New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. honored eight New Yorkers of Latino descent for their accomplishments at his 2005 Latino Heritage and Culture celebration that took place on Thursday, October 27 th .

The event, which was co-hosted by ASPIRA of New York, Inc. and the National Hispanic Bar Association, New York Region, celebrated the power, pride, and diversity of the Latino community in New York City . Addressing more than 250 people gathered at SEIU Local 32BJ, Thompson stated that the event was about honoring the rich cultural traditions that thrive in our communities and the outstanding contributions that Latino New Yorkers make to the life of our city.

“Since the city's earliest days, New Yorkers with roots in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic , Mexico , Colombia , Cuba , and countries around the world have played a pivotal role in the city's economic, civic, and cultural life,” Thompson said. “Every year, this participation has grown by leaps and bounds. Y ahora, los Latinos están al frente de todo lo que pasa en esta ciudad.”

“We need to make sure that young people have access to quality education. We need to keep breaking down barriers – seen and unseen – in all professions so that everyone has the chance to develop their talents and skills and have their work recognized. And we need to celebrate the achievements of Latinos and Latinas who have excelled in their fields and helped open the “doors of opportunity” to others.”

Thompson noted that the honorees represent many communities, and many professional paths, but all have provided outstanding community leadership.

The first honoree was restauranteur and philanthropist Phil Suarez. Born and raised in Manhattan , Mr. Suarez became a producer in 1966 for the advertising agency Pappert, Koening and Lois. In 1983, Mr. Suarez entered the world of music videos as Executive Producer of “Beat It,” starring Michael Jackson, a video that won virtually all the major music video awards, including “Best Overall Video” and “Best Pop Video” at the American Music Awards.

After spending vacations in southern Italy , and enjoying the wonderful food of that region, Mr. Suarez decided to open a restaurant in New York City , which he named Il Positano. In 1991, Mr. Suarez joined with internationally renowned four-star chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten to open the French bistro JoJo, followed by The Lipstick Café, Vong, and Patria, which features Latin American cooking.

Mr. Suarez has served on the Board of Directors of the New York Urban Coalition, as President and member of the board of the Catholic Big Brothers, and as a member of the New York State Commission on Human Rights.

The second honoree was Juan Gonzalez, to whom Thompson presented his Media Image award. Mr. Gonzalez is a columnist for the Daily News, a co-host of Pacifica Radio's daily morning news magazine, Democracy Now, and a visiting professor in public policy at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.

Mr. Gonzalez was a founder of the Young Lords, and served as President of the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights. He is the author of the books “Harvest of Empire: The History of Latinos in America ” and “ Fallout: The Environmental Consequences of the World Trade Center Collapse.”

Thompson hailed Mr. Gonzalez' “tremendous achievements in journalism, his outstanding contributions to the life of our city, and his dedication to community activism.”

The third honoree was chef and television personality Daisy Maria Martinez. Ms. Martinez's cooking show, “Daisy Cooks!,” offers simple steps to make Latin-inspired cuisine.

Born to mainland Puerto Rican parents in Brooklyn , New York , the focus of Ms. Martinez' early career was acting and modeling. She served as the "Martinez Valero" Girl for the Spanish shoe company, and later appeared in commercials. She has also appeared in numerous movies, including "Carlito's Way" and "Scent of a Woman." Ms. Martinez studied the culinary arts at the French Culinary Institute, after which she began worked as a prep-kitchen chef on the Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen television series.

Thompson recognized Ms. Martinez for “ her dedication to fostering a greater appreciation for Latin cuisine.”

The next honoree was arts leader Calixto Chinchilla, the Founder and Executive Director of the New York International Latino Film Festival.

Mr. Chinchilla began his career developing special interest marketing for Warner Brothers Pictures and has consulted in a similar capacity for a number of companies. Mr. Chinchilla has served as the Latino Film Curator for the Urban World Film Festival, and directed the 5 th Annual South Bronx Film and Video Festival.

“As the Founder and Executive Director of the New York International Latino Film Festival, Mr. Chinchilla has worked tirelessly to promote the accomplishments of Latinos in the film industry,” Thompson said.

The fifth honoree was Dr. Rafael Lantigua. Dr. Lantigua is Professor of Clinical Medicine and Director of General Medicine, Outpatient Services, New York Presbyterian Medical Center .

Dr. Lantigua attended the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, after which he came to New York and continued his training at Lincoln Hospital . In 1980, he became Assistant Professor of Medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University and Assistant Attending at New York Presbyterian Hospital .

Thompson recognized Dr. Lantigua for “his outstanding contributions to the practice of medicine.”

The sixth honoree was educator Antonio Aponte, the Director of Independent School Placement and College Bound Programs for The Boy's Club of New York.

Mr. Aponte was born on the Lower East Side of New York City to parents from Vega Baja and Dorado, Puerto Rico . In 1986, Mr. Aponte appeared in the Broadway hit " Cuba and his Teddy Bear," opposite Robert DeNiro, Burt Young, and Ralph Macchio. In 1990, he co-founded the Latino College Expo, which administers over $50,000 in scholarships to deserving high school students of Latino decent. Mr. Aponte previously served as the Director of College Placement at Project Reach Youth in Brooklyn , where he was instrumental in the college placement of 50 seniors through the Miracle-Gro Scholarship Program.

Thompson recognized Mr. Aponte for “his outstanding dedication to serving the needs of children and their families and fostering educational opportunities in the Latino community.”

The next honoree was Elba Montalvo, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families.

Ms. Montalvo began her career as a teacher in the New York City public school system, where she taught elementary school for seven years. Later, she worked as the Executive Director/Educational Director of a Day Care Center. Ms. Montalvo later served as the Director of the Hispanic Adoption Program for the New York Council on Adoptable Children, the first adoption recruitment project for Latinos in the nation.

In 1982, she co-found the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families. Since then, the organization has been providing a range of services, from child care training and referral services, youth services such as dropout prevention and after-school care, to support for immigrants and public advocacy.

Thompson recognized Ms. Montalvo for the “outstanding contributions she has made to the quality of life for children and their families.”

The final honoree was fashion leader Narciso Rodriguez. Born in New Jersey to Cuban immigrants, Mr. Rodriguez received his formal education at Parsons School of Design in New York .

Following freelance work in New York 's garment industry, he joined Anne Klein under Donna Karan, and later Calvin Klein, designing women's “ready to wear.” In October 1997, the first women's “ready to wear” collection under the Narciso Rodriguez label was presented in Milan for the Spring/Summer 1998 season. For his Fall/Winter 2001 collection, Narciso Rodriguez returned to New York , where he continues to show his signature line. In June 2003, Mr. Rodriguez became the first designer to receive two consecutive ‘Womenswear Designer of the Year' awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Thompson recognized Mr. Rodriguez for “his outstanding achievements in the fashion industry.”

The  dance troupe from Public School 115, under the direction of teacher Yomaira Reynoso, performed at the event. Last year, students from the school's program won the Rainbow Team Matches championship in ballroom dance, as chronicled in the film “Mad, Hot Ballroom.” The Rev. Luisa Celeste Martinez of the Grace United Methodist Church , English and Spanish Congregation, offered the Benediction.

To receive photographs, please contact Marla Maritzer at (212) 669-2597 or at mmaritz@comptroller.nyc.gov .

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