Alberto O. Cappas

Poet, Writer, Author, Journalist, Newspaper publisher, and Community Activist, a graduate of Harlem Prep School (1967), received BA from SUNYAB—founder of buffalolatinovillage.com, theeducationalpledge.com, buffalolatinoartgallery.com. Now lives in Buffalo, NY, moving from El Barrio in 2012. While in el Barrio, Alberto founded La Fortaleza Project (business and economic development with art and cultural theme), and El Festival del Libro (Festival of Books), designed to market and promote Puerto Rican/Latino poets, writers, and authors.

Alberto was born in Puerto Rico, and raised in New York City, in Manhattan Valley. He graduated from Harlem Prep School (Harlem, NY), and from SUNY@Buffalo. Alberto is a jack of all trades but a master of none. Born in 1946, he has experienced an exciting life. Now at the age of 77, his backpack includes goodies such as Writer, Poet, Journalist, Book Publisher, Public Servant, Community Activist, Art Curator, and Newspaper publisher. His work has been included in numerous anthologies in the United States, Canada, and China.

1969-1983: Buffalo, NY: After graduating from SUNY@Buffalo, Alberto decided to stay in Buffalo and continue his community activism work he started while an undergraduate student. He left Buffalo in 1983, but not before creating several institutions and organizations in the local Puerto Rican/Latino community. Alberto was the founder of PODER (Puerto Rican Student Organization at UB), which gave birth to Puerto Rican Studies, and the admission of Black and Latino students, both for undergraduate and professional schools. He founded or co-founded the following: Puerto Rican-Chicano Committee (PRCC), a community activist organization, the Latin Journal (Latino publication), and the Buffalo Latin Gallery, an arts and cultural organization which was responsible for bringing poets and artists to recite and exhibit their work. Alberto was a member of the Attica Observers Committee, the group which tried to negotiate the demands of the prisoners in 1977. Alberto also gave birth to Buffalo's first Puerto Rican parade, which took place on Virginia Street (from Edward down to Virginia, down to Niagara Street). Alberto was responsible for bringing civil rights to the Puerto Rican/Latino community. Thanks to him, many Puerto Ricans/Latinos were able to find meaningful employment. With the proper research, one can find all these documents in the pages of the Buffalo News and the Buffalo Courier, the two major newspapers which covered the work of PRCC and its founders. In 1982, Alberto, along with two other Latino poets, was commissioned to create a piece of poetic art mural at the Allen Street Train station, sponsored by the NFTA.

The Latino Poetic Art Mural that Buffalo took down

1983-2013: In New York City, by day, Alberto worked for both city and state government; and by night, he dedicated his life to poetry, doing presentations and poetry readings. In one of his book reviews (Dona Julia), the reviewer said, "Next time you go to the polls, make sure to vote for a poet." Alberto lived on the lower east side and in East Harlem. During that period, he was the founder of the following: Don Pedro Cookies, The Educational Pledge, The New Tomorrow (Newspaper), East Harlem Journal (Newspaper), and La Fortaleza Project (a business and economic development concept using Arts & Culture as the main theme). La Fortaleza Project sponsored the first Latino Book Fair in El Barrio. Alberto continued his literary work until 2013 went he got a seizure, losing 40% of his memory. This resulted in Alberto moving back to Buffalo to be closer to his family, primarily his two daughters, brothers, and sisters. Alberto says that he was in no condition to understand what was happening, and during that period, his daughters took advantage of the situation, seeing it as an opportunity to kidnap him and bring him back to Buffalo.

2013 to present: Back to Buffalo. It took about two years for Alberto to make a full recovery. With the proper medication, he has no problem leading a normal life. He was disappointed in finding Buffalo in the same condition it was when he left in 1984. This ignited his poetic and political passion and started using his voice to address the social, political, and economic issues affecting Buffalo's Puerto Rican/Latino community. Since his Buffalo re-arrival, he has advocated very strongly on the community's behalf. He is the founder of the Buffalo Latino Village (2017), the Buffalo Online Latino Art Gallery (2016), and a founding member of Pushing Latinos Forward (2016), and the Puerto Rican-Latino Community Committee (2015). He uses his publication as a platform to give a voice to young Puerto Ricans and other Latinos with a passion to see a real change in Buffalo. Alberto still lives in Buffalo, NY with his wife, Ramona. He has two daughters from his first marriage - Arlene Tucker and JoAnne Vega. He has four grandchildren (Matthew, Santi, Nina, and Isabella), plus a grand grandchild, named Nora.

His published work: Ramon Gallardo; Dona Julia: A Collection of published poems; Echolalia; The Educational Pledge; and, Never too late to Make a U-turn. His work can be found on Amazon.com, and other media social outlets, including his webpage: Buffalo Latino Village and the Buffalo Online Latino Art Gallery.

His next book, "Back to the Belly of the Beast: A Colony on Buffalo's Lower West Side", is schuleded for publication in April 2024. For an advance and early copy, email your contact information to latinovillage1@gmail.com