PHOENIX — Before Melchor Marques Uria was laid to rest on Tuesday, he visited his favorite place—El Capri nightclub.
In a caravan with his body leading the way, his family drove his remains to the dance hall he and his younger brother opened 42 years ago. They entered through one gate, drove around the large parking lot, and stopped for 36 seconds in front of the building.
Melchor was taken there one last time, to honor the place where the 90-year-old spent most of his life.
“All his life in El Capri,” Melchor’s younger brother, Pedro Marques told 12News. “He spent a lot of hours, a lot of time. El Capri was his life.”
El Capri and the empire
When the brothers opened the nightclub in 1981, it was a small venue, but it was open seven days a week. As Phoenix grew, so did the number of people attending the club. That’s when the Marques’s expanded.
The brothers purchased nearby businesses and built what El Capri is now today, located near 22nd and Van Buren street.
Over the years, El Capri has become an icon in the Latino community that’s witnessed many generations in the Valley.
“We love it when we see happy people enjoying themselves, having a good time,” Pedro Marques said. “A lot of families come and tell me, ‘Pedro, I want you to know that this is my wife, I met her here in your business, now we’ve been married for 15 years, 20 years, we have some kids. We never forget where we met.’”
“Those stories are worth everything that we do,” the younger brother said.
The Marques’s came to the United States from Spain as young adults with nothing to their name. They had worker visas and worked for a couple of years on the Valley farms until they began opening businesses in downtown Phoenix.
One of the buildings they owned, they sold it to the city as it built what is now the Phoenix Convention Center, Pedro Marques said.
In 1987 the brothers launched Radio Fiesta La Mejor 106.5 FM/1400 AM. This month, they purchased the vacant Sears store at Desert Sky Mall where they plan to transform it into an event center. A venue for concerts, weddings, dances, and more.
Creating a venue in the West Valley for Latinos was a dream the brothers shared.
“It’s very sad that he won’t be able to see our dream come to life,” the younger brother said.
“It’s a bittersweet moment,” said Pedro Marques Jr about the loss of his uncle. “But I think he would be happy that we’re going to keep going on with it.”
The nephew has been part of the family business and will help his father “carry on the family’s empire,” he said.
Honoring Melchor Marques Uria
Melchor Marques passed away surrounded by loved ones on October 24. He was 90 years old.
But at the age of 14, he became the “man of the house” and began working after his father died in their native León, Spain.
In 1960, Melchor Marques moved to Phoenix. Five years later, Pedro Marques followed when he was just 18 years old. Despite not having kids, he became a father to many.
“He was like a father to me,” the younger brother said. “He took responsibility for me and took care of me and my brothers to help my mother.”
That responsibility helped build a bond between the two Marques’s. They became inseparable until the older brother’s death.
Melchor Marques is remembered as a hard-working man, who loved to spend time with his family and at El Capri.
Pedro Marques Jr remembers him as a humble man.
“I’ve heard stories of my dad throwing big concerts and he wouldn’t go and say, ‘Hey, I’m part of this event,’ he would go pay his ticket and go inside,” the nephew said. “Nobody would know who he is. I think he was a very humble man.”
The family said they will carry on his legacy.
“To me, he’s a hero,” Pedro Marques said. “He left, but he’s going to be with me forever.”