In 2012, Mendez told CNN he was the head of the CIA's authentication branch in 1979. And then we had a celebration," he told CNN. She actively participated and played an instrumental role, along with her husband, in the founding of the first Catholic Church "La Milagrosa Church" in East Harlem. He died on January 19, 2019 in Frederick, Maryland, USA. Looking for some great streaming picks? Nearly 40,000 Puerto Ricans settled in New York City in 1946, and 58,500 in 1952–53. "He was a brilliant man, a gifted artist, and a true American hero. He served as the gran marshal of the first parade which was held on April 13, 1958, in East Harlem in Manhattan. "So I had an actual staff who specialized in exfiltrations. [3], In 1954, a group of politicians close to Carmine Gerard DeSapio, then the leader of Tammany Hall, chose Méndez to lead the eastern section of the district, known as the 14th Assembly District. [1], Méndez retired from politics in 1974. "East Harlem Remembered: Oral Histories of Community and Diversity"; By Christopher Bell; This page was last edited on 4 June 2020, at 20:05. His wife, Isabel, was also active in his political activities. In 1927, he moved to East Harlem in New York City where he established a jewelry store. He is known for his work on, Edward James Olmos Rips Into Ben Affleck for Portraying a Mexican American in Argo, Ben Affleck Blasted For Playing Mexican-American Character In Argo, ‘The Way Back’ Review: Ben Affleck Is at His Best in Sad and Sobering Basketball Drama, Films Directed by their Star and Nominated for Best Picture, Single Film, Winner of Five Major Awards — Best Picture. On January 21, 1997, Congressman Jose E. Serrano paid tribute to Isabel, who by then was the widow of Méndez, before the United States House of Representatives. He never sought the spotlight for his actions, he merely sought to serve his country. Mendez guided the Americans who were on the run through immigration at the airport. Plus, the influx of Puerto Ricans moving to the 14th Assembly District, in which East Harlem is located, replaced the members of the Italian-American Community who preceded them and eventually moved out. Tony Mendez was a true American hero. He was 78. I will miss him enormously," Fletcher said. Build up your Halloween Watchlist with our list of the most popular horror titles on Netflix in October. Canada agreed to give passports to the six Americans. The apartments are located in 75 East 116th Street. [4] Anthony died in 1970. Many soldiers who returned after World War II made use of the GI Bill and went to college. And we would be working on preparedness worldwide, prepared to handle the walk-in, for instance, that would knock on your door at midnight and say I want to defect," he said. I'm so proud to have worked for him and to have told one of his stories. [5], Among the contributions made by Méndez to the Puerto Rican community in New York was the founding of annual Puerto Rican Day Parade. The women left their homes for the factories in record numbers. They set up fake identities for CIA officers and sneaked people out of foreign countries. Puerto Rican women confronted economic exploitation, discrimination, racism, and the insecurities inherent in the migration process on a daily basis, however they fared better than did men in the job market. His funeral was held in the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Agony, located in Third Avenue and 101st Street in New York City. (CNN) Tony Mendez, a CIA operative who was portrayed by Ben Affleck in the 2012 Oscar-winning movie "Argo," died Saturday morning, his literary manager Christy Fletcher said. Méndez (birth name: Antonio Méndez) was born in Puerto Rico. He served as the gran marshal of the first parade which was held on April 13, 1958, in East Harlem in Manhattan. He and his wife, Jonna Mendez, had just sent their latest book to the publisher, she said. "The Moscow Rules: The Secret CIA Tactics that Helped America Win the Cold War" is scheduled to be released May 21, publisher PublicAffairs books says on its website. He was married to Jonna Mendez and Karen. When militants took over the US embassy in Tehran in November 1979. [1], A wave of domestic migration from Puerto Rico to New York City came after World War II. In 1982, he was on vacation in Puerto Rico, when he suddenly died. He was chosen by the group, which was also known as the Democratic County Committee, because in those days there was no direct election of district leaders. She served in said position until 2004. (CNN)Tony Mendez, a CIA operative who was portrayed by Ben Affleck in the 2012 Oscar-winning movie "Argo," died Saturday morning, his literary manager Christy Fletcher said. Updated 10:19 PM ET, Sat January 19, 2019. In this case we were still in Iranian airspace for awhile, so everybody was holding their breath until we were out of Iran completely. He met Jonna, his second wife and a former CIA officer, while working in Russia in the 1980s. He will be buried in Nevada, where his family is from, she said. #RIPTonyMendez. She was also the founder of the Puerto Rican Association of women voters. [6], District leader of the 14th Assembly District in New York City, "All Ranks Salute Olga Méndez, Political Trailblazer", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tony_Méndez&oldid=960767477, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. [1], Thus, Méndez became the first native-born Puerto Rican to become a district leader of a major political party in New York City. Among the contributions made by Méndez to the Puerto Rican community in New York was the founding of annual Puerto Rican Day Parade. Mendez had Parkinson's disease, she said, which he had been diagnosed with more that 10 years ago. Mendez devised a plan to create a fictitious science fiction movie called "Argo" that would be filmed in Tehran. Mendez … Check out some of the IMDb editors' favorites movies and shows to round out your Watchlist. [1], An apartment complex located in New York's 13th Congressional District was named the "Tony Mendez Apartments" in his honor. Tony Mendez was born on November 15, 1940 in Eureka, Nevada, USA as Antonio Joseph Mendez. Tony Méndez (February 5, 1902 – January 8, 1982) was the first native-born Puerto Rican to become a district leader of a major political party in New York City. Tony Mendez was born on November 15, 1940 in Eureka, Nevada, USA as Antonio Joseph Mendez. In January, Mendez and others flew to Tehran under the guise of scouting locations for the movie. Affleck paid tribute to Mendez on Saturday, calling him a "true American hero" who "never sought the spotlight for his actions (but) merely sought to serve his country.". Anthony's wife Olga Aran Méndez (1925 – 2009) was the first Puerto Rican woman elected to a state legislature in the United States mainland when in 1978 she became a member of the New York State Senate. He played an instrumental role in convincing Puerto Ricans to become registered voters. He also consolidated his political influence and as such was able to hold the control of his office for many years.[1]. According to Biography.com, Mendez worked for the CIA for 25 years. CNN's Steve Almasy contributed to this report.

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