Southeast : Judge Deals Winning Hand to Casino Foes

Opponents of a proposed card casino in Hawaiian Gardens have been dealt a winning hand from a Los Angeles Superior Court judge.

A special election had been planned for Nov. 21 to let residents decide whether to legalize card clubs and allow a controversial club at Pioneer Boulevard and Carson Avenue.

But Judge Robert H. O’Brien ruled Friday that the election cannot go forward because the number of valid signatures collected for the ballot measure fell short of the requirement. In one instance, O’Brien said, the address of one petitioner was crossed off and a different address was added after the signature was certified.

The proposed club would be owned in part by Dr. Irving Moskowitz, a physician whose Irving Moskowitz Foundation owns a bingo parlor in the city. According to some estimates, the city could reap $3 million to $6 million a year from the card club. Beryl Weiner, an attorney representing card club supporters, said an appeal is planned.