicant
- Dr. Margot Arce de Vázquez, educator, founder of the Department of Hispanic Studies in the University of Puerto Rico

Governors

- Carlos Romero Barcelo, 5th elected governor of Puerto Rico
- Sila María Calderón, first female and 7th elected governor of Puerto Rico
- Rafael Hernández Colón, 4th elected governor of Puerto Rico
- Luis A. Ferré, 3rd elected governor of Puerto Rico (see also Industrialists)
- Juan Ponce de Leon II, first Puerto Rican to be temporary governor
- Luis Muñoz Marin, 1st elected governor of Puerto Rico
- Jesus T. Piñero, first Puerto Rican to be named Governor by the U.S.
- Dr. Pedro Rosello, 6th elected governor of Puerto Rico
- Anibal Acevedo Vila, 8th elected governor of Puerto Rico
- Roberto Sánchez Vilella, 2nd elected governor of Puerto Rico

Industrialists

- Carlota Alfaro, fashion
- Luis Antonio, fashion
- Luisa Capetillo, labor leader
- Ramiro L. Colon, first administrator of Cooperativa de Cafeteros de Puerto Rico, Café Rico (official coffee of the Vatican)
- Noel Colon Martinez, Amigo Supermarkets
- Atilano Cordero Badillo, Supermercados Grande
- Richard Carrion, Chairman of the BoardBanco Popular, member International Olympic Committee
- Oscar de la Renta, fashion designer (Father was Puerto Rican)
- Fernando Fernandez, "Ron del Barrilito" and "Alcoholado Santa Ana"
- Luis A. Ferré, Ponce Cement (see also Governors)
- José Juan García, "CheJuan", founder of Hogares Crea
- Ramon Lopez Irizarry, inventor of Coco Lopez
- Israel Kopel, founder of Almacenes Pitusa department stores
- Teodoro Moscoso Sr., founder of "Farmacias Moscoso" (Moscoso Pharmacy)
- Gildo Massó, founder of Massó Enterprises and Casa's Massó
- Angel Munoz, founder of the Cyberathlete Professional League - widely regarded as the father of the sport
- Angel Ramos, founder of Telemundo television network
- Miguel Ruíz, Café Yaucono'
- Herb Scannell, Chairman of MTV Networks and president of Nickelodeon Networks
- Juan Serralles, founder of "Don Q" rum
- Vicente Suarez, founder of V. Suarez & Co., Puerto Rico's largest wholesaler
- Joseph A. Unanue, president and CEO of Goya Foods, son of founder
- Alfonso Valdez, founder of Cerveceria India
- Salvador Vassallo, founder of Vassallo Industries Inc. (Industrias Vassallo Inc.), Vassallo Distribution Center, and Vassallo Molding Corp.

Journalists

- Jose Julian Acosta, journalist
- María Celeste Arraras, anchor for "Al Rojo Vivo"
- Barbara Bermudo, journalist, co-host of Univisions "Primer Impacto"
- Rafael Bracero, newscaster for "Noticentro 4"
- Christopher Crommett, Atlanta-based Exec VP CNN en Español
- Tomas De Jesus Mangual, journalist for "El Vocero"
- Carmen Dominicci, journalist, co-host of Univisions "Primer Impacto"
- Manuel Fernandez Juncos, journalist, wrote lyrics to "La Borinqueña"
- Jackie Guerrido, journalist and meteorologist for Univisions "Despierta America"
- Anibal Gonzalez Irizarry, former newscaster for "Telenoticias en accion"
- Laura Hernandez, journalist
- Carmen Jovet,Journalist, first Puerto Rican woman named news anchor in Puerto Rico
- Michele LaFountain, anchor for the Spanish version of ESPN Sports Center
- Lynda Lopez, anchor for "WCBS" Ch2.
- Luis Francisco Ojeda, journalist, political critic for "WAPA T.V."
- Geraldo Rivera, journalist
- Edna Schmidt, anchor for "Telefutura"
- Ray Suarez, Senior Correspondent on the "News Hour with Jim Leher", former host of NPR's "National Public Radio"
- Guillermo José Torres, newscaster for "Noticentro 4"
- Elizabeth Vargas, "Liz" anchor "ABC News 20/20"
- Luz Nereida Velez, newscaster for "Noticentro 4"

Military

- PFC Domingo Arroyo, USMC, first Puerto Rican and U.S. serviceman to die during the Somalian Civil War
- Vice Admiral, Dr.Richard Carmona, U.S. Surgeon General under President George W. Bush
- Brigadier General Antonio Rodriguez Balinas, U.S. Army
- Brigadier General Antonio Valero de Bernabe, fought alongside Simón Bolívar
- Staff Sgt. Modesto Cartagena, U.S. Army, most decorated Hispanic in history
- Lieutenant General Pedro Del Valle, U.S. Marine Corps, first Hispanic three-star Marine general
- 1 Lt. Carmen Durnier, WAC's, one of the first Puerto Rican women Army officers
- Capt. Miguel Enriquez, Spanish naval captain, pirate, defeated the British in Vieques
- Major General Luis R. Esteves, U.S. Army, organized the Puerto Rican National Guard
- Major General Salvador E. Felices, U.S. Air Force, first Puerto Rican general in the U.S. Air Force
- CWO3 Rose Franco, USMC, first Hispanic woman Chief Warrant Officer in the Marine Corps
- PFC Fernando Luis Garcia, USMC, first Puerto Rican awarded the Medal Of Honor
- Major General Orlando Llenza, U.S. Air Force
- PFC Carlos Lozada, U.S. Army, awarded Medal of Honor
- Lt. Francisco Gonzalo Marin, Cuban Liberation Army, fought alondside Jose Marti
- Major General William A. Navas, Jr., U.S. Army, first Puerto Rican named Assistant Secretary of the Navy
- Brigadier General Luis Padial, Spanish Army, played an essential role in the abolishment of slavery in Puerto Rico
- Admiral Ramon Power y Giralt, Spanish Navy
- Col. Carlos Betances Ramirez, U.S. Army, first Puerto Rican to command a battalion in the Korean War
- Capt.Antonio de los Reyes Correa, Spanish Army, defeated the British in Arecibo
- Major Fernando L. Ribas-Dominicci, U.S. Air Force, perished in Operation El Dorado Canyon
- Rear Admiral Frederick Lois Riefkohl, U.S. Navy
- General Juan Rius Rivera, Commander-in-Chief of the Cuban Liberation Army
- Capt. Manuel Rivera, USMC, First Puerto Rican and U.S. servicemen to die in Operation Desert Shield
- Admiral Horacio Rivero, U.S. Navy, first Hispanic four-star admiral
- SPC Lizbeth Robles, U.S. Army, first Puerto Rican female soldier born in Puerto Rico to die in Irak
- Master Sgt. Pedro Rodriguez, U.S. Army, awarded two Silver Stars in one week
- Captain Euripides Rubio, U.S. Army, awarded Medal of Honor
- Sp4c Hector Santiago-Colon, U.S. Army, awarded Medal of Honor
- MGySgt. Frankie Segarra, USMC, First Hispanic to reach the grade of Master Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps
- SPC Frances M. Vega, U.S. Army, first Puerto Rican female soldier born in the U.S. to die in a war
- 2Lt. Juan Alonso Zayas, Spanish Army, fought in the Battle of Baler, Philippines

Painters and sculptors

- Alfonso Arana, painter, founder of the Fundación Alfonso Arana.
- Jean-Michel Basquiat, painter
- Tomas Batista, sculptor
- Jose Buscaglia Guillermety, sculptor
- José Campeche, painter
- Angel Botello, painter and sculptor
- James De La Vega, mural artist
- Jan D'Esopo, painter and sculptor
- Obed Gomez, contemporary artist known as the "Puerto Rican Picasso"
- Lorenzo Homar, graphic artist
- Antonio Martorell, painter
- Francisco Oller, painter
- Julio Rosado del Valle, abstract expressionist

