Richard Riordan

Former mayor Richard Riordan mingles with the customers of his 6-month-old restaurant Riordan's Tavern like a practiced, albeit comfortably retired, politician. "Hi, I'm Dick Riordan," he says, shaking hands with four young businessmen at the bar and flashing a mischievous grin before leaning in to converse with a table of diners who recognize him and shout, "We love your restaurant!"

RICHARD Riordan is no gourmet. That's one of the first things he wants you to know. But he is a restaurateur, and a very successful one. In fact, though the 78-year-old Riordan is best known as the multimillionaire former mayor of Los Angeles, he also owns two of the busiest restaurants in Southern California, the Original Pantry and Gladstone's Malibu.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan has never been shy about bucking his Republican Party. And Wednesday he did it again by endorsing Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Riordan said the Illinois senator was by far the best choice for the White House and the only one with the intellect to shepherd the country through troubled economic times.

A yearlong effort by former Mayor Richard Riordan to lead reforms at storied Dorsey High School was met Tuesday with a clear answer: Thanks but no thanks. The longtime education philanthropist has sought a quasi-management role at a low-performing high school, much like current Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other civic leaders. "I'm offering my heart, my soul, my reputation, my pocketbook and everything to the students at Dorsey High School," said Riordan, who also served as Gov.

Former Mayor Richard Riordan said Friday that he and his wife, Nancy Daly Riordan, have decided to separate. The couple, who have been fixtures at city and social events since he began his eight-year tenure as mayor in 1993, have been married for nine years. This was the third marriage for Riordan, who turned 77 on May 1, and the second for Daly Riordan, 65. Shortly before they wed, on Valentine's Day in 1998, Riordan said the two had found common cause on issues involving children's welfare.

A legal battle between former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and billionaire businessman Ron Burkle over an investment has ended before Burkle was even served with court papers, according to Burkle's spokesman. In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Riordan alleged that Burkle not only refused to let the former mayor -- and once close friend -- out of the deal, but changed investment strategy without letting the investors know.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan was said to be resting comfortably Sunday, one day after undergoing heart bypass surgery at a hospital in Santa Monica. Riordan's law firm issued a statement saying the operation went smoothly, and he was expected to be released from the hospital sometime this week. "We look forward to Dick rejoining us soon," added Richard J. Welch, managing partner of the Los Angeles office of Bingham McCutchen.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan has been released from the hospital and will recover from heart bypass surgery at home, his law firm said. Riordan was released Friday from St. John's Health Center, according to a statement from his firm, Bingham McCutchen.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former Mayor Richard Riordan delivered commencement addresses and were awarded honorary degrees at two area universities Saturday. Villaraigosa spoke at Loyola Marymount University and received a doctor of humane letters degree from the private Catholic college in Westchester. Riordan, who served two terms from 1993 to 2001, delivered the keynote address at Woodbury University, a private, business-oriented school in Burbank.

Richard Riordan, one of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's key supporters in his bid to gain authority over the Los Angeles Unified School District, has apparently been having second thoughts and over the last week has been quietly pushing for a key change in the legislation. Reached late Tuesday afternoon, Riordan, a former Los Angeles mayor himself, said he believed that the efforts to make the change -- made along with former Gov.