Bookmaking

Sure, gambling's illegal. But everybody does it, so why not put a little money on today's Super Bowl? Police said that three men with that very attitude were jailed Friday on suspicion of running a sports gambling operation out of a Main Street bar and restaurant.

A 2 1/2-year Sheriff's Department investigation has ended with the indictment of 21 people--including two Granada Hills men--on charges they ran Southern California's largest sports betting ring, which authorities say grossed at least $65 million a year. The indictment, handed down June 19 and unsealed by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Tynan on Wednesday, alleges Granada Hills resident Kale Kalustian headed the interstate bookmaking operation for more than two decades.

Two Anaheim men were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of using a janitorial supply store as a front for a bookmaking operation, police said. Jeffrey Edward Aldstadt, 36, and Michael Knute Anderson, 35, are suspected of operating a betting ring out of the Beach Cities Janitorial Supply store in the 3900 block of Cerritos Avenue in Los Alamitos, Officer Scott A. Foster said. Cypress police began investigating a year ago after someone told them about a suspicious business in Los Alamitos.

A suspected national bookmaking ring that authorities say took in at least $1 million a week in illegal bets was broken up Sunday by a law enforcement task force that arrested 10 people in Los Angeles, Anaheim, Las Vegas and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The arrests occurred shortly before the first of Sunday's two National Football League conference championship games, which traditionally generate millions in legal and illegal betting.

Police on Monday released the names of the three people arrested here Sunday in connection with a sprawling bookmaking operation. Twelve people were arrested in Anaheim, Los Angeles County and Santa Fe, N.M., following a yearlong investigation by police in those areas. The three arrested in Anaheim were Jason D. Drotter, 24, of Pico Rivera, Colleen E. Posner, 35, of Rowland Heights, and Won Sok Chang, 22, of Los Angeles. They were booked on suspicion of felony bookmaking and conspiracy.

The FBI and a federal grand jury are studying pawn shop records in investigating rumors that Fresno State basketball players shaved points, the Fresno Bee reported Wednesday. The grand jury issued a subpoena to the city March 12 seeking records of pawn shop transactions, which must be filed with police, Deputy City Attorney Larry Donaldson said. Donaldson did not release the subpoena's contents and refused to say whether it involved the Fresno State basketball investigation.

It had the feel of a perfect fit, this fast-growing farm town aching for a national winner and the legendary basketball coach seeking one last chance at redemption, one last shot at restoring his luster. Fresno and Jerry Tarkanian. The land of Armenians and the wandering Armenian son come home after a 37-year road trip that saw "Tark the Shark" become college basketball's most winning and most investigated coach.

An attorney for two Fresno State basketball players alleged to have shaved points for friendly gamblers this season said a Times story Wednesday that quoted bookmakers and others on the purported scheme was "trumped-up garbage." "I find it a little bit incredulous that someone would say they now have more than a rumor when what [The Times did is] quote an anonymous illegal bookie and that bookie is saying he or she has a reliable source. Is that a reliable source?"

Authorities announced Tuesday what they described as the biggest bookmaking operation uncovered by Orange County investigators and the arrests of 10 California and Nevada residents suspected of illegally taking in about $1 million per month. The arrests occurred Monday afternoon before the NCAA championship basketball game, which police said is traditionally second only to the Super Bowl among attractions for illegal bets. About 3:45 p.m.

The county's top public defender said Wednesday that he is cooperating with prosecutors investigating alleged illegal gambling activities in his office but discounted the likelihood that the probe would uncover any serious wrongdoing. "Like at many business and workplaces, there is apparent evidence of people placing bets in football pools," Public Defender Carl Holmes said. "We are dealing with those issues."