The Brugman family moved to Puerto Rico and settled in the City of Mayagüez where Mathias met and married Ana Maria Laborde.

He opened a colmado (grocery store) and became rather successful, only to lose a good part of his fortune attempting to grow coffee.

[1] Brugman admired independence advocates Ramón Emeterio Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis.

Brugman eventually befriended Manuel Rojas and his brother Miguel and together with his son, Hector joined them in a conspiracy to revolt against Spain.

[4] On September 30, 1868, a farm worker, Francisco Quiñones, who worked in the Asunción Plantation, betrayed Brugman, his son and Baurer and led the Spanish authorities to where they were hiding.