Mekhi Phifer Felt ‘Obligation To Do These Brothers Justice’ In Classic Gangster Film ‘Paid In Full’
News that former drug lord Alberto “Alpo” Martinez was fatally gunned down prompted actor Mekhi Phifer to reminisce about his experience making the 2002 classic film Paid in Full that was inspired by the kingpin’s life.
Police found Martinez, 55, behind the steering wheel of his Dodge Ram truck gasping for air after a drive-by shooting on Oct. 31 in Harlem.
Medics rushed Martinez, who once sat on top of a cocaine empire in the 1990s that stretched from New York to Washington, D.C., to Harlem Hospital but were unable to save him.
Paid in Full features rapper Cam’ron as Martinez and Phifer in the role of Martinez’s business partner Rich Porter.
“We had an obligation to do these brothers justice! I'm just happy we were able to have the honor of doing so,” Phifer wrote in an Instagram post, adding that he and Cam’ron attended Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics in Harlem at the same time.
The actor said he never met Porter but “grew up knowing the legend of these Kats and had to represent the humanity in the choices they made.”
Martinez was arrested in 1991 by the FBI and D.C. police as he drove his truck in Southeast Washington, The Washington Post reported. He was wanted for drug trafficking and drug-related killings.
Ultimately, Martinez confessed to 14 murders but became a government witness who testified against his underlings. One of the murder victims was his longtime friend and partner in crime Porter, who Martinez believed was cutting in on drug deals.
One of Martinez’s associates shot Porter for the crime bosses. When Porter didn’t immediately die, Martinez confessed that he “shot him in the head,” The New York Times reported.
“Hopefully lessons were learned and not glorified in any way,” Phifer’s post continued. “Hopefully we were able to capture their motivation and mannerisms. RIP to both these brothers. Much love!”
