Editing Mel Lastman (section)

==Early life==
Lastman was born on March 9, 1933, in [[Toronto]], [[Canada]] to [[Jewish]] immigrants from [[Poland]], Rose and Louis Lastman.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://search.ontariojewisharchives.org/Print?p=1&topic_facet=Religion&place_facet=Kensington+Market&action=List|title = Print &#124; Ontario Jewish Archives}}</ref> He began his sales career as a child, hawking fruit and vegetables at his family's [[Kensington Market]] grocery store.

He met Marilyn Bornstein when he was 16 and she was 13, and they were married five years later. He left school after Grade 12 and, with Marilyn's help, got a job at a [[College Street (Toronto)|College Street]] furniture store.<ref name=“globe-2000”>{{cite news|last=Philp|first=Margaret|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/marilyn-stands-by-her-man/article18428183/|title=Marilyn stands by her man|agency=[[The Globe and Mail]]|archivedate=18 February 2025|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250218231848/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/marilyn-stands-by-her-man/article18428183/|url-status=live|date=1 December 2000|access-date=18 February 2025}}</ref> He quickly established himself as a successful salesman. He switched to selling appliances and promoted himself as "Mr. Laundry" (alias the "Bad Boy").