BLENDING FILM-WORLD FANTASY WITH OLD-WORLD ARTIFACTS, THOMAS MONAUNI’S WUNDERKAMMER TRANSFORMS A SAN PEDRO WAREHOUSE INTO A WORLD OF IMAGINATION
+ VETERANS DAY: SAN PEDRO’S HEROES OF HEARTBREAK RIDGE + SAN PEDRO TO LONG BEACH WATER TAXI COMING? + FIRST THURSDAY ARTWALK TURNS 28 WITH A MURAL TOUR + TEEN MURAL CLUB AT ANGELS GATE + NOVEMBER EVENTS & MUCH MORE!
Modern Dentistry, with Old Fashion Values.
Our office is a multi-specialty private practice located in Weymouth Corners in San Pedro. With 28 years of experience, we provide high-quality modern dentistry at an affordable cost in an inviting setting. Our office is equipped to provide most specialty dental services efficiently under one rooftop. We use cutting-edge technology and are versed in all aspects of Cosmetic, Restorative, Dental Implants, Orthodontic, and Oral Surgery services.
Idon’t know about you, but this year feels like it’s flown by. It seems like just yesterday the town was gearing up for LA Fleet Week. Now, as I write this, Downtown San Pedro is packed for Día de los Muertos, and I’m already knee-deep in next month’s holiday gift guide issue. As the saying goes, time waits for no one.
I want to thank the Mexican Hollywood Culture Society for sharing their time, knowledge, and stories in this issue. Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of meeting with them to talk about the group’s future. I ended up having an incredible time listening to members reminisce about a part of San Pedro’s history that hadn’t received much attention—until now.
A special shout-out to Ron Gonzales, Richard Gettler, and Maggie de Alba for all their help gathering the history and photos featured this month. I’m looking forward to working with the group again so we can continue sharing more fascinating stories from that era.
Speaking of fascinating, have you visited Wunderkammer yet? What owner Thomas Monauni and his son, Michael, have done with that large portion of the warehouse next
to CRAFTED is something San Pedro has never seen before.
While this month’s cover story captures it beautifully, Wunderkammer really needs to be experienced in person to fully appreciate what it’s all about. If you’re looking for a fun weekend outing without leaving town, wandering through Wunderkammer—and all the vendors at CRAFTED—is a great way to spend your day while supporting our local creative community.
Also, a big thanks to everyone who’s checked out the new and improved sanpedrotoday.com. We’re slowly rolling out the new website and fixing bugs as we go before launching all the latest features (which we’ll share more about soon). If you haven’t taken a look yet, please do.
Lastly, I want to wish everyone a peaceful and happy Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for— most importantly, you, our readers, and our small business community that continues to support this magazine month after month for nearly 17 years because they believe in the power and importance of a local, independent publication like ours. Thank you, San Pedro. Until next month… spt
Ron Gonzales, Linda Grimes, Michael Harper, Peter Hazdovac, Sanam Lamborn, Steve Marconi, Jennifer Marquez, Aaron McKenzie, Eddie McKenna, Lee Williams
CONTACT INFO:
Phone: (424) 224-9063 contact@sanpedrotoday.com
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VOLUME 17 | NUMBER 10
ON THE COVER: Thomas Monauni (right) with his son Michael (left), the father and son duo behind Wunderkammer. (photo: John Mattera Photography)
San Pedro Today publishes the last Thursday of every month and is produced monthly by Empire22 Media LLC. No portion of this publication can be reproduced without written permission by Empire22 Media LLC. 20,000 copies are delivered to portions of San Pedro and Rancho Palos Verdes. San Pedro Today is a product of Empire22 Media LLC. Empire22 Media LLC, their subsidiaries and affiliates are released from all liability that may involve the publication of San Pedro Today. Copyright 2009-2025, Empire22 Media LLC.
6 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I NOVEMBER 2025 I sanpedrotoday.com
NOVEMBER 2025
Every Friday – SAN PEDRO FARMERS MARKET (396 W. 6th St., corner of 6th and Mesa), 10a-2p. – Pick up essential fruits and vegetables from certified, small family farms. Get a head start on weekend meals with so many delicious and fresh options. For more info, visit sanpedrochamber.com/ san-pedro-farmers-market.
Every Monday - ACTING-WRITING CLASSES
Every Monday - ACTING-WRITING CLASSES at Collage Theater (731 S. Pacific Ave.), 6p. –All levels—beginners to working actors and writers—come bring your work to life! On-camera, live stage performance, TV, and film. Collaborate on scripts in development. This is the place to learn and improve, network, and follow your dreams. For more info, call (310) 864-4000, email actorsjungle@gmail.com, or visit actorsjungle.com.
Every Tuesday, Friday, & First Thursday Evening – OPEN GARDEN at Feed and Be Fed (429 W. 6th St.), Tuesdays 10a-12p, Fridays 10a-1p, & First Thursday evenings. – Feed and Be Fed farm, San Pedro’s own urban farm, opens its downtown garden space every Tuesday and Friday and on First Thursday evenings. Organic produce is for sale at the San Pedro Farmers Market (corner of 6th and Mesa) on Fridays 10a-2p. Come share nature’s bounty and beauty as we grow vegetables, flowers, and community. Get your hands in the dirt as a volunteer, get expert advice, or just relax. For more info, visit feedandbefed.org.
Every Tuesday & Every Saturday – BELMONT SHORE
MODEL RAILROAD CLUB at Angels Gate Park (3600 S. Gaffey St., Building 824), Tuesdays 7-10p & Saturdays 12-4p. – The best kept secret in San Pedro! The Belmont Shore Model Railroad Club is the oldest and largest N scale club and offers clinics on modeling and an opportunity to explore a new hobby. Admission is FREE and open to the public. For more info, call (310) 831-6262 or visit belmontshorerr.com.
Every Friday – LAFD HARBOR MUSEUM at Old Fire Station
36 (639 S. Harbor Blvd.), 10a3p. – The LA Fire Department Historical Society invites you to tour and experience San Pedro and Wilmington’s fire protection and rescue history with vintage fire apparatus and displays. Come to visit or to volunteer. FREE admission. For more info, visit lafdmuseum.org/harbor.
Various dates – BRIDGE GAMES & CLASSES at South Bay Bridge Club (24100 Narbonne Ave., #105, Lomita), various times. – Have fun exercising your brain and playing bridge at South Bay Bridge Club. Adults and teenagers can take lessons and play cards almost every day. For more info, call (310) 325-7222 or visit southbaybridgeclub.com.
1 (Sat) – GIRLS IN FOCUS & PEDRO PET PALS FUNDRAISER GALA at San Pedro Elks Lodge (1748 Cumbre Dr.), 5-9p. – Girls IN Focus, the local all-girl filmmaking nonprofit, joins forces with beloved animal rescue Pedro Pet Pals, for an
unforgettable night featuring music, food, fun, and a fashion show! This “Storytellers and Rescuers” Gala will raise funds for filmmaking scholarships where no girl is turned away, as well as life-saving services for local animals in need. For tickets and more info, visit tickettailor.com/ events/girlsinfocus/1724079 or email dunya@girls-in-focus.com.
6 (Thurs) – FIRST THURSDAY in Downtown San Pedro, 6p. – The popular First Thursday ArtWalk is back in the historic core of Downtown San Pedro. The redesigned First Thursday will feature guided ArtWalk tours, open galleries, outdoor dining, and live music on the corner of 6th and Mesa streets.
7-9 (Fri-Sun) – 14th ANNUAL SAN PEDRO FILM FESTIVAL at various locations, various showtimes. – The San Pedro International Film Festival was founded to celebrate the diverse culture and community of San Pedro with a wide spectrum of independent film, documentaries, and shorts. For tickets and to view the full festival schedule, locations, and more, visit spiffest. org. See more on page 10.
8 (Sat) – MONTHLY GARDEN MAINTENANCE GATHERING at 25th Street Mosaic Mural (1322 W. 25th St.), 8-11a. – Volunteers are needed to help maintain the garden space in front of the mural. Monthly volunteer gardening days are now held on the second Saturday of each month, any time between 8a and 11a. For more info, contact lynndee.conley@yahoo.com.
