Tony Martinez (Puerto Rican-American actor)

Tony Martinez
Martínez (left) as Pepino with Walter Brennan and Richard Crenna in The Real McCoys, 1962.
Born	(1920-01-27)January 27, 1920 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Died	September 16, 2002(2002-09-16) (aged 82) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, singer, bandleader
Spouse(s)	Myra Martinez (1981-2002, his death)
Children	David, Renee, Christian, Lessette, and Kimra

Tony Martínez (January 27, 1920 – September 16, 2002) was an actor, singer, and bandleader originally from San Juan,Puerto Rico, best remembered for having played the Mexican farmhand Pepino García in the ABC and CBS situation comedy The Real McCoys from 1957 to 1963. Along with Leo Carrillo and Desi Arnaz, Sr., Martinez was among the earliest Latinos featured in regular television roles during the early years of the medium.

Martínez came to New York City to study at the Juilliard School at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts. He studied acting and gained small parts in several films in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1954, he made his first television appearance as himself on The Colgate Comedy Hour. He again appeared with his band, Tony Martinez and His Mambo, in the 1956 musical picture Rock Around the Clock.

For his role on The Real McCoys, Martínez was discovered by the brother producer-writing team of Irving Pincus (1914–1984) and Norman Pincus (1906–1978) while Martínez was performing at a club in Hollywood, California. Martínez sang and played five instruments. Kathleen Nolan, as Kate McCoy, one of the last two surviving members of The Real McCoys cast, recalls that Martínez initially failed to contact the Pincus brothers because he thought their interest in his talent was merely a joke, but the producers pursued Martinez and signed him to the cast.