Replay weighs heavy on fate of riot-weary druggist. (Mixed Messages-10 Years After the Riots).

Gilbert Mathieu's eyes were glued to the live broadcast as rioting erupted at Florence and Normandie during the afternoon of April 29, 1992.

But with ground zero several miles away from his drug store, located in one of two adjacent Western Avenue buildings he owned, Mathieu saw no signs of imminent danger. He finished his day's work at 7 p.m. and drove home to Inglewood.

It was there that he saw a live broadcast of his business, Handler Pharmacy, engulfed in flames.

"I saw my store on fire and my reaction was, here we go again," said Mathieu, who was a pharmacist in a Watts Thrifty drug store when rioting erupted there in 1965. "You get a little emotional about it. You try to look for answers. But even with the verdict, there's no justification for that kind of reaction."

His tenants in the other building he owned--a lawnmower salesman, appliance repairman and grocery store owner--also lost their businesses. In fact, the Asian-owned grocery store, called Bill's Market, was the target of the firebomb that destroyed Mathieu's buildings.

Decision to rebuild

After the riots, Mathieu's tenants never returned and have not been replaced.

But Mathieu, who was 59 at the time and thinking about retiring, decided to rebuild so he would have something to leave his children.

Although damages to the buildings and the contents in his pharmacy totaled $500,000, his insurance covered only about $200,000 worth of damage. With only $50,000 available in personal savings and $150,000 in loans from family and friends, Mathieu was still short $100,000.

Mathieu found the money through Operation Hope, an agency that helped speed up low-interest loans through a consortium of banks. Mathieu, the first loan recipient, secured the $100,000 in 30 days.

"He needed someone to be able to assist him immediately," said Lance Triggs, Operation Hope's chief of staff. "Like most small businesses, he couldn't afford to be out of operation for an extended period of time and survive. But many (South Central) small businesses have a very difficult time securing financing."

City officials cut some red tape by placing riot victims on a priority list that enabled them to obtain demolition, construction and fire permits in two months instead of the usual six to nine months.

In the ensuing months, Mathieu spent two or three days a week monitoring construction and filled his time by getting involved in non-profit groups providing affordable housing for low-income and elderly residents.

Problems upon reopening 

His business was rebuilt by March 1993 and he announced the reopening of Handler Pharmacy by inundating the area with mailers. But when his doors finally reopened, it was hardly business as usual.

With all medical records destroyed by the fire, Mathieu spend nearly a year calling doctors for updated information each time a customer came in. "I had to start over," he said. "It was very time consuming. But in eight to 10 months, I caught up with everyone."

Since the reopening, however, he has yet to sign up a tenant. An entire building, with 6,000 square feet of space remains vacant, costing $4,500 to $6,000 per month in lost income, Mathieu said. "In this area, you can't find a business that can support that kind of operational costs:' he said.

He hopes his four children will someday open their own businesses in the vacant space. Whatever happens, Mathieu said the riots reminded him to place a higher value on life over material possessions. And although the fire began at Bill's Market, he said he has never regretted the leasing arrangement.

"African-Americans targeted all (Asian) businesses, not just this one," he said. "These were groups moving from one neighborhood to the other throwing Molotov cocktails. When you have anarchy and no police or fire protection and mobs on the street, nobody is safe."