Dominic Raciti brought heart to Costa Mesa

Young Chang

Dominic J. Raciti was an Italian of import in Costa Mesa in the

late 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s.

He ran a jewelry store, a pawn shop and served on the Costa Mesa

City Council for eight years. In 1976, he was appointed mayor.

Bob Wilson, former mayor of the city and a Costa Mesa historian,

admits that Raciti doesn’t have a claim to fame with his mayoral

career. He didn’t make any sweeping changes and he wasn’t known to

get heated about parking meters, covered garages or any other city

issues.

“But nobody had a bigger heart for the city of Costa Mesa,” Wilson

said of Raciti.

This was evident in his close dealings with the Police Department

when he owned his pawn shop. Burglars and robbers who didn’t know

what to do with all that they had stolen would often go to Raciti’s

business to try and sell things off.

“Anytime Dom got something he suspected at all, whether it was a

violin or a shotgun ... he would call the police,” Wilson said. “Lots

of times he got hot stuff. He could give them a trace of some sort.”

Raciti was born in the Province of Reggio di Calabria in Italy.

His father was a skilled jeweler and watchmaker who, after a trip to

America, moved his family over to New Jersey. Raciti’s father ran a

successful jewelry store, a part of which he later passed on to his

son.

Raciti was already a teen when he started school in the United

States, according to Wilson’s book “From Goat Hill to City of the

Arts: The History of Costa Mesa.”

“You had to listen quite carefully to understand what he was

saying,” Wilson said of Raciti’s English.

Raciti moved his family -- his wife and son -- to Costa Mesa in

1957.

“Everybody loved him,” Wilson said. “He had a nice personality and

had nice looks.”

Raciti now lives in Northern California.

* Do you know of a person, place or event that deserves a

historical LOOK BACK? Let us know. Contact Young Chang by fax at

(949) 646-4170; e-mail at young.chang@latimes.com; or mail her at c/o

Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627