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Paquito Cordero (October 16, 1932 – June 30, 2009), was a pioneer of Puerto Rican

television. He was also a comedian and television producer.

Contents
1 Early years
2 Artistic career
3 Paquito Cordero Productions
4 Television programs produced by Cordero
5 Telemundo stops transmitting local programs
6 Later years
7 Notes
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
Early years
Cordero (birth name: Francisco Cordero Baez[note 1]) was born to Francisco Cordero
Paco and Berta Baez de Cordero in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Cordero attended Santurce
Central High School upon finishing his primary and secondary education. He was a
member of his high school's drama club and participated in its plays, where he
discovered the art of comedy. Cordero was geatly influenced by his aunt on his
father's side, Mapy Cortés. Mapy Cortés had moved to Mexico from Puerto Rico, where
she became an actress. There she met and married Mexican actor, "Fernando Cortés".
After Cordero graduated from high school, he enrolled and attended the University
of Puerto Rico and married his childhood sweetheart, a hairdresser whom everyone
knew as "Cuqui". With Cuqui he had three children, two girls and one boy.[1]

Artistic career
Cordero auditioned for a role in a comedy skit which was transmitted through Radio
El Mundo and was subsequently hired. He did this in his spare time. His aunt Mapy
and her husband Fernando returned to the island and presented an idea for a comedy
show to Ángel Ramos, owner of El Mundo Enterprises. On March 28, 1954, Puerto Rico
received its first television transmission from Angel Ramos' WKAQ-TV Telemundo
Channel 2. Among the first comedy shows to go on the air was "Mapy Y Papi" with
Mapy and Fernando Cortés, María Judith Franco and Paquito Cordero.[1][2][3]

During this period in his life, he fell in love with one of the show's dancers, a
young girl by the name of Nora. He soon divorced his first wife and asked Nora to
marry him. She accepted and together they had a son, Santiago.[4]

Paquito Cordero Productions


In the 1960s, Cordero formed his own production company which he named Paquito
Cordero Productions, Inc. His younger sister, Bertita, became his assistant and
eventually his younger brother, Jorge, would also join the company as a future co-
producer. On January 11, 1965, Telemundo transmitted the first program produced by
Paquito called "El Show de las 12" (The 12 O'Clock Show). The first show included
appearances by El Gran Combo, Tito Lara, Los Hispanos, and Olga y Tony. It also
included a section within the show, dedicated to the teenage crowd, called "Canta
la Juventud" (Youth Sings). Among those taking part in this section were Alfred D.
Herger and Puerto Rican teen idols Lucecita Benítez and Chucho Avellanet. "El Show
de Las 12" was presented by Miguel Ángel Álvarez and Eddie Miró was the
scriptwriter. The show was a success and was watched by over 80 percent of the
population, becoming one of Puerto Rico's most beloved programs for over 40 years.
[1]

Television programs produced by Cordero


Cordero also produced the following shows which were popular in Puerto Rico:

"El Show de las 12" with "Los Alegres Tres", Silvia, Chapuseaux y Damiron with
Clarissa, Militza (La India) and Mary Stull.
"El Show Sultana", with "Los Hispanos", and Tito Lara
"2 a Go Go", with "Julio Angel" & "Tammy"
"Walter, las Estrellas Y Usted" (Walter, the Stars and You), with Walter Mercado
"Mi Hippie Me Encanta" (I love my hippie) with Luis Antonio Rivera: Yoyo Boing,
Rosita Velazquez, Johanna Ferrán and Myrna de Casenave
"En Broma y en Serio" (Joking and Seriously), with Lou Briel, and Dagmar
"Su Estrella Favorita" (Your Favorite Star)
"El Show de Chucho", (Chucho's Show), with Chucho Avellanet"
"En Casa de Juanma y Wiwi", (In Juanma & Wiwis' Home), with Awilda Carbia, and Juan
Manuel Lebrón
"Estudio Alegre & Musicomedia", (Cheerful Studio & Musicomedy), with Otilio
Warrington, Awilda Carbia, and Juan Manuel Lebrón
"La Gente Joven de Menudo/Menudomania", with Puerto Rican music group Menudo.
"Los Kakucómicos", with Adalberto Rodriguez, Machuchal, and Shorty Castro, among
many others
"La Pensión de Doña Tere", (Lady Tere's Guesthouse), with Norma Candal, and
"Noche de Gala", (Gala Night Ball), with Eddie Miró, and in different periods of
time co-hosted by, Marisol Malaret, Deborah Carthy Deu, Marilyn Pupo and Gilda
Haddock.
On April 14, 1983, Telemundo was sold to John Blair and Co. and finally, in 2004
became part of the NBC Universal network. This led to many changes and one of the
changes was the substitution of locally produced programs with programs produced in
other countries such as Mexico. Cordero, however, remained at Telemundo as its main
local producer from 1983 to 2004.

On May 6, 2004, television producers Paquito Cordero and Tommy Muñiz received a
special recognition on behalf of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico as
part of the celebration of the 50 years of uninterrupted transmission on the
Telemundo and Televicentro channels.

Telemundo stops transmitting local programs


On February 25, 2005, Telemundo canceled Paquito Cordero's "El Show de las 12", the
longest-running television show in Puerto Rico. Telemundo no longer transmits
locally produced television programs and thus, is no longer a source of income to
the local artistic class.

On the last airing of the show, Eddie Miró took the microphone and said these
words:

Spanish
(original version)
English
translation
"Señoras y Señores...,
"El Show de las 12" ha muerto".
"Señoras y Señores...,
reflexionemos ante su deceso".
"Ladies and Gentlemen...,
"The 12 O'Clock Show" has died."
"Ladies and Gentlemen...,
a moment of silence for the deceased".
Later years
In 2007, Cordero, produced a remake of "Noche de Gala", (Gala Night Ball),
broadcast by WIPR-TV, Tu Universo Television, channel 6, with Deborah Carthy Deu,
as the host. Cordero died of respiratory problems in the morning hours of June 30,
2009. He is survived by his wife, Nora, and four children, Paquitin, Chiqui, Muñeca
and Santiago. The governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño, declared three days of
national mourning.[5] On July 2, a wake was held in the "Salon de Actos" of El
Convento Dominicos in Old San Juan which was assisted by the governor and his wife,
local celebrities, and Cordero's family and close friends. Cordero remains were
later transferred to the Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery also in Old San
Juan where he was buried.[6]

Notes
This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is
Cordero and the second or maternal family name is Baez.
See also
flag Puerto Rico portal
Biography portal
icon Television portal
icon comedy portal
List of Puerto Ricans

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