> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Critic of City Hall passes - URL: https://www.smdp.com/critic-of-city-hall-passes/ - Published: 2008-03-15T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T18:53:10.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Government & Politics, Downtown, #archive-import, Homelessness *Council critic will be missed* DOWNTOWN Longtime political watchdog Joe Natoli, who became a vocal fixture at City Council meetings as he challenged elected officials to be more accountable to their constituents, died earlier this week of a massive stroke at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center. He was 55 years old. R e n o w n e d for a passion for all things Santa Monica, which often led to confronta-tional and at times controversial exchanges with City Hall and the Bayside District Corp., Natoli, who lived in the Mid-City area just off Broadway, became known around town as a gadfly who would attend just about any public meeting held, offering his opinions on development, traffic, homelessness, public safety, city finances, schools — basically anything and everything. “He was all over the place, trying to affect change,” said peace activist and fellow gadfly Jerry Rubin, who became good friends with Natoli during late-night council meetings when they were often the only two left in the room besides those on the dais. “I am going to miss him and I think even the City Council and Bayside, whom he seemed to blame for everything bad happening in the world, are going to miss him, too,” Rubin added. “Some of the things he said I thought were incredulous, but what he said, he felt passion about.” Passion is a word many people who knew Natoli used to describe him. Irksome was another, particularly from those who were targets of his criticism. “In Santa Monica we definitely have a love-hate relationship with our gadflies, and Joe was definitely a gadfly” said Patricia Hoffman, a community activist and member of the Bayside District Corp. board of directors. “It’s sad and sort of shocking that he’s gone. He will definitely be missed.” Mayor Pro Tem Richard Bloom remembered Natoli as a determined man who never shied away from speaking his mind. “He was single-minded in his activism,” said Bloom, who had many conversations with Natoli while on the dais and in the halls of City Hall following council meetings. “He really believed in the ability to interact in the democratic process … He was quite a character.” Aside from politics, Natoli, who grew up in a modest home in the small town of Oswego, New York with nine brothers and sisters, was very interested in photography and handwriting analysis. Natoli made a living analyzing handwriting samples for attorneys, as he tried to determine the demeanor of jurors. Natoli would use his skills at analysis to entertain people at parties and on the street. He also took publicity photos for actors and for an acrobatic troupe. He was a voracious reader who had an extensive library at his home, said Dan Crisafulli, a lifelong friend of Natoli’s. “Some people looked at Joe and thought that he wasn’t very intelligent, but in fact he was always reading and discussing politics. He could keep me on the phone for hours talking about Santa Monica. “I think Joe recognized the lack of common sense in politicians,” Crisafulli said. “Joe just felt there was a lack of common sense and too much going on behind close doors. He felt residents were not being kept in the loop.” While Natoli was constantly on the lookout for the next issue to confront, he was also known for being a jovial man with a good sense of humor, almost childlike at times. He could often be seen at City Hall with his trademark blue hat, sweatshirt and black belt pack, sitting in a hallway watching television on a portable TV, cracking jokes about celebrities. He was always trying to get the attention of anyone who would listen, often bursting into the newsroom at the Daily Press, demanding more coverage of the council or Bayside. He was also a big flirt. That said, Natoli did not reveal much about his private life. Very few people knew how old he was, where he lived or what he did to make ends meet. “He was pretty guarded,” Crisafulli said. “He didn’t want anybody to know about him and didn’t see any purpose in it. He wasn’t hiding anything. He just felt that were more important things to discuss than what was happening to him personally. He was always about exterior things.” Natoli will be remembered for his dedication to the democratic process and for his seemingly never-ending supply of criticism. “He was the kind of man who cared deeply,”Mayor Herb Katz said.“I think that’s the nicest thing you can say about someone.” Rubin is planning to hold a celebration of Natoli’s life at City Hall on March 25 before the next council meeting. Natoli is survived by four sisters and two brothers. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 15, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/031508.pdf?ref=smdp.com)