Gala

John “Gungie” Rivera is considered one of the finest conductors in the music and nightlife space. His journey began in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx, where he witnessed how music brought his family together.

“Gungie,” the first word he ever uttered, became his moniker early on. The name became synonymous with introducing various venues to the masses so they could enjoy new genres of music in hip-hop, freestyle dance and Latin music.

John “Gungie” Rivera started his career as a DJ, familiarizing the world with the classics we enjoy today. His passion for music and his ability to bring people together quickly led him to become one of the most sought-after nightclub promoters in New York City history. Beginning his journey in the late 1980s, John “Gungie” Rivera dominated the nightclub scene for three decades. That path placed him as the “Go-To” if you needed your night club to become a hot spot, your record played, your band put on a stage or wanted the best entertainment experience New York had to offer.

Never satisfied with complacency, John “Gungie” Rivera transitioned to a career as a well-respected Music Industry executive. He produced hits and eventually landed his own recording label, “Prestigio,” under the Sony Discos umbrella. “Gungie” immediately struck Gold as label CEO when his first artist, introduced under the “Prestigio” title, became one of the fastest-selling independent artists in Sony Discos Distributed Label to go Gold.

“Gungie” tied all his contributions together when he formed Prestige Productions, a Marketing company which boasted industry-leading clients from television, radio, and Corporate America. Prestige Productions also became one of the most prominent concert promoters in the Latin and urban genres in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Japan.

Despite all the success and accolades that “Gungie” has achieved, his most rewarding accomplishment is giving back to his community, especially youth. That is why he became a board member of The Guardian Angels, a nonprofit volunteer organization that embraces passivity to prevent crime, assist the homeless and those suffering from mental illness.

When the political world approached “Gungie’s” company to engage a younger demographic to vote and understand the issues that impact today’s youth, he leveraged the power of music and created “Salsa the Vote.” The campaign empowered young people by involving them in decisions that affect their future. In the late 90’s and early 2000’s “Gungie’s Salsa the Vote registered over 20,000 people to vote at all of his night club and concert events. “Gungie” also organized marketing and fundraising campaigns for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, produced the annual galas for Promesa Foundation, and was part of a Latino division for the charitable organization LIFEBeat.

Out of his love for the arts and cultural engagement, “Gungie” has worked with the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater and co-produced plays for Teatro SEA, a bilingual nonprofit organization founded in Puerto Rico that produces socially conscious and educational productions for children and young adults.

Some of the company’s famous plays include The Roberto Clemente DC-7 play and La Gloria, a play honoring the life of Celia Cruz and other iconic Latin singers.

Always eager to enrich his community with Latin culture, John “Gungie” Rivera became a restaurateur, launching Babalu, which featured dishes from all Latin countries. The restaurant’s chef was one of Gungie’s clients, renowned Celebrity Chef, Alex Garcia, also known for the duo cooking show with Chef Aaron Sanchez on the food network.

Today, John “Gungie” Rivera is the CEO of the Rivera Marketing and Media group, which offers media buying, digital marketing, creative services, public relations, political consulting and artist development. RMM Group also secures endorsement deals for high-profile TV, film, media, and sports clients. For almost two decades, John “Gungie” Rivera has owned NYC Tastemakers, a daily news and culture publication highlighting the voices of the next generation of writers, creators, and thinkers. John “Gungie” Rivera’s greatest passion is his devotion to the Cristian Rivera Foundation, over which he presides. In 2009, he tragically lost his six-year-old son, Cristian, to a rare brain stem tumor known as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). The disease primarily affects children under the age of nine. There is currently no cure for this inoperable cancer.

“Ever since Cristian passed away, I have committed myself to help find a cure for this deadly disease,” Rivera said. “My hope is that no other family would have to go through the grief of losing a beloved child.”

Rivera has dedicated his life to finding a cure for DIPG. He assembled a high-profile board to help him achieve this goal. Actor’s Kenan Thompson, Luis Guzman, Malik Yoba and Berto Colon, Media personalities AJ Calloway and NBC Anchor Darlene Rodriguez, Music Mogul, John “Jellybean” Benitez, and Sports figures such as MLB Player Gio Urshela and Boxing Champ Edgar Berlanga are just some of the high-profile board members. As of November 2024, the organization has contributed over $3.5 million to research and family support for those impacted by DIPG.

Inspired by his son Cristian’s positive and encouraging spirit, “Gungie” authored and published his first children’s book, Cristian’s Journey, to spread Cristian’s message of benevolence and love despite tragic circumstances.

Among the hundreds of partnerships, projects, and businesses that John “Gungie” Rivera has been involved with, it is his children, Cristian, John Christopher, and Sophia, who bring him the most joy and remain the most important part of his life. Hard work and discipline have made “Gungie” successful, but it is happiness that keeps him going. Over the course of his career, Rivera has left an indelible mark on the nightclub, concert, and record markets. With the Cristian Rivera Foundation, he is poised to change the world.