He was the subject of the documentary feature film, California Typewriter.
Permillion was born in New Orleans to a line of jazz musicians, his father a big-band trumpeter.
That year he was employed by Pacific Bell, and in 1967 joined IBM as a repairman.
The business later moved to his own building on San Pablo Ave in Berkeley.
[1] [2][3] California Typewriter, a 2016 American documentary film directed by Doug Nichol, featured Permillion, his family, employees and the community members he influenced as the owner of California Typewriter Company.