Los Angeles City Council holds extended tribute to former Council President John Ferraro

The Los Angeles City Council paused its regular business on April 18 for an extended tribute to former Council President John Ferraro, featuring an invocation, remarks from Mayor Richard Riordan and a series of personal remembrances from current and former council members.

Monsignor Fleming of the Los Angeles Archdiocese opened the tribute with an invocation asking for eternal rest for Mr. Ferraro. Mayor Richard Riordan called Ferraro "the heart, the soul of our city of Los Angeles," praised Ferraro's role in turning the zoo into a world'class institution and credited him with helping bring the 1984 Olympics to the city.

Current and former council members followed with recollections and anecdotes. Councilmember Ron Deaton and others highlighted Ferraro's behind'the'scenes influence on long'running city projects including the Coliseum and the Staples Center, his reputation for coalition'building across ideological lines and his personal devotion to his wife, Margaret. Former members including Richard Alatorre, Roz Wyman, Ed Edelman, Michael Wu, Art Snyder, Bob Wilkinson and Zev Yaroslavsky offered additional memories of Ferraro's mentorship and civic accomplishments.

The presiding officer announced viewing and funeral details: a viewing on Sunday at 8 p.m. and a funeral Monday at 10 a.m., both at Saint Brendan's Church, 310 South Van Ness. The meeting was adjourned in Ferraro's memory.

Quotes from the program capture the tone of the day: Mayor Richard Riordan said, "You are the heart, the soul of our city of Los Angeles." Monsignor Fleming prayed that Ferraro's soul "rest in peace." Several speakers emphasized Ferraro's institutional knowledge, his ability to bring colleagues together and his personal kindness to staff and newcomers to city government.