Editing Strawberry Fields (memorial) (section)

=="Mayor of Strawberry Fields"==
[[File:GaryDosSantos.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|Gary Dos Santos (center) in July 2009]]
One of its best-known visitors was Gary dos Santos, a devoted Beatles fan who decorated the memorial in circles of different flowers and objects, often in the shape of a [[peace symbols|peace symbol]].<ref>{{cite news | title = Strawberry Jam | first = Perry  | last = Chiaramonte | url = http://www.nypost.com/p/news/regional/strawberry_jam_6m4y6kTofUVI1KRbzQQOPJ | newspaper = New York Post | date = April 14, 2008 | access-date = September 16, 2009}}</ref> Born Ayrton "Gary" Ferreira dos Santos Jr.,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://g1.globo.com/jornal-hoje/noticia/2010/10/conheca-lugares-frequentados-por-john-lennon-em-nova-york.html|title=Conheça lugares frequentados por John Lennon em Nova York|trans-title=Discover places frequented by John Lennon in New York|date=October 9, 2010|website=Jornal Hoje|language=pt|access-date=December 8, 2020}}</ref> he was a [[performance artist]] who for 19 years installed flower designs around and within the "Imagine" mosaic here.<ref name="Jam"/> His work has been documented in ''[[The New York Times]]''. Dos Santos' income came from the tips he received from tourists as a result of his work, and the three-minute monologue he delivered to tourists describing his work and the life of [[John Lennon]] and his family.<ref name="Jam">{{cite news|title=Devotee of Lennon Haunts Strawberry Fields |first=Corey |last=Kilgannon |url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/devotee-of-lennon-haunts-strawberry-fields/ |date=December 8, 2009 |access-date=April 14, 2013 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name="buf-film"/> Santos was the subject of a documentary film, ''The Mayor of Strawberry Fields'', directed by [[Torre Catalano]] and distributed by Nehst Studios.<ref name="buf-film">{{cite news|url=http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/story/772362.html |first=Jeff |last=Miers |date=August 23, 2009 |title=Buffalo native's documentary explores art, film and homelessness in 'The Mayor of Strawberry Fields' |newspaper=Buffalo News }}</ref>

For almost 20 years, he daily attended the memorial with his girlfriend of 15 years, Lisa Page, and their dog, Mary Jane, and was well known by many long-time local residents. In September 2013 Santos was diagnosed with [[leukemia]].  After spending about nine weeks in the hospital, he died in November 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pix11.com/2013/11/27/mayor-of-strawberry-fields-in-central-park-dies-at-49/#axzz2loqjrtHN |title=Mayor of Strawberry Fields in Central Park dies at 49 |publisher=PIX 11 |date=November 27, 2013 |access-date=March 5, 2014}}</ref>