Overview
Alberto “Alpo” Martinez was a New York drug trafficker associated with the 1980s Harlem cocaine economy and later with an interstate trafficking network extending into Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and the Fredericksburg area. His relationships with Azie Faison and Richard “Rich” Porter became the historical basis for part of the 2002 film Paid in Full.
Network Position
- Harlem: associated with Azie Faison and Rich Porter.
- Washington, D.C.: associated with Wayne “Silk” Perry and Garrett “Gary” Terrell.
- D.C. participant bridge: Curtis “Curtbone” Chambers later described meeting and doing business with Martinez during his Washington expansion.
- Shorty Pop: later oral histories place Shelton “Shorty Pop” Walker/Watkins in the social network around Martinez and Perry; the precise introduction story remains participant evidence.
- Law enforcement: investigated by federal and D.C. authorities; Angelo Parisi and FBI agent Dan Reilly belong to the investigative branch of the network history.
1991 Arrest
Martinez was arrested in Washington on November 7, 1991. Contemporary reporting cited a federal affidavit describing him as a liaison between a New York cocaine operation and dealers in Washington, Northern Virginia, and the Fredericksburg area.
Cooperation and Later Cases
Martinez later pleaded guilty and cooperated with federal prosecutors. Contemporary reporting on the Wayne Perry prosecution states that Perry and other defendants were accused of killings carried out at Martinez’s behest and that Martinez had pleaded guilty while awaiting sentencing for contracting for multiple murders.
Historical Significance
Martinez is best understood as a bridge between the Harlem and Washington branches of this history. Participant sources such as Curtbone are useful for reconstructing the social transitions between those markets, but their recollections should remain distinct from court-established relationships.