Arthur J. Cusolito was born Oct. 15, 1927 in the Little Italy section of Los Angeles, in what is now Chinatown. He grew up and attended schools in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. Arthurserved in the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy between 1946 and 1950. He met his wife, Beverly, at a Catholic singles dance. They were married and raised three children: Janice, Alan and Karen before Beverly's death in 1973. Arthur married Lucille Van Leeuwen two years later.

He worked for the Los Angeles County Fire Department for 30 years, most of those as a captain at Station 40 in Pico Rivera. Upon retirement, Arthur and Lucille moved to San Juan Capistrano in the early 1980s. He served as a Lay Eucharistic minister at the mission basilica in the 1990s.

Arthur was known for his love of the outdoors and travel. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, shooting, bicycling, sailing and skiing. He and Lucille took many trips to Italy and surrounding countries, meeting up with relatives in Italy. They hosted Italian relatives at their home as well. People remember Art for his sense of humor and his warm, outgoing personality. He was genuinely a "people person," and was happiest when surrounded by family and friends.