$VAR1 = {
          'Sally Smith' => {
                            'parents' => [
                                           'Bob Smith', 'Rhonda Smith'
                                         ]
                          },
          'Betty Freeman' => {
                            'parents' => [
                                           'Earl Freeman', 'Harmony Ellis'
                                         ]
                          },
          'Betty Boop' => {
                            'parents' => [
                                           'Rhonda Smith', 'Louis McFern'
                                         ]
                          },
};

##</code><code>##

$menu[$level] = 0; #<- contains several hashes of individuals and their children as lists
$menu[$level] = 1; #<- for each of those children, a new hash with their children as lists
$menu[$level] = 2; #<- for each of those children, a new hash with their children as lists
...
...