Politicians

- Ernesto Ramos Antonini,former president of the Camara of Representatives of Puerto Rico
- Carmen E. Arroyo first Puerto Rican woman elected to any state assembly in the United States
- Herman Badillo, first Puerto Rican to serve in U.S. Congress
- Joaquín Balaguer, president of Dominican Republic (Puerto Rican on his father's side)
- Dr. José Celso Barbosa, "The Father of Puerto Rico's Statehood Movement"
- Antonio R. Barcelo, founder of the Puerto Rican Liberal Party
- Angel O. Berrios, fmr mayor of Caguas
- Ruben Berrios-Martinez, president of the Puerto Rican Independence Party
- Dr.Ramon Emeterio Betances, main leader of the Grito de Lares revolution
- Mariana Bracetti, leader of the Lares Revolutionary Council
- Juan Marí Bras, founder of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party
- Mathias Brugman, leader of the Grito de Lares
- Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos, founder of the Nationalist Party
- Blanca Canales, nationalist who led the Jayuya revolt
- Adolfo Carrión Jr., present Bronx borough president (2001-present)
- Roman Baldorioty de Castro, "The Father of Puerto Rico's Autonomy"
- Segundo Ruiz Belvis, leader of the Grito de Lares revolt
- Adam Clayton Powell IV, son of civil rights leader Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. and New York state assembly member
- Oscar Collazo, one of two nationalists who attempted to assassinate President Harry S. Truman
- Jose Coll y Cuchi, founder of the Puerto Rico, such as "Puerto Rican Rum". It should be noted that even though Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States and its people have American citizenship, Puerto Rico was already a nation with its own costumes, culture, traditions and language when it was invaded by the United States in 1898 and that the majority of the people of Puerto Rico feel pride in being called Puerto Ricans of nationality. Asked about whether she felt Puerto Rican or not by a popular men's magazine, New York native model and rap singer Gloria Velez declared that "(she) was born in Long Island, (her parents) were born in New York, but (her) grandparents were born in Puerto Rico, so (she is) 100 percent Puerto Rican". Also, there are many of those who are half Puerto Rican that have publicly stated their pride in being Puerto Ricans, such is the case of Freddie Prinze, Tony Orlando, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Geraldo Rivera. This is a feeling shared by most (if not all) Puerto Ricans born outside Puerto Rico. Wilfred Benitez is another famous person who was not born in Puerto Rico but feels proud of being Puerto Rican. Many others are proud to be American citizens as well. Puerto Ricans also refer to themselves as Boricuas. This term comes from the word "Boriken" (Borínquen) which was what the Taínos called Puerto Rico before the Spaniards arrived. Puerto Ricans are a mixture of customs and cultures which have truly resulted in a great melting pot. The people who inhabited the island of Puerto Rico at the time of the European landfall were the members of the Taíno tribe. Today however no single full blooded Taino exists in Puerto Rico. In the 16th century the white Spaniards arrived with their African black slaves. Some of the Spanish and some slaves inter-married with the Taíno. In 1791, the slaves in Haiti, revolted against their white French masters. Many of the French escaped to Puerto Rico via the Dominican Republic and settled in the west coast of the island, especially in Mayaguez. Racial mixing, even before abolition, was more common in Puerto Rico than in Cuba or English colonies. This trend continued after 1873 when the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico occurred (note that the date for the abolition of slavery is the date when all slaves were granted freedom, but, before that day and starting on 1837, the freedom of blacks could always be bought at the time of baptism). At the end of the 19th century Spain permitted the migration of Italians (principally from Corsica) and of the Irish to the island. In addition, Chinese started arriving at the island, as rail-road workers, during the 1840s to 1850s. These groups settled mainly in the southern cities of Puerto Rico. The main idea behind Spain's new immigration policy was to keep the local population from asking for its independence by permitting people whom they believed would be loyal to the Spanish Crown to live in the island. This trend continued after 1898, when Puerto Rico was annexed by the United States after the Spanish-American War, with the migration of Germans and Lebanese. More recent arrivals include inhabitants from nearby islands, including Dominicans and a substantial population of Cuban immigrants after 1959. There is a large percentage of US residents from the mailand who live mainly in the Media:San Juan Metro area.

Puerto Ricans in the mainland

Many Puerto Ricans that arrived in the United States were jibaros. Jibaro means a Puerto Rican hillbilly. They were poor, uneducated, and rural laborers. They came here leaving their island, specially during the 1950's when they came looking for jobs. Since then, however, the United States has given Puerto Rico numerous help and assistance with roads, public housing, sewers, etcetera. Most Puerto Rican immigrants came to New York City, urban New Jersey, Philadelphia, or Florida. In addition, since Puerto Ricans are American citizens, they could easily travel from the island to the mainland or back, some to live and others just to visit. Many came to New York because despite the cold weather, different architecture, and a completely different geographical setting, they still thought of it as a nice place. The media in Puerto Rico portrayed New York as a place that was free from poverty, discrimination, or prejudice. As soon as they arrived in New York, however, many Puerto Ricans found out that they were wrong. Some faced discrimination, and were often laughed at at first. Curiosity attracted Puerto Ricans as well. Other Puerto Ricans came to the United States because they knew there was an already established Hispanic community with Spanish langauge newspapers, television, clubs, foods, etcetera. Some Puerto Ricans moved to the United States when tenements were being torn down and housing projects were being put up. This trapped many Puerto Ricans in a cycle of poverty. Many Puerto Ricans in New York were spread out to Brooklyn or the Bronx because of this. Many Puerto Ricans became known as "Nuyoricans" a term for Puerto Ricans from or living in New York. However the Puerto Ricans in New York did have some predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhoods, one being Spanish Harlem. They may have been poverty stricken, but most were far from depressed. People would listen to salsa music and cook typical Puerto Rican foods or grow plants at home to spend their spare time. Old men played dominoes in front of Puerto Rican bars. Families sat on stoops and talked and laughed. Advertisements on buses and billboards were both in English and Spanish or, sometimes, just in Spanish. And Puerto Rican flags were everywhere; hanging from windows, fluttering from car antennas and painted on brick walls. There were always only a few Puerto Rican owned businesses because the neighborhoods were usually in high crime areas. Puerto Ricans didn’t have enough money to pay for insurance if their stores were broken into. Also, there was competition coming from the big chain stores. Even though Puerto Ricans are 65% Catholic there is a strong Protestant community. These are mainly Pentecostal or Seventh Day Adventist. Many of these churches were called "storefront" churches due to their informality. There is also a mix between spiritualism and Catholicism. This is evidenced by botanical stores, present around Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican food is mainly rice and beans with some sort of meat. It also features pasteles, plantanos, sofrito, and gandules.

Flag of Puerto Rico

The Flag of Puerto Rico was designed in 1894. Francisco Gonzalo Marin, the designer, used the flag of Cuba as the model and inverted the colors in the flags' triangle and stripes. He presented the flag in New York's "Chimney Corner Hall," a popular gathering place of independence advocates. The flag soon came to symbolize the ideals of the Puerto Rican independence movement of the time. The flag of Puerto Rico consists of five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center. The red represents blood from the brave men, the white represents victory and peace, and the blue represents the sky and blue coastal waters. The lone Star represents the nation. The triangle represents the three branches of government. flag of Cuba Though there are specific shades of red and blue that are used for the flag, some flag-makers make slight modifications. Specifically, the shade of blue used on the flag may correspond to the flag-flyer's political beliefs. Flags made by pro-independence groups use a lighter shade of blue, while pro-U.S. and pro-statehood groups use darker shades (as on the U.S. flag). The official version uses a shade of moderate darkness.

Kirk Acevedo

Kirk Acevedo (born 1974 in Brooklyn, New York) is an actor of Puerto Rican descent who is best known for his performances as Miguel Alvarez in Oz and District Attorney Investigator Hector Salazar in Law & Order: Trial by Jury. Kirk's parents immigrated from Puerto Rico and settled in Brooklyn, where Acevedo was born. Later they moved to the Bronx where Kirk was raised and went to school. Since childhood, he showed an interest in acting when he would perform before his family in improvised shows. Acevedo, also participated in his high school's drama club. After graduating form high school, he enrolled in the Suny Purchase School of Acting (Purchase College). In the 1990's Acevedo earned his "BFA" (Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts) and soon auditioned for "Oz". Some of his classmates landed parts in the series and this motivated him to try out for a part. He landed the role of "Miguel Alvarez" a prisoner in "Oz" (which is the name of the prison). "Miguel" is a half crazed gang leader serving time and is involved in many of the situations presented. Acevedo participated in the following episodes: 1-26; 34-36 and 41-56. He was nominated for the 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2001 ALMA Award for his role in "Oz". Among the other series that Acevedo has participated in are, "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" (2005) as Det. Hector Salazar; HBO's "Band of Brothers", directed by Steven Spielberg, as SSgt. Joseph Toye and in "NYPD Blues". Some of the movies/mini series that he's been in are: "Bait" (2000); "Boiler Room" (2000); "Dinner Rush" (2000); "Arresting Gena" (1997) and "Kirk and Kerry" (1997). In 1999, Kirk won an ALMA Award for his role in "A Thin Red Line". He was nominated in 1997 for the "Drama Desk Award" for "Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play", in the "Tooth of Crime". He co-founded the theater company, The Rowschach Group, with Shea Wigham.

