Domencio Montana: The Brooklyn King Pin

 

Domencio Benson was born at Saint Mary’s Hospital on Buffalo Avnue in Brooklyn, New York and grew up as a mischievous child in the section of Weeksville Gardens. His aunt Sharon recalled how he was a reliable helping hand during his youth. Domencio had several brothers, but lost a younger one in his childhood after the boy tragically drowned in a bathtub. Benson’s close friend Claude explained how this event traumatized Domencio deeply and how whenever he checked on him, Benson seemed depressed but tried meditating through music.

* Domencio’s siblings with friends (c. 1970s) *

Benson was the subject of teasing in his neighborhood because he was considered a generic lightskin pretty boy. But true to his reputation, he did have a history of dazzling women. Domencio’s stepfather Norman was protective of him, though the boy didn’t like the idea of seeming incapable of handling things himself. Some have believed this motivated Benson’s activities in the streets as a youth. He came up in an era among important names in Brooklyn’s history, such as Lou Hobbs (who recently came back home), Frank Nitti, Anthony “One Arm” Monk, Rambo, Ambo, Kendu Allah, Rasun, Homicide (who was blamed for giving 50 Cent the infamous 9 gunshots/also was a close friend of Mike Tyson’s) etc. His circle of friends was composed of figures focused on getting to the money just as much as he was.

* One Arm Monk & Domencio in Manhattan’s Diamond District (c. 1970s) *

A man named Pop who was also from Weeksville Gardens put Domencio and some friends on to selling crack. The two formed a partnership which thoroughly introduced Benson to the game. By the mid-1980s, Domencio had a steady hand in the drug trade alongside many other prominent New York figures in that decade. However, unlike most who tried distributing narcotics, Benson ascended to a kingpin status that saw him orbiting around other high rollers from his borough like Kendu Allah, as well as other top-tier hustlers throughout the city. Ex-drug dealer Jimmy Henchman (responsible for Tupac’s shooting at Quad in ‘94) recalled meeting Domencio and witnessing firsthand how Benson was basically considered royalty in Flatbush.

* Black Just with Domencio *

Domencio, nicknamed “Montana”, once had an altercation with infamous stickup kid Kelvin “50 Cent” Martin. The incident occurred at the Empire Roller Skating Center, where Martin had a hostile exchange with Benson outside the rink. Once inside, the two engaged in a fight supposedly caused by Kelvin trying to rob Domencio. During the subsequent scuffle, 50 Cent was severely beaten down but managed to cut Benson’s face just before fleeing. Apparently the adrenaline kept Domencio from noticing his face was sliced until he heard women screaming.

The nickname Montana was created out of respect for Domencio, in recognition of how people regarded him around the block of 1600 Montana Avenue NE in Washington D.C. It represented his almost untouchable aura which confidently dared anyone to try him anywhere.

The name of Montana Benson rang bells through the eastern seaboard’s network of flamboyant hustlers and crooks. He was recognized for consistently being fly, wearing custom pieces in luxury and streetwear styles. His friend Claude claimed he was the first one in their hood he knew with a sheepskin bomber jacket. And above all else, Domencio was well-known for his affinity of the brand FILA. In an age where people feared looking too expensive, Benson casually flexed wherever he was.

Domencio had two children with his dear love Cindy, who was a close friend of Mike Tyson’s younger sister Jackie Rowe. Domencio was said to have adored Cindy’s headstrong attitude and wild tendency to fight.

* Domencio, Cindy & their twin sons *

The beginning of Benson’s inevitable downfall began as he stretched his drug operation down south, through Virginia and into Washington D.C., where competition awaited him. At this time, in 1991, notorious Harlem informant Albert “Alpo” Martinez had relocated to D.C. after murdering his former associate Rich Porter. Martinez and his partner Big Head Gary encountered a lot of friction when they tried to set up shop drug dealing in the District of Columbia. Many locals, including big names like Michael “Fray” Salters, pushed back against Alpo’s attempts at expansion. Martinez used dirty tactics to eliminate competitors who threatened his narcotics business, including hiring people’s own men to assassinate them. As he tried to narrow down those he felt intimidated by, Domencio began putting pressure on Alpo’s neck.

Benson made a habit of extorting Alpo out of drug kilos and money, which Martinez soon grew weary of. But the catalyst leading to the bitter end was triggered by Domencio messing around with a woman in D.C. who just so happened to be Alpo’s fiancé.

Domencio supposedly hit the woman once after an argument, and she proceeded to inform Alpo of the man that assaulted her.

After a confrontation between the two parties through a phone call, Martinez devised a scheme to lure Benson out in the open by orchestrating a public basketball tournament in July of 1991. During the game, START HERE --- Alpo exchanged words with Domencio. As they shook hands Martinez signaled one of his lieutenants across the court. The person he alerted was Wayne “Silk” Perry, his top enforcer at the time and easily one of the most ruthless people in Washington D.C.’s underworld in the past few decades. Perry followed along with the gesture accordingly, and Domencio was shot in the head immediately. Those present disregarded his body on the court and continued playing the basketball game.

Adding insult to injury, Alpo called Domencio’s family on the phone to claim his innocence and even went as far as sending them flowers. Benson’s mother and relatives weren’t convinced to say the least.

I’ve been told more than once (more recently by @_ValTown_ on Twitter) that Perry had one of his little homies actually pull the trigger on Montana. The shooter in question is Shelton “Shorty Pop” Watkins, who grew up a native of D.C.’s projects just like Silk did. In the year 1989, he was labeled as the most wanted fugitive in the city.

Watkins is actually the reason Alpo ever contacted and hired Perry in the first place, which ushered in more violence flushing through America’s murder capitol at the time. Silk later explained his first encounter with Alpo during an exclusive interview with Don Diva, excerpt pictured below on the right.

* Shorty Pop on the left (c. 1991) *

Shorty Pop was a lead vocalist in the first lineup of a go-go group called The Junkyard Band, known for their single “Sardines”. The band was signed to Def Jam Records through Run D.M.C. and even made a cameo appearance performing in the rap group’s 1988 motion picture Tougher Than Leather, which accompanied Run D.M.C.’s fourth album of the same title released in the same year. Shorty Pop is present in the scene as the band performs the song in the film.

Less than a year after murdering Domencio, Shelton himself was killed in an unrelated incident. A man armed with an AK-47 walked up to Shorty outside of a nightclub called Classics, near Andrew’s airforce base, and shot him in the face point-blank. There was talk bubbling which implied that his assassination was connected to the previous slaying of a rival drug dealer named Blaze.

Though the cycle of violence has prospered, the art interlaced with it immortalizes the actions and decisions that have pushed people and families into new places, in wisdom and experience. One of Domencio’s sons has executive produced a documentary honoring his father’s story as a legend in New York street lore. The documentary was released in July of 2020—twenty-nine years after Benson’s demise—and explains the context around the events in Domencio’s life in greater detail, as well as the long-lasting sentiments of those he left behind.

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