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Henry J. Mello

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Henry J. Mello
Member of the California Senate
from the 15th district
In office
December 7, 1992 - November 30, 1996
Preceded byRose Ann Vuich
Succeeded byBruce McPherson
Member of the California Senate
from the 17th district
In office
December 1, 1980 - November 30, 1992
Preceded byBob Nimmo
Succeeded byDon Rogers
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 28th district
In office
December 6, 1976 - November 30, 1980
Preceded byFrank Murphy, Jr.
Succeeded bySam Farr
Personal details
BornMarch 27, 1924 (1924-03-27)
Watsonville, California, US
DiedSeptember 4, 2004 (2004-09-05) (aged 80)
Watsonville, California, US
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseHelen Mello
Children4
OccupationPolitician, businessman in farming
Known forMello-Roos

Henry John Mello (March 27, 1924 – September 4, 2004) was an American politician from California. Mello was a member of the California State Senate known for the Community Facilities District Act, otherwise known as the Mello-Roos Act.[1]

Early life

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Mello was born in Watsonville, California, on March 27, 1924. His father was a Portuguese immigrant. Mello attended Watsonville High School[2] and Hartnell College in Salinas, California.[3]

Career

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In 1940, Mello and his father started a farming business. Mello founded Mello Packing Company in 1948.[2]

In 1966, Mello was elected to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.[2][3]

Mello was elected to the California State Assembly from District 28 in 1976, and was re-elected in 1978. He was elected to the California State Senate from District 17 in 1980. Re-elected from that district in 1984 and 1988, he won one last term from the renumbered District 15 in 1992. Term limits enacted in 1990 forced Mello's retirement from the Senate in 1996.[2]

Personal life

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Mello's wife was Helen Annette (Burns) Mello. They had four sons, John Henry Mello, Stephen F. Mello, Michael Burns Mello and Timothy S. Mello.[3]

On September 4, 2004, Mello died in Watsonville, California at the age of 80.[2]

Legacy

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Lucas, Greg. "Henry Mello -- former state senator / Democrat was known as classic retail politician". SFGate. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Henry J. Mello Political Papers - Biography". cdlib.org. November 2003. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Clark, Samantha (July 24, 2015). "Sen. Henry J. Mello Highway unveiled". santacruzsentinel.com. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  4. ^ "Henry J. Mello Foundation". fconline.foundationcenter.org. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  5. ^ "Henry J. Mello Center". cityofwatsonville.org. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
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