External link

- Acevedo, Kirk Acevedo, Kirk Acevedo, Kirk Acevedo, Kirk Acevedo, Kirk Acevedo, Kirk

Oz (TV series)

Oz was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by HBO. The show, which aired for six seasons (1997-2003), is set in a maximum-security prison in the state of New York. The series was created by Tom Fontana and produced by Barry Levinson. Oz is the nickname for the Oswald State Correctional Facility. Many of the plot arcs are set in Emerald City ("Em City"), an experimental unit of the prison, where the unit manager tries to emphasize rehabilitation and learning responsibility during incarceration. Emerald City is a controlled environment. There is a limited number of members of each racial and social group (Muslims, Italian Americans, Latinos, Homosexuals, Neo-Nazis, African Americans, Irish Americans and others). The microcosm of Emerald City is a metaphor for racial and economic struggles. Oz avoids any easy answers as to the origin of violence and criminality. Even the worst offenders are shown to have moments of humanity, while the supposedly "normal" characters come to commit their own atrocities. The ensemble cast included many famous actors including Rita Moreno, Ernie Hudson, as well as Law and Order stars Kathryn Erbe, Christopher Meloni, B.D. Wong, J.K. Simmons, Dean Winters and Kirk Acevedo. Many of the actors from Oz have appeared as guest stars or stars in the various Law and Order series, as well as Homicide: Life on the Street. Oz is narrated by wheelchair-bound Augustus Hill (played by Harold Perrineau Jr.) in surreal segments that usually relate to an overall theme of the episode. Hill, a former drug dealer and ex-junkie, appeared as a recurring character in the show's storylines until the end of the 5th season, when he was killed and narrating duties were taken up by various deceased characters as well as Hill. The narrations by Hill are thus a form of breaking the fourth wall, although he did not address the camera during scenes where he was interacting with the other characters in the story. The major plotlines in Oz typically involved rivalries between the different prison gangs, which often resulted in murder and retaliation. There are some long-standing individual rivalries including the ongoing struggle between Vernon Schillinger (played by J.K. Simmons), Aryan Brotherhood leader, and Tobias Beecher (Lee Tergesen), a family man jailed for killing a child while driving drunk. Oz took advantage of the freedoms of cable television to show material that would be too extreme for traditional broadcast networks: coarse language, drug use, violence, male frontal nudity, homosexuality, rape, and ethnic and religious conflict. Interestingly, in Australia, Oz was screened on the relatively liberal-minded free-to-air channel SBS. This was also the case in Israel, where Oz was displayed on the free-to-air, commercial Channel 2, the United Kingdom where Channel 4 aired the show late night and in Ireland on TG4 where it was shown at 11pm. In Sweden and Norway Oz aired on the commercial channels TV3 and ZTV, and in Finland, on the free-to-air channel Nelonen (TV4). In Canada, Oz aired on the Showcase Channel at 10pm est. In Denmark, Oz appeared late night on the non-commercial public service channel DR1.
Characters

Prison Groups
There are ten main groups of prisoners on Oz, all divided by ethnicity or religion. The prison is 78% black and racial problems constantly arise throughout the series. Some groups, such as the Italians, run the whole prison while others, such as the gays, just appear as background prisoners. However, most gangs tend to be like the Latinos or Aryans; just doing whatever is necessary to show that they are credible and not be crossed. Described below are each group.
- Muslims: The Muslims are an African American group of prisoners who read the Qur'an and look to improve life and conditions for blacks in general. They wish to expose the racism, brutality, and injustice in prison system whenever an opportunity arises. Led mainly by Kareem Said, the Muslims are against drugs and homosexuality, among other issues. They for the most part get along with various gangs, until a fight breaks out with the Aryans. However, the Muslims are often left alone and not harrassed, as Said is feared throughout the prison.
- Homeboys:: The second African American group, these prisoners look to control the drug trade within Oz. Having the most soliders of any group, they often have leadership and discipline conflicts; the vast majority of their members not only sell drugs, but heavily use them. Mainly led by Simon Adebisi and Burr Redding, the Homeboys commit several murders and look to guarantee a spot in the drug trade by any means possible. They are feared by most inmates and are mainly in conflict with the Italian and Latino gangs.
- Aryans: The Aryan Brotherhood, led by Vernon Schillinger, are a white supremacist gang that hates blacks, Jews, homosexuals, and anyone who isn't purely white. They are one of the most sadistic gangs in Oz, raping and killing several inmates. They are against drug use and remain allied with the Bikers throughout the series.
- Bikers: The Bikers are a white gang which loves two things- Tits and Tattoos. Not involved in the drug dealing business, several of their members are heavy users. They also have the most tattoos of any group in Oz. Their key members are Scott Ross, followed by Jaz Hoyt. They are allied with the Aryan Brotherhood mainly so that they have back up in case the black inmates attack them.
- Italians: The Italians run everything illegal in Oz. Willing to work with other gangs for dealing drugs, the Wiseguys are often confronted by the Homeboys in order to dominate the drug trade. They are first led by Nino Schibetta, whose son Peter later takes over the group. They are then led by Antonio Nappa and Chucky Pancamo. They often have influence within the prison staff as well, managing to pay off and hire several members to allow them to conduct their business. They are also the most connected gang outside of Oz and set up several murders and drug trades for a negotiable price. Most if not all of the Italian inmates' ancestors come from Sicily.
- Latinos: The Hispanic gang on Oz, El Norte are mostly drug dealers. The Latinos in Oz are mostly of Puerto Rican ancestry. This gang is extremely ruthless, especially under the leadership of Raoul "El Cid" Hernandez. They work with the Italians more often when Enrique Morales runs the group. Throughout the series, inmate Miguel Alvarez is often questioned as being loyal to the gang fueled by an ongoing feud with Latino inmate Carmen Guerra.
- Irish: The Irish are a smaller white gang, composed mainly of street hoodlums who wish to work with the drug dealing powers in Oz. The main focus of this gang is Ryan O'Reilly, a cunning sociopath who works with and around the most dangerous inmates in Oz, often unharmed. They are not on good terms with the Aryans, ever since Schillinger raped Ryan's younger brother, Cyril.
- Christians: The Christians are a background gang in Oz that is predominantly white and use their religion to provide sanction for their members. Not a potential danger to any other gang, they get along with everyone and are more known when a Reverend Jeremiah Cloutier comes to Oz for embezzlement.
- Gays: The gay inmates are a combination of actual homosexuals and men forced into sexual servitude. Primarily a background gang, several of them cross dress and provide sexual or feminine services (e.g. hair braiding) for other inmates. The gays do come through somewhat in Season 3, however, when Nat Ginzburg suffocates Antonio Nappa, and when Jason Cramer does well in the prison boxing tournament.
- Others: The others are an outcast group in Oz that provide little discipline problems to both the staff and other inmates. Robert Rebadow, Chris Keller, Omar White, Augustus Hill, Agamemnon Busmalis, and Tobias Beecher constitute this group.
Inmates

- Augustus Hill (Harold Perrineau Jr.): physically disabled, but socially astute. Narrator of the series, Hill represents reason and logic.
- Miguel Alvarez (Kirk Acevedo): goes through a process of losing masculine credibility within the latino gang.
- Kareem Said (Eamonn Walker): a Muslim leader with a lust for power and a conviction that other people's racism will absolve him.
- Ryan O'Reilly (sometimes O'Reily) (Dean Winters): an Irish hoodlum, who does what it takes to survive. He is the only Irish inmate for most of the series and survives because he is an astute political player. Compared to Othello's Iago by show creator Fontana, he is responsible for almost every death in the show's first season.
- Nino Schibetta (Tony Musante): the show's first leader of the Sicilians, he represents mob rule in prison. He is the prisoner who rules all until Simon Adebisi and Ryan O'Reilly decide to secretly murder him.
- Tobias Beecher (Lee Tergesen): was a middleclass lawyer in denial until landing in prison forced him to confront himself and become self-sufficient. His character undergoes the most drastic changes throughout the seasons, during which he becomes a drug addict, falls in love with a man and finds Islam. His relationship with Keller is also a main part in many episodes.
- Vernon Schillinger (J.K. Simmons): leader of the Aryan Brotherhood (Nazis), Schillinger commits atrocities against other inmates because of race, sexual orientation, or overall weakness. His behaviour demonstrates the prison system's indifference to humanity.
- Simon Adebisi (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje): is a strong anchoring character. His flirtations with insanity and religion are transient. However, Adebisi remains the most powerful inmate within the walls of Oz up until his death.
- Burr Redding (Anthony Chisholm): leads the Homeboys, the street blacks who do not wish to partake in any form of rehabilitation from 2001-2003. He is an old black man who is a veteran of the Vietnam War and the Streets. He represents Blacks who have lived too long and hard in the ghetto lifestyle. His best friend was the father of Augustus Hill.
- Kenny Wangler (J.D. Williams): young member of the Homeboy gang on Oz from 1997-2000. Enters prison at age of 16, he represents young black males who have grown up too fast in a ghetto surrounding.
- Chris Keller (Christopher Meloni): perhaps the most amoral figure in the entire milieu, he is a master of emotional manipulation and only seems to really enjoy himself when those who care about him are made to suffer.His relationship with Beecher is also a big part in many episodes.
- Cyril O'Reilly (Scott William Winters): Mentally incapacitated in a gang fight, the treatment of Cyril reflects a monstrous aspect of the prison system.
- Robert Rebadow (George Morfogen): an elderly inmate serving life for murder. He is fantastically intuitive, which in the first couple of seasons he explains by nonchalantly saying "God told me"; later he begins to doubt the source and the veracity of his insights.
- Agamemnon Busmalis (Tom Mardirosian): known as "the Mole", he is an expert tunneller and escape artist.
- Chucky Pancamo (Chuck Zito): takes over as leader of the Italian inmates after the deaths of Nino Schibetta and Antonio Nappa. A pragmatist, he forms alliances with other gang leaders...subject, of course, to revision as the circumstances warrant.
- Jaz Hoyt (Evan Seinfeld): leader of the bikers in Em City.
- James Robson (R.E. Rodgers): an Aryan. Does little of consequence early in the series (aside from making an ill-advised advance on Beecher) but in later seasons becomes Schillinger's boon companion. However, the insulting of an Islamic dentist during the need for a gum transplant causes turmoil for him. After being called Goonga, the dentist intentionally installs the gum tissue of a black man inside of him which causes him to be kicked out of the Aryan Brotherhood for being racially impure. Thus his lifestyle is put into complete disarray.
- Arnold "Poet" Jackson (mUmS da Schemer): a black inmate in the Homeboys, Poet has a talent for writing. However, his heroin addiction pulls him under and causes him to get incarcerated and violate his early parole. Remains a full flegged Homeboy throughout the series by helping with the African American drug trade within the prison.
- Raoul "El Cid" Hernandez (Luis Guzman): a leader of the Latino inmates, he represents the brutality that inmates are capable of throughout his stay in the series.
- Enrique Morales (David Zayas): A leader of the Latino inmates, he makes his first impression on Oz by causing the murder of previous leader Raoul "El Cid" Hernandez. Willing to work with anyone for means of the the drug trade, he represents the businessman aspiration of prisoners within Oz.
Prison staff