8 (Sat) – VETERAN’S DAY GUIDED NATURE WALK at White Point Nature Preserve (1600 W. Paseo Del Mar), 9a. – Honor our Veterans by walking through restored coastal sage scrub habitat and stop at a former WWII gun emplacement to learn about the military history of the area. Don’t miss the Nature Education Center with activities for the whole family. Moderate. Park in lot at 1600 W. Paseo Del Mar. Must access Paseo Del Mar via Western Ave. Entrance is on the left, where the street dead ends. Presented by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. Sign up at pvplc.org/calendar.
8 (Sat) - SECOND SATURDAY CRAFTERS at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (1648 W. 9th St., church social hall), 10a-12p. – Calling all knitters, crocheters, embroiderers, needle pointers, cross-stitchers, weavers, quilters, scrapbookers, paper crafters, jewelry makers, and any other crafty folks! Bring your current project and come enjoy crafting with other like-minded people in a FREE, welcoming, and relaxed atmosphere. We meet every second Saturday of the month and provide time for crafters to give and get help from others, as well as share resources to enhance our crafting experience. For more info, text (424) 350-1543 (text only, please).
8 (Sat) – OPEN STUDIOS at Angels Gate Cultural Center (3601 S. Gaffey St.), 12-4p. –More than 50 artists will open their doors to the public for a peek into their art practice! Open Studios Day is a FREE, all-ages event that provides the
public a glimpse into the process, art, and lives of local artists who create at the Center. This self-guided tour of artist studios provides a unique opportunity to interact with the artists and purchase contemporary works of art. The day’s community class demos will include Raku ceramics, printmaking, and wood carving. For more info, visit angelsgateart.org.
8 (Sat) – SUNSET SAIL ON THE LA WATERFRONT at West Harbor Promenade (boarding at W. 6th St. and Harbor Blvd.), 3p. – Join the Los Angeles Maritime Institute (LAMI) to enjoy the sunset and views of the harbor from the deck of a tall ship on their monthly sunset sail. You can sit back and relax or become part of the crew—your choice! Tickets $60 for adults, $30 for children (12 and under). For tickets and more info, visit lamitopsail.org/events.
11 (Tues) – HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE at Assistance League of San Pedro-South Bay (1441 W. 8th St.), 4:30-7p. – Get a head start on your holiday shopping! The boutique will also be open November 12 thru December 24 during the following hours: Mondays 12-4p, Tuesdays thru Fridays 11a-4:30p, and Saturdays 11a-2:30p. For more info, call (310) 832-8355.
13 (Thurs) – LPS POETRY OPEN MIC: FELLOWSHIP IN THE ART OF LANGUAGE at Collage Theatre (731 S. Pacific Ave.), 7:30p. – LPS is a local poetry society keeping poetry vibrant and accessible. Each 75-minute event features 20 randomly drawn readers
sharing one poem—creating a lively democratic celebration of language and community. Join us and share a poem! Suggested donation: $5. For more info, visit https://www. collageartculture.org.
14-23 (daily) – NORWEGIAN CHRISTMAS MARKET at The Norwegian Seamen’s Church (1035 S. Beacon St.), 11a-4p Monday thru Saturday, 12-4p Sundays. – Join us for this multiday event, a Christmas market with Norwegian delicacies, ornaments, and a Scandinavian Christmas feeling. Fresh Norwegian food for sale in our cafe during the weekends. During the week, we serve waffles and coffee. On Sundays, we have a Norwegian worship service at 11a (all are welcome!), so the market opens at 12p (noon) on Sundays. On all other days, the market opens at 11a. Church of Sweden will also have vending booths. Entry is FREE.
15 (Sat) – “TIDE POOL CREATURES” DOCENT
GUIDED NATURE WALK at Pelican Cove Park (31300 Palos Verdes Dr. South, RPV), 11a. – Enjoy a guided tour led by the Los Serenos Docents. Hike past the unique native flora and fauna and explore the tide pools teeming with fascinating marine life. Moderate to strenuous; the trail is short but steep. Sorry, no dogs allowed on the beach. The hike is FREE, and rain cancels a hike. Park in the parking lot on the southbound lanes of Palos Verdes Drive just south of the Point Vicente Park and Lighthouse. Parking at Pelican Cove is extremely limited so carpooling is highly recommended. For more info, visit losserenosrpv. org or call (310) 544-5375 (PVIC Museum front desk).
15 & 16 (Sat & Sun) – ROYAL
AFTERNOON TEA at YWCA
Harbor Area (437 W. 9th St.), 2-5p. – Enjoy afternoon tea with us! The Community Supporters Tea will take place on Saturday, November 15 and The Classic Tea will take place on Sunday, November 16. Indulge in delectable tea sandwiches, savories, scones, dessert treats, and more to make your epicurean tea experience memorable and delicious for everyone. $100 per person; $80 member price; $40 children under 13. Proceeds will support expansion of YWCA Harbor Area programs to reach more of our community in need. RSVP by November 11. For more info, visit ywcaharbor.org.
16 (Sun) – SNOW PLAY AND SANTA DAY at Christ Lutheran School (28850 S. Western Ave., RPV), 12-4p. – Join us for a fun-filled day! Get ready to play in the snow and meet Santa Claus himself. This event is perfect for families looking to get into the holiday spirit. The event will also feature a holiday market with various vendors and a preschool open house. Cost: $20 per child with wristband; adults and nonparticipating kids are FREE. Wristbands must be pre-purchased by November 9 and will also be sold onsite for $30. Profits will go to Christ Lutheran School. For more wristbands and more info, visit https://www.eventbrite. com/e/snow-play-and-santaday-tickets-1821258787059.
19 & 22 (Wed & Sat) – PECK PARK CANYON HIKES at Peck Park (560 N. Western Ave.), 9a. – Exercise walks are led on the third Wednesday of each month at 9a and last 1 to 1½ hours. Nature walks are family-friendly and led on the fourth Saturday of each month at 9a. All walks
leave from the trailhead in the lower parking lot at Peck Park, just behind the Community Center. For more info, email diananave@gmail.com.
22 (Sat) – NATIVE WONDERS: GUIDED GARDEN TOUR at White Point Nature Preserve (1600 W. Paseo Del Mar), 11a. – Come tour the White Point Native Plant Garden and learn about how to grow and care for native plants. Meet at the White Point Nature Education Center. Presented by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. Sign up at pvplc.org/calendar.
December 6 (Sat) – THE INAUGURAL CABRILLO BEACH BOOSTERS GALA: AWARDS & ARTS at The Majestic (921 S. Beacon St.), 6p. – Be a part of the very first Cabrillo Beach Boosters Gala for a night celebrating and supporting the Boosters’ mission of preserving community landmarks and traditions. Dress up for an elegant evening bringing our arts community together with an art auction curated by the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District and performances by the San Pedro City Ballet. The Boosters will also be honoring local organizations that support their mission. Tickets $250. For ages 21+ only. Black-tie attire. For tickets and more info, visit cabrillobeachboosters.com. spt
Visit sanpedrotoday.com/ events to place an event listing for a nominal fee. For more info, email events@sanpedrotoday.com.
To be included in the print edition of San Pedro Today, event submissions must be received by the 15th of the month prior to publication.
SPIFFest Returns with Films, Art, and Community Spirit
SPIFFest partners with the debut of the Second Saturday ArtWalk, November 7–9
The San Pedro Film Festival (SPIFFest) celebrates its 14th year from November 7–9, 2025, bringing a weekend of independent films, documentaries, and creative storytelling to the heart of Downtown San Pedro.
This year, SPIFFest joins forces with the brand-new Second Saturday ArtWalk, transforming downtown into a lively showcase of art, music, and local flavor.
Festivalgoers can enjoy screenings from emerging and established filmmakers, panel discussions, filmmaker Q&As, and workshops—all highlighting San Pedro’s vibrant arts scene. Among the festival highlights is In Plain Sight, an award-winning documentary by LA Times journalist Rosanna Xia and Daniel Straub, exploring the environmental legacy of DDT barrels off the Southern California coast.
