Antonio Correa Cotto, also known simply as Correa Cotto, (1926 – May 16, 1952), was the first outlaw to gain legendary status in Puerto Rico.

Early years

Correa Cotto was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico

Ponce, Puerto Rico

Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...

. He started his criminal career as a child and by the time he was a teenager he had amassed a long criminal police record.

Criminal career

He committed two murders in Ponce and was sentenced to serve 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 claimed were responsible for his current situation. On October 28, 1950, Correa Cotto instigated a prison revolt where some of the prison guards lost their lives. Arming himself with guns and ammunition he was able to escape. Correa Cotto made his way to a sector of Ponce called "Villa Olga" where he murdered 10 people..
The authorities organized what was then the largest manhunt in the history of the island and placed a US$10,000 bounty on his head, either dead or alive, which was a first in the crime annals of Puerto Rico. The police detained over 70 friends and members of his family for questioning and finally on May 16, 1952, the police were forewarned that Correa Cotto was living on a farm in "Barrancas" which is located 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 a machete in the other. The police, under the orders of Captain Luis M. Pérez, opened fire on Correa Cotto, killing him..

Postscript

A total of three movies have been made about the life of Correa Cotto. The movie "Correa Cotto: Así me Llaman" (Correa Cotto: That's what they call me), (1968) produced by Antony Felton, shows the popular impact that Correa Cotto's crimes had on the Puerto Rican society of the 1950s. In "La Venganza de Correa Cotto" (The Vengeance of Correa Cotto) (1969), produced and directed by Jeronimo Mitchel and Anthony Felton with the participation of Miguel Ángel Álvarez

Miguel Ángel Álvarez

Miguel Ángel Álvarez, also known as "El Men," , was a Puerto Rican comedian and actor.-Early years:...

 and Lucy Boscana

Lucy Boscana

Lucy Boscana was an actress and a pioneer in Puerto Rico's television industry.-Early years:Boscana was born in the city of Mayagüez which is located on the west coast of Puerto Rico. Her family moved to the United States when she was a child because of the economic crisis in the island...

, the producers attempt to look into the human and intimate side of Correa Cotto.

External links

• Movies about Antonio Correa Cotto