- Warden Leo Glynn played by Ernie Hudson. Represents a conflicted person trying to maintain law and order in a prison that has too many bad things happening. Fights external conflicts such as prison conflicts, government issues, and overall law enforcement. Fights internal conflicts such as being a family man, being a black man, Mafia problems, and being in charge as well. A good man, he does what he can to maintain every conflict present in Oz and his family much better than any other person in his shoes ever could.
- Tim McManus played by Terry Kinney. A Liberal Idealist who forms Emerald City for purposes of making a perfect prison where rehabilitation and conflict are resolved. Often seen as weak for supposedly soft approaches to dealing with the inmates, he manages to come out on top of every situation he sets his mind to overcoming at once.
- Sister Peter Marie played by Rita Moreno. A psychiatrist and nun, she is the main force of good inside of the prison and often is helpful to Tim McManus, Father Ray Mukada and Dr. Gloria Nathan in whatever conflict they are trying to solve.
- Diane Wittlesey played by Edie Falco. A corrections officer who is very conflicted. She maintains several issues at home, with Tim McManus, and with being a fair corrections officer at the same time.
- Father Ray Mukada played by B.D. Wong. A Catholic priest who often provides spiritual counsel to many of the inmates, especially Miguel Alvarez, he assists Sister Peter Marie in being the main force of good on the show.
- Dr. Gloria Nathan played by Lauren Velez. A prison doctor who leads the prison hospital in providing care for several of the inmates within Oz. A good person, she deals with conflict all the time, whether it is from the inmates such as Ryan O'Reilly, or state medical boards all the time and manages to come out calmly throughout any conflict as such.
- Claire Howell played by Kristin Rohde. A female corrections officer, she is a sexually unstable character. She has sexual relationships with several staff members and inmates in a very dominant sense. She eventually learns her lesson after learning that she is pregnant, probably by an inmate of a different ethnicity.
- Sean Murphy played by Robert Clohessy. An Irish corrections officer, Murphy is the staff member most trusted by Tim McManus. A fair and confident officer, Murphy maintains order to the best of his ability in Oz while doing what he can to support McManus' ideology.
- Clayton Hughes played by Seth Gilliam. A young and conflicted African American officer, Hughes is very close to Warden Leo Glynn. Hughes' father died in the line of duty when Hughes was seven years old and was best friends with Glynn. After being convinced by Simon Adebisi that his father's murder was racially motivated, he becomes a Black Militant and attempts to murder the governor. When sent to prison, Hughes goes crazy and is murder after attempting to murder Warden Leo Glynn.
- Travis Smith played by Jerome Preston Bates. An African American corrections officer, he primarily runs the Isolation Ward at Oswald. He is promoted to the the head CO by Unit Manager Martin Querns briefly when a virtually all black correctional staff and prisoner population are present in Emerald City.
- Karl Metzger played by Bill Fagerbakke. A white supremacist guard who took over Wittlesey's position in Emerald City after she was transferred to Gen Pop. Has covert ties with the Aryans. Once did a favor for a couple of Aryans by forcing Busmalis and Rebadow to give them their pod, which contained a tunnel. He is killed by Tobias Beecher however when Chris Keller is about to confess to him being an actual member of the Aryan Brotherhood.
- Martin Querns played by Reg E. Cathey. A jaded and results-oriented black man, Querns is hired by Warden Leo Glynn after pressure is forced by community leaders to hire an African American Unit Manager in Oz. Querns, as told through a conversation to Simon Adebisi is only different from the black inmates in that he has been smart enough to have never be arrested for dealing drugs. Completely opposite of Tim McManus, he believes that drugs are good for the prisoners in making their minds too mentally polluted to cause any discipline problems inside the prison. He runs Emerald City by making Simon Adebisi and his supporters in charge with the policy that they may do all the drugs that they wish as long as no violence occurs. Kareem Said and Tim McManus completely oppose this and lead to his firing. His efficency however promotes him to the position of warden at several state correctional facilities including Oz.
- Governor James Devlin played by Zeljko Ivanek. A very right-winged politician, Governor Devlin represents all extreme mechanisms of Law and Order necessary to keep society crime free. He passes several acts to minimize prisoner rights and increase law enforcement spending. Disliked by several staff members and the vast majority of the inmates, Devlin eventually is in a sea of controversy once a city mayor whom he was politically intact with is sent to Oz.
Trivia

- The opening credits include footage of a person getting a tattoo of the series logo. This person is Tom Fontana, the series creator. According to commentary, nobody else would submit to getting a tattoo.
Slang and Terms

- Emerald City - Also called Em City. An experimental wing of the prison where most of Oz takes place
- Prag - An inmate who has been made the sexual slave of another inmate. More generally, it may be used as an insult for a submissive or homosexual inmate. such as the likes of sunjin vanloon matthew sliskovic, or weiland cheuang.
- Hack - a corrections officer.
- Pod - A cell in Emerald City. They are concrete with a plexiglass front.
- Tits - Drugs, most often heroin or cocaine. Discussion of drugs sometimes plays off of this slang. For example "squeeze my tits" for "share drugs".
Books

- OZ -- Behind These Walls: The Journal of Augustus Hill, (ISBN 0-06-052133-3)
See also
List of Oz Episodes
External links

- [http://www.hbo.com/oz/news/index.shtml Oz] at HBO
-

Jose Miguel Agrelot

Don Cholito

José Miguel Agrelot — Don Cholito

Date of birth

April 21, 1927

Date of death

January 28, 2004 (natural causes)

Education

University of Puerto Rico Bachelor's degree in Arts.

Occupation

Radio show host and comedian.

Nicknames

Don Cholito
The man of the 1,000 voices

Remarks

Held a Guinness World Record for the longest running still active radio show.

Giuseppe Michel Agrelot (April 21, 1927 – January 28, 2004) was a Puerto Rican radio and television show host and a comedian better known as José Miguel Agrelot or Don Cholito. His parents gave him an Italian name to honor his grandmother, who was Italian.

