Luis Vigoreaux Rivera (April 12, 1928 – January 17, 1983) was a
Puerto Rican radio and
television show host
A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. Nowadays, it is common for people who garner ...
, announcer,
comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing
Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...
and producer. Vigoreaux was considered a pioneer in the television business in Puerto Rico, and enjoyed success with several radio and television shows throughout his career.
Vigoreaux was brutally murdered on January 17, 1983. His wife,
Lydia Echevarría
Lydia Echevarría (born October 14, 1931 in Caguas, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican actress who was convicted of plotting the murder of her husband, Puerto Rican television show producer, Luis Vigoreaux.
Early years
Echevarría met producer Luis ...
, was convicted in 1986 of planning the murder, along with hitmen
Papo Newman and
David López-Watts.
Early years
Vigoreaux was born on April 12, 1928 in the Chupacallos ward of
Ceiba, Puerto Rico
Ceiba () is both a small town and a municipality in northeast Puerto Rico. It is named after the famous Ceiba tree. Ceiba is located in the north-east coast of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, south of Fajardo, north of Naguabo and sout ...
. He was one of the eight children of Eulalia and Enrique Vigoreaux, a
sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...
worker at Fajardo Sugar Company. His father died when he was young, forcing Eulalia to take charge of the family. When Vigoreaux was 14 years old, they moved to
San Juan, specifically
Río Piedras
Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil.
Rio or Río may also refer to:
Geography Brazil
* Rio de Janeiro
* Rio do Sul, a ...
. Vigoreaux studied at the Vila Mayo High School.
As a teenager, Vigoreaux found work in a radio station named
WIAC (AM)
WIAC (740 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information and Spanish variety format. Licensed to San Juan, Puerto Rico, it serves the Puerto Rico area. The station is currently owned by Bestov Broadcast Group.
History
Puerto Rico ...
, which was managed by
Tomás Muñiz
Tomás Domingo Muñiz Souffront (August 4, 1900 – September 9, 1963) was a well known Puerto Rican radio and television producer. He is sometimes respectfully called by the general public in Puerto Rico as ''Don Tomás'' Muñiz, to diffe ...
(father of
Tommy Muñiz
Lucas Tomás Muñiz Ramírez (4 February 1922 – 15 January 2009), better known as Tommy Muñiz, was a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican comedy and drama actor, media producer, businessman and network owner. He is considered to be one of the pioneerin ...
).
There, Vigoreaux worked on a show called ''Alma Estudiantil''. With the beginning of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, most of the professional hosts were enlisted for war, which led to Vigoreaux having the opportunity to work at the station.
During that period, Vigoreaux worked in various areas of entertainment and show business. He served as host, presenter, commentator, among other jobs. He also became the
spokesperson
A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman, is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others.
Duties and function
In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...
for Sello Rojo rice in Puerto Rico, which he did for 30 years.
First years in comedy
Vigoreaux joined
Ramón Rivero "Diplo" and José Luis Torregrosa for the radio comedy ''El Tremendo Hotel''. This radio slot enjoyed a large audience for years, and Vigoreaux continued to work as a comedian.
Between 1954 and 1955, he joined fellow comedian
José Miguel Agrelot
Giuseppe Michael Agrelot Vilá (April 21, 1927 – January 28, 2004), also known as José Miguel Agrelot or Don Cholito, was a Puerto Rican comedian, radio and television host.
Biography
Agrelot was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico. He was the ...
in a theater show that took them to many
Latin American
Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-eth ...
communities in the United States. The theater show eventually led to a radio program named ''Torito and Company'', after ''Torito'', the character that Agrelot played. Vigoreaux himself played the character of Don Toribio.
Arrival of television
With the arrival of
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
to Puerto Rico in 1954, Vigoreaux began his transition hosting a show called ''El Show Libby's'', sponsored by the
company of its namesake. He then hosted the show ''El tren de la alegría''.
Vigoreaux later moved to
WAPA-TV
WAPA-TV (channel 4) is a Spanish language in the United States, Spanish-language Independent station (North America), independent television station in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is owned by :es:Hemisphere Media Group, Hemisphere Media Group, w ...
