Roast Reveals Jerry Hill's Love of Magic

Friends and supporters of Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, had a night of hearty laughs at the expense of the Peninsula representative, as he offered himself to be roasted in order to raise money for .

Hill sat quietly with a smile on his face as fellow politicians, friends and family members gave him a good-natured ribbing in front of nearly 100 attendees of the Celebrity Roast and Toast at Ralston Mansion in Belmont on Thursday night.

Those in attendance were treated to drinks, dinner and dessert, followed by jokes, some bordering the line of what many would consider good taste.

Roasters included California State Assembly Speaker John Pérez (D-Los Angeles), Caltrain/SamTrans spokesman Mark Simon, and videotaped messages from Congresswomen Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), among others.

"Dad, you are so worried about solving the problems caused by PG&E. Maybe you should worry about your own gas problem," said Hill's daughter, Taryn Hill Warren.

Hill has dedicated much of his time toward imploring PG&E to increase their safety monitoring of underground gas lines in the aftermath of the gas-line explosion in San Bruno which claimed the lives and destroyed homes of many residents last September.

His daughter also joked how Hill's assistance in paying her credit card bill served as early job training for attempting to balance the state's budget.

Master of Ceremonies Mitch Juricich, host of a golf show on a Bay Area sports radio station, kept the roasters in rotation and the mood light for the night's entirety.

Juricich, who claimed to know Hill well, repeatedly referred to him as Gary, Jimmy and Joey throughout the evening.

Juricich later presented Hill with a figurine of the bearded Burger King commercial mascot The King, and pointed out the striking resemblance between the facial features of Hill and the toy.

Hill's friends joked about his time as a politician, including his switching political parties to become a Democrat after beginning as a Republican, as well as his time as an owner of a pool cleaning company before pursuing a political career.

Hill joined the Assembly in 2008, was re-elected last year and currently serves as Democratic Caucus Chair in the Assembly.

Speier, in a two minute pre-recorded message shown on a television, also joked about some of Hill's lesser known hobbies, such as his appreciation for performing magic tricks. She recounted how Hill's magic act and appreciation for politics factored into the the first time Hill met her daughter.

"My daughter used to think magicians were creepy. Then she met Jerry Hill. Now she thinks politicians are creepy," said Speier, which drew uproarious laughter from those in attendance.

But each of the speakers voiced their appreciation for Hill's public service after they finished giving him a hard time.

Eshoo spent a majority of her pre-recorded message praising Hill for the quality of bills he's authored, including one that harshens the penalties for repeated drunk drivers, as well as those that provide incentives for businesses to implement more energy efficient technologies.

Simon also complimented Hill, calling him "ethical, honest, compassionate," and said, "I'm proud to call you my friend."

And after Hill sat through his verbal lashes, he was granted the chance to have the last laugh.

He took jabs at Juricich first, offering suggestions for the title and topics of potential new radio shows he could host.

"We all know Mitch has a show called 'Hook on Golf,' but I think he could possibly start co-hosting another show called 'Hooked on Hookers' with Charlie Sheen," said Hill.

He also said he admired Juricich's bravery, for having the courage to host a golf talk show on the radio.

Even Simon, who worked as a reporter at a variety of local publications before becoming a spokesman, took some heat from Hill. He said the various positions Simon has held all served to prove that he couldn't hold a job.

He then turned his attention to San Mateo County Central Labor Council Executive Secretary-Treasurer Shelley Kessler, who also performed a limerick earlier in the night dedicated to Hill.

"Shelley is so good at organizing labor that when she took a tour of the hospital, 12 women gave birth at exactly the same time," said Hill.

Hill then digressed, voiced his appreciation for all those in attendance, as well as the speakers. And he suggested the attendees donate to Notre Dame de Namur University, which he referred to as a "shining jewel of the Bay Area."

The proceeds of the money raised will go toward benefitting the university's School of Business and Management.