Percy Sutton, attorney for Malcolm X and pioneering media mogul, dead at 89

Percy Sutton, attorney for Malcolm X, dead at 89

NEW YORK — Percy Sutton, attorney to Malcolm X and a pioneering media mogul, has died in New York. He was 89.

Marissa Shorenstein, a spokeswoman for Gov. David Paterson, confirmed Sutton’s death Saturday. She did not know the cause of death.

The son of a slave, Sutton became a fixture in Harlem after moving to New York City following his military service with the famed Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. His law office represented Malcolm X and the slain activist’s family for decades.

In the 1970s, Sutton built up a business in radio. With his brother, he purchased WLIB-AM, making it the first black-owned radio station in New York City. His Inner City Broadcasting Corp. owned stations nationwide.

Sutton was elected to political office in New York, and mentored Jesse Jackson during two presidential races.