Saturday night’s SPIFFest Mixer at Wunderkammer (CRAFTED) invites attendees to mingle with filmmakers and artists alike. Festival passes and individual tickets, along with the full schedule of films, panels, and ArtWalk events, are available at SPIFFest.org. spt
‘An Affaire to Remember’ Returns for Its 40th Year
A South Bay tradition of fashion, friendship, and fundraising for a cure
The San Pedro Peninsula Cancer Guild proudly celebrates 40 years of dedication to cancer research with its signature event, “An Affaire to Remember,” on Sunday, November 23, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach What began in 1984 with eight passionate women has grown into a vibrant guild of 71 members who have raised nearly $3 million for lifesaving cancer research at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The elegant afternoon features a boutique shopping experience, luncheon, and designer fashion show, drawing close to 700 guests from across the South Bay. Proceeds from the event directly support research led by Dr. Heinz-Josef Lenz and his team in the fight against gastrointestinal cancer.
Sponsorships are available and include event recognition and opportunities to connect with a loyal and philanthropic community. For details, email laurielg623@ gmail.com, matrutanich@gmail.com, or janmoore4850@ gmail.com. spt
SAN PEDRO’S HEROES OF HEARTBREAK RIDGE
THIS VETERANS DAY, SAN PEDRO HONORS THE DWINDLING NUMBER OF WWII AND KOREAN WAR VETERANS—AND TWO LOCAL MEN WHOSE VALOR DEFINED A GENERATION
BY STEVE MARCONI
Asa baby boomer who was always interested in history, I grew up with a great appreciation for military veterans.
It started with my own family, of course: My dad, three of my mother’s brothers, and my three great-uncles all served in WWII. Naturally, most of my dad’s friends were also veterans. One of my cousins is a veteran. During my newspaper career, and later on the docks, I worked with several Vietnam War veterans. The churches I’ve attended have included many veterans.
One of my favorite childhood memories is attending my Uncle Bill’s reunions with his shipmates. He and his brother Dick served on the repair ship USS Medusa, which was part of the Pacific Battle Fleet. They joined up prewar when the fleet was based in San Pedro; that’s what brought my mother here. The Medusa was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and it served in the Pacific throughout the war. Throughout the `50s and `60s, crew members held reunions annually at Peck Park, and Uncle Bill, a lifelong bachelor, always took me along. Tubs of ice were filled with beer, along with sodas for the kids.
I reflect on this because another Veterans Day is upon us. I’ve written about many veterans here, but sadly, the WWII generation is almost all gone now. We commemorated the 80th anniversary of the end of the war this summer, so the math is pretty obvious. As of 2024, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there were only 66,143 WWII veterans left. All of the ones I’ve known have died except for Roy Jones of Rancho Palos Verdes, who is 99. It’s a fairly exclusive club, and I’d love to know if there are any other nonagenarians (or older) in San Pedro/RPV
who served in WWII.
There are still more than a million Korean War veterans as of 2024, but as they age, the numbers dwindle quickly.
The number of Vietnam War veterans gets a little tricky. The VA counts anyone who served on active duty between November 1, 1955, and May 15, 1975 (more than nine million men and women), no matter where
they served; 2,709,918 served in uniform “in country” (Vietnam).
Whether they were drafted or enlisted, you have to admire those who have served; they all sacrificed something. I’m not a veteran, but you don’t have to be one to consider anyone who fought in a war to be a hero. There are levels of heroism, of course; those who survived WWII, Korea, or Vietnam will be the first to say the real heroes are those who didn’t return.
San Pedro has had more than its share of heroes, but only a few have been recognized by the armed services for gallantry in combat. Two of those, both former boxers, fought together in Company H of the Army’s 23rd Infantry Regiment in one of the Korean War’s bloodiest battles, Heartbreak Ridge.
Manuel H. Flores, Jr. was a 20-year-old
corporal on September 19, 1951, when overwhelming enemy numbers attacked his unit. After rescuing several wounded comrades, he led his squad in a fighting withdrawal. According to the citation for his Distinguished Service Cross, second only to the Medal of Honor, Flores “ordered his squad to move to safety and, resisting all of his comrades’ pleas to withdraw himself, he steadfastly remained at his post, delivering deadly accurate fire until his position was overrun and he was mortally wounded.”
Flores, who left San Pedro High early to join the Army, was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Two days before Flores’ heroics, Pfc. Celso M. Araiza, a 21-year-old machine gunner, volunteered to stay at his position and cover his unit’s withdrawal during a counterattack by a superior enemy force. His citation for the Silver Star says he “courageously exposed himself to the enemy fire and inflicted numerous casualties upon the hostile force.” Wounded in both legs, he “employed a heavy concentration of protective fire and refused to be evacuated until his comrades had successfully completed their withdrawal.”
Araiza, a native of Colton, was nicknamed “Sheik” as a hard-hitting lightweight boxer before the war. Returning to San Pedro, he became a longshoreman and died in 1979 at age 49.
Remember Araiza on November 11; remember Flores next Memorial Day. And when you see that old-timer proudly wearing a veteran cap, say, “Thanks for your service.” spt
Steve Marconi is a San Pedro native and a former columnist for the Daily Breeze for 20 years. He is also a retired longshoreman. He can be reached at spmarconi@yahoo.com.
Army Chaplain (Capt.) Emil Kapaun (right) and Army Capt. Jerome A. Dolan, 1st Cavalry Division, carry a soldier off the battlefield in Korea, early in the war. (photo: Army)
Manuel H. Flores, Jr. (left) and Celso M. Araiza.
BRIDGING THE BAY, THE OLDFASHIONED WAY
SUPERVISOR HAHN’S PUSH FOR A SAN PEDRO–LONG BEACH WATER TAXI REVIVES A HISTORIC IDEA THAT COULD REDEFINE HARBOR TRANSIT AHEAD OF THE 2028 OLYMPICS
BY LEE WILLIAMS
Itwas one of those perfect San Pedro mornings: a quiet harbor, a little fog burning off over the bridge, and the smell of salt in the air.
A crowd full of familiar faces exchanged hugs, took selfies, and lined up to board a Harbor Breeze Cruises boat in front of the LA Maritime Museum. We pulled away from the dock and within minutes, San Pedro was behind us and Long Beach was straight ahead.
Twenty minutes later, we were there. No bridge, no traffic, no headaches—just an easy glide across the harbor.
That morning, Supervisor Janice Hahn invited us aboard to show firsthand that her idea for a water taxi between San Pedro and Long Beach can work. She’s pushing LA Metro to have it ready for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. With San Pedro hosting Croatia House and sailing competitions, and Long Beach hosting 18 Olympic events, it’s clear we need more than just the bridges to get around. But Hahn doesn’t want to stop there; she wants this water taxi to be a permanent part of our harbor’s future.
Hahn is just reviving a great idea that never should have gone away. Before the Vincent Thomas Bridge opened in the 1960s, people used to take a ferry between San Pedro and Terminal Island. It was a normal way to commute.
During the ride, Hahn reminded me of that history. “Before the bridge,” she says,
“people didn’t think twice about crossing by boat.” She’s right. But in the decades since the bridges opened, we’ve treated the water as a boundary instead of a boulevard. Bringing back the ferry and expanding to Long Beach means more people can use this as a fun and effective means to get there and back.
Recent problems on the Vincent Thomas Bridge suggest we shouldn’t have abandoned the old ferry model. Remember last fall when a big rig carrying lithium-ion batteries crashed and the resulting fire closed the bridge for two days? And I know all of us are dreading the bridge being closed for repairs for 16 months starting next year. It makes you wish CalTrans had listened to Hahn’s water taxi idea years ago.
Last month’s demonstration wasn’t just for show. The boat was full of folks who can help make this happen—Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, Senator Lena Gonzalez, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán, Assemblymember Mike Gipson, union leaders, Metro staff, and representatives from both ports.
