It Was Ferraro Who Called Gates’ Bluff

Last Friday afternoon, City Council President John Ferraro quietly and firmly told Police Chief Daryl F. Gates the game had ended.

Ferraro didn’t deliver the message directly to Gates, who had sent City Hall into turmoil by threatening to stay in office until mid-July, or perhaps forever. He passed it on to Gates’ lawyer, Jay Grodin, who informed his client.

On Monday, Gates backed off. Just bluffing, he said.

It was a revealing episode, showing how politics works behind the scenes. Councilmen Mike Woo, Zev Yaroslavsky and Mark Ridley-Thomas may have been the stars of the nightly news with their blasts against Gates. But according to his own account, confirmed by Yaroslavsky and some council aides, John Ferraro was the man who pulled the plug.

I had figured that might be the case. Throughout the Gates affair, Ferraro had been a key figure at important moments. So Wednesday, I asked him what had happened.

Ferraro told me he had received the news of Gates’ last-minute maneuvering from Personnel Department General Manager Jack Driscoll and senior Assistant City Atty. Fred Merkin. “They said Daryl was balking at retirement, and could go beyond July 15 and that would be enough to throw the whole procedure (for installing Willie Williams as chief) off,” Ferraro told me.

Ferraro was disturbed.

He’s friendly with the chief. He’s a big LAPD supporter. But after the Rodney King beating, Ferraro knew Gates would have to go.

Several months ago, Ferraro and Councilman Joel Wachs extracted a promise from Gates to leave after the election decided the fate of Proposition F, the measure to impose more civilian control on the Police Department. On June 2, Proposition F passed. Ferraro felt Gates should keep his promise.

“I called Daryl, but couldn’t get hold of him. So I talked to Jay Grodin, his attorney. I told him I just got wind of what Daryl said and I don’t think he should do that. I indicated that a lot of people on the council were upset.”

Did you tell him that Gates no longer had the votes on the council? I asked. “I didn’t have to talk votes,” Ferraro said.

Political messages are often delivered in such code. If you’re too dumb to understand the code, you don’t belong in the game. Ferraro was saying the chief was through. To put it in the terms of the council president’s favorite sport, football, the final gun had sounded.

Grodin understood the message.

“Saturday, he (Grodin) called me at home and told me he had talked to Daryl. He said not to worry, Daryl’s leaving.”

Ferraro still wanted to talk to the chief. Saturday, he tried again but couldn’t get hold of him. Sunday, Gates called him back.

‘I’m keeping my promise to you and to Willie Williams and all the others. I’m leaving,’ ” Gates said.

Monday, after his press conference, Gates had a physical examination. Afterward, he called Ferraro again. This time, he reported the physical came out well.

“Daryl, why don’t you file your retirement papers?” Ferraro said. Gates replied that he’d get around to it. “Why don’t you do it now?” Ferraro said.

Later that day, Gates submitted the papers, formally initiating his retirement proceedings.

Ferraro had quietly watched Gates’ support on the council evaporate.

The council president is a good vote-counter. He needs a majority of the 15-member body to keep his job as president. He’s seen predecessors dumped because they neglected their vote-counting.

Even before the riot, Gates’ support was dwindling. Woo, Yaroslavsky and Ridley-Thomas joined longtime Gates critics Ruth Galanter, Rita Walters and Mike Hernandez in a solid anti-chief bloc. Marvin Braude was part of the group, but not as vocal as some of the others. And the Gates critics had been strengthened with the addition of Joy Picus, from a pro-police West San Fernando Valley district.

Gates’ performance during the riot destroyed most of his remaining support. That gave Ferraro the power to act.

As is the case with anything written about Chief Gates’ departure, this column must end with a warning. Maybe he’ll change his mind again. The man is a walking ammunition dump and any spark can set him off. Let’s hope they don’t make him wait in line at the city pension office.

Assuming the chief does leave, Ferraro deserves a lot of the credit. Monday, he picked up the “Spirit of Los Angeles” award from the Los Angeles Headquarters Assn. The press feels these awards are a dime a dozen and ignores them.

But given the valuable work John Ferraro did for the city last weekend, this one deserves a mention.