Pasadena Mayor to Travel Rose Parade Route Accompanied by Family and Friends In Vintage Bus (Top speed: 18 mph)

Publisher’s Note: An earlier version of this story was truncated and omitted the fact that Vannia De La Cuba, the Mayor’s deputy who has supported him in his Council/Mayor roles for over 20 years, will also ride with the Mayor. We apologize for this error.

Mayor Victor M. Gordo will travel down the route of the 134th Rose Parade in a 1907 Autocar bus, joined by his family and close friends.

Family members include Mayor Gordo’s wife, Kelly; son, Michael; daughter, Emma; father, Juan; and stepmother, Ofelia. Juan Gordo worked in Pasadena’s beloved Ranchero Mexican Restaurant for nearly 50 years, retiring in 2018, the same year the restaurant closed.

Longtime close friends and dedicated community members Doug and Susan Kranwinkle will also ride along with the Mayor. Doug Kranwinkle served as general counsel for Univision and on the Rose Bowl Operating Company Board of Directors for several years. Most recently, he helped to ensure the families of the John Muir High School football team were able to get to the CIF championship game in Modesto, CA, to cheer on their student-athletes.

Mayor Gordo also invited his close friend, the highly recognizable actor/restauranteur Danny Trejo. Trejo has appeared in films including Desperado, Heat, and the From Dusk Till Dawn film series. With frequent collaborator and his second cousin Robert Rodriguez, he portrayed the character of Isador “Machete” Cortez, which was originally developed for the Spy Kids series and was later expanded into its own franchise of the same name.Trejo’s movie career began in 1985, when he accidentally landed in the American indie film Runaway Train, where he played the role of a boxer for a daily fee of 320 dollars. He went on to star in a multitude of other films, including Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, Con Air, From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter, Reindeer Games, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and Grindhouse.^[1]

The final well-deserved seat will be held by Vannia De La Cuba who is the deputy to the Mayor and has supported him in his Council/Mayor roles for over 20 years. She grew up in Pasadena, attended Pasadena Unified School District schools and graduated from the University of Southern California. She worked at the Coalition for a Non Violent City and the LA County Children’s Planning Council until joining friend and colleague Mayor Gordo as his District 5 Field Representative in 2003.  She is the proud mom of three sons: Daniel (29), Gabo (26), and Andrés (19).

Once used to haul passengers up to Pike’s Peak Hotel in Colorado, the Autocar bus has a top speed of 18 mph. It has a two-cylinder engine and 600-cubic-inch chain drive, which is unique. The owners are Alex and Bob Trepenier of Alhambra, CA. The bus was found back east in 1980 and restored over six years by the owner’s father. It has been featured in many movies, including “Titanic” and “Around the World in 80 Days.”

The theme of this year’s parade is “Turning the Corner,” celebrating the unlimited potential that each new year brings. The Rose Parade travels 5.5 miles down Colorado Boulevard and features four types of entries: floral-decorated floats entered by a participating corporation, nonprofit organization or municipality; equestrian units; bands; and Tournament entries.