Fray Mocho

Who was Fray Mocho?

Fray Mocho was the pen name for the Argentine writer and journalist José Ciriaco Alvarez. He was born in the remote village of Gualeguaychú in the Entre Ríos Province of Argentina on August 26, 1858. He came to Buenos Aires first in 1876 and then again in 1879 at the age of 21. He was known to his friends as “Mocho” and later added the title “Fray”. He wrote for several newspapers including El Nacional, La Pampa, La Patria Argentina, and La Razón. He also wrote for magazines such as the short-lived Fray Gerundio, El Ateneo and La Colmena Artística. He wrote essays about life in Buenos Aires in the latter part of the 19th century, including Esmeraldas, Cuentos Mundanos, La vida de los ladrones célebres de Buenos Aires y sus maneras de robar and Memorias de un Vigilante. In 1898 he wrote the book En el Mar Austral.