Notes from the Publisher

DW3 is in a jam, and not the fun kind they are known for. So, I’m dedicating this column to lend my support to them.

If you’ve celebrated a birthday, anniversary, retirement or any other special occasion, most likely you’ve done it wherever DW3 is performing. And, often that’s at Spaghettini Fine Dining & Entertainment in Seal Beach, California. The ultimate party band is so full of soul that between sips of champagne and bites of Parmesancrusted sea bass, brunch audiences can’t help but spring out of their seats and onto their feet to dance, or sing along to R&B classics, contemporary favorites and their cool compositions. By the end of their first set, there’s usually a conga line around the lounge or groups Electric-sliding or Cupid Shuffling their way through the crowd. But if you’re not within driving distance of this hot spot, or any of the other Southern California venues that they pack to capacity at each performance, perhaps you fell in love with them on one of the jazz-themed cruises. That’s where I first heard them nearly 20 years ago. Sadly, the founding members are currently enduring some tragic circumstances. Eric Mondragon, the band’s keyboardist, suffered a heart attack while performing at Spaghettini on New Year’s Eve. “Eric was halfway through the first set when it happened,” said Cary Hardwick, co-owner of Spaghettini. “He wanted to finish the set, and I told him, ‘No, you’re going to the hospital.’ And, I had Q [entertainment director John Quigley] drive him to Los Alamitos Medical Center.”

Forty-nine-year-old Eric said: “It was New Year’s Eve. That’s a big night, and I didn’t want to disappoint anyone. I knew something was wrong, but I wanted to finish both shows, then I’d go to the hospital. But I left during the first set. They said I had a heart attack and put two stents in me.” Although Eric, who is the sole provider for his wife and three children, is recovering, his ability to perform is curtailed for the foreseeable future. Clearly, this will make it very difficult to earn his typical income. If that wasn’t bad enough, his brother, vocalist Billy Mondragon, contracted COVID-19 during Christmas, which put him in the hospital for two weeks, part of that time in the intensive care unit. The illness developed into double pneumonia, from which he is currently struggling to recover. It’s an extremely difficult situation for a singer that has dramatically hindered his ability to perform. As if things couldn’t get DW3: Eric Mondragon, Damon Reel and Billy Mondragon any worse, Billy’s wife, Irma, who also contracted COVID-19, has been hospitalized in ICU on a ventilator for more than two months. Billy and his children have not been able to visit her, and their communication with her has been limited. While dealing with double pneumonia, Billy is now his family’s only breadwinner, as Irma obviously is unable to work at her longtime job as an executive assistant with the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association. The couple, who have been together for 30 years, married for 25, have two children, including a 19-year-old son who is autistic. And, the likelihood of Irma’s survival is a daily topic. Unbeknownst to Hardwick and his Spaghettini co-owner Laurie Sisneros, all of this was occurring while Billy continued performing most of his gigs.

Photo: Erin Blair Studio