The Real Person Rico From Paid In Full Is Based On (2024)

Paid in Full dramatizes the turbulent lives of actual 1980s Harlem drug dealers, including the real-life inspiration for the character Rico. Directed by Charles Stone III, the movie involves rapper Jay-Z as a producer along with a star-studded ensemble. Wood Harris plays the protagonist Ace, a law-abiding man who accidentally starts a booming drug business only to face a moral dilemma. Paid in Full is loosely based on a true story, with Ace directly inspired by former drug lord Azie Faison Jr. Mekhi Phifer appears as Ace’s best friend Mitch, inspired by crack dealer Rich Porter.

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Like other drug movies based on true stories like American Gangster and White Boy Rick, Paid in Full takes creative liberties to explore the origins of its true story. One such interesting character is the ruthless enforcer Rico (Cam'ron). With the movie featuring several rappers in its cast and its title borrowed from an Eric B. & Rakim track, Paid in Full has emerged as one of the most criminally underrated gangster movies. Despite flopping at the box office, Paid in Full’s relevance can be understood from dialogue being referenced in songs by 50 Cent, The Game, and others.

Rico Is Based On Ex-Harlem Drug Dealer Alpo Martinez

Rapper-turned-actor Cam’ron stars in Paid in Full as Rico, an East Harlem native who meets Ace in jail. When they are both released, Rico works for his new friend and serves as an enforcer for Ace’s drug empire. However, when Rico’s aggressive and intrusive mannerisms bring the fear of unwanted public attention, Ace becomes concerned. Later, Rico makes the move from New York to Washington, D.C. to expand his operations. While the other characters of Paid in Full like Ace and Mitch are also drawn from actual history, it is Rico’s is closest to the true story.

Like Rico, ex-drug dealer Alberto "Alpo" Martinez started his business by selling drugs in East Harlem. According to Latin Trends, Martinez was 13 when he first started selling drugs — and then got arrested the first time. The Latin Trends profile also suggests that after rising as a prominent drug kingpin in Harlem, he expanded his trade by transporting large quantities of crack cocaine through new territories, the most prominent of which was Washington D.C. Rico even borrows personality traits directly from Martinez, who was described as a “charismatic and outgoing man” who “brought attention to himself” (via Vice).

In the latter half of Paid in Full, Mitch’s younger brother is kidnapped, prompting him and Rico to gather enough cocaine to pay as ransom. This gives way to a particularly shocking twist when Rico betrays Mitch and seizes the cocaine for his own business. Mitch’s real-life counterpart, Rich Porter, was really killed by Martinez when his brother was abducted. Two years later, Martinez admitted to killing his friend and partner, a confession reported by The New York Times.

Rico Became An Informant In Paid In Full

Paid in Full briefly turns into a movie about undercover agents when a disappointed Ace gives up Rico to two undercover FBI agents in the end. When the agents get hold of Rico, the disgraced drug kingpin reveals information about his connections in Washington, D.C. to avoid life imprisonment. The authorities finally settle for a 25-year sentence for Rico. This ending again goes in line with Alpo Martinez’s fate, as he similarly became a police informant.

According to Don Diva, Martinez was charged with various drug-related crimes as well as 14 counts of murder, including Porter’s. These charges led to the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty. Martinez gave up information on his business partners, including his enforcer Wayne Perry.

By the time Paid in Full was released, Martinez was already serving his 35-year-long sentence — compared to Rico’s 25 years. But as Vann Digital reports, Martinez was released from federal prison ADX Florence in 2015 and was awaiting a new identity under a witness protection program. According to the Sun Journal, Martinez led a new life in Lewiston, Maine, under his new name, Abraham Rodriguez. However, his new life was cut short when he was shot dead in 2021. The New York Times reported that Martinez's death was the result of a road rage incident.

Sources: Latin Trends, Vice, The New York Times, Don Diva, Vann Digital, and Sun Journal.