Fernando Enrique Mata

Mata, Fernado E., 83, passed away peacefully in Miami on December 17, 2025, at the home of his dear friend and companion, Elina Riquenes. He was born on August 9,1942, in Havana, Cuba. He attended primary and secondary school at the historic Belen Jesuit School in Havana. As it is true with many other Belen graduates, the religious teachings by the Jesuits ensured that Fernando never lost his faith in Christ. In 1961 he followed his younger brother, Luis Mata, one of the original Pedro Pan children, into the United States where he found employment at an elevator factory in New York City. In 1963, Castro finally allowed his parents to leave Cuba, and in 1964, he reunited with his parents and his younger brother in Emporia, Kansas, where his father Fernando A. Mata had been awarded a scholarship at Emporia State University. Following the unexpected death of his father in June of 1964, he remained in Emporia and supported his mother and younger brother while enrolling as a student at Emporia State University. After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in foreign languages in 1968. Fernando began teaching Spanish to students at Burlington High School in Burlington, Kansas. Wanting to follow in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and great grandfather, who all were attorneys or judges, Fernando enrolled at Washburn Law School in 1969, and in 1972 he obtained his Doctorate in Juris Prudence. The Federal Bureau of Investigation recruited Fernando after law school graduation, and he became a special agent for the FBI in 1972. His first post was in Chicago, Illinois, where he infiltrated the Chicago Outfit then headed by Sam Giancana. In1975, he was transferred to the Newark, New Jersey FBI office, where he met and subsequently married the love of his life, Linda Osowski Mata. While stationed at the FBI’s Newark office, Fernando had a leading role penetrating Teamsters Local 560, then headed by Anthony “Tony Pro” Provenzano, closely aligned with the Genovese Crime Family. In 1978, he was transferred to the FBI field office in Miami, where his bilingual proficiency and his experience investigating criminal enterprises assisted him in the intelligence recruitment of Cuban military personnel, Cuban pilots, and Cuban intelligence officials. His espionage and counterintelligence efforts culminated with Fernando receiving the Attorney General’s Award in 1983, the highest award given by the Justice Department. Despite his many individual successes while at the FBI, Fernando could not turn a blind eye at how other Hispanic FBI agents, particularly of Mexican American and Puerto Rican ancestry, were denied equal promotion opportunities and were often used as Spanish language translators for their Anglo colleagues, preventing them from taking active investigative assignments and other career enhancement job assignments. Fernando subsequently took a leading role in the class action case entitled Perez vs. Federal Bureau of

Investigation, et al, and his trial testimony with his direct insight into the FBI’s internal assignment practices led to a consent decree after a federal judge found that the FBI had discriminated against Hispanic agents in assignments and promotion, and ordered the FBI to revamp its promotion practices. After leaving the FBI in1990, due to employment retaliation for having testified against the Bureau, Fernando entered private practice in Miami and was a successful civil and criminal law attorney until physical problems forced him to retire during the COVID crisis. Fernando was the son of Fernando Antonio Mata, a prominent Maritime Law attorney in Havana, Cuba. He was also predeceased by his mother, Maria Luisa Sorondo Mata, an accomplished piano player who learned English in her fifties and obtained a Master’s degree in education following the death of her husband. Fernando was predeceased by his beloved wife, Linda Osowski Mata, his dear first cousin Eloisa Sorondo Menes, and by many other uncles, aunts and cousins. He is survived by his devoted daughter, Kristen Mata, of Merced, California, from his first marriage to Nancy Young, and his two sons, Jeffrey and Michael Mata, of Miami, Florida, from his second marriage to Linda Osowski Mata. He is also survived by grandchildren Kaitlyn, Kevin, Katie and Stella. He is survived by his only brother, Luis O. Mata, Esq., of Fort Collins, Colorado, and sister-in-law Hon. Cynthia K. Hale of Fort Collins, Colorado. He will be missed by niece Teresa Alexis Mata, Esq., nephew Carlos Fernando Mata, DNPA., and niece Daniella Maria Mata, the children of his brother. He is also survived by first cousins Abraham “Yan” Embi, Sarisa Merladet Montero, Noemi “Mimi” Embi Macias (and their spouses Diana Embi, Carlos Montero, and Luis Macias), Emilito Sorondo, Carlos “Carlitin” Montero, M.D., Estelita Montero Rodriguez, Rosarito Mata, Henry Molinet, Madeleine Molinet, and first cousin once removed Eloisita Menes, who inherited her mom’s kind heart. Visitation services will be held on Saturday, December 27th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:45 a.m. at Caballero Rivero Woodlawn, 8200 S.W. 40th Street, Miami, Florida 33155. Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. at Woodlawn Park South, 11655 S.W. 117th Ave., Miami, Florida. 33186.