Biography

Agrelot started working on radio stations when he was 14. At that time, he was employed by Don Tomas Muñiz, who was the father of Tommy Muñiz. That was the period when he started playing his now classic character of Torito. Agrelot worked on a show named El Colegio de la Alegria (The School of Joy). Soon after, he moved himself and his Torito character to rival radio station WKAQ-FM, where he starred alongside Luis Vigoreaux in a show named Torito & Company. Agrelot's show with Vigoreaux had wild success, and they toured most United States cities with a large Latin American population, bringing their show to theaters all over the states. Torito returned to El Colegio de la Alegria when that show made its transition to television. Agrelot also acted in shows in Spain, Mexico and Argentina. He had extended tours of the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. In 1969, he recorded a joke album with one of the most important Latin American record labels of the time, Velvet Records. The album's title was El Sabor de la Vida (The Flavor of Life). Apart from interventions in a few commercials, Agrelot's credits in Puerto Rican TV included:
- El Colegio de la Alegria (The School of Joy)
- El Profesor Colgate
- La Criada Malcriada (The Nasty Maid)
- El Especial de Corona (The Corona Special)
- Desafiando a los Genios (Challenging The Geniuses)
- Haciendo Historia (Making History)
- El Show del Mediodia (The Midday show, as Don Cholito, another legendary character of his)
- Parece Increible (It Seems Incredible)
- Ja ja, Ji ji, Jo jo con Agrelot Agrelot has an area of the theme park Parque De Las Ciencias in Bayamon named after his Torito character. La Ciudad de Torito, or Torito's City was inaugurated in 1988. In 2003, his radio show, Alegre Despertar (Joyful Awakening), held the world's record for the longest running still active radio show, running non-stop for 53 years (Rambling With Gambling ran on New York's WOR Radio for 75 years but ceased in 2000). This made Agrelot the second person from Puerto Rico, after Wilfredo Benitez, to join the Guinness Book of World Records. This avid autograph signer had also written joke books and posed in a ring with Muhammad Ali for the cover of one of his publications. He was also an avid sports fan, particularly of the Criollos de Caguas baseball team. As a matter of a fact, although people named Jose are commonly nicknamed Cheo, it was after he began calling baseball player Jose Cruz Cheo Cruz on tv, that the general public began to know Cruz as Cheo Cruz. Agrelot and Cruz sustained a friendship until Agrelot died. The Coliseum of Puerto Rico was renamed the Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot (Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum) in his honor, shortly before he died.

External link

- [http://zonai.com/promociones/biografias/0401/agrelot.asp Zonai.com Biographies: José Miguel Agrelot] (in Spanish)

References

# EFE. Exponen restos de Agrelot en funeraria Buxeda. San Juan, Puerto Rico: El Nuevo Día. January 29, 2004. Agrelot, José Miguel Agrelot, José Miguel Agrelot

Victor Argo

Victor Argo (November 5 1934-April 7 2004) born as Victor Jimenez, in New York City was an actor who usually played the part of the tough bad guy in the movies. Both his parents were born in the town of Quebradillas, Puerto Rico. Argo participated in some Off-Broadway shows at the beginning of his artistic career. While doing an Off-Broadway in the 1960's, Victor made the acquaintance of Yoko Ono, with whom he participated in the so-called "Happiness" movement. He also made the acquaintance of fledging actor Harvey Keitel, who remained his close friend for nearly forty years. In the 1970's Argo made his major film debut with a small part in Unholy Rollers and his television debut in a made-for-T.V. film Smile Jenny, You're Dead. He became a durable movie tough guy and a favorite of such directors as Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen. His film credits include Taxi Driver, The Rose, New York Stories, The Last Temptation of Christ, Bad Lieutenant, True Romance and Coyote Ugly. In 2001, he played Jennifer Lopez's father in Angel Eyes. On T.V. he made guest appearances in Law and Order and Miami Vice, among others. Argo participated in a total of 75 films and had a total of 21 T.V. guest appearances. Shortly before his death, Victor realized a lifelong dream of acting on Broadway when he was cast as Santiago, the owner of a cigar factory, in the Pulitzer Prize winning drama Anna in the Tropics. Victor Argo died in New York City on April 7 2004 from complications of lung cancer.

Coyote Ugly (film)

Coyote Ugly is a romantic comedy/drama based on the actual Coyote Ugly Saloon, set in New York City, and was released in August 2000 (see 2000 in film). The film stars Piper Perabo and Adam Garcia. It was directed by David McNally and written by Gina Wendkos.

Plot

Violet Sanford (Piper Perabo), an aspiring songwriter, leaves her home and her father Bill Sanford (John Goodman) to pursue her dream in New York City. While she tries, unsuccessfully, to get her demo tape to be noticed by the studios, she meets a group of bartenders from a local hot spot called Coyote Ugly. She is hired by the bar's owner Lil (Maria Bello) and must learn the ropes of singing, dancing, and performing wild acts before a rowdy crowd of people. However, despite cultivating the wilder side of her personality, she remains shy about performing her own songs. Romantic interest Kevin O'Donnell (Adam Garcia) tries to help her in overcoming her shyness.

Production

Kevin Smith, who did an uncredited rewrite of the script, stated that a total of eight writers had done work on the script while the Writers Guild of America only gave credit to Gina Wendkos, who wrote the first draft of the script, which, according to Smith, little-resembles the final film. (See WGA screenwriting credit system)

Unrated Extended Cut

In summer 2005 an unrated special edition of the film (The original release was rated PG-13) was released on DVD. The extended cut adds approximately six minutes to the film's runtime, most of which consits of additional shots of the "coyotes" dancing on the bar and of Violet and Cammie (Izabella Miko) trying on different outfits while shopping. However, arguably the most notably additions are the extension of the sex scene between Violet and Kevin, and the inclusion of an additional scene, which shows the "coyotes" winning a baseball game because Cammie distracts the pitcher by stripping. (The special features of the extended cut DVD are identical with those of the previous DVD release.)

Cast

- Piper Perabo as Violet Sanford
- Adam Garcia as Kevin O'Donnell
- John Goodman as Bill Sanford
- Maria Bello as Lil
- Izabella Miko as Cammie
- Tyra Banks as Zoe
- Bridget Moynahan as Rachel, one of the "coyotes"
- Melanie Lynskey as Gloria, Violet's best friend
- Jack McGee as Earl, the baseball pitcher
- LeAnn Rimes as herself

Soundtracks

The film's soundtrack features Violet's four songs from the movie, performed by LeAnn Rimes, as well as several other songs not exclusive to the film. It achieved gold status within one month of its release on August 1 2000 and platinum status by early November. The only single released from the album, LeAnn Rimes' "Can't Fight The Moonlight", also achieved gold status and became a nearly instant hit on the radio charts. A second soundtrack, More Music from Coyote Ugly, with more songs that appeared in the film and remixes of two of Rimes' songs, followed in 2003.

References

External links

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- [http://www.maximonline.com/girls_of_maxim/html/girl_391.html Girls of Coyote Ugly on Maxim Online] Category:2000 films Category:American films Category:Romantic comedy films Category:Comedy-drama films

Raymond Arrieta

Raymond Arrieta (born March 26, 1965 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is considered by many to be one of Puerto Rico's greatest comedians. Raymond was born and raised in Puerto Rico's Capital, San Juan. He went to school in the "Academia Nuestra Señora de la Providencia" (Our Lady of the Providence). When he was in the third grade, Raymond volunteered to play the part of "Ramoneta Cienfurgos" in a school play. After that he continued to participate in many of the other plays of the school. He wrote and directed "Mundo Loco" (Crazy World), which told a story about a war between the lovers of "Salsa music" against the lovers of "Rock music". After Raymond graduated from high school, he enrolled in the " Universidad del Sagrado Corazon" (University of the Sacred Heart) of San Juan, where he earned a Bachelors Degree in "Radio and Television Production". On one occasion Raymond and some friends visited the café theater "El Punto del Coqui" located in "Old San Juan". He sat down and played the piano while doing imitations. The owner of the club was impressed and asked Raymond to prepare an act for his club. Raymond prepared an act called "Black and White" which was a success and he was soon traveling around the island with his "show". In 1988, Raymond already had his own radio show and was also participating in Telemundo's "Estudio Alegre" (Happy Studio);"El Show del Medio Día" (The Noon Show) for WAPA-T.V. among others. He landed a role in the Spanish version of the play "The Dairy of Anne Frank". In 1991, Raymond went to Mexico where he participated in the play "Mama ama el Rock" (Mother loves Rock) with Mexican stars Angelica María and Angelica Vale. That year, he also co-hosted the T.V. show "Lente Loco" (Crazy Lens) with the cuban model Odalys Garcia. Raymond currently has his own T.V. show in Puerto Rico called "El Show de Raymond", which is transmitted through Televicentro. Puerto Rican comedian, Jose Miguel Agrelot once said, that Raymond Arrieta was the greatest comedian of the "new" generation. In 1983, Our Lady of the Providence Academy established the "Raymond Arrieta Award" which is annually awarded to the student with the best artistic qualities.

