I MET OMAR IN THE PARKING LOT OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN EAST L.A. LOCATED ON HAMMEL ST AND HAZARD AVE, BACK IN 1993 or 94. I WOULD ALWAYS SEE HIM SKATING AND DECIDED TO HIT HIM UP BECAUSE I WAS ALWAYS SKATING THERE TOO. WE INSTANTLY HIT IT OFF. WE BOTH LOVED TO LISTEN TO PUNK MUSIC AND WERE INTO SKATEBOARDING. A TRUE FRIENDSHIP WAS BORN. WE HUNG OUT ALMOST EVERY DAY, WISHING WE WERE BETTER SKATERS AND THAT WE HAD OUR OWN PUNK BANDS. HIS WISH CAME TRUE FIRST WHEN HE JOINED MONTEBELLO'S P-47 AS VOCALIST. I DIDN'T BELIEVE HIM WHEN HE PLAYED A PRACTICE TAPE FOR ME OVER THE TELEPHONE. HIS VOCALS WERE SUPERB! HE WAS AMAZING AT EVERYTHING HE DID. HE WAS VERY GENUINE, TRUE TO HIMSELF AND HIS FRIENDS. HE LOVED TO JOKE AROUND AND TWIST WORDS AROUND TO MAKE OTHERS LAUGH. WHEN FOOD NOT BOMBS WAS COMING AROUND TO THE PUNK GIGS IN EAST L.A., HE WOULD JOKE AROUND AND SAY "BOMBS NOT FOOD" JUST TO GET PEOPLE TO LAUGH. AND HE SUCCEEDED VERY WELL AT IT. ONE OF HIS CLASSIC LINES WAS "YOU REMEMBER..BACK IN THE DAY WHEN PUNK WAS DANGEROUS!" AHH. MAN BRINGS A SMILE TO MY FACE JUST REMEMBERING THAT. BIG HEARTED SMALL GUY. HE ACQUIRED THE NICKNAME TOPO FROM THE MEXICAN FICTIONAL CHARACTER, TOPOLLILLO. HE WAS PROUD TO BE KNOWN AS TOPO OR TOPS, TOP-CHAOS.. I WOULD CALL HIM TOPO-47, OR WHICH IS HOW HIS NUMBER WAS IN MY PHONEBOOK. THIS GUY WAS PLAIN OUT MY BESTFRIEND. BECAUSE OF HIM, I GOT INTO THIS PUNK SCENE IN EAST L.A. HE WENT WITH ME TO MY FIRST BACKYARD GIG. WE MET KIDS THAT WOULD STAY IN OUR LIVES FOREVER, SUCH AS BRAIN FROM TERRORISM WHO AT THE TIME WAS FORMING A BAND CALLED SUBURBAN CHAOS. LATER IN LIFE AS WE GOT OLDER, WE STRAYED. I WENT OFF TO COLLEGE, HE GOT MARRIED. BUT WE STILL KEPT IN TOUCH EVERY NOW AND THEN. RECENTLY, WE TALKED ON THE PHONE. HE INVITED ME OVER TO HIS HOUSE TO BBQ AND HANG OUT, AS HE WAS CONSOLING ME ON MY CURRENT SITUATION OF DEALING WITH THE LAW. WHEN I TOLD HIM I HAD DECIDED TO QUIT DRINKING, HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS OK TO STOP PARTYING. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HIMSELF HAD CHILLED OUT SO WE SHOULD HANG OUT, AND KEEP IT MELLOW. UNLIKE BEFORE WHERE WE WOULD RAGE, GET TOTALLY DRUNK TILL WE VOMIT. I LOVE THIS KID SO MUCH. I'M DEEPLY SORRY TO KNOW HE'S GONE. MY CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY, WIFE AND LOVED ONES.
TOPO.. YOU'RE OUT THERE NOW WITH YOUR BROTHER. KEEP AN EYE OUT ON YOUR FAMILY, NEPHEWS AND YOUR WIFE. I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU TOPO. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH MAN. AND YOU KNOW THIS. RECORD BOYS WILL ALWAYS HAVE YOU IN MEMORY. I HATE THAT THIS IS REALITY. BUT MAY YOU REST IN PEACE. LOVE YOU ALWAYS TOPO... PUTA JURA.
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ME AND OMAR TALKED YESTERDAY. I ASKED HIM TO GET ME A COPY OF P-47'S DEMO TAPE. I WILL BE GETTING A COPY FROM HIS WIFE AND WILL UPLOAD IT WHEN I GET IT. SO YOU MAY ALL LISTEN TO THIS AMAZING TOUGH GUY. FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK TOPO..I HATE THAT YOU ARE GONE....
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