$100,000-a-Day Bookie Ring Raided by Officers

A Culver City bookmaking operation that appeared to be grossing as much as $100,000 a day was broken up Saturday by sheriff’s investigators, a department spokesman said.

After a three-week investigation, lawmen raided an apartment in the 4200 block of Revere Place and arrested Clifford Krall, 51, of Van Nuys, and Marc Popkin, 36, Matthew Biner, 29, and Eugene Wise, 36, all of Los Angeles. The preliminary investigation indicated that the operation had a daily gross of $100,000 in bets on horse racing and other sporting events, the spokesman said.

In an apparently unrelated action, sheriff’s deputies on Friday arrested 13 men on bookmaking charges in raids on five bars and four residences in South Gate, Cudahy and East Los Angeles.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Irene McReynolds said investigators and deputies confiscated football cards, which contain lists of teams and point spreads, and gambling payment records, as well as $7,700 in cash.

Four South Gate bars were raided. McReynolds said they are Eddie’s Bar in the 4300 block of Firestone Boulevard, the Lido Club in the 10100 block of Atlantic Boulevard, the Boulevard Stop in the 9600 block of Long Beach Boulevard and George’s Place in the 4200 block of Tweedy Boulevard.

In East Los Angeles, McReynolds said, the Arizona Club in the 6000 block of Olympic Boulevard was raided.

In addition, four men were arrested at residences in Cudahy and South Gate, McReynolds said. The four men arrested in Culver City and the 13 men charged Friday afternoon were each held in lieu of $500 bail.