Pete Missing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pete Missing (born Peter Colangelo) is a New York City anarchist, artist, graffiti writer, poet and musician who relocated to Berlin in 1993.

Missing grew up in the Bronx during the 1950s and 60's, as a middle child of five siblings. He’s Italian and, one-third Jewish. His father was a postal worker who delivered to the Empire State Building.

He was one of the organizers of the protest against the Tompkins Square Park curfew that led to the 1988 riot. His symbol, an upside down martini glass with three strikes crossed out, stood for "the party's over." The "Missing Foundation symbol" used to be spotted all over the Lower East Side. It was often accompanied by anti-yuppie anti-gentrification, and anti-police slogans. The symbol was originally designed for a band Missing founded in 1980 called Drunk Driving.

He founded the influential underground industrial band Missing Foundation while living in Hamburg, Germany in 1984. The band has included about 20 members over its history. Two of the original members went on to form KMFDM. The name came from the East German police unit whose job it was to track down people who fled to West Germany. Missing imported the band to the U.S. At shows Missing would sometimes set himself on fire as part of the performance.

He currently lives in Berlin where he is focusing on his painting. He is married and has a daughter.

[edit] References and footnotes