BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The legacy of Ezra Castro, better known as beloved Buffalo Bills super fan Pancho Billa, continues. This time in the form of a book.
"With the mask, without the mask, that was just Ezra. That's the person who he was. He didn't need a mask to have superpowers," Veronica Borjon, Castro's fiancée, said.
Roselyn Kasmire, a Buffalo-based children's author, became friends with Castro a few years ago. He was a fan of her work, often buying her books for his two young children. Now she's penning a story called "Pancho Power" about her late friend.
It all started last November after Castro had a dream he "had a children's book out." That's when he reached out to ask Kasmire for her help through Facebook message.
"I feel like he's still with us, every step," Kasmire said. She joined forces with Buffalo native and illustrator, Michael Biondo. Castro and Biondo became friends over social media.
"I felt so honored to be somebody that he would call for that. He could've called any artist," Biondo said. He continued, "Once I read her script, I had a smile ear to ear...To me this was so much more than a children's book."
Biondo and Kasmire worked with Pancho up until he passed away in May following a long battle with cancer. The two showed him the early stages of the book before he died.
"A lot of people reached out to him and gave him that inspiration as he inspired others, so he wants that book to continue to do that," Borjon said. After his passing, Pancho's young children often read to him.
"Oh they're going to love it. He's (Castro's son) is going to want to read it every night. He's going to want to read it to him and I'm just waiting for that moment," she said.
The hope is to have the book done for the Bills home opener, where Pancho's beloved team will honor his memory.
"He's with us and his spirit is going to live on and that was the whole point of the book," Roselyn said.
Pre-sale of the book can be found here.
