Steve Rocco (politician)

Steve Rocco is an American politician, elected board member of the Orange Unified School District in Orange, California, a perennial candidate for public offices and a former public access television personality. He gained international attention by winning an upset victory to his board seat in 2004 with absolutely no campaigning and being considered an eccentric.

Life before politics

Not much is known about Rocco's personal life. According to his voter registration he was born in Italy and was 53 years-old in 2004.cite web |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/local/2004-11-07-recluse-school-board_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA |title=Recluse voted to school board |accessdate=2008-10-06 |last=Fox |first=Ben |coauthors= |date=2004-11-07 |work= |publisher="USA Today"] He does not have any children. Neighbors claim that he would often show up to Santa Ana swap meets to sell records that were stamped as property of the public library, and would yell "No bargains!", "Don't touch!", and "I'm watching you!" at people would tried to purchase the records. Rocco also started the website AndyKaufmanlives.com, which expresses doubt over the death of comedian Andy Kaufman. It is known that in 1980, Rocco was convicted of shoplifting several rolls of film and a sausage from a local grocery store. In response to that, Rocco distrubuted a series of pamphlets titled "Hey Man", where he interviews himself to discusses a conspiracy theory involving "Eastman Kodak", "Albertsons Inc.", and "SmokeCraft Sausage".

2000 Santa Ana mayorial campaign

Rocco first entered politics by running for mayor of Santa Ana, California in 2000. Although Rocco declined to share personal information or discuss his campaign, he showed up at a candidate forum wearing camoflage and sunglasses. Rocco won 12% of the vote, finishing third out of three candidates.

Orange Unified District school board

In 2004, Rocco ran for school board in the Orange Unified School District, a district that has a budget of $230 million and serves over 32,000 students at 42 schools. After announcing his candidacy, Rocco ignored mail from district officials and the teacher's union. The local Parent-Teacher Association sent him an invitation to a candidate forum, but the letter was mailed back, unopened. On the ballot, Rocco indentified himself as a writer and educator, although his claim has not been proven. Rocco was up against local park ranger Phil Martinez, who had three children in the district, and was an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America. Surprisingly, on November 4, 2004, the mysterious Rocco won 54% of the vote, beating Martinez. News of Rocco's victory ran in the "New York Post", "Ottawa Citizen", and "USA Today".cite web |url=http://www.ocweekly.com/2004-12-02/features/andy-kaufman-isn-t-dead/ |title=Andy Kaufman Isnt Dead |accessdate=2008-10-06 |last=Laughner |first=Steve |coauthors= |date=2004-12-04 |work= |publisher="Orange County Weekly"] Paul Pruss, a middle school teacher and president of the local teacher's union said in an interview with "USA Today" that "nobody has seen this guy", and called the whole election "bizarre".

Many thought that Rocco wouldn't show up for his December 6 trustee swearing-in ceremony. However, soon after the election, a man identifying himself as Rocco called KPCC-FM, a public radio station based in Pasadena, California, and promised that he'd be present at the ceremony. Rocco did show up, and became well-known for always dressing in black, wearing shades and knit caps, and never willingly allowing himself to be photographed.cite web |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/09/oddball-oc-scho.html |title=Caught red-handed? OC school trustee Steve Rocco is charged in ketchup theft |accessdate=2008-10-06 |last=de Turenne |first=Veronique |coauthors= |date=2008-09-30 |work= |publisher="Los Angeles Times"] cite web |url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/city-council-santa-2123489-candidate-crime |title=Candidate for Santa Ana council takes on 'Mafia' |accessdate=2008-10-06 |last=Irving |first=Doug |coauthors= |date=2008-08-13 |work= |publisher="Orange County Register"] Some parents claim that Rocco wasted time during meetings by giving long speeches about his parents' medical issues, charter schools, credit unions, and a group of politicians, business leaders, and education officials that Rocco calls "The Partnership", which he claims are taking over the United States.cite web |url=http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/anaheimhills/article_1664738.php |title=Board muffles Rocco |accessdate=2008-10-06 |last=Subramanian |first=Sushma |coauthors= |date=2007-04-20 |work= |publisher="Orange County Register"] Rocco also alleged that the "Partnership" has tried to kill him for speaking out againast them.

On October 12, a vote was held on a resolution to censure Rocco, and was passed by vote of 5 to 2.cite web |url=http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1311767.php |title=Orange trustees vote to censure Rocco |accessdate=2008-10-06 |last=Perez |first=Erica |coauthors= |date=2006-10-13 |work= |publisher="Orange County Register"] Rocco responded by calling the resolution "censorship", and calimed that he had "tried to bring up the issues people are not willing to bring up". Rocco, with assistance from Richard McKee, president of the California First Amendment Coalition, sued the Orange Unifed School District, but lost the case and was ordered to pay $37,000 in legal fees.cite web |url=http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-me-rocco6-2008sep06,0,1858046.story |title=Orange Unified School District trustee Steve Rocco must pay legal fees |accessdate=2008-10-06 |last=Anton |first=Mike |coauthors= |date=2008-09-06 |work= |publisher="Los Angeles Times"]

anta Ana city council run

On July 14, Steve Rocco pulled filing documents to run for Santa Ana city council against incumbent Carlos Bustamante.cite web |url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rocco-santa-council-2097007-bustamante-city?slideshow=1 |title=Controversial schools trustee Rocco eyes Santa Ana council |accessdate=2008-10-06 |last=Mello |first=Michael |coauthors= |date=2008-07-17 |work= |publisher="Orange County Register"] On the candidate worksheet he turned in, Rocco claimed that his occupation was to "Prevent the further incursion of PARTNERSHIP/ORGANIZED CRIME into the OUSD, as represented by MEXICAN MAFIA... their CAUCASION PUPPETMASTERS...JUDICIAL MISCREANTS... REGISTER...Law Enforcement". Rocco also listed several local Latino politicians as members of the "Mexican Mafia", and other white politicians and business leaders as their "Caucasion Puppetmasters".

On September 29, Rocco was arrested, detained, and charged with stealing a bottle of "Heinz" ketchup from the cafeteria of Chapman University at 10:30 a.m. According to Sgt. Dan Adams of the Orange Police Department, "One of the security guards saw [Rocco] take a 14-ounce bottle of ketchup off of one of the tables. [Rocco] concealed it and started to ride away on a bike". Police said that Rocco was "cooperative", but faces a possible $250 fine for the theft and up to 45 days in jail.cite web |url=http://cbs2.com/local/Ketchup.Stealing.Alleged.2.829591.html |title=School Trustee Nabbed For Stealing Ketchup Bottle |accessdate=2008-10-07 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2008-09-30 |work= |publisher="CBS News"]

Fred Smoller, an associate professor of political science at Chapman, said in an interview, that Rocco may have been looking for him.cite web |url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rocco-board-school-2173897-district-orange |title=School trustee cited in ketchup theft |accessdate=2008-10-07 |last=Fields |first=Eugene |coauthors= |date=2008-09-29 |work= |publisher="Orange County Register"] Smoller and another professer had made a film about Rocco about Rocco's election and school board term. Smoller said that Rocco "started coming to the school asking about [Smoller] . [Rocco's] presence was of concern to some people who had seen [Rocco] ."

References