‘Monte Carlo Nite’ : Chamber Rolls Dice for Funds, Hits Snake Eyes

Lady Luck didn’t shine on the Woodland Hills Chamber of Commerce at its annual Las Vegas-style “Monte Carlo Nite” fund-raiser.

To the dismay of chamber officials, fewer than one-third of the predicted 1,500 people showed up to gamble with play money at roulette, blackjack and craps at the Promenade shopping mall Saturday.

And, to the dismay of some in the small crowd, the event’s big prizes--including round-trip tickets to London--were won by the principal organizer of the event.

“Half the audience walked out in disgust. It was just incredible,” said one unhappy participant, shopkeeper Jack Genero of Canoga Park.

“I think some sort of audit should be ordered,” said another disgruntled player, real estate broker Donna Bentzen of Woodland Hills.

Evening Finale

The flap occurred when the gambling ended and participants used their play-money winnings to bid for such prizes as the London trip, an expensive crystal paperweight and a fur coat at an auction that was the evening’s finale.

Rhoda Stone, Monte Carlo Nite co-chairman, won the trip with a bid of more than $1 million in make-believe money and then outbid everyone else for the crystal, officials said.

Stone was wearing a large, red official’s ribbon during the spirited bidding, onlookers said.

“I was hoping to God that somebody else would come up with a higher bid so she wouldn’t win the trip,” said the volunteer auctioneer, chamber member David Shinder.

“After she won the second prize, I changed the rules so no one could bid for more than one prize. The fur coat went to somebody I never saw before. I’m positive Rhoda didn’t get it.”

Angry Words

In the confusion that followed, however, some in the crowd thought that Stone won the fur coat, too. Angry words were exchanged, according to Genero, Bentzen and Shinder.

On Tuesday, chamber officials met privately and voted to change the rules about fund-raising events staged by the 860-member business group.

“We established that nobody involved in running an event can take home a prize,” chamber President Ray Extract said Wednesday.

“I don’t think Rhoda used the best judgment. But she was hot. She was winning at the tables like crazy.”

Extract said Stone, a chamber vice president, has worked hard at running past Monte Carlo Nites and such events as the group’s yearly Fourth of July fireworks show.

“She’s given a lot of time to the chamber. Maybe she felt this time she should have fun, too,” he said.

Stone could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

But chamber officials were checking to see what else she might have won. One administrator said her winnings might also have included a midnight cruise.

Extract said the dispute over prizes would not cause the group to cancel Monte Carlo Nite event. But he said Saturday night’s poor turnout might kill the fund-raiser.

“We didn’t make any money at this event,” he said.