Willie Colón Played Up the Bad Guy With Purpose

By styling himself after mobsters and blaxploitation characters early in his career, Mr. Colón, the legend of salsa music who died on Saturday, crafted an everlasting image.Willie Colón was a salve for the Latino youth of the 1960s. He became an avatar for young Latinos who could not style themselves after John Wayne, Muhammad Ali or Elvis Presley.