July 10, 2026
Stories of Los Angeles Harbor Area: For Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow SOLAHA Vol. VII No. 4 – Steve Marconi
Longtime San Pedro journalist, and retired from ILWU, Steve Marconi tells the story of how his mother’s his family, who were Puritans came to the new land “America” on the Mayflower and his father’s family emigrated from Italy, ultimately finding their way toSan Pedro.
Steve is third-generation San Pedran. His mother Rosemary’s family came to San Pedro c. WWII because of Pacific Battle Fleet. She attended Richard Henry Dana Junior and San Pedro (SPHS) High (class of 1947) Schools. His father Eddie attended San Pedro High School (SPHS) class of 1943, then enlisted in the U.S.A. Navy in 1943, serving in the Pacific aboard an aircraft carrier. After the war, he drove buses for his parents who owned and operated the Point Fermin bus line, became a longshoreman and retired as a foreman in 1990. His mother was a “career housewife.”
Steve attended 15th Street, Leland Street and Taper Avenue elementary schools; and traveled through Lochmann Farms property on north Western Avenue to attend Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Junior High. He graduated from SPHS, class of Winter 1969.
He continued his higher education at Los Angeles Harbor College, and then began a 33year newspaper career as a sports writer, columnist and copy editor that included 20 years with the San Pedro News-Pilot and Daily Breeze, culminating with six years at the Los Angeles Times.After being laid off at the Times in 2004, he began a new career as a casual longshoreman for 13 years and becoming a full-time ILWU Local 13 member in 2018. He received his “A book” in 2023 and retired later that year.
He has written a monthly a column since 2005 beginning with More San Pedro magazine and currently (re-named) San Pedro Today. Framed copies of his 1983 “Real San Pedran” column, written for the News-Pilot, hang in homes and businesses throughout SP and in homes of former residents everywhere.
His late wife, Deborah, a Gardena High graduate, went back to school in her 50s, earned her teaching credential and a master’s degree and taught for 20 years at CarsonStreet Elementary School. They were married 49 years and have one son and two granddaughters.
In 2005 his San Pedro WWII Memorial was erected at Green Hills Memorial Park, Rancho Palos Verdes, In 2021 he was awarded a $92,000 grant from the City of Los Angeles for a war memorial that will include San Pedrans who died in World War I, WWII, Korean and Vietnam wars. It is hoped the memorial will be unveiled alongside the battleship USS IOWA in 2026.
Steve values his family and local history and continues to illuminate both in his articles.