Vaccine Therapy and Interleukin-12 With Either Alum or Sargramostim After Surgery in Treating Patients With Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of stage IIB, IIC, III, or IV cutaneous melanoma OR stage III or IV ocular or mucosal melanoma * Resected or rendered disease-free * HLA-A2.1-positive by standard cytotoxicity assay * Tumor tissue must be available for analysis of gp100 staining and tyrosinase and MART-1 expression by immunohistochemistry * Must be positive for at least 1 antigen * Failed, ineligible for, or refused prior interferon alfa PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and over Performance status: * ECOG 0-1 Life expectancy: * Not specified Hematopoietic: * WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3 * Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 9.0 g/dL * No bleeding disorder Hepatic: * Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL * SGOT/SGPT no greater than 2.5 times normal * No coagulation disorder * Hepatitis surface antigen B negative * Hepatitis C negative Renal: * Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL Cardiovascular: * No major cardiovascular illness Pulmonary: * No major respiratory illness Immunologic: * No prior uveitis * No prior autoimmune inflammatory eye disease * No immune hemolytic anemia * No other active autoimmune disease Other: * HIV negative * No major gastrointestinal illness * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix curatively treated at least 30 days ago * No major systemic infection (e.g., pneumonia or sepsis) * No other major medical illness * No prior allergic reaction to Montanide ISA-51 or alum adjuvant * No requirement for steroid therapy * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * See Disease Characteristics * No prior tyrosinase:368-376 (370D), gp100:209-217 (210M), or MART-1:26-35 (27L) peptides Chemotherapy: * At least 1 month since prior adjuvant chemotherapy for this disease * No concurrent adjuvant chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * No concurrent steroids Radiotherapy: * At least 1 month since prior radiotherapy for this disease * No concurrent radiotherapy Surgery: * See Disease Characteristics Other: * At least 1 month since other prior therapy, including adjuvant therapy, for this disease * No other concurrent therapy, including adjuvant therapy