Rick Aviles

Rick Aviles, (born Richard Anthony Aviles) October 14, 1952 - March 17, 1995, was a stand-up comedian who is best remembered for the role of Willie Lopez in the movie Ghost. Rick's parents migrated from Puerto Rico in the late 1940s looking for a better way of life. They settled in Manhattan, New York City, where Rick was born. He was raised in a tough neighborhood and at times got himself into trouble. One of his assets was that he had a comical side to him. In the 1970s and 1980s, Rick worked as a stand-up comedian in the Greenwich Village night club circuit in New York. In 1981, he auditioned and landed the role of Mad Dog in the movie Cannonball Run. Since then, he was to participate in 14 movies. In 1987, Rick landed a small part as the "maintenance man", in the movie The Secret of My Success, starring Michael J. Fox. The same year he became the host of It's Showtime at the Apollo, and continued as host until 1991. In 1990, Rick auditioned and landed his most memorable role. He was cast as Willie Lopez, a killer, in the movie Ghost. The movie was a smash hit at the box office and received multiple Oscar nominations. Beside Rick, Ghost included the participation of Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg. Rick also participated in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather Part III (1990) as Mask #1; Brian DePalma's Carlitos Way (1993) as "Quiqueya", starring Al Pacino; in Waterworld (1995) as the Gatesman, starring Kevin Costner and in Joe's Apartment (1996) as the voice of a cockroach. Among the television series in which he appeared are Mr. & Mrs. Dracula (1980), The Day Women Got Even (1980), The Carol Burnett Show (1991) and Stephen King's The Stand (1994). Having contracted HIV via heroin abuse, Rick Aviles died on March 17, 1995 in Los Angeles, California, from AIDS.

Ghost (film)

, in one of the most famous scenes from the movie]] Ghost was a 1990 comedy romantic fantasy film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwyn and Rick Aviles, written by Bruce Joel Rubin and directed by Jerry Zucker. Stephen Root and the director's mother, Charlotte Zucker, have cameo roles, as does Vincent Schiavelli as the "Subway Ghost," one of the film's more memorable characters. The film is regarded as one of the best romantic movies of the 1990s. The movie cliche Sam Wheat syndrome was named after the main character of the same name.

Plot

Sam (Patrick Swayze) and Molly (Demi Moore) are a very happy and loving couple. Walking back to their new apartment after a night out at the theatre, they encounter a thief named Willy Lopez (Rick Aviles) in a dark alley, and Sam is murdered. He finds himself to be ghost, and comes to learn that his death was no accident. He must warn Molly about the danger that she is in and the truth behind his death. Since he is not able to communicate with her directly, he must use a medium (played by Whoopi Goldberg), who provides much of the humor in the film.

Awards

Ghost won Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Whoopi Goldberg) and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. It was nominated for Best Film Editing, Best Music, Original Score and Best Picture.

Box Office

US Gross Domestic Takings: US$ 217,631,306 :+ Other International Takings: $288,071,282 = Gross Worldwide Takings: $505,702,588

External links

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- [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=ghost.htm Boxoffice information] Category:1990 films Category:Best Picture Oscar Nominee Category:Best Supporting Actress Oscar (film)

Charlotte Ayanna

Charlotte Ayanna (born September 25, 1976 as Charlotte Lopez) is an actress. Charlotte was born in Puerto Rico, but moved to Vermont at an early age. She had a troubled childhood, spending thirteen years in foster homes after her mother was judged to be mentally unfit to look after her and her two siblings. Ayanna has since become a spokeswoman for foster children. Her first national exposure was in 1993, when she became Miss Teen USA. This helped her land TV guest appearances on shows like Weird Science. Eventually, film roles followed, including Dancing at the Blue Iguana (2000), Kate & Leopold (2001), and several others. She also shared top billing in Rennie's Landing (Stealing Time) released in 2001.

External links

- Ayanna, Charlotte Ayanna, Charlotte Category:Miss Teen USA winners Ayanna

Ivonne Belen

Ivonne Belen (born 1955 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican documentary movie director and producer. Ivonne was raised in San Juan, the Capital of Puerto Rico where she received her primary and secondary education. As a child Ivonne enjoyed setting up improvised plays for her family. Her first experiences with the artistic world was when she participated in her school plays during her early years. She was also a talented artist who drew and created cartoon characters. After graduating from high school, Ivonne enrolled and attended the University of Puerto Rico where she studied Art and Communications. She worked in an animated cartoon workshop at the same time that she attended the university. In the 1980s, Ivonne became a professional copywriter and producer. In 1987, she decided to try her own luck as an independent freelancer. In the 1988 films "The Bell" and "San Juan Story", Ivonne worked as Production Designer. She was soon hired to do the art design for the films "La Guagua Aerea" (The Air Bus) (1992), "La Recien Nacida Sangre"

Giselle Blondet

Giselle Blondet, (born January 9, 1966) in New York City, United States, is a Puerto Rican actress and show host. Blondet became famous at around the age of 14, when she began to appear on Puerto Rico's telenovelas. As a soap opera actress, she was on many of Puerto Rico's soaps of the late 1970s, and the early 1980s. She had a daughter from her first marriage, previous to her becoming famous. In 1981, she married the famous Bolivian actor Luis Abreu, with whom she had no children. She divorced Abreu in 1982, and by then, magazines such as Vea, Teve Guia, etc etc, started talking of a supposed rivalty between her and Millie Aviles, another young, Puerto Rican actress who resembled Blondet pshysically. Blondet spent the rest of the '80s participating in different tv shows, soap operas and mini-series, as well as in some theatre plays. In 1987, her romance with actor Raul Rosado was well publicized. In 1989, she married producer Harold Trucco, and they had a son and a daughter. But this relationship also ran into trouble and they divorced in the middle 1990s. However, in 1998, her career took off internationally when she was given the opportunity to co-host Univision's show Despierta America alongside Rafael Jose, Fernando Arau, Ana Maria Canseco, Neyda Sandoval and occasional host Samy, the famous Cuban hair-dresser and television personality, with Raul Gonzalez later replacing Jose and joining Blondet in the Despierta America host team. After divorcing Trucco, she has remained single, and she says she wants to dedicate her free time to her kids only. Her first daughter is now a chef who has been on Despierta America. In 2005, Giselle Blondet released an autobiography and left Despierta America, to host a new television show about real life tragedies.

Norma Candal

Norma Candal (born April 10, 1930 in Fajardo, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican actress and comedian who is best known for her role as "Petunia". Norma's family lived in the Fajardo Sugar Co. sugar plantation. Her father was the company's accountant. Norma participated in her first Christmas school play when she was 9 years old. She went to the "Colegio del Sagrado Corazon" (Sacred Heart Private School) in her hometown, where she obtained her primary and secondary education. Norma enrolled in the University of the Sacred Heart where she earned her Bachelors Degree in Humanities. She was planning on a political career and was going to study political sciences but, she was granted a scholarship to the Catholic University of Washington where she earned her Masters Degree in Theater. Norma returned to Puerto Rico upon graduating and in 1965 became the host of the television show "En Alas de la Imaginacion" (On the Wings of the Imagination) for WIPR T.V. Shortly after, she joined Tommy Muñiz Productions in Channel 4 WAPA T.V. It was during this period of time that Norma gained fame in Puerto Rico. She worked in the shows "Aquí con Norma" (Here with Norma); "El Show del Mediodía" (The Midday Show) and "La Criada Malcriada" (The Crazy Maid) where she played the comical role of "Petunia", a "simple minded" maid, a role that would give her fame. There was a strike against Tommy Muñiz Productions in 1970, which forced Norma to leave the show and join "ASTRA Productions" for which she did a couple of shows. In 1980, Norma went to work for Cardinal Luis Aponte Martinez at the Cathedral of San Juan. In 1985, she returned to television and starred as Doña Tere in "La Pensión de Doña Tere" (Mrs. Tere Boarding House). Norma Candal also participated in the Spanish version of the play "Steal Magnolias"; "The Letters of Mozart"; "The Old Maids of San Sebastian Street" and "Kisses on the Forehead". In 2004, she had a role in the movie "Díos los Cría" (God Created Them) directed by Jacobo Morales.

Fame (movie)

Fame is a movie directed by Alan Parker which was released in 1980. It spawned a successful television show, a chart-topping song, and a hit Broadway musical. It also produced a non-musical play featuring the title song from the film as its lone musical number. The main storylines of the film and the series were similar: teenagers were followed through their studies at a New York high school for performing arts (later renamed Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts). At one point in the film, several characters attend a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Waverly Theatre and get involved in the audience participation aspects of the show.

External link

- Category:1980 films Category:Films directed by Alan Parker Category:Musical films Category:Teen films Category:Coming-of-age films

Jorge Castro (actor)

Jorge Castro (born approx. 1970) is a Theatrical actor from Puerto Rico. Skinny and dark-haired, Castro has participated in some television projects as well, including some locally produced movies. Castro has done more than 30 plays during his theatrical career. Many of these plays have been presented at the legendary Teatro Tapia, in the Santurce area of San Juan. Nevertheless, he has toured the whole island with some of his plays. Currently, he is participating in a play named El Trovador (a trovador is someone who sings and plays typical Puerto Rican music, no known word for trovador exists in English). Castro is the brother of producer Vicente Castro. He is married to actress Suzzette Baco

External link

[http://www.orgulloboricua.net/artecultura/espectaculos/escenateatro2003_010603.html Information about his current play] Castro Castro

Braulio Castillo, hijo

Braulio Castillo, hijo (born c1964) is a famous Puerto Rican actor. He is the son of Braulio Castillo, a legendary actor across Latin America, and the brother of the lesser known Jorge Castillo, also a television and theater actor. Castillo reached national fame in Puerto Rico when he participated in 1984s Spanish soap opera Coralito at channel 2. There, he shared star billing with Mexican actor Salvador Pineda and with Sully Diaz. Castillo reached teen idol status across Puerto Rico after that soap opera. In 1985, he was the star of the Tanairi soap opera, alongside Von Marie. Castillo subsequently worked on soap operas in different countries, such as Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. In 2003, Castillo resurfaced, in the film Los Diaz de Doris, alongside co-star Cordelia Gonzalez, actress and senator Velda Gonzalez, actor Kidany Lugo and former Major League Baseball player Cirilo Cruz.

