Antonio Correa Cotto

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Antonio Correa Cotto
Correa Cotto
Born1926
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Died16 May 1952
Ponce, Puerto Rico
NationalityPuerto Rican
OccupationOutlaw

Antonio Correa Cotto[note 1] (1926 – 1952), also known simply as Correa Cotto, was the first outlaw to gain legendary status in Puerto Rico.

Early years

Correa Cotto was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He began his criminal career as a child and by the time he was a teenager he had amassed a long criminal police record.

Criminal career

The $10,000 Correa Cotto bounty reward in the May 3, 1952, issue of "El Imparcial"
Grave of Correa Cotto at Cementerio Civil de Ponce

He committed two murders in Ponce and was sentenced to two life sentences in the state penitentiary. At the time of his sentencing, Correa Cotto swore that he would get even with those who testified against him and whom he deemed responsible for his current situation. On October 28, 1950, Correa Cotto instigated a prison revolt where some of the prison guards died. Arming himself with guns and ammunition, he escaped from prison. Correa Cotto made his way to a sector of Ponce called "Villa Olga", where he murdered 10 people.[1]

The authorities organized what was then the largest manhunt in the history of the island. They placed a bounty on his head of $10,000 ($126,639 in 2023 dollars[2]), either dead or alive, which was a first in the crime annals of Puerto Rico. The police detained over 70 friends and family members for questioning. On May 16, 1952, the police were alerted that Correa Cotto was living on a farm in "Barrancas" on the outskirts of the City of Ponce. When the police arrived, they called on him to surrender, but he answered by firing his gun. The police set fire to the sugar cane fields which surrounded Correa Cotto's hideout. He came out firing a gun in one hand and held a machete in the other. Under the orders of Captain Luis M. Pérez, the police opened fire on Correa Cotto, killing him.[1]

Correa Cotto is buried in Ponce's Cementerio Civil de Ponce.[3]

Postscript

Three movies have been made about the life of Correa Cotto. These include the movie Correa Cotto: Así me Llaman (Correa Cotto: That's what they call me) (1968), produced by Antony Felton, which showed the popular impact that Correa Cotto's crimes had on the Puerto Rican society of the 1950s. In La Venganza de Correa Cotto[4] (The Vengeance of Correa Cotto) (1969), produced and directed by Jeronimo Mitchel and Anthony Felton with the participation of Miguel Ángel Álvarez and Lucy Boscana, the producers attempt to look into the human and intimate side of Correa Cotto.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Personajes Notorios Archived May 26, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  3. ^ Cementerio Civil de Ponce. 3 January 2019.
  4. ^ Ponce se prepara para celebrar su día mundial. Darisabel Texidor Guadalupe. Primera Hora. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  5. ^ Revista

Notes

  1. ^ Template:Spanish name

External links

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