(Editor's Note: The following is part two of a four-part series concerning Carmelo "Mello" Cottone, a native of Mount Gay and Whitman, who has spent most of his adult life working behind the scenes for national presidential campaigns as an advanceman or political advisor. Many of his friends locally knew him as Mel Cotton. Recently, Cottone sat down with the author for an interview about many of his unique experiences).

Carmelo "Mel" Cottone, has led a fascinating, colorful life, traveling the globe and handling travel plans, creating photo opportunities and designing rallies for presidents, vice presidents, senators and other dignitaries.

For this local native, his noteworthy career in national politics began right here in Logan County in 1960.

Through a series of opportune circumstances, Mel was invited to accompany Edward "Ted" Kennedy to a political gathering in the City of Logan months before his brother, John F. Kennedy, publicly announced presidential aspirations.

"Without realizing it at the time, my life changed in January 1960 when I got a phone call from Joe Dress, a friend of mine, who was involved in politics in and around Logan," Mel reminisced. Dress asked that Mel escort the youngest of the Kennedy brothers at a rally at the high school.

"Joe said I was the perfect guy [to escort Ted]: I was young, educated and would make a good impression on Kennedy," he said. "I agreed to meet Teddy and we talked for a while about college, football and other non-political things. I'm glad that he didn't ask me specific questions about the local political scene at that first meeting, for at the time I knew very little of the inner workings of the [political machines] in Logan."

This was still a few months before Claude Ellis and his political faction chose to support Kennedy's bid for the White House. Ellis, who was a member of the Young Democrats, eventually led the JFK presidential campaign in Logan County. Yet, at this time, support for John Kennedy in southern West Virginia was nearly nonexistent.

As Mel remembers, a very small crowd appeared for that first political rally in Logan; and those who attended came mostly out of curiosity, for the Kennedy name was practically unknown in the area in January 1960.

"I soon found out that none of the regular politicians wanted anything to do with the Kennedy family, largely due to that ugly 'Catholic issue'-which I, too, had experienced as a young man."

None of the county officeholders or Democratic Party officials came to the rally, and no party official would even introduce Ted Kennedy to the modest assembly.

"It was Mel Triolo who agreed to do so. He was an Italian-American, a Catholic and highly respected in the community as a leader of the United Mine Workers union," Mel remembered. "Triolo had run for public office on several occasions and never won because, in my opinion, the very people who were against Kennedy were also against him for similar reasons. It was this particular campaign that made the problem of being Catholic very real to me for the first time," he said.

Though the crowd was sparse, Ted Kennedy handled himself well during the political gathering, and word eventually spread around the county about the charismatic brother of Massachusetts Senator Kennedy.

Afterwards, Ted was apparently impressed with the way Mel handled the public event, and also recognized his knack for politics. After the rally, he asked Mel to continue to help organize the upcoming John F. Kennedy for President primary campaign in the southern part of the state.

Perhaps Mel found a kindred spirit, or maybe he was impressed with Kennedy's passion for helping the poorest of the Mountain State. Regardless of what it was that first attracted him to Ted Kennedy and the campaign, it's now history that Mel instantly agreed to assist the campaign.

"Some of my friends thought I was crazy to do so, because Kennedy didn't have a chance of winning in Logan County or West Virginia," Mel said and chuckled. "However, I decided to go ahead anyway, and this soon led me to the point of meeting the entire Kennedy campaign staff as they came to West Virginia after the Wisconsin primary."

Throughout the primary campaign, Mel worked behind the scenes in Logan County and in neighboring counties, as well, assisting Kennedy's advance team. Mel eventually worked with local community leaders and politicians-like Alex DeFobio, Dan Dahill, Tom Godby and Claude Ellis-as the campaign gained momentum in the state.

Raymond Chafin, also a faction leader, headed the county Hubert Humphrey campaign at the time.

"I have heard about all the rumors that were going on during the primary campaign on the local level. However, I didn't witness how money came into Logan, who got money or how any of it was spent.

"Instead, I had to remain above all that if I wanted a future with the Kennedy administration in Washington, or if I wanted to pursue my dream of becoming a lawyer," he said. Mel does, however, recall when Raymond Chafin switched presidential candidates at the very last minute and moved all his factional support from Humphrey to Kennedy-just hours before the primary election.

"I was in Chafin's room-the faction headquarters-at the Aracoma Hotel on the night before the primary election when he told his candidates, 'Kennedy has got to come, or I've got to go!'"

There were certain local politicians, including Circuit Judge C.C. Chambers, who were totally shocked and angered by Chafin's switch. The monumental swap, from Humphrey to JFK, only helped establish Kennedy's local victory.