Lynette Chico

Lynette Chico is a Puerto Rican fashion model and actress who participates in Puerto Rico's television show Estudio 69, together with Miguel Morales. In Estudio 69, Chico plays the La Chaha, a French maid.

The Godfather Part II

The Godfather, Part II is the sequel to The Godfather, released in 1974. The film follows the original Godfather film by alternating the story of a young Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro), with his son Michael's (Al Pacino) rise to control the Mob in Las Vegas. The film also stars Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Michael V. Gazzo, John Cazale, Talia Shire and Lee Strasberg. Many critics consider the sequel to be equal to (if not superior to) the original film in quality. The film was written by Francis Ford Coppola from the original work by Mario Puzo, and was directed by Coppola. Coppola stated that he was not in favor of directing a sequel to The Godfather, because he had waged a number of battles with the studio (and at one point was even in danger of being fired from his position). He initially suggested to Paramount that Martin Scorsese (who was still an up-and-coming director at the time, as well as a friend of Coppola) direct the sequel, but the studio refused. Coppola then insisted upon complete creative control of the film and a minimum of studio interference, plus a sizable salary; Paramount Pictures agreed to these conditions, and Coppola committed himself to directing the sequel.

Plot

The plot consists of two parallel storylines, and the film switches back and forth between them. One storyline is the continuing story involving Michael Corleone in the 1950s; the other is a flashback sequence following his father, Vito, from his youth in Sicily up through the founding of the Corleone crime family in New York and the births of Michael and his siblings. This version of Vito is played by different actors at different ages, but the adult Vito is played by Robert DeNiro, who won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for a role in which, interestingly, he speaks almost no English-language dialogue. In a meticulous recreation of the Italian section of New York City at the beginning of the 20th Century, the audience experiences the early life of Vito Corleone, and his experiences with the Mafia: the murder of his father (first), brother (second) and mother (third) by a Sicilian crimelord; his flight to America, and his fight against the firmly-entrenched Mafia of his new home; his beginnings as a petty thief, his eventual rise to power as the new "Don," and his eventual revenge on the murderer of his family back in Sicily. The "modern day" portion of the film takes place several years after Vito Corleone's death, and his son Michael Corleone's ascension to the role of the new Don. He is cold and calculating and in his attempts to strengthen the Corleone's business interests, he loses sight of his family. The film reaches its climax in a montage of death and murder that mirrors the climax of the first film.

Critical acclaim

The Godfather Part II is one of only two sequels ever to win the Academy Award for Best Picture (the other being The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King). The Godfather series remains the only series to win two Academy Awards for Best Picture. (The number of sequels to win Best Picture increases to three if one recognizes The Silence of the Lambs to be a sequel to Manhunter.) In between The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, Coppola directed The Conversation, a story of a paranoid wiretapping and surveillance expert (played by Gene Hackman) who finds himself caught up in a possible murder plot. The Conversation was released to theaters in 1974 and was also nominated for Best Picture, resulting in Coppola being the second director in Hollywood history to have two films released in the same year nominated for Best Picture and competing for the same prize at the Academy Awards. (The first was Sir Alfred Hitchcock, with Foreign Correspondent and Rebecca. Rebecca went on to win the 1941 Best Picture Oscar. This achievement was matched by Steven Soderbergh in 2001, when the films Erin Brockovich and Traffic were nominated for Best Picture. Ridley Scott's Gladiator won the statue.) In addition to Best Picture, The Godfather Part II won Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Robert De Niro), Academy Award for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Director (Francis Ford Coppola), Best Music, Original Dramatic Score (Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola) and Best Writing, Screenplay Adapted From Other Material. It was also nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Al Pacino), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Michael V. Gazzo), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Lee Strasberg), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Talia Shire) and Best Costume Design. The film has also been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Critically, The Godfather Part II can be considered the most successful sequel in movie history. Many critics praise it as equal, or even superior, to the original film. The Internet Movie Database consistently ranks this movie in the top five of its "Top 250 movies of all time", as voted by its users. The film also regularly ranks independently on many "greatest movies" lists.

Sequels

In the director's commentary on the DVD edition of the film (released in 2002), Coppola states that this film was the first major motion picture to use "Part II" as the title. Paramount Pictures was initially opposed to his decision to name the movie The Godfather Part II. According to Coppola, the studio's objection stemmed from the belief that audiences would be reluctant to see a film with such a title, as the audience would supposedly believe that, having already seen The Godfather, there was little reason to see an addition to the original story. The success of The Godfather Part II began the Hollywood tradition of numbered sequels, as with Rocky II, Halloween II, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and many others. Its sequel, The Godfather Part III, was released in 1990.

Trivia

- Robert De Niro's performance as Don Corleone (a role originated by Best Actor winner Marlon Brando) won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. De Niro and Brando remain the only two actors to win Oscars for playing the same character.
- The Godfather, Part II was the last major American motion picture to be filmed in Technicolor.

External links

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- [http://www.TheGodfatherTrilogy.com/ The Godfather Trilogy] Part II Godfather, Part II, The Godfather, Part II, The Godfather, Part II, The Godfather, Part II, The Godfather, Part II, The Godfather, Part II, The Godfather, Part II, The Godfather, Part II, The Godfather, Part II, The Godfather II

Miriam Colon

Miriam Colon (born August 20, 1936 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican actress and the founder and director of the "Puerto Rican Traveling Theater" in New York City. In the late 1940.s, when Miriam was just a young girl, her divorced mother moved the family to a public housing project called "Residencial Las Casas" located in Barrio Obrero, San Juan. She attended the "Ramon Baldorioty de Castro" High School located in Old San Juan, where she was always an active participant in the school's plays. Her first drama teacher, Marcos Colon (no relation to Mairiam) believed that Miriam was very talented. With his help she was able to observe the students in the "Drama Department of the University of Puerto Rico". With her good grades and with the scholarships she won, Miriam was able to enroll in the "Dramatic Workshop and Technical Institude" and also in "The Lee Strasburg Acting Studio" in New York. In 1953, Miriam debuted in her first movie which was locally produced, called "Peloteros" (Baseball Players), starring Ramón (Diplo) Rivero. In 1954, Miriam moved to New York, where she worked in theater and where she landed a role in the American soap opera "Guiding Light". She attended a presentation of Rene Marques "La Carreta" (The Oxcart) which was very successful. This motivated her to form the first Hispanic theater group, with the help of "La Carreta"'s producer, Roberto Rodriguez. It was called "El Circulo Dramatico" (The Drama Circuit). From 1954 to 1974, Miriam made over 250 guest appearances in television shows. She appeared mostly in westerns such as "Gunsmoke", "Bonanza", "The High Chaparral" and "Have Gun, Will Travel" where she would usually played a Mexican woman. In 1961, Miriam participated in the movie "One-eyed Jack" starring Marlon Brando and in 1979, Miriam starred alongside Jose Ferrer, Raul Julia and Henry Darrow in the movie "Life of Sin", where she palyed the role of the infamous Puerto Rican female gangster "Isabel la Negra". In 1983 she played "Tony Montana's" (Al Pacino) mother in "Scarface". According to Miriam, her inspiration for the role of "Montatna's" mother came from her own mother. She was also cast in "Gloria" with Sharon Stone. Some of the other movies in which she's participated are: "Lone Star", "Sabrina", "The House of Spirits", "City of Hope" "The Profession of Joel Delany" and "The Appaloosa". In all Miriam has acted in over 34 movies. In Broadway, Miriam has acted in the following productions: Rene Marques "The Oxcart", "The Wrong Way Lightbulb", "In the Summer House" and "The Innkeepers". In the late 1980s, Miriam founded the "Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre", which is located at 24th street in Manhattan, New York. This company presents Off-Broadway productions on the location and also goes on tour. Miriam is also the director of the company and she has appeared in the following of its productions: "The Boiler Room", "Julius Caesar", "The Oxcart", "Simpson Street" and "Senora Carrar's Rifles". In 1993, Miriam Colon received an "Obie Award" for "Lifetime Achievement in the Theater". A book about Miriam Colon, titled "Miriam Colon Actor and Theater" was written by the author Mayra Fernandez.

