Pile of Lumber Falls, Killing Ex-Mayor

Cam Briglio, former Monterey Park mayor and city councilman, was crushed to death Tuesday by a stack of lumber that fell on him at his home in the 600 block of Orange Avenue, police said. He was 52.

Police and Fire Department officials responded to calls from a neighbor, who said she heard a loud crash followed by Briglio’s pleas for help, Police Sgt. George Verbeck said. Firefighters located Briglio under the pile of lumber in a back room of the house, Verbeck said. Power saws were needed to cut through the lumber and extract Briglio, who died about an hour after arrival at Garfield Hospital.

Briglio served as mayor from Feb. 9 to Dec. 14, 1987. In Monterey Park, City Council members are appointed to the office of mayor on a rotation basis.

Briglio’s term on the City Council lasted from April 10, 1984, to April 12, 1988, during which he survived a recall effort initiated by opponents who differed with Briglio over real estate development issues. He lost his bid for reelection in a campaign that featured heated debate over the development issue as well as the city’s changing ethnic makeup.