Expensive W. Hollywood Race Shaken by Revelations About Hopeful’s Convictions

A seat on the West Hollywood City Council pays a mere $400 per month, but Gene La Pietra is willing to spend a lot of his own money to win it.

In the past few months of West Hollywood’s third council race in two years, the 38-year-old millionaire has paid out nearly $150,000, leasing an expensive two-story circular office on Santa Monica Boulevard, lavishing top dollar on campaign aides and planning a pre-Election Day barbecue open to all of the city’s 37,000 residents.

Wealth is not La Pietra’s only edge. In a city notable for being the first in the nation to elect a government dominated by homosexuals, the bantam discotheque owner had the advantage of being the gay community’s favorite son. Many gay activists have backed La Pietra, an avowed homosexual known for his financial support for gay rights causes, because his victory would maintain the gay majority and bring a businessman’s financial savvy to the five-member council.

But La Pietra’s money and friends have not kept him out of political trouble.

Last month, West Hollywood’s activists and political leaders were stunned by disclosures that La Pietra had made some of his fortune in the pornographic book and film business and was convicted on federal and state criminal obscenity charges. After acknowledging the convictions, La Pietra redoubled his campaign efforts, insisting that the city’s politically sophisticated voters would not see them as an Election Day issue.

Indeed, in many other communities, disclosure of a criminal background might mean instant political death for a candidate. Though wounded, La Pietra has struggled on, convinced that in West Hollywood he still has a chance.

To many residents, La Pietra’s troubles came as fresh reminders of the awkward progress of self-government in West Hollywood. After incorporating two years ago in a blaze of publicity, the city saw its council struggle through a series of public relations embarrassments, culminating in the resignation earlier this year of its first mayor, Valerie Terrigno, after her conviction on federal embezzlement charges.

“You wonder when all this is going to stop,” lamented banker and city leader Jonathan Ahearn.

With memories of the Terrigno affair still fresh in the minds of voters, La Pietra faces a tough final month campaigning against Abbe Land, 31, a community activist supported by the Coalition for Economic Survival. The tenants’ rights group has established itself as the city’s most potent political force by winning the loyalty of senior citizens and reelecting two council members earlier this year. A Land victory would give the coalition three votes on the council, raising fears among many landlords and businessmen that the council will expand the city’s already strict rent controls.

Alliance Threatened

The increasingly bitter contest between La Pietra and Land threatens to tear apart the alliance of homosexuals and elderly tenants (each represents about 30% of the city’s total population) that was crucial to the cityhood drive’s success in 1984. Many of Los Angeles’ most influential gay and lesbian leaders have rallied around La Pietra, whom they regard as a good choice in this special election to complete the term of Terrigno, who had been a part of the council’s gay and lesbian majority.

In coming to La Pietra’s support, they have branded Land and her tenant backers as “homophobic”--anti-gay--and dictatorial.

“They have not participated in a meaningful way in any gay or lesbian event,” La Pietra said. “They have never been there for any other constituency. Instead, they’re playing at being political bosses.”

Some of his gay supporters perceive Land’s use of the convictions as a thinly veiled attack on the entire homosexual community. “The pornography issue doesn’t rattle any chains in this community,” said Bob Craig, publisher of Frontiers, a gay newspaper. “The gay movement is by its very nature a sexual movement. If anything, (the pornography issue) will cause a backlash against Abbe.”

Worried that their activist image might be tarnished by such charges, Land insists that most West Hollywood gays do not echo the La Pietra camp’s accusations. “It upsets me to be called homophobic,” Land said. “I don’t think it’s the general attitude among gay voters.”

“They’re trying to divide the community on sexual preference lines,” adds Parke Skelton, Land’s campaign manager. “It won’t work. Gene talks about gay pride, but he’s a gay embarrassment.”

Symbol of Gay Pride

La Pietra has indeed been a symbol of gay pride. Born in Rhode Island, he was raised in orphanages, quitting school in third grade to work at odd jobs. Nearly 20 years ago, he came to California with $40 in his pocket. In the ensuing years, the well-groomed businessman became a financial success, becoming owner of the lucrative Circus Discotheque, one of Hollywood’s most popular dance clubs.

Despite a fondness for Rolls-Royces and other requisite symbols of affluence, La Pietra has given freely to charity and kept close ties with Los Angeles’ gay community. This year, he has been the largest contributor to the campaign against Proposition 64, the Lyndon LaRouche-backed AIDS initiative, donating more than $33,000.

Land is no match for La Pietra when it comes to financial resources. A former caterer who works with a talent agency, she has been able to raise only $13,000 for her campaign so far. Her strongest attributes have been her activism and a cheery campaign demeanor that plays well with senior citizens. “I’ve always been a polite person,” said Land, whose speech is studded with “gees” and “goshes.”

La Pietra rises to the occasion when campaigning in his strongest political base, the gay community. Several weeks ago, when it appeared that he might not win endorsements from two major gay political groups, he made emotional appeals that helped him nail down backing from both organizations.

‘He Let Us Know It’

“He’s a benefactor,” said F. Peter Freed, an influential gay political leader. “He’s done an awful lot for the gay and lesbian community, and he let us know it.”

Few in West Hollywood, though, knew about his past in the adult book and film business. That side emerged after Land’s staff pored over court records, learning that La Pietra was convicted in 1971 on a state misdemeanor charge of selling a pornographic film to a county sheriff’s deputy. Court documents later obtained by The Times revealed a 1974 federal felony conviction for selling another adult film by mail. In both cases, La Pietra was placed on probation.

Land used the disclosures to hammer at La Pietra’s character. “It’s not so much the pornography,” she said. “The man has been convicted of crimes, and he was not up front about it with people,”

La Pietra said he was being made a victim of 1970s morality. “Those charges would never be brought today,” he said. “You can buy that kind of material in any video store.”

But the political fallout appeared to damage his chances. Some backers, who stood by him, grumbled publicly about his failure to reveal the convictions earlier. Worse for La Pietra, several prominent Westside politicians--among them state controller candidate Gray Davis and state Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles)--rescinded earlier endorsements. The losses further hurt La Pietra’s credibility outside the gay community. Davis’ campaign also quickly dropped La Pietra as its campaign treasurer shortly after the convictions came to light.

Among gays, La Pietra expects to be helped by the statewide campaign against Proposition 64, which he hopes will bring 1,000 new voters to the polls Nov. 4. But he concedes that even if he draws a large majority of gay voters, those votes alone will not offset Land’s support among elderly renters.

La Pietra’s troubles have overshadowed most other campaign issues. A third council candidate in the race, Stephen Michael, called for an initiative that would allow poker clubs to open in the city. Michael is expected to finish a distant third in the race.