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Long-time JLA Client Mark believes in keeping life positive. One of his personal philosophies is that people deserve respect until they prove otherwise. “All women are ladies, and all men are gentlemen until proven otherwise,” he says. “Sometimes the proof comes right away, sometimes it takes awhile.” Just as important to him is the idea that kindness is a strength, not a weakness.
Originally from Los Angeles, Mark spent his childhood in Park La Brea before moving with his family to Encino Hills in the middle of second grade. Raised Catholic, he chose Saint Felix, the patron saint of luck and happiness, as his confirmation saint. He believes his patron saint has helped guide him towards making the right choice in quite a few situations, saving him some grief.
As a young man, Mark worked as a waiter in Beverly Hills at the once-famous Bistro Garden, a hotspot during the 1980s. Later, Mark he became a high-flying, heavy-hitter for the sales team at the Daily News. But a freeway accident changed his life. Debris from a crash shattered his collarbone and caused severe injuries, including nerve damage in his arm and a concussion that affected him for years. Although he pushed himself to return to work, the lasting effects of the accident eventually led him to apply for disability benefits.
These days, Mark lives in an apartment overlooking Ventura Boulevard. With his rent and bills paid by his trust, funded by his inheritance from his mother, he's able to live modestly off his social security. He enjoys baking desserts like coconut vanilla lemon bars and honey vanilla cornbread, playing poker with friends, and staying active. He takes long walks, and exercises carefully around the nerve damage. “I’ve got a nice little world,” Mark says. "I walk around and I talk to people." What more can you really ask for?
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