Melendez and his family arrived in New York from Colombia when Melendez was 8 years old.
Michael Alig, a night club party promoter, known as "King of the Club Kids", became an important customer, leading Melendez into the world of the Club Kids, which group included such members as Alig's mentor/rival James St. James, boyfriend DJ Keoki, and drug dealer/roommate Robert D. "Freeze" Riggs [REF].