Metro wants the 2028 Olympics to be the “Transit-first Games,” moving millions by bus and train. Hahn is pushing them to get creative; after all, we’ve got a harbor. Why not use it? You can already picture tourists getting off the J line and piling onto the dock in San Pedro, cameras in hand, ready to cross the bay the fun way.
Long after the Closing Ceremonies are through, a permanent water taxi service would be an asset to both the San Pedro and
Long Beach economies. With West Harbor opening next year, Long Beach families could leave their cars behind and take the water taxi over to our side of the port for dinner and a concert. I can already picture my wife and me taking the water taxi to the Aquarium of the Pacific or to enjoy Cali Vibes or the Grand Prix. Tourists for years to come could visit both sides of the harbor in one afternoon.
According to Hahn, Metro’s study on costs and logistics is due in November, and yes, there will be hurdles: funding, permits, environmental checks —the usual. But if the water taxi demonstration proved anything, it’s that the support is there. People want this. Our elected leaders want it, our business leaders want it, and residents who remember the old ferry days definitely want it.
As a harbor commissioner, I am keenly aware that our ports belong to the people. And it’s time we make the most of our harbor as a connection between our two waterfronts.
There has been a lot of talk about Olympic legacies. While past Olympics have left us stadiums and statues, I think Hahn has the right idea with this one: using the Games to bring San Pedro and Long Beach a little closer together. spt
Lee Williams is a local real estate expert, community advocate, and harbor commissioner at the Port of LA. He believes in smart growth and investing in community, culture, art, and history. He can be reached at lee@lamove.com.
FERRY FUTURE?: (l to r) Long Beach Vice Mayor Cindy Allen, Long Beach City Councilwoman Megan Kerr, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, and Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson at the water taxi demo on October 6, 2025. (photo: Diandra Jay-Lopez/LACO Board of Supervisors)
WHERE TEENS FIND THEIR VOICE IN COLOR
TEEN MURAL CLUB GIVES YOUNG ARTISTS SPACE TO CREATE, CONNECT, AND LEAVE THEIR MARK ON SAN PEDRO’S LANDSCAPE
BY JENNIFER MARQUEZ
The Teen Mural Club at Angels Gate Cultural Center offers a free opportunity for teens (ages 13-20) to learn the process of creating large-scale public art. No experience is necessary, making it an accessible entry point for any young artist. Teens are in a unique stage of life—no longer children but not yet adults. This “in-between” stage can be isolating and confusing. During this time, teens are sometimes treated as nuisances or face a period of emergence and growth all at once. As they search for peer support, there are few places explicitly designed for them outside of school. That’s why programs like the Teen Mural Club are so vital to our community.
and events. This vibrant art hub is the perfect setting for teens to gather, just a short walking distance from San Pedro High School’s Olguin Campus.
The Teen Mural Club consists of a series of 10 workshops that meet after school.
students in their first year of college. This mix of ages fosters a sense of community and allows teens to connect on a deeper level, learning valuable lessons not only about art but about life, identity, and overcoming challenges.
The Teen Mural Club is more than just a safe space for teens to learn about art. It provides an escape from the pressures of school, family, and society. The class is intentionally structured to be neither fully rigid nor completely unbound, but something in the middle. This creates what sociologist Ray Oldenburg calls a “third space”—a space separate from home and work, free, informal, and welcoming.
Angels Gate has recognized the need for teens to have a safe space to gather with peers and create art. Located on a hilltop overlooking the ocean, Angels Gate is situated in former World War II-era army barracks that now house artist studios used for exhibits
Each series of workshops features a different artist-instructor with a background in mural creation. These instructors share their techniques and passion for art while guiding students in the design and creation of murals. Throughout the class, students collaborate to produce a mural that becomes a permanent part of Angels Gate’s outdoor art collection. Students attending the program come from a range of educational backgrounds, including homeschooling, local high schools, and even the first year of college. With such a diverse group, teens can learn from each other’s experiences, from navigating the challenges of high school to the unique perspectives of
The murals created by the teens have drawn inspiration from native plants, Indigenous cultures, local musicians, and even cats. Angels Gate itself is located on the ancestral lands of the Tongva people, and the teens frequently look to the area’s rich history and the local community for artistic inspiration.
“The Teen Mural Club works together as peers, and they are validated as artists through the classes. They become part of the art community at Angels Gate and create lasting art,” says Marissa Sykes, director of arts education. “Teens are exploring their identity, and having a supportive group of peers helps them understand themselves better.”
Thanks to the generosity of the Nellie Leaman Taft Foundation, the Max H. Gluck Foundation, the California Arts Council, and individual donors, the Teen Mural Club remains free for students. The next session will begin in the spring. For more information, visit angelsgateart.org or call (310) 519-0936. spt
Jennifer Marquez can be reached at jennifertmarquez@yahoo.com and @jenntmqz on X and Instagram.
PAINT & PROCESS: Teen Mural Club’s We All Bleed the Same (2023) mural. (photo: Jose Cordon)
Community paint day at Angels Gate Cultural Center’s Open Studios Day, fall 2023. (photo: Jordan Rodriguez)
MURALS, MOVEMENT, AND MEANING
SAN PEDRO’S FIRST THURSDAY ARTWALK CELEBRATES 28 YEARS WITH A GUIDED TROLLEY TOUR OF THE CITY’S PUBLIC MURALS
BY LINDA GRIMES
Makingart, whether it be ballet, a play, or public art, is inherently an act of resistance.
The arts can elevate our sense of community and solidarity by beautifying our surroundings. Through visual storytelling, art can be a catalyst for change, inspire hope, and explain ourselves to each other.
We are grateful to the artists, galleries, and arts spaces who have faithfully kept the First Thursday ArtWalk going for the past 28 years. To celebrate, we will be conducting a guided tour of San Pedro’s public murals using the Downtown San Pedro trolley during the First Thursday ArtWalk on November 6. We will visit the following locations:
SOULFUL SUNRISE
by Luis Sanchez
some of the applied design elements from the interior of the Warner Grand.”
LA SERNA DE OJO
Sirens Community Mural
402 West 7th Street (parking lot side)
454 West 6th Street (in the Lilyan Fierman Walkway)
Officially unveiled on February 2, 2017, the Arts District was thrilled to announce a mural award to local artist Luis Sanchez This was part of the City of Los Angeles’ “1% for the Arts” funding, negotiated by Joe Buscaino’s Council 15 office. It is on the east wall of the Lilyan Fierman Walkway.
Born in Mexico City, Luis Sanchez is a fine art painter, sculptor, and muralist who painted two of our DOT boxes. Luis notes, “When looking at the history of our historic theatre, its incredible design and history, I wanted to show a tale of past, present, music, dance, movement, celebration of the arts, as well as the diverse culture of San Pedro. I also used
To make the arts more accessible to everyone, we believe an essential part of our mission is promoting public art. When we were given the chance to paint our second mural, the San Pedro Waterfront Arts conducted a mural workshop with a dozen community members, led by Teaching Artist Virginia Broersma. On June 18, 2017, in the former Machine Studio on 6th Street in San Pedro, the Arts District, in collaboration with Sirens Java & Tea, launched a novel community mural project called Adventures in Public Art. The six-week workshop was designed to give participants a common foundation in the elements of art, color theory, principles of design, analysis of art elements, and the creation of artworks that reflect complex ideas and expressive content. This highly collaborative method of creating public art was completed with the help of over 25 volunteers and the 12 core workshop students.
grant from the NEA.
LA PINCOYA EN EL NORTE by Revival Murals
LAMI, Berth 73, Building G (on the Harbor Blvd. side of West Harbor)
This mural was painted in December 2023 by the Revival Murals team of Alonsa Guevara and James Razko on the Los Angeles Maritime Institute’s shop wall.
Guevara, the Chilean half of Revival Murals, explains, “La Pincoya is a mythological character from the Pueblo Chilote (south of Chile). We think it is interesting to introduce her to this part of the Pacific Ocean. ‘La Pincoya en El Norte’ (in the North), in my opinion, it’s a metaphor for migration and unification of two far-away but similar maritime cultures.”
