Marcos Antonio Diaz was a vato's vato - a dude's dude.
Paralyzed in a motorcycle crash in 1972, Diaz turned the accident into a career opportunity, making custom three-wheel motorcycles for himself and others. Two years after the accident that left him unable to move below the waist, Marcos and his brother, George Diaz, started what may be Tucson's first motorcycle club; a group made up, primarily, of Hispanic Harley-Davidson riders.
Each November for 36 years, Los Vatos South Siders have made a memorial run in remembrance of fellow riders - now numbering almost 40 - they've buried. This year Marcos will be among those remembered. The father of two died March 23 of an infection following abdominal surgery. He was 61.
"As kids we used to ride around the neighborhood on our bicycles, and we haven't gotten off since," said cousin Joe Diaz, a member of Los Vatos.
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In the early '70s, bikers had a reputation for being longhaired no-goodniks.
"In those days if you rode a Harley, you were an outlaw," said George, a career military man who got his first Harley, a panhead, when he returned from Vietnam.
"My brother was a wild man," George said. Even after two years of hospitalization and rehabilitation following the accident, "he kept on partying. I couldn't keep up with him. He was in the fast lane. Faster than the fast lane."
Marcos, George and two lady friends were riding up Mount Lemmon July 12, 1972, when a drunken driver in a Volkswagen coming down the mountain crossed the center line on a curve and hit Marcos. No one else was seriously injured.
Said Joe: "His first words, after the accident were, 'How's my bike?' "
Added George: "I was going to quit riding, but he said, 'No, let's build a three-wheeler for me.' "
Four years ago, Marcos had a leg amputated at the hip, but he kept riding until 2009, after repeated corrective surgeries rendered him nearly bedridden, Joe said.
Joe is working on a book and documentary about Marcos, George and Los Vatos to generate interest and support for their community events. The group raises money to host an annual Christmas party for children living on the south side and donates money to fellow riders in financial need.
Did you know
South Siders of South Tucson, a group of Harley-Davidson riders, formed in 1974. About 15 years ago, they changed their name to Los Vatos South Siders. "Los Vatos" is Spanish for "the dudes" or "the guys."
A few years ago, Marcos Diaz, who founded Los Vatos with his brother, George, designed a patch to commemorate the South Siders. The patch features a winged motorcycle with a Springer front-end embellished with five crosses. The design symbolizes freedom and lost "brothers."
SOURCE: www.LosVatosSouthSiders.com
The series
This feature chronicles the lives of recently deceased Tucsonans. Some were well-known across the community. Others had an impact on a smaller sphere of friends, family and acquaintances. Many of these people led interesting - and sometimes extraordinary - lives with little or no fanfare. Now you'll hear their stories.
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Did you know Marcos Antonio Diaz? Add your remembrance to this article online at azstarnet.com/lifestories
To suggest someone for Life Stories, contact reporter Kimberly Matas at kmatas@azstarnet.com or at 573-4191.
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