Aguallo built a reputation as a champion of efforts to steer pension money to minority-owned companies and to recruit minorities and women into the traditionally white, male world of finance.
At least 16 companies that provide services to the pension agency bought tables at the party, according to e-mails. Five of those benefited from a program Aguallo set up to invest in ventures often overlooked by the larger market, such as urban real estate, "green" technology or businesses in "under-served" communities.
One beneficiary of the program has been Palladium Equity Partners, which received a commitment of up to $10 million from the pension board in 2005. Palladium, which gave $10,000, targets companies that capitalize on "the overall Hispanization of the U.S. society," according to its website.
Another $10,000 sponsor was the real estate fund known as CityView, which is run by former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros. CityView received a commitment of up to $25 million last year from LACERS.
CityView Vice President K. Forrest Beanum said his company had a long track record of giving to Aguallo's favored nonprofit. "We're a 65% ethnic minority firm ourselves, and this is a stellar pipeline for getting more representation in the financial markets," he said.
A third $10,000 table was secured for Cordoba Corp., whose principals run Cardinal Americas, a start-up fund that received a commitment of $10 million through Aguallo's initiative.
The pension board voted in March 2007 to invest in Cardinal Americas as long as the new fund showed that it had raised $50 million from other sources. When the company failed to do that after a year, the pension board agreed to give it a six-month extension.
In the weeks leading up to that vote, Aguallo asked Cardinal Americas Chairman George Pla to help him beef up his party's guest list by persuading former Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alatorre, now a City Hall lobbyist, to attend. Pla did so and, in a separate e-mail, said his company would sponsor a table.
"Please let me know if you need help with the mayor," he added.
Villaraigosa did not attend. But Deputy Mayor Sally Choi -- the person named as Aguallo's replacement -- received a complimentary ticket. "I can assure you that no investment decisions were at all based on what may or may not have happened at that retirement party," she said.
