Percy Sutton, Harlem Trailblazer, Media Mogul and Leader of the "Gang of Four" Dies at Age 89

Percy Sutton, civil rights trailblazer, media mogul, political giant, visionary and attorney for Malcolm X and Sugar Ray Robinson, dies at 89.

Percy Sutton, a trailblazer and pioneer in the civil rights movement, a media titan, who has been a political fixture in the Harlem, NY landscape for eons, died Saturday. He was 89 years old. Sutton has long been considered on of New York's most influential figures, spearheading the careers of many famous black politicians in the "city that does not sleep." Sutton, became an attorney in 1950 and opened an office in Harlem, and will best be remembered as representing activist Malcolm X and boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. He went on to argue many cases and his stature in the community grew.

Percy Sutton, was born on November 24, 1920 in San Antonio, Texas, and was the youngest of 15 children. His parents, Samuel and Lillian Sutton, were both educators. His father, who was born free, three years before the Emancipation Proclamation, was one of the first black educators in Bexar County. Percy and all of his siblings graduated from college. He attended and graduated from Prairie View A&M University, Tuskegee Institute and Hampton Institute. Sutton fought with the famous Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, where he served as an intelligence officer. He attended Brooklyn Law School after he received an honorable discharge from the Army Air Corps, where he had attained the rank of captain.

Sutton had a long association with the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and he entered the world of politics during that time. He became a New York State assemblyman in the late 1960s. He ran for borough president of Manhattan in 1966 and won in a landslide. He held the position for 12 years. He became the "leader" of the Harlem Clubhouse, which is comprised of a group of black leaders who dominated Democratic politics in Harlem for decades. He helped to shape the political careers of the "Gang of Four," which comprised of Sutton, the former Mayor David Dinkins, Rep. Charlie Rangel, former New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson, the father of current governor David Paterson.

Sutton went on to become a radio mogul when he co-founded Inner City Broadcasting Corporation and purchased WLIB-AM and WBLS-FM in 1971, making them the first black-owned radio stations in New York City. He will be remembered as the person who saved the Apollo Theater from bankruptcy. He was instrumental in the revitalization of the theater, which he operated until 1991. He produced the very successful "It's Showtime at the Apollo" nationally syndicated weekly variety television series that showcased local talent and well as the appearances of well-known performers such as Patti Labelle, Gladys Knight, Sinbad, Steve Harvey, Stephanie Mills and many others.

Quite simply put, New York City has lost a giant and he will be sorely missed. Percy Sutton is survived by his wife, Leatrice; his son Pierre, and daughter Cheryl.