City Panel Nominee Is Under Fire for E-Mail

The president of a Los Angeles city commission called for one of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s nominees to be rejected because he wrote an e-mail that mocks Italian Americans and makes fun of contributors to a City Council candidate.

Michael Gatto, president of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Authority, said in a letter Tuesday to Councilman Tom LaBonge that nominee Tony Scudellari was not fit to serve because of the group e-mail Scudellari sent earlier in the day.

The letter from Gatto, who says he does not know Scudellari, asks that the nomination be rejected.

Scudellari, 44, apologized Tuesday night. “I apologize for what I said. I didn’t mean it to come out the way that it did,” he said in a telephone interview. “Some of the jokes were in-jokes that were among friends, and it wasn’t meant for public consumption.”

Scudellari said he would try to reach Gatto today and apologize. “I was trying to make light of the fact that we’re both Italian,” he said.

The e-mail, a copy of which was forwarded to The Times, lists 19 people who gave money to council candidate Nick Pacheco and offers some comments about them. One of the donors is Gatto.

The e-mail notes that Gatto gave Pacheco $250. “Plus $750 from the Gatto mob ... I mean family (I’m Italian -- I can joke).”

The e-mail also calls one person a “notorious political dirty trickster,” comments on another person’s sexual orientation, and mentions that a “wacky Republican” gave money to Pacheco.

Pacheco represented the 14th District for a term, until he was defeated by Villaraigosa in 2003.

Villaraigosa nominated Scudellari. “Some of Mr. Scudellari’s comments are surprising and disappointing from a person who has been an active leader in northeast Los Angeles, and the mayor’s office will be talking to him,” said mayoral press secretary Janelle Erickson.

When told of Scudellari’s plan to apologize, Gatto said it “just doesn’t fly.”

“Every Italian in the public eye has to deal with these mob jokes, and it’s just not cool,” he said. “And as an Italian, he should know that. It also clearly shows what very poor judgment there is on this guy’s part, and this is someone the people of Los Angeles are asking to help govern the city.

“God knows what else he sent, and God knows what he’ll do on the commission. People who make ethnic jokes should not serve on city boards, period.”

Scudellari said that he realizes the e-mail could cost him his nomination and that he will also talk to the mayor’s office.

“I will defer to them,” he said. “I am very sorry that it happened. All I care about is whatever is best for El Pueblo. If they need to reconsider the nomination, that’s fine. As long as the mayor gets the people he needs in there, that’s all that matters to me.”

The El Pueblo commission oversees the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument, of which Olvera Street is a key part. The downtown neighborhood has been home to several ethnic groups, including people of Mexican, Chinese, French and Italian descent.

LaBonge is chairman of the committee that would consider the nomination. A spokesperson for the councilman said that he had not seen the letter or e-mail Tuesday.

Gatto sent copies of his letter to the two other committee members, Eric Garcetti and Jan Perry. They could not be reached Tuesday.

Scudellari, co-chairman of the Glassell Park Neighborhood Council, gave $750 to Villaraigosa’s mayoral campaign this year, according to the city Ethics Commission.