Changes

===The Legends Revealed===

===The Legends Revealed===

[[image:TheCoronadosHeylove.jpg|thumb|Front: Ruben Ortiz, back: Steven Ortiz]]

[[image:TheCoronadosHeylove.jpg|thumb|Front: Ruben Ortiz, back: Steven Ortiz]]

Despite Ortiz' attempts, there is enough information available to counter the various and at times even inconsistent legends he has been spreading since the 1960s. The alleged brother-in-law Steven Coronado who played with the „Coronados“ and later the „Silverbirds“, too, was in fact Ruben's younger brother Steven Ortiz. Steven is somewhat more truthful about his family and mentions his parents' proper names as José Torres Ortiz and Florinda Naranjo Ortiz.<ref>http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/feb/10/east_naples_man_recounts_story_growing_under_big_t/ accessed 24/06/2013</ref>

Despite Ortiz' attempts, there is enough information available to counter the various and at times even inconsistent legends he has been spreading since the 1960s. The alleged brother-in-law Steven Ortiz who played with the „Coronados“ and later the „Silverbirds“, too, was in fact Ruben's younger brother Steven Ortiz. Steven is somewhat more truthful about his family and mentions his parents' proper names as José Torres Ortiz and Florinda Naranjo Ortiz.<ref>http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/feb/10/east_naples_man_recounts_story_growing_under_big_t/ accessed 24/06/2013</ref>

Ortiz' parents in fact were Mexican citizens living in Mexico who operated a small family circus/traveling vaudeville show, crossing the border to the USA for the season to perform in towns in Texas and New Mexico. Their competitors were another Mexican circus family by the name of Mendoza, touring the same region with a similar show.<ref>Mary Jane Walker: Family Music and Family Bands in New Mexico Music. 2011. p. 107. Publication of a 2008 dissertation at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.</ref>  

Ortiz' father was Tewa Indian from Mexico and his mother was Navajo from Santa Clara New Mexico, they operated a small family circus/traveling vaudeville show, traveling from New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. Their competitors were another Mexican circus family by the name of Mendoza, touring the same region with a similar show.<ref>Mary Jane Walker: Family Music and Family Bands in New Mexico Music. 2011. p. 107. Publication of a 2008 dissertation at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.</ref>  

According to Steven's report, his father went out of business and sold his circus tent which he attributes to a gasoline shortage due to World War II. Ruben's blindness indeed gets mentioned, however, Ruben was not born blind, and his blindness according to Steven's account seems to have been no more than a matter of weeks or perhaps months. There are also no indigenous healing methods mentioned; Steven Ortiz rather attributes Ruben's recovery to their mother's intense praying.<ref name="Montaño">Mary Caroline Montaño: Tradiciones Nuevomexicanas: Hispano Arts and Culture of New Mexico. University of Mexico 2001, p. 339</ref>  

According to Steven's report, his father went out of business and sold his circus tent which he attributes to a gasoline shortage due to World War II. Ruben's blindness indeed gets mentioned, however, Ruben was not born blind, and his blindness according to Steven's account seems to have been no more than a matter of weeks or perhaps months. There are also no indigenous healing methods mentioned; Steven Ortiz rather attributes Ruben's recovery to their mother's intense praying.<ref name="Montaño">Mary Caroline Montaño: Tradiciones Nuevomexicanas: Hispano Arts and Culture of New Mexico. University of Mexico 2001, p. 339</ref>