A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT by ROUND TABLE BOSS TALK and NOONLIGHT
Mango piña, Creston AvE, and the Bronx.
The project celebrates 'Mango Piña,” in a cinematic trip into the heart of music, drugs, gangs, and culture along an infamous Ave in the 2000s Bronx.
Big Will brings on Art Director Vero Perez in a collaboration that will bring to the front a community where Reggaeton sounds provide the soundtrack to daily survival.
Through explicit interviews, uncovered and digitized archival footage, and dramatic reenactments, experience the stories that define this dynamic neighborhood in a soulful documentary series. 'Mango Piña,’ and ‘Creston Ave' celebrate the cultural richness and enduring spirit of the Bronx, highlighting how music, loyalty, and cultural identity condition and are shaped by the people of Creston Avenue
PROJECT CONCEPT
Our project highlights a notorious Bronx neighborhood, famed for the Mango Piña weed strain and its transformation into a nexus of criminal enterprise. To begin development, we are taking notes from Julito, a Creston Ave born and raised who advances to become a kingpin throughout his teens. The project explores the complex interplay of heartbreaking human experiences, music, culture, and intense street life.
The themes will be based on the transformative decades of Creston Avenue. From the 1970s to 2015, the documentary traces the rise and trials of key figures in this Bronx neighborhood—from young lookouts to seasoned enforcers. Drawing from sources like 'The United States of America v Julito,' the film paints a vivid picture of a community shaped by crime, law enforcement, and resilience.
The project also walks the line on wider societal repercussions as it explores how family bonds and friendships withstand the forces of urban youth culture and drug trafficking. The influence of Creston Ave's empire reaches beyond its geographical limits, resonating within the dynamic Reggaeton scene across NYC and Puerto Rico and influencing mainstream media, as seen in the Netflix series "El Ganador," featuring artists like Nicky Jam, Daddy Yankee, and others. We have opportunities to interview names in the Bronx and Spanish hip-hop scene, reggeaton, and Spanish music to further solidify the reality of the times.
Access is essential for projects of this nature, and our executive producers, who come from the areas under discussion, facilitate entry to often “off-limit” or dangerous locations. Our team is well-equipped to conduct in-depth interviews with prominent figures in hip-hop and reggaeton. This documentary thoughtfully highlights the profound influence of the community on its youth, weaving together a narrative of resilience and tragedy that echoes across the streets of the Bronx.
For this project, amongst other literature, we are mainly using Angel Diaz’s “The United States of America vs Julito,” for research and development.