Gilbert Mamery Riera (March 15, 1927 â€" March 30, 2003) was a Puerto
Rican disc-jockey, musicologist, radio station owner, radio and
television personality, marketing impresario and composer born in
Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. He is the father of the late Puerto Rican
talent manager and radio entrepreneur Topy Mamery, Puerto Rican radio
announcer and marketing impresario Eric William Mamery, and media
announcer and comedian Gricel Mamery. He was also the son of
Lebanese-born textile impresario William Mamary (the family name's
spelling was later changed during Gilbert's lifetime).Gilbert Mamery
was born to a well-to-do family in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. His father
William was a Lebanese immigrant to the United States who, after
moving to Philadelphia and serving in World War I decided to join a
sizeable group of Maronite Christian Lebanese immigrants who moved
from the States to Puerto Rico in the early years of the 20th century.
He established a handkerchief and lace products factory (and ran a
numbers game operation as a side occupation), and became a successful
businessman. His factory and name became cultural references (in a
somewhat unflattering way) in the plena "Aló, ¿Quién Ã'ama?" by Mon
Rivera. Referring to the plena, it is said that Mamary used to agree
with the saying that "bad publicity is better than no publicity at
all".Gilbert did not want to follow on the family business since, from
an early age, he was obsessed with popular music. A live presentation
by Carlos Gardel in Mayagüez's Teatro Yagüez (on 9 April 1935) was a
defining moment in his life. He initiated his large collection of
music recordings and items soon after.Since he was tall for his age
(and had a booming bass voice, which was the deepest one of any local
radio personality at the time he became a broadcaster), Gilbert could
sneak in clubs at an age as early as thirteen years-old, which allowed
him to visit relatives in New York City and sneak into live
presentations by Tommy Dorsey and Xavier Cugat (who caught him playing
bongo drums onstage with the band unsupervised once, and later became
a friend).
Rican disc-jockey, musicologist, radio station owner, radio and
television personality, marketing impresario and composer born in
Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. He is the father of the late Puerto Rican
talent manager and radio entrepreneur Topy Mamery, Puerto Rican radio
announcer and marketing impresario Eric William Mamery, and media
announcer and comedian Gricel Mamery. He was also the son of
Lebanese-born textile impresario William Mamary (the family name's
spelling was later changed during Gilbert's lifetime).Gilbert Mamery
was born to a well-to-do family in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. His father
William was a Lebanese immigrant to the United States who, after
moving to Philadelphia and serving in World War I decided to join a
sizeable group of Maronite Christian Lebanese immigrants who moved
from the States to Puerto Rico in the early years of the 20th century.
He established a handkerchief and lace products factory (and ran a
numbers game operation as a side occupation), and became a successful
businessman. His factory and name became cultural references (in a
somewhat unflattering way) in the plena "Aló, ¿Quién Ã'ama?" by Mon
Rivera. Referring to the plena, it is said that Mamary used to agree
with the saying that "bad publicity is better than no publicity at
all".Gilbert did not want to follow on the family business since, from
an early age, he was obsessed with popular music. A live presentation
by Carlos Gardel in Mayagüez's Teatro Yagüez (on 9 April 1935) was a
defining moment in his life. He initiated his large collection of
music recordings and items soon after.Since he was tall for his age
(and had a booming bass voice, which was the deepest one of any local
radio personality at the time he became a broadcaster), Gilbert could
sneak in clubs at an age as early as thirteen years-old, which allowed
him to visit relatives in New York City and sneak into live
presentations by Tommy Dorsey and Xavier Cugat (who caught him playing
bongo drums onstage with the band unsupervised once, and later became
a friend).
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