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criticism of his colleagues. Yet he was reelected in 1989 by 55% to 45% over Fire
Captain Lyle Hall, "who had more money, a more sophisticated mail campaign and labor unions' support that translated into scores of ready volunteers." Bernardi also picked up support from Latino leaders in his new district.
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In 1988 Bernardi provided $ 70,000 from his $ 641,978-a-year office budget for police task forces to combat burglaries and drug trafficking in his district, and, even though he supported a lobbying group called FAIR, "devoted to using the harshest possible measures to reduce illegal immigration," he
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In 1986, a 12-vote majority of the City
Council moved Bernardi's 7th District to a "largely new" part of the Valley for him, the northeast area, which contained more minorities than his former territory. One "City Hall lobbyist" opined that the measure in some way was a payback for Bernardi's public
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Yet, there is a compassionate side to
Bernardi. After visiting Tent City, a shelter for the homeless set up across from City Hall during the 1984 Christmas season, Bernardi returned to his office and began calling food stores and restaurants to solicit food donations. When a grocery store donated a
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When this guy takes his spot in front of a 16-piece ensemble of blaring trumpets and gleaming saxes—The Way It Was
Orchestra, as he calls it—his frail arms start pumping, his toes tap and his body begins to radiate a vigor that energizes the old musicians like swigs from a fountain of youth. . . .
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They were married in 1933 and lived in
Detroit briefly before moving to New York. The couple had four children, Joanne Marie Roots, Judith Ann, John Paul and (Ernani) James. They settled in Los Angeles in 1939 or 1940, and Bernardi began his second career as a contractor, building custom homes.
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One of his final campaigns was against the practice of the City
Council drawing its own district boundaries. He urged that instead the boundaries should be set by a special commission of retired Municipal Court judges. In a related comment, on his last day in office he issued a press release
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Bernardi listed his campaign-reform success as among his most satisfying achievements, as well as an ordinance requiring all residential developments of five or more units to set aside at least 15 percent of the units for low and moderate-income families. He also supported rent control.
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amendments that limited police and firefighter pensions and that did away with a requirement that the city pay comparable wages to those of private industry. "I think he reflects a philosophy of misery" because of his efforts to cut allocations for human services, fellow
Councilman
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and Sylmar. For most of his early terms in office, Bernardi represented a "predominantly white working-class district in the mid-San
Fernando Valley." His backers included many Valley tax opponents who were behind the successful passage of California's
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By the time
Bernardi retired in 1993, the 7th District was 70 percent Latino and 19 percent African-American, encompassing one of Los Angeles's poorest areas. Registered voters were 39 percent Anglo, 30 percent Latino and 19 percent African-American.
610:"Curly" during an "emotionally charged discussion of racism." Ridley-Thomas rebuked Bernardi for the "condescending and racist" remark, and Bernardi apologized. In his last years on the council, he continued casting "no" votes: against building the
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performing his favorite tunes. Eventually, appellate courts and the state supreme court ruled in favor of
Bernardi in the main thrust of his claim, which effectively set a cap on the amount of money the agency could spend on the project.
659:, saying that the other candidates failed to address issues that were important to him—mostly slashing the size and cost of government. He ran a low-budget, no-frills campaign, and in the end received just 1 percent of the citywide vote.
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praised him for probably saving the city "millions of dollars over the years with his questioning." In a ceremony marking his 25th anniversary on the council, he was presented with the "no" voting button from his desk, "which Councilman
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and becoming the second longest-serving council member in the history of the city. Prior to entering politics, Bernardi was the musical arranger for two of the mid-20th century's most popular dance melodies.
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decision invalidating the drawing of a serpentine-shaped Congressional district whose parts seemed to have nothing to do with each other than the fact they were inhabited mostly by black people.
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In 1987 he voted against supporting a Los Angeles Festival of Arts with money and services because it was "chintzy" for a $ 5.8 million festival to ask for help. He was joined by Council Members
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As he aged, his hearing deteriorated, and he wore special headphones at council meetings so he could hear what was going on. Even at age 86, he had "a booming voice and aggressive style."
491:, the eventual victor, and Kay Bogendorfer. When Corman was elected to Congress, Bernardi ran again in 1961 and was elected. He served eight terms until retiring in 1993.