Scarface

Scarface has several meanings:
- Scarface is a nickname for Al Capone.
- Scarface is a Mafia movie first made in 1932; see Scarface (1932 movie). The movie was remade in 1983 starring Al Pacino; see Scarface (1983 movie).
- Scarface is a 1990s rapper who was originally a member of the Geto Boys; see Scarface (rapper).
- Scarface is the name of the dummy used by the Batman villain The Ventriloquist.

Mapy Cortes

Mapy Cortes (1910-1998), born Maria del Pilar Cordero in Santurce, Puerto Rico, was a famous actress that participated in many films during the Mexican film industry's golden era. Contrary to popular belief, Cortes was not Mexican; she was Puerto Rican, but she adopted Mexico as her residential country from her youth and almost until she passed away.

Biography

Mapy Cortes began experimenting as an actress since an early age, working in various Puerto Rican radio shows, with lukewarm success. During the early 1930s, Cortes decided to look for fame in other places, and she arrived in Mexico, where she met and married the already famous, Mexican actor and producer Fernando Cortes. This marriage proved to be a blessing for the Puerto Rican actress, both romantically and professionally speaking. By 1933, Mapy Cortes participated in the first of over 50 films she would make in Mexico and in Puerto Rico. Her film debut was in a movie named Dos Mujeres y un Don Juan (Two Women and a Womanizer). By the time this movie was released, Cortes had a nephew, Paquito Cordero, who himself became a legendary figure in Puerto Rican show-business. Paquito was only two years old when Mapy's first movie was released. The Cortes couple became a phenomenon across Latin America, when, after 1940, they set out to film movies in practically every Latin American country that was into the movie making industry. Mapy Cortes was able to gain celebrity in places like Cuba and Argentina, where she filmed some movies that are considered classics among those movies produced there. Cortes, who was also a comedian and a musicals actress, parlayed her acting career into a singing one, recording various albums while still active as an actress. In 1944, she participated in La Picara Susana (Mischevious Susan), followed by 1945's La Corte del Faraon (Pharaon's Court). The Cortes family spent much of the 1950s making movies and participating in a television show in Puerto Rico. Mapy and her husband Fernando returned to the island and presented an idea for a comedy show to Mr. Angel Ramos, owner of El Mundo Enterprises. On March 28, 1954, Puerto Rico received its first television transmition from Angel Ramos' WKAQ-TV Telemundo Channel 2. The first comedy show to go on the air was "Mapy Y Papi" which also included Maria Judith Franco and Paquito Cordero. With a lot of wealth earned from their days as actors, the Cortes' decided to retire soon after their show came off the air in Puerto Rico. They travelled constantly between their houses in Puerto Rico and in Mexico. Her niece Mapita Cortes, also born in Puerto Rico, became a reknown telenovela actress in Mexico. After Fernando Cortes passed away in 1982, Mapy Cortes led a relatively quiet life, without getting involved in many scandals or public activities. She died at her home in Puerto Rico in 1998, of a heart attack.

External links

- [http://www.wam.umd.edu/~dwilt/cbiogs.htm WAM.UMB.EDU stars of the Mexican show business industry]
- [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8228734 Find-A-Grave profile for Mapy Cortes] Cortes, Mapy Cortes, Mapy Cortes, Mapy Cortes, Mapy

Wilson Cruz

Wilson Cruz (born December 27, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, USA) is an openly gay Puerto Rican-American actor. Born in Brooklyn, NY, of Puerto Rican and African heritage, Wilson Cruz has in both his acting roles and community work served as a model and mentor to gay youth, especially gay youth of color. Best known for his role as Rickie Vasquez, the troubled gay teen on the short-lived but popular television series My So-Called Life, Wilson knows first-hand the many struggles and hardships that face young gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered persons as they struggle to come to terms with their sexuality and the reactions of their families, friends, and society at large. At 19, he came out to his parents, first to his mother and then his father. While his mother was initially hurt and shocked, she soon came to understand that Wilson was still the same son she had always loved and cherished. But when Wilson came out to his father on Christmas Eve, just two days before the young man's birthday, he was thrown out of the house and spent the next few months living in his car and at the homes of friends. Wilson eventually reconciled with his father, and his parents are now strong supporters in everything in he does. After coming out to his parents, Wilson Cruz decided to perform another brave and challenging act, going to Hollywood to seek work as an openly gay young actor. While many gay and lesbian performers had come out later in their careers, he wanted to see if he could be out from the beginning and still make it as an actor. His strategy paid off in 1994, when he won the role of gay teenager Enrique "Rickie" Vasquez on the short-lived but popular television series, My So-Called Life. In one episode drawn from Wilson's own life and that of many young GLBT people, the character of Rickie came out to his parents and was violently thrown out of the house. Following My So-Called Life's cancellation, Cruz went on to play J. Edgar Hoover's servant Joaquin in Oliver Stone's film, Nixon, and had a small role in the television movie, On Seventh Avenue. In 1996 he appeared with David Arquette as street hustler Mikey in Johns, about the daily (or nightly) struggles of male prostitutes. He later played the character of Victor during the final season of Party of Five in 2000 and also played the part of Angel on Broadway in Rent. While continuing to play numerous roles on television, film, and the stage, Wilson Cruz devotes more and more of his time to GLBT youth, impressed by their courage and moved by their struggles. He is especially concerned with GLBT youth of color, who must deal not only with racism but also with the often rampant homophobia in their own ethnic communities. Most recently he has volunteered his time as host for the Youth Zone, an online community on [www.Gay.com] for GLBT youth. In an interview regarding the new position, he said, "I am inspired by the people I believe to be the true champions and soldiers of the gay and lesbian movement: youth. Their struggle, their fearlessness, their honesty, their longing and pure, sincere effort to make people understand that they deserve to be loved and that their love deserves to be understood drives me daily to be a better person and to live my life as openly and honestly as I can. It is their efforts that I believe have been the most successful in our movement toward true freedom." In addition to the television series "My So-Called Life" and "Party of Five," Wilson Cruz's acting credits include the films Nixon (1995); Johns (1996); Joyride (1996); All Over Me (1997); Supernova (2000); and Party Monster (2003); the television films On Seventh Avenue (1996) and The Perfect Pitch (2002); plus guest appearances on the series "Great Scott!;" "Sister, Sister;" "ER;" "Ally McBeal."

Brief filmography

- Party Monster (2003) ... as Angel
- Supernova (movie) (2000) ... as Benj Sotomejor
- Party of Five (TV series) (1999-2000) ... as Victor
- All Over Me (1997) ... as Jesse
- Joyride (1996) ... as James
- Johns (1996) ... as Mikey
- On Seventh Avenue (TV movie) ... as Reuben Diaz
- Nixon (1995) ... as Joaquin (Hoover's servant)
- My So-Called Life (TV series) (1994) ... as Enrique (Rickie) Vasquez

External links

- Cruz, Wilson Cruz, Wilson Cruz, Wilson Cruz, Wilson Cruz, Wilson Cruz, Wilson Cruz, Wilson Cruz, Wilson

Party Monster

Party Monster(2003) is a drama/dark comedy on the rise and fall of New York party promoter Michael Alig. Much attention was placed on the film due to Macaulay Culkin's part of the gay, drug addled Alig. The film also stars Seth Green as Michael's drug addled yet smarter best friend James St. James, Chloe Sevigny as Michael's girlfriend/fag hag(depending on how you view it) Gitsie, Dylan McDermott as club entrepreneur Peter Gatien, and Marilyn Manson as freaked out tranny Christina. The film was directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. Their basis on the film was the book Disco Bloodbath, which was written by James St. James himself. Also used as basis was the documentary of the same name that was shot by both directors. Party Monster received its world premiere at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. Though the movie wasn't a mainstream hit (due to the fact that it's distribution company, Strand Releasing, gave it a limited release), it's developed somewhat of a loyal cult following and has inspired "Party Monster" parties at a few nightclubs.

Plot summary

Party Monster is the true story of Michael Alig (Macaulay Culkin), a smalltown outcast who, with the help of flamboyant socialite James St. James (Seth Green), becomes the hottest party promoter in New York. However, after Michael descends into the world of drug abuse, his life starts to spiral out of control, eventually peaking with his involvement in the murder of drug dealer/clubkid wannabe Angel Melendez (Wilson Cruz). As extras, the film used real life club kids such as fashion designer Richie Rich and Transsexual/David LaChapelle muse Amanda Lepore.

Brief cast

- Macaulay Culkin as Michael
- Seth Green as James
- Wilson Cruz as Angel
- Chloë Sevigny as Gitsie
- Marilyn Manson as Christina
- Mia Kirshner as Natasha
- Wilmer Valderrama as DJ Keoki
- Dylan McDermott as Peter Gatien
- Natasha Lyonne as Brooke

External links

- Category:2003 films Category:Camcorder films

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