See that dude standing next to the empty casket? Yeah. That casket belongs to him. As in, it’s for him. As in, he’s dead, but standing outside of his casket. The AP is reporting that this Puerto Rican dude had a special embalming treatment which allowed his corpse to stand upright for THREE DAYS for his wake. And apparently this was one of his stated wishes – that upon dying, he wanted to remain standing. His brother confirmed that this dude did, in fact, want to be upright for his own wake.
But here’s the thing. This kid was only 24 and he was found dead Friday underneath a bridge in San Juan. Cops are still looking into the whole thing. What 24 year old do you know who has a dying wish, if they’re not planning to be dead soon? I mean, I get that if you’re terminally ill, you might have the foresight to plan out your own wake. But if you’re a kid of 24, and you’re leading a regular life, what would ever possess you to say to your brother, “Hey – just in case for some reason I should die anytime soon, you know what would be AWESOME? STANDING UP at my wake.”
Seriously – someone help me understand why this would have EVER COME UP EVER.
Being in the military, thinking about your death and funeral wishes are part of the deal. Maybe he was serving his country.
I’m not ill and neither is my BF, but we’ve had that talk. Just incase, I want people to know how I want it done. Not that I want to be standing though
I keep telling Mr. Mock I want him to be cremated so that I can turn his ashes into a diamond, but he isn’t a fan of that plan.
WOW….SUPER WOW! WHAT ARE PUERTO RICANS DOIN’ DOWN THERE? UMMMM HELLO THE DUDE IS MAD DEAD AND YOU PROP HIM UP IN THE CORNER OF HIS MAMAS LIVINGROOM? ALSO, WHATS WITH THE SHADES AND YANKEE CAP I MEAN COME ON WHATEVER HAPPENED TO RESPECTING THE DEAD? DUDE IS MAD CHILL’N DEAD AT HIS MAMAS HOUSE DRESSED LIKE A CORNERBOY. ONCE AGAIN I SAY WHAT ARE PUERTO RICANS DOING DOWN THERE?
I’ve seen that company that does turn the ashes into diamonds and I am a huge fan. What a cool thing to do, versus just keeping the ashes. And you can get multiple diamonds, so if it’s a mother of many girls or anything else you can dream up, everyone gets to keep a piece of “mom”. I think it’s neat. I’m with you mock
Some people just have that gut feeling that something is going to happen to them. Some people are just death orientated too.
Thing is though, the guy is dead. I doubt if he would know if his last wishes were saw through. Like I said he is dead, so I doubt he would be worrying much about it being dead and all. Some things are just unreasonable. I hope he doesn’t leave dead guy goo on the floor. Perhaps the enbalmer thought ahead and put down some plastic under his feet. We have a lot of fluid in our bodies, and when they heart isn’t pumping, they tend to settle down in our feet and ankles. The only way that wouldn’t happen is if they freeze dried the dude, which I doubt they went to the trouble to do.
Did Dead Guy qualify his desire to be standing with a clause that said his hand must be on his crotch? Was it the mortician who posed him that way, or his super helpful brother?
Maybe that’s how he used to stand & dress, day in day out! To dress & pose him in any other way would’ve been a FRAUD!
(dead-guy-goo EEEEEEEEW!!!)
Maybe when they posed him, they were working off the picture hanging on the wall next to him. (minus the hat)
I swear I just watched a tv show (CSI? I can’t remember now and it’s going to drive me crazy) where people were being more “creative” with their funerals using themes. I want to be sitting on a bar stool surrounded with Coors Light and Club Keno tickets!
his 15 minutes came a little too late…
If this becomes popular, we could have “Homes for the Dead Homies”….jus prop ‘em up against the wall and let ‘em give their gang sign if they wants to…..
Then it don’t matter if all your homies be dead, you can still hang wit ‘em. Know what I’m sayin?
Somebody asked me once, what I would want people to say as they looked at me in my casket. I said I would like them to say
“Hey look he’s moving”
Lori, I think it was My Name is Earl, where the dead guy has a funeral with a computer theme! Viewings are creepy to begin with, let alone with the dead person staring from a corner! At least if there was a “theme” there would be a frame of reference – I would have thought the dead guy was a fellow mourner!
Anyone who feels the need to disrespect this guy’s wishes w ignorant remarks about race or culture should definitely reflect upon themselves. FYI this is NOT a Puerto Rican ritual..I should know…unlike half of the comment posters, I am actually FROM there. Note to yourselves, this may be different by the America traditional ways of viewing people, but it is really no different than someone making a special request for their own wake/ funeral. Get with it people. I am sure you guys want something at your wake for people to remember u by. Everyone has their own way of grieving so..respect the dead and their fams by not bein lame judgemental ass wanna bees!…ANDDDD GO YANKEES! BYTCHEZ!~
Proud Bori
You should read the name of the web site. It’s MOCK not RESPECT.