The 72’ x 15’ LAMI mural is the third community engagement mural in our Adventures in Public Art program and included two community painting days, with over 60 locals helping paint it. Generous contributions from the Port of Los Angeles Community Grant Program, a grant from the LA County Creative Recovery Program, and numerous private donations funded it.
This mural also has a Snapchat Augmented Reality activation. To register for the First Thursday ArtWalk guided tour on November 6, visit sanpedrowaterfrontartsdistrict.com. spt
This mural has a Snapchat Augmented Reality activation, built by Otis Teaching Artist Raul Moreno, with images created by the POLAHS CTE students and funded by a
Linda Grimes is the executive director of the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District and can be reached at 55lindagrimes@gmail.com.
Soulful Sunrise. (photos: John Mattera Photography)
La Serna de Ojo.
La Pincoya en El Norte.
A TASTE OF THE WORLD, RIGHT HERE IN SAN PEDRO
FROM CROATIAN COMFORT FOOD TO NORWEGIAN HOSPITALITY, TWO LOCAL LUNCH TRADITIONS SERVE UP CULTURE, CONNECTION, AND HOMEMADE FLAVOR
BY SANAM LAMBORN
Thisyear, I have discovered two places in town that feed into my love of cultural exposure and make my taste buds very happy.
The Croatian American Club (631 W. 9th St.) offers lunch plates on Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (or earlier, if sold out) from late September to June. The lunches are hosted by the club’s president, Frane Jerkovic, and vice president, Glen Adamik. Each week, the options change, and there is something different—and, as far as I am concerned, exciting to try. The menu and cooking are handled by Danny Maricich, who predominantly focuses on Mediterranean options because the majority of folks who stop by are club members or of Croatian descent.
The rotating options are lamb, beef, or fish, which is freshly sourced from J&D Seafood here in town. Each plate usually includes two sides—vegetables, potatoes, pasta, or salad—along with a soft dinner roll and butter. Maricich shared with me that the most popular meal is the swordfish plate. He also mentioned that during the cooler months, he leans towards comfort foods such as sarma, stuffed bell peppers, pasta fazol, and goulash.
I have immensely enjoyed every lunch I
have had so far because, to me, they taste like a delicious homemade meal.
Lunch can be requested as takeout or enjoyed at one of the many tables in the hall. The bar is also open during lunch. The food is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and is $20 cash.
The weekly Wednesday lunch menu and other events hosted at the hall are posted on the Croatian American Club’s Facebook (@croatianamericanhallofsanpedro) and Instagram (@ croatianamericanclub) accounts.
Last year, I was very excited to learn from a post on one of our local Facebook group pages that the Norwegian Seamen’s Church (1035 S. Beacon St.) hosts a fantastic annual Christmas market. Upon following their social media account, I found out that they host lunch events on the first Wednesday of most months from October to June. Each month, the theme reflects the season.
During my first lunch last spring, there was a delicious Norwegian summer buffet of mostly seafood-based dishes, along with various salads and fresh fruit. My second lunch in October featured Norway’s national dish, fårikål—a comforting lamb and cabbage one-pot stew served with boiled potatoes. Each lunch includes lemonade, water, coffee, and a dessert.
During my first visit, I met Anna Spilling Isaksen, the director of hospitality, who is very welcoming. The two-hour sit-down lunch programs begin with a welcome speech by Petter
Piita Isaksen, the diaconal worker, and a light but meaningful sermon by the sailor’s chaplain, Margit Lovise Holte, followed by lunch. Next, the program continues with some lighthearted fellowship, filled with good humor, led by Ole Martin Grevstad, also a sailor’s chaplain, and volunteers.
Sitting at communal tables with other guests provides plenty of opportunities to socialize. Despite not being of Norwegian or Scandinavian descent, much less religious, I have felt very welcomed by all the friendly people I have met; most importantly, the staff is warm and incredibly hospitable. After each lunch event, I have left feeling both emotionally and physically nourished.
The monthly lunch programs require reservations and cost $35 per person, payable upon arrival on the day of the event by cash or credit card.
This year’s Christmas market takes place November 14–23. There are Scandinavian artisanal items, baked goods, and food for purchase, including heart-shaped Swedish waffles. All events are announced on the church’s Facebook and Instagram accounts: @sjomannskirkenlosangeles. spt
Sanam Lamborn created the Eat in San Pedro Facebook group and Instagram page @eatinsanpedro.
A MOVABLE FEAST: The summer buffet plate from June’s lunch at the Norwegian Seamen’s Church; Inset: Lamb with pasta and green beans from the Croatian American Hall. (photos: Sanam Lamborn)
KEEPER OF WONDERS
BLENDING FILM-WORLD FANTASY WITH OLD-WORLD ARTIFACTS, THOMAS MONAUNI’S WUNDERKAMMER TRANSFORMS A SAN PEDRO WAREHOUSE INTO A WORLD OF IMAGINATION
BY AARON MCKENZIE
WhenThomas Monauni was four years old, the circus came to Munich. What caught the young boy’s eye, however, were not the exotic animals, the freak show performers, the fortune tellers, or the burlesque dancers. Instead, he was fascinated by the whale. Stuffed and mounted atop a flatbed trailer, the creature rolled through the crowds of onlookers, a visitor from some alien world. “When you’re a kid, things are larger than life, and they really impact you,” says Monauni. “That was my first exposure to a world you don’t see every day.”
We are sitting in the middle of Wunderkammer, Monauni’s “chamber of wonders,” located in the CRAFTED warehouses in San Pedro. It is equal parts antique store and art gallery, where everything is for sale, but where, Monauni hopes, visitors will experience more than the thrill of mere commerce.
Retro-futuristic, polished aluminum cars by Los Angeles builder Baron Margo occupy a corner across from a life-sized Frankenstein figure and within sight of 500-year-old Christian relics. Down the way sits work by special effects artist Norman Cabrera and a display of Bone Clones skulls, including an 8.5-foot-tall megalodon shark jaw.
Born in Northern Italy to German parents, Monauni grew up in Munich before
finding his way to Los Angeles in the 1980s to work in film as a production designer, helping directors create entire worlds on-screen. It was exciting work for a kid who grew up obsessed with films like Jason and the Argonauts and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. “In my work, I was always chasing the Argonauts and 20,000 Leagues and Godzilla,” he says. “This was larger than life for me. It was crazy good.”
The work was also exhausting. Having fallen in love with San Pedro during film productions here, Monauni made it his home. “I needed time away where I could be quiet and plan the sets,” he recalls. “I lived on a boat in Cabrillo Marina. My only friend at the time was a seal. He came up to me. I called him Heinrich. His tail had been caught in a propeller and was damaged, and he was really cool. We just had this moment in that time of my life.”
What drew Monauni to San Pedro wasn’t just the quiet marina. “I love San Pedro,” he says. “Whenever I come over the Vincent Thomas Bridge and look down, it’s so much Europe. It’s a port town. It’s not a beach town.” He appreciates the cultural history, the working-class character, the way it feels separate from the rest of Los Angeles. For someone who grew up in Munich and spent years creating fictional worlds, San Pedro offered something rare: a real place with its own distinct character.
Monauni also fell in love with the derelict World War II-era warehouses where Wunder-
kammer now resides. He had been noodling with the idea for his chamber of wonders but never imagined it living in those crumbling harbor buildings. Then CRAFTED opened. After some time in an antique mall, Monauni, along with the help of his son Michael, moved into CRAFTED in 2024. He’s been building his vision ever since. Now home to approximately 30 different vendors and artists, Wunderkammer offers an escape from the online world of pixels and infinite reproducibility.
In an era when most shopping happens through screens, Monauni believes something essential gets lost in translation. “All this stuff is here, and you can look at it and you can touch it and you can feel it,” he says, gesturing around the warehouse. “It’s tangible.” He compares it to travel: looking at a postcard of New York versus actually standing in the city. “Until you go there, you don’t know what New York really is.”
