Isabel la Negra

Isabel Luberza Oppenheimer (born approx. 1910, murdered in 1974), better known as Isabel la Negra was a Puerto Rican brothel owner and madam. Her name, and her brothel "Elizabeth's Dancing Club", became part of Puerto Rico's lore during and after her life. She was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico

History and legends

Although she has been branded as a "criminal", her only "crime" was to own and operate a notorious house of prostitution in Ponce, in the late 1930s to the mid 1960s. At the time, like in many other places, prostitution was tolerated. Urban legends and rumors state that her house was visited by many politicians, businessmen, and members of the clergy. Of course, there is no documentation about these claims.

Apart from her business as a madam, well documented in many Puerto Rican newspapers such as "El Dia" and "El Vocero", not much is known about her.

The most widely accepted legend is that Isabel left her house as a young teenager to live with a wealthy man, only to find out that he was married. She then started to date another wealthy man, a much older, American man. While Isabel was happy with him for some time, he grew disrespectful of Isabel's Puerto Rican traditions. On Saints Day, a typical Latin American holiday, he blew out the candles she had lit to honor the saints.

After this episode, she left him and returned home, only to find out that her home was now being used as a brothel. Isabel, maybe being naive, at first did not know the women occupying her house were selling their bodies to men, as she thought they were giving out sex only because they liked it. However, soon she discovered they were selling themselves, and she began to do business in prostitution.

"Isabel la Negra" then declared herself "Madame" of her brothel, "Elizabeth's Dancing Club". According to legend also, Ponce's mayor was one of her clients, and the Puerto Ricans serving in the U.S. Armed Forces and the National Guard would use her brothel's services almost exclusively when they were in Ponce or in training in nearby Salinas and Fort Allen.

Even after she died, her legend continued on growing. Some even consider her an example of the feminist movement in Puerto Rico.

In the media

In 1979, a movie named "A Life of Sin" was released, starring Miriam Colon as Isabel, with Jose Ferrer, Raul Julia, Miguel Angel Suarez, and Henry Darrow. The movie was directed by Efraín López Neris.

Author Mayra Santos Febres has written a novel based on Luberza Oppenheimer's life called "Nuestra Señora de la Noche (Our Lady of the Night)".

ee also

*List of famous Puerto Ricans