Robert Rizzo loses another job -- volunteer parking lot attendant at Huntington Beach surfing museum

Former Bell City Administrator Robert Rizzo is out as the parking lot attendant at the International Surfing Museum in Huntington Beach, a volunteer job he apparently lined up to earn community service hours for a DUI conviction.

Rizzo’s volunteer work at the museum -- largely making sure that non-museum visitors didn’t use the tiny, beach-front lot -- was revealed by Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez. The column included a photo of Rizzo wearing sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat and sitting in a folding chair in front of a colorful mural of surfers.

Rizzo was forced from his job as Bell’s city administrator after The Times revealed the extreme salaries of officials in one of Los Angeles County’s poorest cities. He was subsequently arrested and charged with misappropriation of millions of dollars in city funds.

The ex-city manager, who lives in downtown Huntington Beach, apparently was volunteering at the museum as part of a community service requirement related to a DUI incident in which he crashed into a mailbox.

“He found us and said he wanted to do some volunteering service,” said Kitty Willis, a docent at the museum. “We always look at our volunteers to make sure that their volunteer service does not impact the museum negatively ... and apparently it has and he’s no longer here.”

Willis said Rizzo was not on the museum’s payroll, but was there to “volunteer his time.” At least one person complained about Rizzo working at the museum.

Willis said volunteers at the museum are sometimes court-appointed, often teenagers who’ve been picked up for violating curfew.

“The focus of the museum is the surfing community and making sure that any of the volunteers that we allow to come in here and do their time don’t have a negative impact and he did,” Willis said. “So he’s not here and won't be coming back ever.”

-- Ruben Vives

Photo: Robert Rizzo volunteers earlier in the week at the surfing museum. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[DLH]

He wants something easy so he can sit on his fat butt and do nothing. How about picking up trash in a park or in the streets.

[There are Consequences]

Gee, I wonder if Steve's latest article had anything to do with this?

[keith]

Too bad, maybe Rizzo would have been inspired to start surfing

[Bdubb]

That lard-arse wouldn't know a surfboard from a kayak

[complete180]

1) I do not, in any way, excuse Rizzo of stealing lots of money from Bell. He will pay for that, through the courts.
2) Thank you (not), LA Times, for digging up a story on what Rizzo was trying to do as community service. You just couldn't leave it alone, could you? Couldn't just let the man do his community service, could you? Ratings are numero uno in the media, even at the expense of FURTHER destroying a person's life.
3) I would like some details as to exactly how he made a negative impact on the museum, other than someone merely complaining that he was there.
4) I have now lost respect for Kitty Willis for caving so quickly, not that I really can allow myself to take seriously a person named Kitty.

[Pc Das]

That's so sad!!!
I really wanted to go there and meet him.
Please let me know where's the next place we can find Rizzo. I have so many questions for him, I'm sure he can be a great mentor, I really need a raise.

[Michael]

Maybe Rizzo can shovel horse manure in a horse barn. It's not such a public volunteer assignment.

[James Andrews]

Punishment by mob rule unrelated to anything but hate.

[cooltub]

Gosh, I hope he doesn't starve to death.

[Jim]

Steve Lopez is such a liberal hypocrite. Robert Rizzo, although accused of very serious crimes, has not yet been convicted on those charges. He was paying back a debt to society for a crime that he was convicted, yet Lopez in his self righteousness had to make life even more difficult for a man.

[Surfcity]

What a refreshing change of tone from this museum...yesterday, the spokesperson sounded as if this guy was a hero (not too bright). Thankfully, they came to their senses today.

[complete180]

Let the man do his community work.

[Tyrone F]

Steve, you went and got him fired. How could you?

[ratbag]

I thought community service meant you were supposed to do something for the community like picking up trash or cleaning up graffiti. I don't think wedging your fat ass into a folding chair that you can't easily extract yourself from qualifies as service.

[There are consequences]

Gee, I wonder if this had anything to do with good ol' Steve's recent article? The loss of revenue to the museum due to Lopez' character assassination against Rizzo.

[Brooke Halpin]

Thanks for your great article in this morning's paper about Rizzo's new position. Sounds like his driving into a mailbox landed him his new "job." I know the museum and Gary Sahagen quite well. I had an exhibit of my Headline Surf Paintings and did a book signing with my new book, Do You Really Know The Beatles? this past November and December. I hope the museum will get the support it needs and that Rizzo ends up at the bottom of the surf.

Brooke Halpin
Painter and author of the book, Do You Really Know The Beatles?

[MBC Voice]

Strong work Steve Lopez and LA Times! You have now successfully stalked and persecuted an unconvicted US and California citizen. I hope you are satisfied with your intimidation of Rizzo's supervisor. Unilaterally you decided that it was proper to violate Rizzo's 6th Amendment civil rights. Proclaiming yourselves as prosecuter, judge, jury and executioner you have proven that the press is not the 4th Estate, but rather the peanut gallery. Lopez and LA Times, your ethics make Rizzo look like a saint. Good job you "Holier than Thou," navel gazers.

[phoenixandrew]

The International Surfing Museum clearly didn't think when they hired this known crook. They don't need the negative publicity.

[Monarch]

I seem to remember the Times posting that grade for the school teacher who
killed himself and not taking any responsibility. The Times seems to think they
are Judge, Jury and Hangman all in one. Outrageously Ugly Behavior.

[jmg_NX21]

This is why I have mixed feelings about the Lopez piece:
When is this too much?
Has he yet been found guilty?
When will he have paid his debt to society (the residents of Bell and all other cities entangled in this mess?)

He deserves it but... is this a slippery slope?

[Pete]

Enough already. This guy, like all of us, deserves to move about his day without being humiliated at every turn. I think we could all show a little empathy.

[dhwj]

Now, that is unfair.

I am not fan of Mr. Rizzo but, come on, if he is doing community service, he should be allowed to do community service.

[Bell resident]

Fat AXX needs to be moving instead of seating in his rear-end. He thinks he is the biggest fat cat around after ripping Bell off. HP should make him clean the streets of Bell with his filthy hands.

[Ziggle]

No fan of Rizzo's, but this seems so wrong of Lopez to have created this problem. What next, Steve Lopez follows Rizzo around to report that he's volunteering at the Humane Society in order to try and gen up enough backlash to get him turned away there too.

I'd be curious about whether Lopez feels ashamed of what he's done. He should.

[salvador r callejas]

That's the way justice is supposed to work. How about having fatso do some community service in the city of Bell ?
Or maybe his supporters can now help him find another good spot for his community service. How about at a church or a mosque, or maybe baby sitting at the homes of those who trust him.
If he weren't white, he could had been ridiculed without anyone crying and moaning about Steve Lopez.
How about helping this guy complete180? he may need some financial support soon. Let him use your credit card.