Now go and have relations of a sexual nature with your own anatomy.
I got to admit the shades are cracking me up
wow you people have no respect i can tell that everyone on here must be racist or just plain stupid. can the homie have his last wish dawn why ya hating on the dude just because he wanted people to know that he was murdered not droped. Everyone has there own style 2 bad everyone in here is a copy of everyone else, thats why everyone keeps saying the same thing.( lame )
Even though Im a Red Sox fan, Im going to say this… Im from the Island myself and I will defend and respect this guys wishes. How can someone criticize and disrespect this mans family,friends, and loved ones?? Too ****ing bad that theres people like you out there. Who are you to judge? I bet you wouldnt say that to a Puerto Rican being present you ****ing idiot. I myself will batter you. ****gots is what you are. You don’t even know what lifestyle this kid lived…May god rest his soul. Theres only one person that can judge!
Wow, this one brought out ALL the highbrows, didn’t it?
Classy.
IT IS PRETTY DAMN SHAMEFUL THAT DURING THESE TIMES PEOPLE STILL HAVE THIS SELF RIGHTEOUS **** GOING ON. IM AM PUERTO RICAN AND YES THE IMAGE IS A SLIGHT BIT GRAPHIC BUT NO NEED TO TRY TO IMPLY THAT HE MUST OF BEEN MURDERED BECAUSE HE WAS GANG AFFLIATED OR A “CORNERBOY”. WTF IS THE DIFFERENCE SHOULD HE HAVE BEEN WEARING A TRENCH COAT TO SYMBOLIZE OTHER HEINOUS CRIMES THAT ARE NOT BEING STEREOTYPED LIKE THIS ONE. UNFORTUNATELY IT IS NOT ABOUT RACE OR TRADITIONS, IT WAS ABOUT HIS FAMILY HONORING WHAT HE WANTED. REGARDING HIS STYLE, IF ITS SOLD IN A STORE ANYONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO WEAR WITHOUT JUDGEMENT. IM SURE, THAT HE SMELLED BETTER DEAD THAN SOME OF YOU ALIVE YOU SH!T TALKERS!!!!! END IGNORANCE.
Bianca…END CAPS Lock!
I was gonna stay out of this one, but I can’t take it any more!
Yes, Bianca, it’s pretty damn shameful during these times that people would choose to make blanket statements about a group of people based on the actions of only one or two people. So why are you so quick to do so? If you took the time to read the comments, you would realize that most people are not criticizing this man’s culture or ethnic background. As has been said many times this is not a cultural tradition. The decision of the family to have this guy stand at his wake IS comment-worthy. That’s why it has made the international news. Much like the guy who decided to be buried in a Pringles can. If you have a problem with one person’s comment (yes, Smoke1, I mean YOU)–say so rather than blanket name calling. As for those who are so eager to take affront while throwing around misogynistic or homophbic slurs—well it kinda undermines your point.
Whew. Well, I feel better now.
wow…for my wake request…i want to have a beatiful female riding on top of me & i want my face molded into a smile full of mischief…now i just have to find a beatiful female willing to die with me…o well GO PHILLIES!!!
Why does she have to die with you?..o well GO Rockafeller !!
Umm…The guy’s dead. I bet that he really doesn’t care what people are saying. Just a guess.
What the hell is a “cornerboy”??
As a child born in PR I remenber death was always talked about like any other subject. Our elders talked about what they wanted when they died what they wanted to wear and who they did not want there at there wake and so on… They also took pictures around the person that died and even video. I guess is morbit for some but death is one thing to some people and something else to others.
Death is part of the circle of life….
Is anyone else hearing the Lion King soundtrack right now?
Yes, and I’m seeing the “dead man standing” propped up against the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom….
IT’S A LIL WIERD BUT HEY WHAT EVER GETS YOU GOING. I AGREE DEATH MEANS ONE THING TO SOME AND SOMETHING ELSE TO OTHERS. WE AS HISPANICS TEND TO SEE DEATH AS A PART OF OUR LIFE WE CAN NOT GET AWAY FROM. BESIDES ITS KINDA LIKE THE SAME THING AS BEING CREMATED AND HAVING THE ASHES SPREAD IN THE SEA, OR YOUR FAVORITE PARK, IN SPACE ETC. ETC.
I just want to say Hello to the family and how cool and brave of the of the mother to allow her son to be standing in the corner of his own wake. I believe that’s what happens anyway, we just don’t know it. However some of us sense them there. I am sorry random people are arguing over a decision made by your family. God Bless you!!! And… May Angel rest in peace.
I AM DA GHOST OF DEADMANSTANDING AND I HAVE COME BACK FROM THE GRAVE TO SETTLE ALL THESE DISPUTES IN MY NAME. I BEING OF NOT SO SOUND MIND OR BODY DECLARE THAT THE WORD OF SMOKE1PLAYA IS BOND. IT IS A PUERTO RICAN RITUAL PAST DOWN THROUGH THE AGES PERFORMED TO INSURE A GOOD BANANA CROP. IT IS ALSO BECAUSE PUERTO RICANS STEAL AND MY MAMA THOUGHT IT MIGHT SCARE AWAY THE EL BURGULAROS. OH YES I ALSO SELL CRACK AND HAVE 14 BABYMAMAS. PEACE!