, motivated by the possibility of working with actor
Mario Pabón
is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
. They wrote the story for a
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
, but the project fell through. However, Vigoreaux moved on when he and his second wife,
Lydia Echevarria
Lydia ( Lydian: 𐤮𐤱𐤠𐤭𐤣𐤠, ''Śfarda''; Aramaic: ''Lydia''; el, Λυδία, ''Lȳdíā''; tr, Lidya) was an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the modern western Turkish prov ...
, began hosting the show named ''La Hora Cero''. The show presented many local and international singers, including
Celia Cruz
Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a naturalized Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during t ...
,
José Feliciano
José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945) () is a Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' "Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christmas song " ...
and
Marco Antonio Muñiz
Marco Antonio Muñiz (born 3 March 1933) is a Mexican singer from Jalisco, Mexico. Known all over Latin America, he also acted in the 1965 film '' Sinful'' ( Spanish: El Pecador). He belongs to the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.
Early life and car ...
.
Success in television
The Vigoreaux family became one of the most famous families in Puerto Rico. Some even referred to the Vigoreaux-Echevarria couple as the ''Lucy and Desi'' of Puerto Rico, in reference to the marriage of American comedians
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golden ...
and
Desi Arnaz
Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom ''I Lov ...
.
In 1970, Vigoreaux developed a
game show
A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...
named ''Sube Nene, Sube''. Hosted by Vigoreaux it became one of the most seen shows in Puerto Rican television history. Due to this success, WAPA-TV asked Vigoreaux to produce and host a few more game shows. Vigoreaux responded by creating ''Pa'rriba, Papi, Pa'rriba'', which was a variation of ''Sube Nene, Sube'', and ''Dale que Dale en Domingo''.
With the production and hosting of all those shows at the same time, the Vigoreaux family opened a studio, which they named ''Estudio CVC''. They were also responsible for the transmission of the
MDA
MDA, mda, or ''variation'', may refer to:
Places
* Moldova, a country in Europe with the ISO 3166-1 country code MDA Politics
* Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (2018), ruling coalition government in the Indian State of Meghalaya led by National Pe ...
television marathon in Puerto Rico.
Brief change to Channel 11 and return to WAPA
Vigoreaux later jumped to Channel 11, then named the
Perez-Perry Network. He bought the ''Teatro Nuevo San Juan'', from where he started transmitting his new show. But this show was not as successful, and soon Vigoreaux found himself off the air.
In 1980, Vigoreaux went back to WAPA-TV and all his shows were rescheduled. He also became the show host of that station's lunch hour variety show, ''El Show Del Mediodia'', and began playing the role of
Pedro Navaja
"Pedro Navaja" ( en, Peter Blade) is a salsa song written and performed by Rubén Blades from the 1978 collaboration with Willie Colón, '' Siembra'', about a criminal of the same name. ''Navaja'' means "knife" or "razor blade" in Spanish. Inspi ...
in a play ''La Verdadera Historia de Pedro Navaja''. He would act in that play many times, as well as in a play named ''Angeles Caidos''.
In addition, he returned to the radio with a program named ''Buenos Dias, Puerto Rico'', on radio station
WBMJ
WBMJ (1190 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Religious format. Licensed to San Juan, Puerto Rico, it serves the Puerto Rico area. The station is currently owned by Calvary Evangelistic Mission, Inc. and features programming from Salem Commu ...
-AM, Radio Rock, and worked, for a short period of time, as a
television reporter for ''
Noticentro 4
WAPA-TV (channel 4) is a Spanish language in the United States, Spanish-language Independent station (North America), independent television station in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is owned by :es:Hemisphere Media Group, Hemisphere Media Group, w ...
''.
Murder and aftermath
On the morning of January 18, 1983, Vigoreaux didn't show up to work at the radio station or at WAPA-TV, causing his co-workers to worry. When his
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
was found with a burned body inside, it was taken to the medical examiner's office, where it was confirmed it was Vigoreaux.
