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    "parsed_content": "AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTSupported bySKIP ADVERTISEMENTHow To\u00f1ita, a Brooklyn Icon, Joined Bad Bunny at the Super BowlMaria Antonia Cay, known as To\u00f1ita, who runs a social club in New York, had to keep her appearance a secret for nearly two months. The halftime show gave her a star turn at 85.Listen to this article \u00b7 4:59 min Learn moreShare full articleMaria Antonia Cay, known as To\u00f1ita, is well known among Puerto Ricans in New York City as the owner of the Caribbean Social Club, a popular gathering place in Brooklyn.Credit...Jos\u00e9 A. Alvarado Jr. for The New York TimesBy Sandra E. GarciaFeb. 9, 2026There are not many places in New York City where you can feel the heat of Puerto Rico. But at the Caribbean Social Club in Brooklyn, Puerto Ricans have gathered for decades to get a sense of the island, enriched by a serving of arroz con gandules and a shot of ca\u00f1ita, served by none other than To\u00f1ita.To\u00f1ita, whose full name is Maria Antonia Cay, is a reminder of a long-gone immigrant-rich Williamsburg, a matriarchal figure to all who cross her threshold and a comfort to those who are far from home. And on Sunday night, she was briefly the star of the halftime show at Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, Calif., as the guest of her friend Benito Antonio Mart\u00ednez Ocasio \u2014 the Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny.One of the songs he performed was \u201cNuevaYol,\u201d a phonetic mix of musical genres that celebrates neighborhoods in New York City with Puerto Rican and Dominican roots \u2014 and that includes a shout-out to Ms. Cay. At that moment in the song on Sunday, Bad Bunny stepped toward a window in a replica of the Caribbean Social Club\u2019s storefront that had been built on the field. There, Ms. Cay herself, small in stature, but unmistakable with her loose blond curls, was waiting to serve him a small red plastic cup and her singular brand of maternal warmth.That\u2019s what she does at her social club, which is one of the last of its kind in New York City. The club, in a modest building on Grand Street that Ms. Cay owns, has drawn celebrities in recent years, but remains a home base for generations of Puerto Ricans and other Latinos seeking community and connection to their heritage, whether they grew up in New York or elsewhere. Among the city\u2019s many clubs and restaurants that cater to a global citizenry, patrons describe being drawn to the calorsito \u2014 or warmth \u2014 that the place offers, and they fiercely defend it and its owner. She normally tends bar in the back, distributing $3 beers from her knowing hands, every finger adorned with sparkling baubles.In an interview late Monday night from California, Ms. Cay said Bad Bunny had long been a patron of her bar. In 2022, shortly after the release of his album \u201cUn Verano Sin Ti,\u201d Bad Bunny held a surprise listening event at the Caribbean Social Club. There he kept a private space in the back and would come out to the front to partake in the celebration every now and again. He even tended To\u00f1ita\u2019s bar and served a few beers that night, according to Ms. Cay\u2019s manager, Giovanni Gonzalez.Sign up for the Race\/Related Newsletter Join a deep and provocative exploration of race, identity and society with New York Times journalists.\n Get it sent to your inbox.In January 2025, days after Bad Bunny released \u201cDeb\u00ed Tirar M\u00e1s Fotos,\u201d which won a Grammy this month for album of the year, he visited the club and partied with Ms. Cay and her patrons.Then, on Dec. 14, Mr. Gonzalez received a special invitation for Ms. Cay to be part of the Super Bowl halftime show.\u201cIt was a process of first convincing her to get on a flight to California,\u201d Mr. Gonzalez said. \u201cShe has never been there, and she usually doesn\u2019t like long flights. There was also a chance that she might not have been able to go for personal reasons.\u201dMs. Cay agreed to go, and after signing a nondisclosure agreement and making sure she was healthy enough to travel, she was set.\u201cWe could not tell anyone,\u201d Mr. Gonzalez said. \u201cWe were all for it. This was supposed to be a surprise for the whole world, and it was.\u201dOn Feb. 2, Ms. Cay boarded a flight to California with Mr. Gonzalez, her bar manager, her daughter and her best friend. After two rehearsals during the week, it was finally showtime.\u201cI was emotional, but I was not nervous,\u201d Ms. Cay said in Spanish. \u201cThe show was marvelous and exceptional. We are proud of having participated in such a huge moment.\u201dIs she ready to return to New York City after her West Coast jaunt?\u201cOf course!\u201d she said mid laugh. \u201cAll my nene and nenas are waiting for me there,\u201d she added, using Puerto Rican slang terms of endearment to describe her community and her customers.ImageBad Bunny\u2019s Super Bowl halftime performance, a meaningful moment for many Puerto Ricans, drew from his Grammy-winning album \u201cDeb\u00ed Tirar M\u00e1s Fotos\u201d and other hits.Credit...Doug Mills\/The New York TimesEarlier this year, in an acknowledgment of her influence, Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote to Ms. Cay to ask her to join his symbolic inaugural committee.\u201cFor more than 40 years, you have maintained this place as a home for the Puerto Rican community in Williamsburg,\u201d the letter read in Spanish. It added, \u201cDuring all these years, you have taken care of and represented Puerto Rican life in New York \u2014 through music, food, dialogue and community.\u201dIf Bad Bunny\u2019s aim was to portray life in New York as a Puerto Rican during his performance of \u201cNuevaYol,\u201d which samples a 1970s salsa hit by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Ms. Cay was an essential component. She shared a national stage with Lady Gaga, Karol G and Cardi B; she smiled in a photograph requested by Ricky Martin.In a video on Instagram, she expressed gratitude to Bad Bunny.\u201cThank you, Benito, for the invite,\u201d she said. \u201cWe had a good time. Thank God we saw you and were able to spend time with you. God bless you and keep triumphing until the end.\u201dSandra E. Garcia is a Times reporter covering style and culture.See more on: Bad BunnyRead 13 commentsShare full articleRelated ContentAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT",
    "ai_headline": "How To\u00f1ita, a Brooklyn Icon, Joined Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl",
    "ai_simplified_title": "To\u00f1ita Joins Bad Bunny at Super Bowl Halftime Show",
    "ai_excerpt": "To\u00f1ita, owner of the Caribbean Social Club in Brooklyn, was featured in Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show. The article details her surprise appearance and her long-standing relationship with the artist.",
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