Who are the Cito Rats from Josh Brolin's Montecito youth?

The Cito Rats were the group of surfers Josh Brolin grew up with in Montecito, California, in the 1980s. Brolin says they were not a gang but a crew of kids who relied on each other while their parents partied. He told Theo Von that 36 of the 50 members are now dead, many after heroin arrived in the 1990s, and that he has taken over the trademark to relaunch the name as a brand standing for survivors.

• Brolin says his best friend in the crew, Jason Sears, fronted the punk band Rich Kids on LSD, and that Eddie Vedder told him the band was a big influence.
• Brolin compares the Cito Rats to other surf and skate crews such as the Bra Boys and Dogtown's Z-Boys.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von (2026-10-13). Read the whole episode summary →

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