(Costaricasex.com) Alberto, the undisputed “Mayor of Gringo Gulch” and prominent figure in San Jose’s mongering scene, well known for his quick smile, and his droll sense of humour, passed on Thursday, August 11, 2106.
Talking to a mutual friend, Mark Wise, without question we agreed he was “one of the good guys”.
“Yes, I am very sad. I threw a little surprise birthday party with cake for him at Sportsmen’s in June; he was pleased and touched. I will miss him…he was a real character,” said Mark.
Alberto was easily recognized for his trademark Panama Hat, and befriended by hundreds in downtown San Jose. Alberto billed himself as: “your personal leisure time advisor and information guru.”
Alberto’s body was discovered by his maid on Thursday afternoon when she went into his apartment to clean. Although the cause of death has not been determined, paramedics at the scene said he had died several hours earlier. No foul play is suspected.
As is the case with many expats in Costa Rica, whose previous life is not a topic of discussion, little is known about Alberto (his real name, Albert Brilliott): he was a native of Northern California, was an accomplished electrical engineer and had worked for a number of hi-tech firms in California’s Silicon Valley.
He is perhaps most well know for his cooking skills. He loved to cook, particularly Italian food. He applied his cooking skills to produce a good quality Italian-style sausage now carried by many restaurants in San Jose, thus earning him the moniker of “Sausage King”.
Alberto was 65 years old.
He has no family in Costa Rica.