Legendary NYC news anchor Pablo Guzman dies aged 73: Big Apple veteran reporter dubbed ‘son of the Bronx’ founded Puerto Rican activist group Young Lords before becoming a journalist
Legendary New York news anchor Pablo Guzman, also known as ‘the son of the Bronx’, has died at the age of 73.
Guzman died Sunday morning of a sudden heart attack after decades of reporting on politics, crime and the city’s historical evolution.
He is survived by his wife Debbie, his children Daniel and Angela, and his mother Sally.
New York Mayor Eric Adams paid tribute to the legendary New Yorker on X, formerly Twitter.
He wrote: “Pablo Guzmán was a son of the Bronx who spoke truth to power and held leaders accountable.
Guzman died Sunday morning of a sudden heart attack after decades of reporting on politics, crime and the city’s historical evolution
CBS 2 reporter Tony Aiello called Guzman the “real deal.” “Pablo Guzmán packed 150 years of life into 73,” Aiello wrote on X, formerly Twitter
New York Mayor Eric Adams wrote on X: ‘Pablo Guzmán was a son of the Bronx who spoke truth to power and held leaders accountable’
“Our city is a better place because of the work he did and he will be truly missed. Rest in peace.’
Guzman’s most recent role was as a senior correspondent for CBS.
He worked at WNEW-TV Channel 5 from 1984 before taking a role at WNBC in 1992.
During his time at WNBC-TV, Guzman received an Emmy Award for his reporting on the murder of a New York City police officer.
He also interviewed a number of A-list celebrities, such as Spike Lee, Robert DeNiro, Sting, Carlos Santana and John Fogerty.
He then moved to CBS 2 a few years later for about 16 years.
Guzman graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and attended the State University of New York at Old Westbury.
He became a founder of the Young Lords, a street gang formed by Puerto Ricans in Chicago that grew into a diverse revolutionary civil rights group active in the 1960s and 1970s.
Guzman is survived by his wife Debbie, his children Daniel and Angela, and his mother Sally
Pablo (Yoruba) Guzman, Minister of Information for the Puerto Rican activist group Young Lords, gestures at a press conference at the First Spanish United Methodist Church, which the Young Lords had taken over, in New York City on January 3, 1970
Fred Hampton, left, chairman of the Black Panthers, speaks during a press conference with the Young Lords on October 10, 1969 at Holy Covenant United Methodist Church in Chicago. With Hampton are, from left, Pablo “Yoruba” Guzman, a Young Lord from New York; Jose “Cha-Cha” Jimenez, founder of the Young Lords of Chicago; and Mike Klonsky, a spokesman for Students for a Democratic Society
It campaigned for Puerto Rican independence, the freedom of political prisoners, and the withdrawal of military troops from Puerto Rico, Vietnam, and other areas. The Young Lords also advocated for change in their local communities.
Guzman also wrote for several publications, including Billboard, Rolling Stone, the Village Voice and the New York Daily News.
“The veteran journalist covered crime, local politics, the courts and, of course, his beloved New York Yankees,” CBS 2 wrote in an article announcing his death.
“I never knew what was going to come out of his mouth,” CBS 2 host Cindy Hsu added.
“Pablo was so original and will be missed,” Hsu said. “He knew everyone.”
News director Sarah Burke said Guzman could “bring out the best in people” and noted that “people really trusted him.”
CBS 2 reporter Tony Aiello called Guzman the “real deal.”
“Pablo Guzmán packed 150 years of life into 73,” Aiello wrote on X.
“His reporting buzzed with the vitality he earned on the streets of El Barrio. He reported on historical events and wrote a unique chapter in New York’s own history with the Young Lords. Pablo was the real deal. Rest in peace.’