Fred is the 80-year-old landlord of the building that holds Happy Fingers, the music store that Jill, Amber, Hali, and Lupe work for. Or-- well, that's what he thinks.

In truth, his family takes care of everything these days, but he'll always be the "Mayor of Flatbush" to the the neighborhood, and so it's a position he'll hold for life. Fred has Alzheimer's dementia, and isn't very clear on things anymore, but the block is his home and where he is happiest. Most days you'll find him sat in a beach chair outside the store with his faithful dog, Ginger, and a transistor radio playing the oldies, or patrolling the block out front, puttering about with a broom, and shouting at his eternal foes, the pigeons that poop on the store's awning. He takes great pride in caring for the store and the block-- and don't worry; his family is never far.

He's still doing fairly well, and he loves talking to anyone who passes by or visits the store, but his memory is impaired: he'll tell you the same story over and over, and he often won't remember who you are from one encounter to the next. He gets a lot of pleasure out of talking to people, though: he's full of stories about the neighborhood in the old days, or the music of his youth, and he proudly fought in World War II.

Jill makes jokes about him sometimes, but in truth he's well-loved by her and everyone else who knows him, and it's impossible to imagine the store without him.