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Bernardi's father, Alfonso, was a music teacher who taught his son how to play the saxophone. Ernani went on to become a musician, performing under the pseudonym
340:. His mother died in childbirth, and he was raised by his father, two grandmothers, an aunt and an uncle. When he was eleven, he was moved to the nearby town of
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He was seen as a "loner" on the 15-member City Council, lacking the spirit of compromise, thus limiting his political effect, yet longtime council president
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The ex-councilman continued playing the sax well into his eighties. In 2000 he was a regular at age 88 with his band booked, among other places, at a retro
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After their children were grown, Lucille Bernardi went to work in the county probation department as a records clerk. When older, she suffered from
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Critics claimed that "as an aging white man," he lacked "modern-day sensitivity" when, in August 1991, he called African-American Councilman
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Bernardi was described at age 74 in 1985 as "crusty, . . . short, bald and bespectacled," and four years later he was said to have "a
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Agency, an organization that Bernardi had been fighting with for years. The tribute is in the 7000 block of Hollywood Boulevard.
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appointed Bernardi to a committee to oversee the spending of $ 744 million in bond funds for police and fire stations.
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622:. He said he didn't mind recognizing the civil rights leader, but did not want to give city workers another day off.
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Richard Simon, "Council's Gadfly Relentlessly Pursues Lost Causes But Reform Measure Gives Him His Day in the Sun,"
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Bernardi was nicknamed "Mr. No" because of his opposition to city spending, and he was known as the City Council's "
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to watch television in his office. She died in 1993. Ernani Bernardi remarried in November 2001 to Eve Troutman.
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pointed out, his star—and those of 29 other musicians and actors—was funded by the city's Community
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nothing stirs the diminutive Bernardi—he's about 5 foot 3, a little over 100 pounds—like his music.
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box of uncooked beans, Bernardi opened up the City Hall kitchen and cooked the beans himself.
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Jack Cheevers, "Elections: The Head of a Pacoima Youth Group Joins a Growing Field . . .,"
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Amy Pyle and Stephanie Chavez, "Bernardi Win Is for Little People, His Backers Say,"
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His tenure of 32 years has been surpassed only by the 35 years of Council Member
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Bernardi was born on October 29, 1911 above a grocery store his family owned in
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helped establish a hiring hall to get immigrant workers off the street.
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as lead alto sax for several of big bands of the era such as those of
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Richard Simon, "Bernardi Continues His Long Solo in City Politics,"
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Patrick McGreevey, "Bernardi Is Top Choice to Oversee Bond Funds,"
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Richard Simon, "Bernardi Feted for 25 Years as City 'Naysayer,' "
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Jeffrey Gettleman, "In This Joint, House Special Is Yesteryear,"
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seat that year but finished third in the primary election, after
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Richard Simon, "Bernardi's Iconoclasm Brings Acclaim, Enmity,"
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He died of heart failure at the age of 94 on January 4, 2006.
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Scott Harris, "Last Press Release of the Anti-Politician,"
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while he was in his last few months on the City Council in
325:, the son of musician Alfonso Bernardi and Nerina Biagini.
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Carlton Williams, "12 Vie for 7th District Council Post,"
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His parents were immigrants who came to America by way of
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Julie Tamaki, "Bernardi Suit Against City Is Dismissed,"
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In the 1990s he spoke against the idea of establishing
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Bernardi moved to California in 1940 to perform with
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863:John Schwada, "Bernardi Announces Bid for Mayor,"
784:, Political-Graveyard; accessed February 15, 2018.
416:. He was known for his arrangements of Goodman's "
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778:Rick Orlov, "Valley's Ardent Fighter, 94, Dies,"
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297:(October 29, 1911 – January 4, 2006) was a
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1139:"Appeals Court Affirms CRA Spending Cap,"
760:San Fernando Valley edition, April 3, 1989
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726:Los Angeles Public Library reference file
626:applauding the U.S. Supreme Court in its
452:restaurant called Leon's Steak House in
430:Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge
1226:Assistant President Pro Tempore of the
814:"Former Councilman Gets Hospital Tests"
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332:, from a small town in the province of
304:and politician. Bernardi served on the
229: 1933; died 1993)
93:Assistant President Pro Tempore of the
798:Jack Cheevers, "Lucille Bernardi Dies"
588:quipped was 'worn out' from overuse."
1173:Ernani Bernardi, ex-councilman was 94
108:July 1, 1977 – June 30, 1989
7:
1312:20th-century American male musicians
470:Los Angeles City Council (1961–1993)
64:June 1, 1961 – July 1, 1993
1282:People from Putnam County, Illinois
938:Hugo Martin, "Turning the Tables,"
485:Los Angeles City Council District 7
363:when he met Lucille May Sawasky of
1307:20th-century American saxophonists
1292:University of Detroit Mercy alumni
1267:American people of Italian descent
14:
1302:20th-century American politicians
647:1993 Los Angeles mayoral election
641:1993 Los Angeles mayoral campaign
1277:Los Angeles City Council members
702:In 1999, City Council President
557:He led successful campaigns for
422:I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
308:from 1961 to 1993, representing
16:American musician and politician
1287:Benny Goodman Orchestra members
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226:
677:plans for Downtown Los Angeles
616:downtown redevelopment project
1:
990:September 21, 1986, page B -3
359:in a dance band at Detroit's
1109:Hugo Martin, "Legal Bills,"
494:In 1961, District 7 covered
479:By 1957 a contractor in the
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1229:Los Angeles City Council
1196:Los Angeles City Council
675:when it was considering
564:David S. Cunningham, Jr.
