Caruso Interview: Gascon, Homelessness, and His Fascist Father

• 1:11:36Caruso initially supported George Gascon for district attorney, then pivoted to backing Jackie Lacey after learning about Gascon's policies.
• 1:12:27Caruso regrets Gascon's record, saying he's either changed since working at LAPD together or is fundamentally different than the George he knew.
• 1:13:04Day one plan: declare a state of emergency on homelessness, move authority to the mayor's office, and build 30,000 temporary beds on surplus city land.
• 1:13:22Caruso's policy: homeless people get housed with services, but no longer have the choice to stay on the street once a bed is available.
• 1:14:06Tim interjects with skepticism about the plan—suggesting luxury units for homeless people who earn good money, or selling them to foreign billionaires instead.
• 1:14:47Caruso clarifies that refusing the bed and services would result in arrest, drawing a hard line that previous administrations avoided.
• 1:15:21Asked how he relates to struggling average Americans despite his comfortable lifestyle, Caruso invokes his immigrant background in Boyle Heights.
• 1:15:53Caruso's father was an Italian fascist who supported Mussolini and read books on Hitler, which he cites as proof he understands working-class struggle.
• 1:16:10Caruso concludes that because his fascist father lived paycheck to paycheck, he can relate to what people in the country are going through now.

George GasconBill BrattonhomelessnessJackie LacyCharlie Beck