Walter Mercado, an iconic Puerto Rican astrologer and celebrity, dies at 88. The flamboyant television personality became an endearing and legendary figure in Spanish-speaking households, watched by generations during his 50-year career. Mercado died of apparent kidney failure at a hospital in San Juan on Sunday, according to a family spokesperson who confirmed his passing to Telemundo. Mercado became known throughout Latin America and the U.S. through his television show, with his signature, flamboyant style and his colorful capes. He was so beloved that this past summer, the History Miami Museum had an exhibit about his life, 50 years after his first television appearance. Mercado was born in Ponce, one of Puerto Rico’s largest cities. He worked briefly for TV stations based in the U.S. Caribbean territory before moving to South Florida. There, he gained fame for his daily horoscope segment on Spanish-language TV, delivered in a dramatic fashion with an exaggerated trilling of the “r” sound. He favored long and colorful brocades and huge gemstone rings, which he flashed while pointing to viewers.