His death launched a wave of rumors and speculations, and led to one of the biggest trials in Puerto Rico's history. His wife, Lydia Echevarría, was accused formally of his murder, along with Papo Newman and David López-Watts. Allegedly, Echevarría had become jealous of a relationship Vigoreaux had started with actress Nydia Castillo, and had paid Newman and López-Watts to either beat him or murder him. Vigoreaux's body was found gagged, stabbed, and burned inside the car's trunk.
Echevarría has maintained her innocence, but she was convicted to a
life sentence
Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...
in
Vega Alta, Puerto Rico
Vega Alta () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico. Vega Alta is on the northern coast of the island, north of Morovis and Corozal; east of Vega Baja; and west of Dorado with an area of . Vega Alta is subdivided into seven barrios and Ve ...
. Newman and López-Watts received similar sentences. However, Echevarría and López-Watts only served roughly 12 years in jail. Papo Newman received immunity from the Department of Justice of Puerto Rico to testify in court what happened the night of the murder. Newman did not serve time in prison as an agreement. In January 2000, Governor
Pedro Rosselló
Pedro Juan Rosselló González, (; born April 5, 1944) is a Puerto Rican physician and politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001. He was President of the New Progressive Party from 1991 to 1999 and 2003 to 2008, a ...
granted Echevarría a pardon, which was largely criticized by the people.
At the time of his death, Vigoreaux was about to begin another game show, ''
A Millon'', which eventually became one of the most popular shows in Puerto Rican television history, under the hosting of
Hector Marcano
In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...
and produced by Vigoreaux's son,
Luisito Vigoreaux
Luis Vigoreaux Lorenzana (born July 1, 1951) is a Puerto Rican actor and producer. He is the son of Luis Vigoreaux, a Puerto Rican media personality and Rosaura Lorenzana Vilches. He is the brother of Roberto Vigoreaux, local senator, television ...
.
Personal life
Vigoreaux was married twice. He married Rosaura Lorenzana, with whom he had three sons,
Luisito Luisito is a hypocorism of the Spanish name Luis, which may also be found as a given name. Notable people include:
* Luisito Campisi (born 1987), Italian footballer
* Luisito Comunica (born 1991), Mexican YouTuber
*Luisito Espinosa (born 1967), F ...
, Jorge Enrique and
Roberto Vigoreaux
Roberto Vigoreaux Lorenzana (born January 12, 1956, in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican producer, TV show host, actor, singer, and former Senator. He is the son of TV producer Luis Vigoreaux, and the younger brother of Luisito Vigore ...
. Jorge died in 1962 of leukemia. Luisito has followed his father's footsteps as an actor, comedian, producer, and host. Roberto also worked as an actor, host, producer, and singer. He also served as a member of both the House and the
Senate of Puerto Rico
The Senate of Puerto Rico ( es, Senado de Puerto Rico) is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate, together with the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, control th ...
.
In 1958, Vigoreaux met actress
Lydia Echevarría
Lydia Echevarría (born October 14, 1931 in Caguas, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican actress who was convicted of plotting the murder of her husband, Puerto Rican television show producer, Luis Vigoreaux.
Early years
Echevarría met producer Luis ...
, while still married to his first wife. After divorcing, they married on February 10, 1960. He and Echevarria had two daughters, Vanessa and Glendalys Vigoreaux. Glendalys committed suicide on July 15, 2008.
See also
*
French immigration to Puerto Rico
French immigration to Puerto Rico came about as a result of the economic and political situations which occurred in various places such as Louisiana (United States), Saint-Domingue ( Haiti) and in Europe.
Other important factors which encourage ...
*
List of Puerto Ricans
*
List of television presenters P.R.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vigoreaux, Luis
1929 births
1983 deaths
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American comedians
Mariticides
Puerto Rican male actors
Puerto Rican comedians
Television pioneers
People from Ceiba, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican people of French descent
People murdered in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican murder victims
Puerto Rican television hosts
Puerto Rican television producers
1983 murders in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican television journalists