When children approach the Bone Clones megalodon shark jaw, their imaginations ignite differently than they do when scrolling past an image online. “They see this megalodon jaw of this giant shark with these giant teeth, and their imagination has to put this in context,” he explains. “We sometimes have kids that draw a megalodon shark... they have their fantasy, their creativity about it.”
CURIOSITIES & ODDITIES: Thomas Monauni (left), the owner and curator of Wunderkammer, with his son Michael.
(photo: John Mattera Photography)
It’s not just children reconnecting with wonder. Monauni points to Malice Mcmunn’s “Malice’s Wunderland” section, featuring 1980s VHS tapes and a period-accurate living room. “I see the younger people who are in their late teens and how they embrace this analog media,” he says. “It’s so amazing to see, because they are interested in what you went through at a certain time, too.”
But Wunderkammer’s future in San Pedro isn’t certain. The venture is only nine months old in its current form, and Monauni estimates they’re about 60 percent complete. When Brouwerij West, a neighboring brewery and tasting room that drew significant foot traffic, closed, the impact was immediate. “The visitor number here now is a little bit less than it was before, and it made it much tougher,” he admits.
Ongoing construction on the Vincent Thomas Bridge threatens to disrupt access further. “In the end, it will be positive, but in the short term, it could be devastating to the businesses,” Monauni says, his usual enthusiasm tempered by practical concern. There’s a vulnerability in how he talks about San Pedro. “Pedro is the perfect home for Wunderkammer, and I hope that Pedro embraces it,” he says. Then, more softly: “So far, it’s good.”
Monauni sits surrounded by objects that
have outlived their original owners. The ancient religious relics, the skeletons of extinct animals, even the Aurora model kit mummy is a replica of something ancient filtered through 1970s pop culture nostalgia. All of it will be here long after he’s gone.
“We are only custodians of things anyway,” he reflects. “We are mortal, and we will go away one day, and then somebody else will become the custodian. But being a custodian of it is sometimes a wonderful thing to do.”
It’s a surprisingly modest philosophy from someone who spent decades creating worlds that only existed on screen. Now, he curates the actual, the historical, the real, even when that reality includes a life-sized Frankenstein monster and retro-futuristic aluminum cars. The eclectic whimsy is deliberate. “My head looks like this,” he says, laughing and gesturing broadly. “I have these different kinds of rooms and different squirrels in my head that go there, go there, go there.”
That mental architecture—part circus, part museum, part fever dream—manifests physically in Wunderkammer’s layout. Each of the 30 Wunderkammer merchants brings their own aesthetic, their own obsessions. “They all have their own fantasy,” Monauni explains. “And it morphs together like a patchwork of a quilt.”
What he ultimately hopes it shows is possibility. “You never know when a kid goes through here who has the talent to be a sculptor, to be
a writer, to be a photographer,” he says. “And maybe there’s something in here that sparks.” He pauses, then adds, “Kids have a great imagination. We should never, ever let that go. That’s the most important thing. We can’t lose imagination.”
When asked what he wants visitors to experience, Monauni’s answer is one of openness: “I hope they feel something, but I don’t tell them what to feel.” What matters is the feeling itself: curiosity, recognition, wonder, even discomfort. “To explore the human experience without a filter,” he says.
The whale that rolled through Munich all those years ago was mounted, preserved, dead, but real enough to mark a boy for life. That’s what brings people to Wunderkammer: not just objects, but the experience of encountering them. And these visitors come in every weekend, not just to buy but to talk, to spend time, to share a moment. “I don’t see them that much as customers,” Monauni says. “They’re kind of spending time with me, and that’s a huge value.” In a world of frictionless online transactions, Monauni is betting that this experience—human-to-human, object-to-person—still matters. spt
Wunderkammer at the Port of Los Angeles is located at 112 E. 22nd Street, next door to CRAFTED. For more information, visit their Instagram @wunderkammerstore.
WORLD OF WONDER: Wunderkammer is home to approximately 30 different vendors and artists, selling all sorts of curiosities and collectibles. (photos: John Mattera Photography)
REMEMBERING MEXICAN HOLLYOOD
ONCE A VIBRANT WATERFRONT BARRIO, THE LONG-LOST SAN PEDRO NEIGHBORHOOD LIVES ON THROUGH STORIES, PRIDE, AND A NEW CITY LANDMARK HONORING ITS LEGACY BY
RON GONZALES
MexicanHollywood was a waterfront neighborhood in San Pedro that thrived for at least 30 years in the first part of the 20th century. A century later, it remains as deeply embedded in the community’s identity as the steel towers of the Vincent Thomas Bridge.
“El Barrio,” as it was sometimes called, served as an immigrant gateway from the early 1920s to the early 1950s, a period that encompassed a surge in the arrival of Mexicans to the United States following a decade of civil war that began in 1910. Its residents became fiercely attached to one another, bound by a shared history, family ties, and a sense of pride in overcoming poverty and decades of disdain and discrimination from outsiders.
Even today, one-time residents remember the working-class neighborhood with an abiding affection.
“I love the memories,” says Irma Rodriguez Contreras, whose parents, Francisco and Maria Rodriguez, both cannery workers, settled in the neighborhood. It was a place where neighbors felt like family.
That sense of connection and pride in the old neighborhood culminated in the June 7 unveiling of City of Los Angeles markers on Harbor Boulevard at O’Farrell Street, highlighting “Mexican Hollywood Square.”
EARLY HISTORY
Now the site of the Los Angeles World Cruise Center, the five-acre barrio sat on lands that had been occupied for millennia. The first people arrived in the region about 13,000 years ago. When Spanish explorers came on scene by ship and by land beginning with the voyage of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542, San Pedro and surrounding areas of what is now Los Angeles were occupied by the Tongva, who established dozens of villages along streams and rivers and in sheltered areas of the coast, hunting and gathering small animals, sea mammals, fish and shellfish, and plants.
After the founding of Los Angeles in 1781 under the crown of Spain and later when Mexico controlled the region from 1820 to 1850, the land that became known as San Pedro was disputed by both the Dominguez and Sepulveda families, until the latter family prevailed in 1834. The harbor became a center for trade in hides and other goods. After the Mexican War in 1848 and admission of California in 1850 to the Union, the harbor was developed by such leaders as Phineas Banning. Mills and sailing ships laden with lumber made the port “the lumber center of the world.” San Pedro was incorporated in 1888 and remained independent until voters decided in 1909 to consolidate with Los Angeles, which wanted the port. Congress designated San Pedro Bay as the port of Los Angeles in 1897, and a decade later, the City of Los Angeles offi-
cially founded its port with the creation of the Board of Harbor Commissioners.
THE COMMUNITY’S ROOTS
Old maps discovered by the San Pedro Bay Historical Society indicate that, as late as 1908, a knoll or bluff commanded the site of what would become Mexican Hollywood. What had been Orizaba Boulevard was widened and expanded to become Harbor Boulevard. The topography changed, as did the landscape, of virtually all the lands surrounding the Port of Los Angeles.
Research indicates that the Los Angeles Harbor Department leased the land that was to become El Barrio to the Pacific Coal Company, which employed mostly Irish laborers. The company built houses for them or had employees build their own. Some homes were built over grounded boats, while many were built on stilts to escape the surges created by passing ships. A federal study conducted in the 1930s indicated that the wooden houses dated back to the early 1910s. Ancon Street ran unpaved through the middle of the neighborhood, sandwiched roughly between Berths 90-93, Front Street on the east, and Harbor Boulevard on the west. Ancon, like some other streets just blocks from Mexican Hollywood, reflected the influence of the Panama Canal. Ancon is both the name of the town
The Terminal Island Toltecs baseball team played at Meyer’s field in the 1930s and ‘40s. (photo: courtesy Mexican Hollywood Culture Society)
MEMORIES: (Left) Mexican dancers Lucielle and Alex LaFarga, brother and sister, became popular professional Flamenco and Spanish dancers in the 1940s; (top right) Armando Terrazas, father of retired LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas, circa 1940s; (bottom right) Jose and Consuelo Gonzalez lived on Ancon Street and worked in the canneries for many years on Terminal Island, photo circa 1940s. (photos: courtesy Mexican Hollywood Culture Society)
at the western end of the Panama Canal and also the name of the first ship to transit the waterway on August 15, 1914.