306:Los Angeles City Council
96:Los Angeles City Council
47:Los Angeles City Council
1272:Musicians from Illinois
780:Los Angeles Daily News"
483:, Bernardi ran for the
317:Early and personal life
905:Efrain Hernandez Jr.,
695:as part of a proposed
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435:Hollywood Walk of Fame
347:Bernardi attended the
693:neighborhood councils
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437:. Ironically, as the
349:University of Detroit
270:University of Detroit
927:May 31, 1986, page 6
820:, December 20, 2011.
669:redevelopment agency
653:mayor of Los Angeles
618:, against declaring
365:Port Arthur, Ontario
804:, October 13, 1993.
581:John S. Gibson, Jr.
481:San Fernando Valley
418:And the Angels Sing
373:Alzheimer's disease
216:Lucille May Sawasky
1220:Office established
1156:Los Angeles Times,
1141:Los Angeles Times,
1126:Los Angeles Times,
1111:Los Angeles Times,
1098:September 13, 1994
1096:Los Angeles Times,
1081:Los Angeles Times,
1066:Los Angeles Times,
1051:Los Angeles Times,
1049:"Morning Report,"
1036:Los Angeles Times,
1018:Los Angeles Times,
1003:Los Angeles Times,
988:Los Angeles Times,
973:Los Angeles Times,
958:Los Angeles Times,
940:Los Angeles Times,
925:Los Angeles Times,
907:Los Angeles Times,
887:Los Angeles Times,
865:Los Angeles Times,
843:Los Angeles Times,
758:Los Angeles Times,
608:Mark Ridley-Thomas
523:anti-tax measure.
361:Graystone Ballroom
323:Standard, Illinois
119:Office established
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1239:Joan Milke Flores
1236:Succeeded by
1207:Succeeded by
960:February 19, 2000
942:February 26, 1994
818:Los Angeles Times
802:Los Angeles Times
673:open meetings law
651:Bernardi ran for
612:Metro Rail subway
568:Los Angeles Times
439:Los Angeles Times
386:sense of humor."
355:. He was playing
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131:Joan Milke Flores
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1011:
1005:June 8, 1989
1002:
996:
987:
981:
972:
966:
957:
939:
933:
924:
906:
886:
864:
842:
817:
809:
801:
783:
779:
757:
704:John Ferraro
701:
697:city charter
690:
666:
650:
629:Shaw v. Reno
627:
624:
605:
601:
590:
586:John Ferraro
578:
573:
567:
559:city charter
556:
552:
545:
536:John Ferraro
533:
529:
525:
493:
478:
463:
457:
447:
438:
428:
426:
410:Tommy Dorsey
401:
399:
391:
388:
381:
369:
353:sportscaster
346:
330:Ellis Island
327:
320:
310:7th district
294:
293:
239:Eve Troutman
175:(2006-01-04)
126:Succeeded by
118:
103:
82:Succeeded by
59:
1262:2006 deaths
1257:1911 births
683:of several
597:Nate Holden
199:Independent
180:Los Angeles
114:Preceded by
70:Preceded by
1251:Categories
1177:LAObserved
710:References
636:Later life
566:said. The
516:Sun Valley
514:, part of
460:reported:
276:Occupation
195:Democratic
184:California
152:1911-10-29
685:big bands
500:Sepulveda
475:Elections
414:Kay Kyser
357:saxophone
266:Education
104:In office
60:In office
1233:1977–89
1204:1961–93
496:Van Nuys
450:big band
377:Van Nuys
302:musician
299:big band
283:musician
280:Big band
258:Children
163:Illinois
159:Standard
53:district
49:for the
570:added:
384:puckish
336:in the
251:
243:
231:
223:
219:
206:Spouses
548:gadfly
542:Tenure
508:Sylmar
456:. The
334:Modena
201:(1993)
186:, U.S.
165:, U.S.
458:Times
245:(
241:
225:(
221:
657:1993
595:and
506:and
412:and
170:Died
146:Born
424:."
51:7th
1253::
1175:,
1026:^
948:^
915:^
895:^
873:^
851:^
825:^
816:,
800:,
790:^
766:^
732:^
718:^
538:.
502:,
498:,
408:,
367:.
247:m.
227:m.
182:,
161:,
261:4
154:)
150:(
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