Francisco Antonio García López (July 19, 1943 – November 29, 1995), also known as Toño Bicicleta (literally, "Tony Bicycle" in English), was a Puerto Rican criminal who gained notoriety for escaping from prison several times. García López managed to become part of Puerto Rican folklore and the object of constant references in popular culture. His escapes became legendary in Puerto Rico.

Biography

There are conflicting versions as to García López's birthplace. The police file states that he was born in Yauco, Puerto Rico, but journalist and writer Alexis Morales Cales who specialized in the criminal's life, believes he was born in Maricao, specifically in the Indiera Alta barrio. Others still believe he was born in Lares....

García's parents were Esteban García Medina and Antonia López Vargas. and the other, because he stole a bike in his youth.

García's first wife was called Antonia Rivera. They had three children together: Francisco Antonio, María Milagros, and Carmen Dolores.

Criminal history

According to the police investigation, in 1968 Antonio García murdered his then wife, Gloria Soto, with a machete. For this crime, García was sentenced to 185 years in prison. In 1981, García kidnapped Olga Iris Despiau Cabán from her home in Arecibo. According to Despiau, García threatened to kill her father with a knife if she didn't comply. She remained with the fugitive until 1984, when he abandoned her during a raid. Some time later, García kidnapped her a second time until her family managed to rescue her. He also tried to kidnap Luz Delia Soler during the late 1980s. Some people claim that due to his notoriety he was used as some sort of scapegoat both by authorities and civilians to several crimes on the island.

In 1987, García killed his stepfather, Antonio Caraballo Gonzales, and then tried to burn the body. After that, his mother Antonia Garcia was able to flee from the crime scene. Then he killed his uncle, Pablo López Vargas, in Maricao.

  • In 1978, Puerto Rican Salsa band Rubby Haddock y su Orquesta released the song "Toño Bicicleta" on the album La Leyenda.
  • In 1978, French writer Georges Londreix, who had been living in Puerto Rico during the 1970s and was the director of the local chapter of the Alliance Francaise, edited Tonio Bicicleta, a novel about García López written in French. It was subsequently translated to Spanish.
  • In the early 1970s, Tony Croatto, then paired with his sister Nelly, had a minor pop music hit in Puerto Rico titled "La Bicicleta de Toño" ("Toño's Bicycle").
  • In the early 1990s, local rock band La Mancha del Jardín released a song titled "Toño Bicicleta".
  • In the early 1990s, local rock band Puya mentioned Toño Bicicleta in their song "El Chupacabra".
  • A different song named "Toño Bicicleta" was recorded by Spanish-Puerto Rican thrash metal band Juerguistas y Borrachos.
  • In the late 1990s, a local film titled La Noche Que Se Apareció Toño Bicicleta (The Night that Toño Bicicleta Appeared) was released.
  • In 2007, the Calle 13 song "La Crema" on the album Residente o Visitante makes reference to Toño Bicicleta as part of a laundry list of Puerto Rican culture and lore.
  • A diss track towards Tego Calderón called "Wasa Wasa" by Puerto Rican rapper Temperamento, makes reference to Toño Bicicleta on the following verse "Aguanta esa boca tienes los cachetes llenos de coca, tu si que eres feca, eres tan horrible que ni Toño te prestaba la Bicicleta". Put up with that mouth, your cheeks are full of coke, you really are fake, you are so horrible that not even Toño would lend you the Bicycle."
  • In the song "Dale Pal Piso" of Watussi Ft. Jowell & Randy and Ñengo Flow, It refers to "Toño Bicicleta".

See also

  • List of Puerto Ricans

Notes

:1.There's disagreement among authorities as to the precise town within Puerto Rico where García López was born. Some state he was born in Yauco, others say it was in Maricao. Still others say in Lares. See article for more details.

References

  • Suburban Justice - Bicycle Race 2/16/2009
  • Los prófugos más escurridizos de Puerto Rico on El Nuevo Día