Who is Rogelio Franco? | Buzz Blog

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Who is Rogelio Franco?

Posted By on July 16, 2009, 8:23 PM

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Rogelio Franco, a mysterious self-proclaimed financier and Salt Lake Community College student, blew into Salt Lake City over a year and a half ago from Mexico. A charming, articulate man with a quiet wife and numerous soccer-loving kids, Franco, who goes by Roger among the more Spanish-challenged of his Anglo acquaintances, has been linked to acquisition discussions with a high profile local Hispanic TV station and also radio interests. Linked it might be added by his own loquaciousness as anything else.

 

Franco has his own TV show. He interviews folk in, and of interest to, the Hispanic community for half-hour specials for which he arranges to be screened on a local channel.

 

He’s been quiet of late when it comes to his natural tendency to self-promotion. But even a low profile couldn’t save him from the attention of the Orem police, one of several neighborhoods he appears to have properties in. A neighbor allegedly called the cops with suspicions Franco was robbing the house, which he says he’s lived in for some time. He was handcuffed in the kitchen after being caught doing the dishes. The cops released him 15 minutes later, without, he says, apologizing.

 

Franco was at last Saturday night’s Real Salt Lake soccer game in Sandy. Quite why he was telling a Mexican super-team Club America supporter to pass the word on that RSL’s Latino fans should cut their team loose because Real’s management didn’t support Hispanics wasn’t clear.

 

City Weekly rang RSL’s Latino community chief Jorge Perea for comment. He expressed surprise that, as he put it, “a bit of a smear campaign” against Real might be in the works. This year his four-man team has worked hard to consolidate its Latino fan base, which accounts for 8 to 10 percent of the team’s supporters. 

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