Sapir

The gig: President of Starline Tours and Tourcoach International. Starline Tours is one of the largest and oldest tour companies in Southern California, offering bus tours of celebrity homes and entertainment attractions. Combined, the two companies operate 150 buses and employ about 250 workers. Background: Sapir came to Los Angeles in 1963 as an Iranian exchange student, studying engineering at Western State College. While working as a parking lot attendant, he befriended Bud Delp, the former chauffeur of theater entrepreneur Sid Grauman.

The gig: President of Starline Tours and Tourcoach International. Starline Tours is one of the largest and oldest tour companies in Southern California, offering bus tours of celebrity homes and entertainment attractions. Combined, the two companies operate 150 buses and employ about 250 workers. Background: Sapir came to Los Angeles in 1963 as an Iranian exchange student, studying engineering at Western State College. While working as a parking lot attendant, he befriended Bud Delp, the former chauffeur of theater entrepreneur Sid Grauman.

Estelle Sapir, the first Holocaust survivor to win a wartime claim from a Swiss bank that had secretly hoarded her family's fortune for half a century, died of cardiac arrest Tuesday in New York. She was 72 and had barely a year to enjoy her victory in a protracted battle to recover money left by her father when he was killed in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II.

Estelle Sapir, the first Holocaust survivor to win a wartime claim from a Swiss bank that had secretly hoarded her family's fortune for half a century, died of cardiac arrest Tuesday in New York. She was 72 and had barely a year to enjoy her victory in a protracted battle to recover money left by her father when he was killed in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II.

Bank Credit Suisse agreed to settle the claim of a 71-year-old Holocaust survivor, a move her supporters said could clear the way for other ailing Jews to recover their ancestors' long lost assets. The amount paid New York resident Estelle Sapir was reported at between $300,000 and $500,000.

Tony LaRussa's job as manager of the Chicago White Sox remained hanging by a thread Thursday after the team's management met with Billy Martin's agent, Ed Sapir. White Sox spokesman Paul Jensen said the club and Sapir "would be in contact again within 24 hours" after the meeting. "All we did is agree to talk again . . . I don't know if Billy is going to be manager of the White Sox," Sapir said.

The former Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder building at 4800 Staunton Ave. has been sold by the Rosenfield Family Trust of Van Nuys to Fred Sapir of Hollywood for $1.45 million. Major Properties, 1200 W. Olympic Blvd., represented both parties in the sale.

Starline Sightseeing Tours on Monday drove away with its major competitor by buying the Los Angeles, Orange County and Santa Barbara operations of Gray Line Tours. The Hollywood-based bus charter and tour company said the purchase of the Gray Line operations will double the size of the company's bus fleet and allow it to reduce costs. Gray Line also has a strong presence in Orange County, where Starline had wanted to beef up its business.

Topanga Canyon Boulevard is expected to reopen this afternoon after flooding by a broken water main closed down the southbound lanes between Vanowen and Bassett streets, according to Department of Water and Power officials. The main broke about 2 p.m. Thursday. The force of the water opened a 7-by-20-foot sinkhole in the street and ruptured a sewer line to one of the area's commercial buildings, said Steve Rinker, water utilities supervisor.

The Chicago White Sox's managerial plot thickened Wednesday when vice president Ken Harrelson had what he described as a general discussion with Jim Fregosi regarding the possibility of succeeding beleaguered Manager Tony LaRussa. Fregosi, the former Angel manager and a success in recent years as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals' Louisville farm club, was reached by phone Wednesday but said he would have no comment as long as LaRussa remained as Chicago manager.