What happens when Bad Bunny name-drops your spot in his new hit song and brings you onto Jimmy Fallon’s stage? If you’re Toñita, you go from a cherished local hero to an international sensation overnight. For 50 years, Toñita’s place, aka the Caribbean Social Club, has been a home away from home for Latinos in New York City. Every Brooklynite knows this. But now, thanks to Puerto Rico’s most famous rapper, singer, and composer, the world knows it. Maria Antonia Cay—aka Toñita—is now the global face of the city’s Puerto Rican culture and community.
In his new album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, Bad Bunny immortalized her in the song “NUEVAYoL” with the lyrics:
“Un shot de cañita en casa de Toñita, ay. PR se siente cerquita.” (English translation: “A shot of rum at Toñita’s house and PR feels so close.”)
Her tiny club is the last of its kind, and it needs protection from the outside world. As Bad Bunny’s new album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, reminds us, all of our traditions need protecting.
So, how did Toñita start it all? And did she really refuse to sell her small Caribbean Social Club for $9 million by developers? (She did.)
Here’s the story of how Toñita, at 84 years old, has fought to preserve her community, and become the talk of politics, music, and beyond.
Caribbean Social Club is ‘A Home Away From Home’
Toñita opened her Caribbean Social in the 1970s, in the heart of Los Sures, a historically working-class Puerto Rican neighborhood. At the time, the area struggled with poverty, gang violence, and a drug epidemic. Yet Toñita’s became a sanctuary. Originally a members-only space for local baseball players, the club became a haven where people could gather, dance, and feel a sense of belonging.
Rebecca Rios, an organizer for La Sala De Pepe, a Latino New York art space, told Axios: “When you walk in, you see the tangible history and impact she’s had on the community.”
And Rios isn’t exaggerating. Toñita’s is a living museum. The walls are covered with framed photos of community members and Toñita herself. The jukebox plays salsa classics, dominoes tables are always full, and homemade Puerto Rican food is always free.
“It’s like stepping into a combination of a little shack in Puerto Rico, your grandmother’s living room, and your favorite local dive bar all combined into one,” Veronica Sanchez, an organizer for the Bori Collective, described in an interview.
From Los Sures to Chanel: The Changing Face of Williamsburg
Over the decades, Williamsburg has become one of New York City’s most sought-after, and expensive, neighborhoods. The average rent for a studio apartment now exceeds $4,000, and high-end stores are less than a 10-minute walk from Toñita’s.
However, despite the changes—and relentless offers from developers—Toñita has stood firm. “They’ve offered me up to $9 million, and I don’t plan to sell ever,” she told Despierta America in a recent interview.
Her refusal to sell has become an act of resistance. As Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, a longtime supporter of Toñita’s, said during the club’s 50th-anniversary celebration, “When she purchased her building in the ’70s, she was making a statement: ‘If you don’t want to leave, you have to own.’”
A Cultural Institution Celebrated by Stars and Locals Alike
In recent years, Toñita’s has gained celebrity status. Bad Bunny celebrated his album “Un Verano Sin Ti” there, even name-dropping the club in his latest hit, “DTMF.” He invited Toñita onto “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” for a parranda, dancing by her side on stage, taking care of her.
But he’s not Toñita’s only big fan. Madonna and Maluma shot their Rolling Stone cover, and short music video for “B*tch, I’m loca,” at the club. Toñita even has a cameo in the video. Puerto Rican artists like Rauw Alejandro, Residente, and Guaynaa have visited as well.
A Story Honored in Congress
In addition to being a neighborhood institution, Toñita’s is a symbol of survival. When then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani tried to shut the club down, in the 1990s, Toñita fought back and won.
Unfotunately, in recent years, City government agencies have taken Toñita to court, and shown up for unannounced inspections. She’s risen above it all, even earning an “A rating” from the city health department, for its “high standard of cleanliness and food safety.”
RELATED POST: Bad Bunny’s Fight to Save Puerto Rico Is Making Us All Cry
Not everyone in the government is trying to shut the establishment down to make way for greedy developers.
Nydia Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman elected to the United States Congress, said she held her first campaign meeting at the club, back in the 90s. In a speech during the Caribbean Social Club’s 50th Anniversary event, Congresswoman Velázquez told the crowd that she honored Toñita in Washington, D.C., during a speech in the House of Representatives, ensuring that Toñita’s story would be preserved in the Library of Congress.
“She belongs to us,” Velázquez said. “Toñita is the American story—someone who came here, worked hard, paid her dues.” And most importantly, the Congresswoman emphasized, Toñita is still making a difference.
Not for Sale, Not for $9 Million
In a world where culture is often erased in the name of profit, Toñita’s Caribbean Social Club isn’t going anywhere. She said she’s even been offered up to $9 million to sell her property. “I’m staying here with my people as long as I can. This isn’t for me to make money or a fortune. It’s to maintain a space for all of us to be together,” she told the New York Times, in Spanish.