NEW YORK (PIX11) — With much of the buzz after Sunday night’s Super Bowl halftime show focused on Bad Bunny, Puerto Ricans in New York zeroed in on a different moment — an unexpected cameo by an 85-year-old Brooklyn woman known simply as Toñita.
Bad Bunny, whose given name is Benito Martínez Ocasio, shared the stage with Toñita during the performance in San Francisco, pairing the global superstar with a beloved Williamsburg fixture in front of a worldwide audience.
“I’m in my 40s, and I actually cried,” said Jime Moreno, who watched the show from New York. “I couldn’t believe it was happening in my lifetime.”
During his song NUEVAYoL, Toñita, born María Antonia Cay, appeared in a vignette serving cañita to Bad Bunny, a nod to her longtime role as matriarch of the community.
Toñita later thanked the artist in an Instagram video, saying, “Thank you, Benito, for inviting us. We had a great time.”
For more than 50 years, Toñita has run one of New York City’s last remaining Puerto Rican social clubs, the Caribbean Social Club on Grand Street in Brooklyn.
“She’s the abuelita of the South Side of Williamsburg,” said Clem’s bar manager, Rob Tebow.
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Crowds inside neighborhood bars erupted when Toñita appeared on screen, her cameo broadcast to an estimated 135 million viewers. While she kept her involvement quiet, many locals suspected something was coming.
Bad Bunny has become a regular visitor to her club, according to neighbors and bartenders in the area.
“We had this feeling,” said bartender Michele Luger. “He loves her and is sharing her with the world now.”
Frankie Rivera, who moved to New York from Puerto Rico 60 years ago, said he’s been her neighbor for over a decade.
“I feel happy for her and for all of us,” Rivera said.
The club, where Toñita regularly cooks for neighbors, remains a cultural fixture amid a rapidly changing block. She once turned down a reported $9 million offer to sell the property, choosing instead to preserve the space.
Each summer, the block celebrates Puerto Rican traditions she has passed down to the next generation.
“[Bad Bunny] showed the unification that we have despite everything,” said Aby Moran. “It made me feel proud to be Latina.”
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