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Ramon S. Velez, the South Bronx Padrino, Dies at 75
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Candidate
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| Contributor | nystate63 |
| Last Edited | nystate63 Dec 03, 2008 08:04am |
| Category | Obituary |
| News Date | Dec 02, 2008 08:00am |
| Description | Ramon S. Velez, the South Bronx Padrino, Dies at 75
Published: December 2, 2008
Ramon S. Velez, who was the son of a poor Puerto Rican farmer and became the baron of a sweeping array of poverty programs in the South Bronx, receiving high praise for registering hundreds of thousands of Hispanic voters and stinging criticism for profiting from his humanitarian initiatives, died on Sunday in Manhattan. He was 75.
The cause was complications of Alzheimer’s disease, his wife, Caroline, said.
Starting with a $50,000 grant from the Johnson administration’s war on poverty, Mr. Velez built his social services agency, the Hunts Point Multi-Service Center, into a vast program encompassing centers for the elderly, housing, health clinics and substance-abuse programs. His other involvements ranged from community colleges to hospitals to leading the fight to abolish language requirements for Spanish-speaking voters. |
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