r. Dante Oscar Tortonese carried out an outstanding work in the field of community work, in the area of health and a fruitful labor for the culture of the city of Avellaneda, especially, in Gente de Arte de Avellaneda of which he was the president, and for many years in institutions like the Cofradía de la Amistad, the Círculo Universitario, Pueblo Unido, Avellaneda Automóvil Club (AAC) and others as important as the above which had him among their board members.

A few years ago the promise of giving my father’s name to one of the street corners of Avellaneda came true. On October 26, 2007 a sign was placed on the corner of 25 de Mayo and Avenida Mitre, a few meters from where he had his consulting room. Regretfully, sometime ago unknown hands pulled out that sign and nobody had the idea of putting it back.

He was manager of the Club Atlético Independiente, an institution that recognized him by naming its tennis courts complex after him. And, years since, the big salon of Gente de Arte has been baptized with his name.

That is what a manifold man that worked as physician and legislator for his community deserved.

He was violinist, composer, art patron, national congressman for the Unión Cívica Radical Intransigente, writer and medical doctor. As doctor, not only did he pay attention to the health of his patients but also the latter always found the ear of the professional ready to the anxieties of the soul. He was the founder of first-aid posts in the neighborhoods of Dock Sud and Echenagucía.

As musician, he afforded his medicine studies by playing violin at the Roca movie theater. He composed, among others, the music of “Sangre maleva”, which mistakenly was known as “El Batidor”. He also composed a large number of waltzes and marches.

As national congressman, in 1958, he worked out a bill on pensions and retirement plans, which later was passed and was known as law with adjustable 82%; he joined the committee of inquiry of the notorious Satanowsky case and he succeeded in passing a law by which grounds that belonged to the State were transferred to Gente de Arte de Avellaneda, to the Club Atlético Independiente, to the Club El Porvenir and to the Asociación Cristiana de Jóvenes (Young Men Christian Association), among many other projects.

He wrote works about syphilis at a time when venereal diseases were quite common.

He promoted painters who later would be famous. He was the personal doctor of Miguel Carlos Victorica and friend of Benito Quinquela Martín, Francisco López Grela and Julio César Vergotini, among others, who gave him their masterpieces and made him the owner of one of the most important art collections in our country.

To remember him today is a deserved homage because honoring the memory of the men and women who gave their time and effort for the cultural growth of the local institutions is one the best ways to keep and strengthen the identity of the peoples.