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CBS2 Exclusive: Upper West Side Restaurateur's Family Speaks After He Is Shot Dead

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Exclusive video released Sunday night showed the deadly shooting of a restaurant owner on the Upper West Side, as well as the suspect.

The victim's family also spoke exclusively with CBS2's Lisa Rozner.

Close to 1 a.m. Saturday, Damian Ramirez, 48, walked to his car parked outside parked outside his bar and restaurant, Manhattan Brew and Vine, on 109th Street near Columbus Avenue.

Ramirez got to the driver's side and quickly retreated as a person with a hoodie chased him with a gun. The suspect ran away after firing.

Shortly afterward, the restaurant's cook, Alim Yancey, ran outside.

"I looked at him. He was just looking up and I was just like, 'Oh God,'" Yancey said.

Police said bullets pierced Ramirez, a father of five, in the torso. He was taken to Mount Sinai West Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Ramirez had owned Manhattan Brew and Wine for two years. He was also a boxing manager, advising Hall-of-Famer Winky Wright, as well as Muhammad Ali's fighting daughter, Laila.

"When I found out it was him, I didn't believe it," said employee Elvin Garcia.

"For what reason?" said Ramirez's frined Edwin Viruet. "That guy didn't bother nobody, you know what I mean? He was a clean guy, you know?"

A memorial outside the restaurant continued to grow late Sunday. The family said he was loved by so many and they cannot understand why anyone would target him

"My dad was not one for confrontation," said the victim's daughter, Aurora Ramirez. "He was one that, you know, he avoided problems as much as possible."

"He was a good person and helped charity, go to church -- working man," said the victim's brother, Ermino Benitez. "He never did nothing wrong; never arrested."

Ramirez usually closed up the restaurant with his wife, but Saturday morning was the one time they took separate cars.

When asked what he was hoping for, Yancey said: "Like, something is done. I'm not worried about anybody getting killed. I'm just worried they find the person that did this, because you know what? It wasn't worth it. Whatever it was, it wasn't worth it."

"Now I've got to explain to my children why they're not going to have a grandfather," said Aurora Ramirez.

The family had bene planning to spend Christmas together, but now they are planning Ramirez's funeral.

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