Following Pacific Coal’s workers, another wave of residents apparently came from the Pacific Electric Railway Company, with an old trestle along the neighborhood’s eastern edge, as well as from the nearby Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Co.
MEXICAN HOLLYWOOD EMERGES
In the wake of Mexico’s revolution from 1910 to 1920, when our southern neighbor was torn by violence and starvation, Mexican Hollywood emerged around 1922, when first-generation Mexicans began moving into the area.
At its peak, about 80 houses lined its streets, sheltering about 400 residents, among the poorest in San Pedro. Ancon Street remained unpaved until the New Deal of the 1930s, which also brought a sewage system to Mexican Hollywood. Some families stayed for years in their timeworn rentals with wood-burning stoves, while others settled there with an eye toward finding better housing as soon as they could afford it. In the 1920s, monthly rents ranged from about $6 to $9; in the 1950s, about $30. Frequently, both parents worked to support their families, tending vegetable gardens, cactus plants, and fig trees for nourishment and bringing home fish. Some men hunted jackrabbits. One man baked bread for sale in his backyard.
“They called them cold-water shacks, but we called them our little casitas,” Contreras says.
“We grew up in this barrio of some 50 to 75 families who were like one big family, many related to each other,” wrote longtime San Pedro resident Alice Gonzales Morales in a 1988 recollection of the neighborhood that was published in the San Pedro News-Pilot. “People shared food and helped one another.”
The names you heard in Mexican Hollywood still abound in and around San Pedro. LaFarga. Lomeli. Olguin. Soto. Sanchez. Ozaeta. Gonzalez. Terrazas. And more.
First-generation Mexican workers found jobs—often dirty, sometimes dangerous— cleaning out boilers at Coast Welding Com-
pany or working as laborers in the fish canneries of Terminal Island, in lumberyards along the waterfront, for the old Harbor Belt Railroad or on the docks. An old wooden pier jutted into the harbor, daring young boys to dive from it, while waves lapped up to the shores of a small, sandy beach still jokingly referred to as the B.A.B.— “Best American Beach” in some circles, “Bare Ass Beach” in others. Fearless, athletic Mexican American kids swam across the channel.
Gathering places for education, culture, and faith rose up with the founding of Barton Hill Elementary in 1909, the original Holy Trinity Church, and the Barton Hill Theater on Pacific Avenue in 1924. For a while, the church used space in the movie house. Meanwhile, Toberman Settlement House created an annex to serve Mexican Hollywood, teaching skills such as cooking and sewing, and maintaining a play area for children. Teens attended myriad dances around town.
BEHIND THE NAME
Among the earliest documented uses of El Barrio’s colorful moniker calling to mind Tinseltown, came in a March 21, 1930, San Pedro News-Pilot story—about the town’s Garden Club, an advocate of the port community’s beautification. It sponsored three contests, including a “Special Garden contest for Mexican Hollywood, the dwellings east of Harbor Boulevard and north of First Street.” The eight-paragraph story went on to say that “the drive for beautifying Mexican Hollywood will begin at once.”
But where does the name come from? With so
many movie houses around town showing American- and Mexican-made films, Hollywood, more than 25 miles away, may have felt like it was a dream within reach.
“According to some accounts,” as stated in the book Mexican American Baseball in the South Bay, “Mexican Hollywood got its moniker because some of the barrio’s pretty girls got jobs as movie extras when film crews came to town. Or because several singers, dancers, and musicians lived there. Or because of a local play about the neighborhood that used the name Mexican Hollywood. Meanwhile, some historians theorize that residents may have wanted to latch on to the glamor of Hollywood by adopting the name. The theories seem as plentiful as the descendants of the neighborhood.”
An anecdote from 1985 in the San Pedro News-Pilot recounts a story told by the late John Olguin, who was three years old when he moved into the area. His father, Roy, was a cook and baker but loved writing plays. John said a member of the Mexican Culture Club told him that Roy produced a play about El Barrio and, as a joke, named it Mexican Hollywood. In her 1988 News-Pilot recollection of the neighborhood, Alice Gonzales Morales credited Mike Lomeli, Sr., an early community leader, with dubbing it “Mexican Hollywood.” Until his death in 1936, he was among the most active managers and players among San Pedro’s Mexican
American baseball teams. An oil company boilermaker, he and his wife were Mexican immigrants who came to San Pedro—and Mexican Hollywood—by way of Arizona.
TIME FOR PLAY
Just as the lure of Hollywood’s magic captured the eye of El Barrio’s people, so too did baseball, which—like the movies—dazzled audiences from coast to coast. By 1930, Mexican baseball teams flourished throughout San Pedro, from the little neighborhood of La Rambla hugging nearby hillsides to Mexican Hollywood. Young Mexican men— and women—“organized teams that played at Bob Myers Field at the southeast corner of Ancon and O’Farrell streets in Mexican Hollywood,” according to Mexican American Baseball in the South Bay. Myers Field, an apparent reference to Bob and Bernice Myers, who ran a local grocery at Harbor Boulevard and O’Farrell Street, was developed by 1931 and improved and enclosed in 1933.
Among the teams were the Hollywood Mexicans, which took to the Mexican Hollywood field in 1931, but team members soon voted to rechristen themselves as the San Pedro Internationals, competing under that name until 1934. Among its managers was longtime baseball aficionado, Mike Lomeli, Sr., who lived on Ancon Street. Other Mexican teams also used the field, including the San Pedro International Girls, the Hermosa Athletic Club, the Sonora Club, and the San
Mexican teams from throughout the South Bay and Los Angeles County played there, as did teams representing U.S. Navy ships. Mexican Hollywood teams played against a number of squads fielded along other racial and ethnic lines, including Italians, Croatians, Filipinos, Chinese, and African Americans.
MASSIVE CHANGE
For at least two centuries, the port has served as a center of trade and travel. The advent of World War II saw jolting changes unseen before. The young men of Mexican Hollywood went off to serve their country in Europe and in the Pacific. On the waterfront, vast amounts of manpower and capital focused on turning out and repairing ships in local shipyards, while in the decades following, every bit of land around the water’s edges presented an economic opportunity, in particular with the arrival of containerized cargo in the late 1950s and the evolution of the Port of Los Angeles as the busiest container port in the country. The neighborhood gave way to the redevelopment of its lands by the Port of Los Angeles in 1952. The site became home to the Catalina Terminal and then the cruise center. Families had to leave Mexican Hollywood.
“We cried because we met so many beautiful families,” Contreras says. “We were not sure we were going to see them again because they scattered throughout San Pedro. Others moved out of town.”
The Mexican Hollywood Culture Society, a local nonprofit incorporated in 2021, has been
HISTORY REMEMBERED: (Top) The Mexican Hollywood Culture Society (l to r) Richard Gettler, Yomaria Gettler, Richard Gonzalez, Steve Linares, Vince LaFarga, Maggie de Alba, Dickie Chavez, and Rudy Alba, with LA City Councilmember Tim McOsker (third from right); (bottom left) the crowd at the Mexican Hollywood Square unveiling ceremony, June 7, 2025; (bottom right) Maggie de Alba holds a Mexican Hollywood Square sign. (photos: Bobby Fabro/Mexican Hollywood Culture Society, Megan Barnes)
researching the origins and evolution of the Mexican Hollywood neighborhood.
Through the work of a board that includes Magdeline Fierro-de Alba, also known as Maggie de Alba, the founding president, and with help from Mona Dallas Reddick of the San Pedro Bay Historical Society, they have sought to preserve and to tell the story of Mexican Hollywood with the goal of obtaining historical designation for the area from the City of Los Angeles. Their mission is to celebrate and honor Mexican American heritage and contributions to the industries and communities of the Los Angeles Harbor area in San Pedro and the surrounding communities. The Mexican Hollywood Culture Society comprises dedicated community ambassadors who seek to educate, honor, and celebrate Mexican American culture.
