Tito Puente, who was formally born Ernest Anthony Puente, Jr. was born on April 20, 1923. He was born and raised in a section of New York City known as the Spanish Harlem. His father, Sr., worked in a razor blade factory, while Ercilia Puente, Tito's mother, noticed his son's musical talent as she enrolled him in piano lessons for 25 cents when he was seven. As child he also went to dance lessons and played baseball until he injured his ankle in a bicycle accident. Although Puente started in his musical talent in piano his true love was in percussion. …
