ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Mike Rosario, a musician whose salsa band La Muralla was a big part of the Rochester music scene, died Thursday morning after a year-long battle with cancer. Rosario was 73.

Rosario and Johnny Vega formed the band in the 1970s, shortly after Vega moved from Rochester to New York City.

"He was such a good human being that I don't know, you just looked at him and you liked him," Vega said.

At the time, Mike was playing with a conjunto, a small band. Vega said they needed to add other musicians - they needed a trumpet and a piano.  They went looking at the Eastman School of Music.

"We're beginning a band, we're going to have a band, but we need brass, but we play Latin, so you're going to have to learn our rhythm," Johnny said. "After two months, they didn't want to stop."

Mike Rosario, also known as  Miguel, played the guitar, arranged the music and led the band. Frank Vega played with the band in the mid-70s.

"Mike was a very talented individual," said Frank. "A happy person.  Always had a big smile on his face, used to joke around and all that, but when it came to music he was dead serious."

He also inspired those, like Jose Gonzalez, who came after him.

"My mother goes, what do you mean you need him. 'I have a gig tonight and I need a bass player.' My mother goes, do you realize he's only 11 years old?"

Jose says La Muralla and Rosario made him the musician he is today.

"He believed in me," said Gonzalez. "I didn't go to school for music. I learned everything by ear, and Mike gave me that opportunity and I'll never forget that."

Rosario's son said his dad was a loving husband and father who worked hard for almost four decades in the Wegmans bakery, but music was his passion, with every night and every weekend dedicated to it.

Years ago, La Muralla broke up, and its members went off and formed their own groups, but they came back together last year at a tribute for Mike after he was diagnosed. They've since played a few gigs, and now plan to play again; this time at Mike's funeral service, to say goodbye to the musician, the bandleader, the friend and the mentor.