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Mel was born in Oakland May 1954 into a first generation immigrant family. His father was a butcher, his mom a seamstress. His dad was a gifted gardener, took care of everything and Mom was the best cook I ever met. Mel was the middle child of three. His brother, Edward, was five years his senior and his sister, Lisa, five years his junior.
He shared many vignettes of his happy childhood. Early on were indications of a fun-loving mischievous rascal…
“He was real, made mistakes, rectified them, was generous, trustworthy and displayed class that was akin to character and integrity.”— Joanne, on Mel