The Ghetto Brothers' Elusive Record Resurfaces, Four Decades Later

Soundcheck | Nov 28, 2012

In the late 1960s, the Ghetto Brothers gang formed in the South Bronx. The primarily Puerto Rican and African-American club eventually grew to include several thousand members in the borough alone, and factions of the group spread throughout the U.S. But the Ghetto Brothers wasn't just a gang. They were also a rock band, formed by founding members Benjy, Robert and Victor Melendez.

After brokering a peace deal between warring Bronx gangs in late 1971, Melendez and the Ghetto Brothers band locally released their one and only album, Power-Fuerza, in 1972.

The elusive record has become a heavily sought-after collectors' item over the years. Now, 40 years later, it's being reissued by Brooklyn-based Truth & Soul Records.

We speak with Benjy Melendez, who still performs as a member of the Ghetto Brothers today, and hip hop historian and journalist Jeff "Chairman" Mao about the band's story and their surprisingly sweet sound. 

 

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Top Stories

One Refugee’s Journey Through ICE Detention

In 2025, ICE began detaining people at immigration hearings, an unprecedented step. The staff writer Jonathan Blitzer shares the story of one detainee whose life was turned upside down.
The New Yorker Radio Hour |

Black and Latino Leaders React to DSA Wins

Jeffery Mays talks about how Black and Latino political leaders feel as members of DSA have gained power in NYC.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

Jewish elected leaders criticize Mamdani’s rhetoric after Upper West Side stabbings

Authorities charged the suspect, Raul Morales, with hate crimes on Friday.
Gothamist |

Cat Cohen's New Comedy Musical 'Broad Strokes'

All Of It with Alison Stewart |
YOU ARE ONLINE