Giuseppe "Joe" Buscaino (born c. 1974)[1][2] is an American politician and former police officer, who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 15th district from 2012 to 2022.

[7] Buscaino was elected to the 15th district on January 17, 2012 to fill the vacancy left by Janice Hahn, following her successful bid for the U.S. House of Representatives.

[14] In 2015, Buscaino successfully lobbied for the creation of Watts Serenity Park, a 1.13 acre parcel of land that was previously vacant and often the site of drug use and violent crimes.

The $5 million project provided a safe space for community recreation with play equipment for kids, a Fitness Zone® exercise area for adults, and a skate park.

[17] Buscaino plans to use part of the $2 million in Green Streets funding given to the 15th District to make improvements to the historic Watts Towers area.

These improvements aim to revitalize the area by planting hundreds of new trees, repaving sidewalks, repairing and replacing lights, and investing in the development of the Watts Towers Cultural Crescent.

The Conceptual Plan proposes traffic calming, improving the Gaffey St. pedestrian experience, making the landscape more drought tolerant, and providing more public spaces for the San Pedro community.

These activists now perform a variety of functions—daily litter and debris removals, reporting of graffiti, weekly sidewalk cleaning, etc.--with the purpose of preserving their city's natural beauty.

The courthouse closed in January 2013, and since then, the area has been the subject of frequent conversations, as its location in the heart of downtown San Pedro makes it lucrative property.

In November 2016, the LA County Board of Supervisors announced plans to team up with real estate firm Holland Partner Group to build a multi-use development in the 1.8 acre space.

[28] In June 2020, in the wake of widespread protests following the murder of George Floyd, Buscaino organized a "unity march" with the NAACP and the Los Angeles Police Department.

A 2017 editorial in the Los Angeles Times criticized the geographical makeup of District 15, and argued that it resulted in lack of representation for communities like Watts and Harbor Gateway.

[39][40] The move to change the name was largely supported by Native American activists, with the notable endorsement of Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell.

He has served on the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Harbor Area, the San Pedro YWCA's Racial Justice Committee and the Advisory Council for the Los Angeles Watts Summer Games.