Martín "Tito" Pérez (1943 – December 1974) was a visual artist and musician of Puerto Rican descent based in New York City. He was involved in the Taller Boricua and the broader Nuyorican movement. Tito Pérez died in police custody under suspicious circumstances and his death sparked protests in

East Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem, or , is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City, north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue to the west, and the East and Harlem Rivers to the eas ...

Life, art, and music

Not much is documented about Martín Tito Pérez's life before his time at Taller Boricua. He met the artist

Jorge Soto Sánchez Jorge Soto Sánchez (1947-1987) was a Puerto Rican visual artist from New York City. He is known for his involvement in the Nuyorican movement and the Taller Boricua. His work often incorporated elements of Pre-Columbian as well as Afro-Latinx vi ...

in the early 1970s and the two young artists joined Taller Boricua in 1971. Many young

Nuyorican Nuyorican is a portmanteau word blending "New York" (or "Nueva York" in Spanish) and "Puerto Rican," referring to Puerto Ricans located in or around New York City, their culture, or their descendants (especially those raised or currently livin ...

artists struggled financially early in their careers and Tito Pérez was known to busk with

conga drums The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest) ...

in the New York City subway system. Artwork made by Tito Pérez includes paintings as well as prints, often made collaboratively with other members of Taller Boricua. His works are in the collection of

El Museo del Barrio El Museo del Barrio, often known simply as El Museo (the museum), is a museum at 1230 Fifth Avenue in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is located near the northern end of Fifth Avenue's Museum Mile, immediately north of the Museum of the City ...

Death and controversy

Martín Tito Pérez was arrested for

disorderly conduct Disorderly conduct is a crime in most jurisdictions, such as the United States and China. Typically, "disorderly conduct" is a term used to refer to any behavior that is considered unacceptable in a formal, civilized or controlled environment. ...

while he was playing conga drums in the subway on December 1, 1974. Police later reported that he had hanged himself with a belt in his cell at the 25th precinct police station in

. Friends of Tito Pérez claimed that he never wore a belt and many community members believed his death to be a result of

police brutality Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or Public order policing, a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, b ...

, with the hanging story as a coverup. There were a wide range of responses to his death. Members of Taller Boricua assembled the "December 1st committee" that organized peaceful

protest A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...

s in response to Tito Pérez's death and

. They also posted fliers and prints across New York City to raise awareness, turning Tito Pérez's death into a cause. On December 11, 1974, the Armed Forces of Puerto Rican National Liberation set off a bomb in

that they labeled their response to Tito Pérez's death. This explosive seriously injured the Puerto Rican

NYPD The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...

officer Angel Poggi who was tasked with following up on a reported body in an abandoned home.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perez, Martin 1943 births 1974 suicides 20th-century American artists 20th-century American male artists Puerto Rican artists Puerto Rican male artists American musicians of Puerto Rican descent American percussionists Artists from New York City Musicians from New York City People from East Harlem Suicides by hanging in New York City People who died by suicide in prison custody