City leaders and residents are remembering the life and contributions of civil rights attorney, entrepreneur and politician Percy Sutton who died Saturday at the age of 89. NY1's Natasha Ghoneim filed the following report.

The Apollo Theater might not be a cultural landmark 75 years strong without Percy Sutton. In 1981, he bought the shuttered property and revitalized it. In doing so, he helped boost economic development on 125th Street in Harlem.

"The Apollo Theater would not be here if Mr.Sutton hadn't had the vision, the knowledge, the fortitude to reopen the theater," said Sutton's friend, Billy Mitchell.

During his 89 years, Sutton blazed trails in politics and the media and made an imprint on civil rights history. President Barack Obama says Sutton was a true hero who made the rise of countless young African-Americans possible -- something not lost on 125th Street where he was king.

"He was a great, great man and I'm sorry to see he is gone. He will be sorely missed," said one Harlem resident.

The native Texan came to New York during World War II after recruiters in the south refused to allow him to enlist.

Sutton went on to serve with the distinguished Tuskegee Airmen. After the war he worked two jobs to put himself through law school.

As an attorney, his most famous client was Malcolm X. He also represented more than 200 activists arrested during the 1963-1964 civil rights marches.

Sutton eventually became a part of the political establishment. He served one term in the New York State Assembly. He then became the longest serving Manhattan borough president, with a tenure from 1966 to 1977.

Reverend Al Sharpton says he and other African-American leaders in New York are not only indebted to him, they emulated him.

"He was suave, eloquent and debonair. When you hear David Paterson and others trying to be eloquent, we're imitating him. He had a coolness we'll never see the likes of," Sharpton said.

Sutton eventually built a media empire with the Inner City Broadcasting Corp. It included WBLS-FM and WLIB-AM which was the first black-owned radio station in the city.

"He delivered the community message like a drum roll. If something happened in the community the radio station let the community know," said one Harlem resident.

In a statement, Governor David Paterson called Sutton a friend and a longtime mentor saying, "Percy was fiercely loyal, compassionate and a truly kind soul. He will be missed but his legacy lives on through the next generations of African-Americans..."

There's no word yet on a cause of death.

Sutton was 89-years-old.