At his barbershop, Fel’s Hair Creations, Felice Murale, who was known as Fel, forged relationships with people throughout West Hempstead. Since he opened the shop with his father, Luigi, in 1974, it has become a fixture in the community. “People say that he should’ve retired, but he never looked at his work as a job to him,” said Murale’s niece Vanessa Morrison. “He truly loved what he did.”

Murale died of Covid-19 on Feb. 9, at age 74. Another niece, Gabby Concialdi, said that his death shocked the members of his extended family. “We all know how dangerous Covid is, but my uncle was healthy,” Concialdi said. “He was strong, he went to the gym, he took his vitamins and he ate well.”