YALL R SOOO RUDE….i have mad respect for him and i cant belive yall ****in basterds r bein rudy angel past away..whats so wrong him deciding he wanted to stand up that was his wish his wants…R.I.P. ANGEL MAD LOVE FOR U MAN
THIS **** RIGHT HERE IS LOCAL ALTHOUGH AT THE VERY SAME TIME UNIQUE.
It’s retarded.
him. I know his mom must be heart sick already, but to have her baby wake picture going around the net and to have people rudely disrespecting him, well I just can’t put my mind around it! But remember, Angel has done what we all will do soon or later, that is to die! So, be respectful.
During my wake, I’d like to laid across a couch in front of a tv. In doing this, I think people will say, “Wow, this is so freaky realistic and life-like, that’s exactly what he was doing the last time I saw him”. Hehe.
This is very unique indeed!!! To honor a persons last wish regardless of what anyone (including yourself as a love one who is preparing its last wish)thinks is amazing.
Wow. I apparently missed this post and its subsequent debate/drama. I don’t really care who is dead, standing up, racist, or proud. I just want y’all to learn the appropriate use of caps.
He had that planned out probably because he lived in Puerto Rico, and the crime there is quite high. He was likely pretty aware that he may die at a young age
YOU GUYS ARE JUST PLAIN HEARTLESS !!!!!!!!! IF ANYONE POSTED COMMENTS ABOUT YOUR LOVED ONES YOU WOULDNT LIKE IT AND YOU WOULD BE RELLY PISSED !!!!!! HOW DO YOU THINK ANGELS FAMILY WILL FEEL READING THESE COMMENTS !!! DUDE WHERE IS THE RESPECT THESE DAYS ???????? GOD BLESS YOU B/C YOU DAMN SURE NEED IT !!!! HOPE NOBODY POST COMMENTS ABOUT YOU LIKE THIS WHEN YOUR DEAD !!!! GOD BLESS THE FAMILY !!!!!!!
I cannot believe this post keeps coming back from the dead. No pun intended.
Let it go, people. This was posted in AUGUST Of 2008, for crying out loud.
I THINK IT WAS A VERY BRAVE THING TO DO FOR THE FAMILY AND IF THE YOUNG MAN HAD A FEELING OR NOT HE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN IN THAT COMMUNITY THATS FORSURE MAYBE I WILL REQUEST FOR MYSELF
I THINK THIS POST IS PROOF THAT PEOPLE WHO THINK UPRIGHT CORPSES ARE COOL ALSO REALLY LOVE TO SHOUT.
GAWD.
So, waaay after the original posting date, I know… but this post talked about turning people into a diamond after they die…
I keep telling my family that if I’m rich enough when I die, that’s what I want to happen
…they tell me I’m creepy.
I think it just gives a whole new meaning to the phrase
“Family Jewels”
wen ii die i want to stand at mii wait
Proud Bori, u are so right. I read every ones comments and it does seem a bit against puerto ricans (someone said take the time to read the comments and its not about that) but it is. I dont want to go in a black dress that i would never wear when im alive. Yankees cap is great. I wanna go in something i would wear. I also do not want to be put in a casket so every one can cry over me. I want to sit with family and friends and have some one bring me in a cold bud every day. Why be sad the last time u are gonna see me. Make it a party get drunk eat. But be careful not to fall over me cause you gonna have to pick me up! lol Probably posin some what like the pic i uploaded. Hey im different and so is every one else. No one says we have to look and be like each other when we are alive. Why is it any different when we are dead.
Proud Bori, u are so right. I read every ones comments and it does seem a bit against puerto ricans (someone said take the time to read the comments and its not about that) but it is. I dont want to go in a black dress that i would never wear when im alive. Yankees cap is great. I wanna go in something i would wear. I also do not want to be put in a casket so every one can cry over me. I want to sit with family and friends and have some one bring me in a cold bud every day. Why be sad the last time u are gonna see me. Make it a party get drunk eat. But be careful not to fall over me cause you gonna have to pick me up! lol Probably posin some what like the pic i uploaded. Hey im different and so is every one else. No one says we have to look and be like each other when we are alive. Why is it any different when we are dead.
Sorry to beat a dead horse, no pun intended…
This young man was actually a known gangster and he was killed by a rival gang.
His wish to be standing came from an old saying “when I die, I want to die standing” which was usually used by people who were rebels against the establishment. It was meant as a defiant sign.
This young man knew that he was being sought by the rival gang.
When you choose to live a life like this, you live with the knowledge that any day could be the last…