Judge Roy Hofheinz, who led the charge to bring Major League Baseball and the Astrodome to Houston, passed away in 1982, but his legacy is alive and well thanks to Mann, his grandson.
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"Our house is a museum to my grandfather in a big way. You don't realize it at the time what you're soaking up as a sponge in that presence," Mann explained while discussing spending frequent weekends with Hofheinz. "Everything from his sense of humor, to his vision, to his grasp of history."
One of the marks Hofheinz left on Houston's history might be what Mann is proudest to discuss - the Astrodome. The Astrodome was fully integrated when it opened its doors in 1965.
"It represents this magnet for people of all walks of life," Mann said on the Dome's legacy.
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Mann is very aware of the role his grandfather played in Houston's history, but Mann always thought of him as simply a beloved member of the family.
"They would point to him when we went into restaurants (and say), 'That's Judge Hofheinz. That's Judge Hofheinz,' and I was like, 'OK, that's my grandfather,'" Mann said. "He was human to me in ways he wasn't to other people."
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