Although his official title was “elotero” — a street vendor who sells corn on the cob— Filigonio Ramirez Montes acted more as a therapist to the south side community.
“People would just talk to him,” sister-in-law Daisy Diaz said. “He just found words to try to help them.”
The 52-year-old died Friday night after he was assaulted and shot on the 2100 block of South 11th Street at 9 p.m.
The Milwaukee Police Department is still looking for two suspects.
Ramirez Montes, who went by the name Emilio Garza or Don Huicho, was an entertainer and loved to sing and dance. He played the güiro along with other instruments and was part of several musical groups throughout his lifetime. At family gatherings, he would sing karaoke to his favorite song "La Cruz De Madera" (The Wooden Cross).
He was short, but could throw a punch, his family said.
Ramirez Montes was from El Panal in Guanajuato, Mexico, and came to Milwaukee around 1995.
He was never a person who would be happy working in a factory or office, his family said. His heart was outdoors, where he interacted with people daily, no matter the weather.
“If he saw kids with people that couldn’t pay the whole amount for the corn, he would be OK with just that one dollar,” Diaz said. “He was happy, and that’s why he kept going and working.”
Ramirez Montes sold corn for almost 20 years. He'd walk throughout Mitchell Street and Lincoln Avenue all the way down to 27th Street, pushing a silver cart where he carried his corn.
He usually started on 7th Street and Rogers Avenue. At the end of every work day, he would stop on 11th Street and sit at the front porch of a nearby house to take a breather. It's the same spot where he was killed.
Ramirez Montes’ family long feared they would lose him like this.
"We saw the danger in his job," Diaz said. "This is not the first time he was injured."
Ramirez Montes had been stabbed before, and one time he was hit by a car that had run a red light.
"He had so many trips to the ER, too many to count," Diaz said. "We saw that our family member was in danger every day, especially at night."
But his family said he loved working as a street vendor, especially the connections he made with people.
Diaz said since his passing, people have reached out to her family and told them about how Ramirez Montes helped them during a tough time.
"He was the kind of person that treated everyone like they were his friends," his brother Jose Ramirez Montes said. "He treated everybody with respect."
His brother said he knew people in the community admired Ramirez Montes, but was surprised at the number of people who have reached out to his family to pay their respects.
"He always listened to people and gave them advice," Jose Ramirez Montes said. "Being poor, you give what you have, and he always found a way to be there emotionally."
Ramirez Montes leaves behind four brothers and one sister in the U.S. and two brothers and two sisters in Mexico.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist Ramirez Montes' family with funeral and memorial services.
Anyone with any information about Ramirez Montes' death is asked to contact Milwaukee Police Department at (414) 935-7360 or Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS
Jessica Rodriguez is a Report for America corps reporter who focuses on news of value to underserved communities for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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The Link LonkSeptember 03, 2020 at 10:45PM
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Family mourns loss of Emilio Garza, beloved 'elotero' who sold corn on the cob while making a difference on Milwaukee's south side - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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