With the markers now in place, the organization’s longer-term goals include the establishment of a cultural center, exhibits, installation of a half-dozen banners celebrating Mexican American culture in the Port of Los Angeles promenade near Harbor Boulevard and O’Farrell, and designation of the area as Mexican Hollywood Plaza.
Other society members include: Rick Gonzalez, vice president; Paul “Dickie” Chavez, treasurer; Yomaria Gettler, secretary; Vince LaFarga, historian; Richard Gettler, technology adviser; Steve Linares, special events; Rudy Alba, advisor; Robert Maynez, advisory council; and Isela Lopez, volunteer bookkeeper. Bobby Fabro is the official photographer.
As a result of the society’s efforts, the City of Los Angeles prepared four signs for unveiling on June 7, 2025, declaring the area at Harbor Boulevard and O’Farrell Street as “Mexican Hollywood Square.” A half dozen colorful banners were set to be hung in the area, reflecting the old neighborhood’s dual Mexican and American identities.
“One day,” says Fierro-de Alba, “we hope to produce a Mexican Hollywood documentary.” spt
Ron Gonzales, a native of San Pedro, is a co-author of Mexican American Baseball in the South Bay.
Pedro Sharks.
NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY: THE HIDDEN DRIVER OF HOME VALUES
IN SAN PEDRO AND BEYOND, ENGAGED NEIGHBORS AND PROACTIVE PROGRAMS HELP PROTECT BOTH RESIDENTS AND REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS
BY MIKE HARPER & PETER HAZDOVAC
Whenit comes to real estate, location will always matter. Along with location, neighborhood safety often plays a major role in influencing property values and buyer demand.
San Pedro is a known melting pot of cultures, with many families sharing generations of history in our proud coastal community. It’s one of the wonderful aspects, adding to its authenticity, uniqueness, and desirability. Looking out for our neighbors and the neighborhoods we live in is an extremely important factor in keeping our community safe and desirable to live in.
South Shores is known as one of the most desirable neighborhoods in San Pedro. Of course, the breathtaking Catalina views, proximity to the coastal bluffs
and trails, custom homes, strong sense of community, etc., all play a role in the allure of this area. However, one crucial aspect of this neighborhood’s desirability is its safety, and many residents play a significant role in helping keep it that way.
In 2013, a local resident created CyberWatch, with the main goal of making the community safer by preventing home burglaries. As stated on the South Shores Community website, “It does this by bringing the old neighborhood watch system into the digital age. It is not a social media website. It is a responsive email link between us and the LAPD. Since its inception, CyberWatch has grown steadily through word of mouth from neighbor to neighbor. Today, over 600 South Shores homes participate in this vital community effort with more residents joining CyberWatch each month.”
The premise is simple—CyberWatchers email suspicious activity, individuals, and vehicles to a primary community contact. These reports are immediately forwarded to key LAPD contacts for investigation and entry into the Burglary Division’s database. LAPD acts from there and does all the necessary follow-up. This has been instrumental in catching bad guys and deterring potential criminal activity.
On the Palos Verdes Peninsula, automated license plate readers (ALPRs) are installed at entry and exit points, including gateways into Rancho Palos Verdes and cities like Palos Verdes Estates. These have been effective in aiding law enforcement and solving crimes, even in neighboring cities such as San Pedro.
Across the South Bay, homes in areas with a strong sense of security tend to sell faster and maintain value even in changing
markets. Buyers are drawn to neighborhoods where people look out for one another, streets are well-lit, and the overall environment feels safe and cared for.
In San Pedro, we’ve seen certain areas experience steady improvement, as revitalization projects, neighborhood watch programs like CyberWatch, and new investment help shift perceptions and restore confidence in our local housing market. Neighborhood safety is more than just a statistic—it’s a cornerstone of community value.
When people feel secure, they’re more likely to invest in, stay in, and take pride in their homes, which benefits everyone in our seaside community. spt
Mike Harper and Peter Hazdovac are co-owners of HH Coastal Real Estate, an independent local brokerage. For more info, visit hhcoastal.com.
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TO GYM OR NOT TO GYM
BY EDDIE Mc KENNA
I’m scared to do CrossFit because I might get hurt.
That’s a sentence I’ve heard at least four times in the past week, just talking to random people. It always comes up: They ask me what I do, I tell them, and that’s their response.
It’s funny—I just watched a video of Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, being interviewed. The reporter said, “I’ve heard things, and I don’t want to get hurt.” Glassman shot back, “Stay in your chair where you’re sure to get hurt, and you’ll become one of the 300,000 people that will die next year from sitting in their chair doing nothing.”
I’m not denying that people can get hurt doing CrossFit— people get hurt doing everything. Glassman is known for being curt and blunt. His response to the reporter might sound harsh, but there’s truth in it.
When I talk to people about what I do for a living—which happens all the time—most of them don’t actually exercise. The conversation usually turns into how nervous or intimidated they feel about going to the gym. And honestly, I get it. The gym can feel intimidating at first. It looks like everyone in there is already fit and cool.
But here’s the truth: No one in there cares what you’re doing. They’re focused on themselves. No one’s watching you. No one’s judging you. And if someone is, it’s probably because they’re looking for a date, not critiquing your squat.
The other day, my pastor came to work out with me. After the session, we grabbed coffee, and he got to see one of these exact conversations play out. On the way out, he laughed and said, “You’re a gym evangelist.”
He’s right, I am.
I want everyone to experience what the gym can offer. I believe everyone should have a coach. I believe everyone should be in an
environment where the people around them genuinely want to see them get better. The gym, at its best, is a place where people want you to succeed.
I wish we could change the way people see the gym. So many people who should be there never go because they’ve built up the wrong picture of it in their heads. The gym isn’t a place to be judged. It’s a place to be supported, to work on yourself, to fail, to grow, and to become a better version of yourself.
If you’re reading this, I hope it gives you the courage to walk through those doors and start your journey. Even the greats— MJ, Kobe—had coaches. So should you. spt
Eddie McKenna is co-owner of Heyday Elite Fitness. For more info, visit heydaytraining.com.
(photo: Victor Freitas/Pexels)
STATE OF THE DISTRICT
OCTOBER
9,
2025 - DALMATIAN-AMERICAN CLUB
PHOTOS BY JOHN MATTERA PHOTOGRAPHY
During his Oct. 9 State of the District address at San Pedro’s Dalmatian-American Club, Los Angeles Councilmember Tim McOsker reflected on what he called a challenging but hopeful year for the city. Speaking to a packed crowd, he acknowledged recent hardships—from devastating wildfires and a $1 billion budget shortfall to a wave of ICE raids he described as “inhumane.” Yet, McOsker focused much of his speech on progress and resilience across the 15th District. He highlighted restored funding for animal shelters, the long-awaited Los Angeles Convention Center expansion, and community-led wildfire relief efforts. McOsker also shared updates on the One San Pedro redevelopment, the upcoming reopening of Sunken City, and preparations for the 2028 Olympic sailing events. He closed by reaffirming his commitment to clean air, good jobs, and keeping the Harbor community strong, compassionate, and united. spt
2025 LOS ANGELES SPORTSWALK OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY
OCTOBER 13, 2025 - BATTLESHIP IOWA MUSEUM
PHOTOS BY JOHN MATTERA PHOTOGRAPHY
San Pedro’s Sportswalk of Fame—now the Los Angeles Sportswalk of Fame—honored six athletes aboard the Battleship Iowa Museum on Oct. 13. This year’s honorees were John Link, Philip D’Amato, Marina Vitalich, Murphy Su’a, Mike Pentecost, and Mike O’Donnell. The event raised $12,000 in scholarships for local high school athletes. Founded in 1978 to celebrate sports achievement and community spirit, the Sportswalk continues its mission to promote sports education and youth scholarships. Past honorees include icons like Jerry West, Jackie Robinson, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Tommy Lasorda spt
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