Artichoke Joe's to Re-open—for Now

Artichoke Joe's to Re-open—for Now

Judge: The cases could take "months, even years."
By Rebecca Rosen Lum

Saying arrests of suspected racketeerers have plucked danger from Artichoke Joe’s and another card club, state gaming officials have given each the green light to re-open at midnight Friday—at least temporarily.

“The ‘emergency’ conditions under the emergency order were no longer there,” says a ruling by the California Gambling Control Commission. “Arrests were made and the loan shark operation taken out of the cardrooms.”

Artichoke Joe's and Oaks Card Club in Emeryville, the other casino raided last week in connection to a federal racketeering investigation, have pulled the plug on their pai gow, or Asian gaming sections, and suspended the employees. They also agreed to increase surveillance and beef up worker training.

The California Bureau of Gambling Control will also maintain a “presence” in both clubs.

Attorney Alan Titus, president Dennis Sammut and brother Joe Sammut appealed on behalf Artichoke Joe’s in a Sacramento hearing Wednesday.

The ruling is temporary. The owners could be required to return for a hearing before an administrative law judge or answer to legal injunctions brought by various parties.

A multi-agency police force stormed the casinos at 6am March 2, handing out 15 indictments for racketeering, loansharking, and drug manufacture and sales. A bid March 4 by the owners to override the closure with a temporary restraining order was turned down by a federal court judge.

On Wednesday in a bail hearing, Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero cautioned one of the men charged that a violation of bail conditions could land him in custody for the duration of the trial, “and it’s a big, complicated case.”

“These cases can take months, even years,” he said.

The same day of the police raids, federal agents arrested a Hayward man whom they characterized as the architect of the crime ring.

Trang Man Looc was not charged with crimes linked to the casinos. Rather, he has been charged with securing bank loans using fraudulent information.

In an affidavit, an FBI agent say Looc had a long history with Asian organized crime, including drug trafficking and loansharking.

“Starting in late 1997 and continuing through approximately 2008, numerous confidential informants identified Looc as the person in charge of loansharking operations at Artichoke Joe’s Casino in San Bruno, Calif. and the Oaks Card Club...and the leader of an organization whose underlings conducted drug trafficking, robbery, extortion and suspected homicide activities on Looc’s behalf,” the affidavit says. “Additionally, much of this reporting also identified Looc as an associate of various Jackson Street Gang (JSG) members engaged in criminal activities in San Francisco’s Chinatown.”

Looc’s arraignment is scheduled for March 15.