Samuel A. Ramirez, Sr.

Samuel A. Ramirez Sr. (born 1941) made Wall Street history by becoming the first Latino to launch a successful investment banking firm.

Ramirez enrolled in Brooklyn's St. Francis College where he earned his bachelor's degree in Economics in 1965. He barely started college when during his summers he worked for Kidder, Peabody & Co. gaining experience in equity transactions. After he graduated, he went to work for the investment banking firm Stoever Glass & Co. During the years that he worked for Stoever Glass, he became an expert in municipal bonds and earned a reputation amongst the firms clientele as a reliable investor. The experience which Ramirez gained and the satisfaction of helping others to obtain their financial goals motivated him to start his own investment banking firm. His reputation of putting an emphasis on the preservation of capital instead of running risks in pursuit of a big payoff, has been a prime factor in his clients entrusting him to $2 Billion dollars of investments. The company established an equity research department focusing on the growing market of Hispanic owned companies. The company purchased a five percent ownership in AztecAmerica Bank, based in Chicago, Illinois and headed by Carlos X. Montoya. This bank is actively positioning itself as a unique financial services bridge for Latinos.

The firm operates out of eight offices across the United States, on both coasts and in Texas, Chicago, and San Juan, Puerto Rico and has a total of 110 employees. His daughter Christa, also works for the company and has underwritten new issues and his son-in-law Chris Harpen, is an investment consultant.

Later years Ramirez's wife, Diane, is the president of Halstead Property, one of Manhattan's largest real estate companies. During his spare time he enjoys playing golf and working out. Samuel A. Ramirez Sr. and his son Samuel A. Ramirez Jr. were featured on the cover of the December 2005/January 2006 issue of Hispanic Trends magazine.