Yet it is in New York City where the legend of Rafael Hernández maintains a strong, almost mythical footprint—52 years after his death. Of the more than 3,000 songs he composed, several of the most enduring tunes were written here in New York, including the unofficial Puerto Rican anthem, “Lamento borincano,” which is said to have been composed in New York at the music shop he once owned with his sister, Victoria. The aforementioned Mike Amadeo would later purchase the store and he remembers wandering across it as a young man.