Cathedral City Councilman, Restaurant Owner, Mark Carnevale Dies At 75

CATHEDRAL CITY, CA —Funeral services were pending Monday for Cathedral City Councilman Mark Carnevale, who served for the city for more than a decade.

Carnevale died Sunday, according to the city. The cause of death was not immediately known. He is survived by his wife Rhonda, his children Karrie and Nick, five grandchildren and numerous extended family members.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and friend, Mark Carnevale," Mayor Nancy Ross said in a statement. "He contributed so much to our community and was a tireless advocate for Cathedral City. He will be greatly missed."

He was first elected to the city council in November 2014 and served as mayor twice -- from 2019-2020 following the death of Mayor Gregory Pettis and again from 2023-2024. He was serving his third term representing District 3.

Officials said Carnevale ran on principals, including listening to his constituents, improving police and fire services and increasing economic development opportunities throughout the city.

He was credited for the revitalization of the Downtown Arts and Entertainment District, championing the development of the city's amphitheatre and Agua Caliente Casino in the city, and supporting the transformation of downtown area.

He was on several committees, such as the Coachella Valley Association of Governments Executive committee, CVAG Homeless, CVAG Transportation and Riverside County Transportation Commission. He was an alternate to the League of California Cities -- Riverside County Division Executive Board, Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau and Southern California Association of Governments.

His eatery, Nicolino's Italian Restaurant, has operated since 1985 in Cathedral City, with three generations of family members preparing cuisines, including Nick, and was honored once by the Chamber of Commerce for "Restaurants of the Year" and "California Small Business of the Year."

It was through the restaurant that Carnevale was able to give to local organizations, including the city's Boys and Girls Club, the city's Evening Rotary, High School programs and other community organizations.

"Mark was a steadfast leader who deeply cared about the people of Cathedral City," said Interim City Manager Anne Ambrose. "His commitment to his constituents and his collaborative approach to governance made him an invaluable member of our team."

All flags at city facilities will be lowered to half-staff in his honor.

City Council will have 60 days from Sunday to address the vacancy in District 3, officials said.

In Carnevale's own words regarding his approach to service, he said, "I pride myself on communicating, collaborating and working as a team with council, staff and residents to reach our shared goals. None of our accomplishments were done alone -- it was always a team effort."