2 Blooms of Like Hues, and Neither Will Open Up

Who is Leon Bloom, and why is he saying these things?

Of the six bids to run the Del Mar race track, one is a sure-fire winner in the mystery and confusion category.

Along with bids from the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, spray painter Earl Scheib and other assorted millionaires came a bid from Bloom, London & Associates, the principal partner being Dr. Leon Bloom of Encino.

But none of the horsemen knew a Dr. Leon Bloom. And Dr. Leon Bloom skipped the July 21 meeting at which the bids were unsealed, making him the only absentee bidder.

People who spend their days at race tracks tend to worry a lot about odds and the strength of the competition. An unknown, be it a horse or a bidder, raises suspicion.

Suspicion in this case was that Dr. Leon Bloom is, in fact, Dr. Leonard Bloom, a longtime San Diegan with a passion for big-money sports ventures, including now-defunct pro basketball and hockey teams, two ice-skating arenas, and a failed plan to open a sports complex in Chula Vista.

Enter the hounds of the press.

Since filing a federal lawsuit claiming he was bamboozled in a savings-and-loan deal, Dr. Leonard Bloom has dropped from public view. But a Dr. Leon Bloom is reachable in Encino.

He says he’s retired but won’t say from what. “I am not Leonard Bloom, but I know Leonard Bloom,” he says.

“Who are you then?”

“I am not at liberty to say anything right now. It will all be revealed at the proper moment.”

Comes another public meeting last Tuesday in Del Mar. Five of six bidders bring their attorneys, their financial consultants and their multimedia presentations.

Bloom, London & Associates mails in a two-page letter saying the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club is a bunch of donkeys and has done a pedestrian job at the track.

“We’ve got to find out who this Leon Bloom is,” said a Fair Board member. The job was given to state investigators assigned to the race track licensing division.

Before the state gumshoes can mobilize, the press is again on the prowl. More calls to Dr. Leon Bloom of Encino.

“I am not at liberty to say anything right now. It will all be revealed at the proper moment.”

A trip is made to Dr. Leonard Bloom’s office, the former House of Ice in La Mesa. The office manager says calmly: “Dr. Bloom is not here and cannot be reached. He is a very private person. I doubt you will be able to find him.”

A trip is made to Dr. Leonard Bloom’s home. A security gate is impenetrable.

A call is made to Arnold London, certified public accountant in Boston, listed as Dr. Leon Bloom’s partner. He says his partner is not Dr. Leonard Bloom.

London says he doesn’t know much about his partner’s background except that they’ve worked together on some investment deals. He says he believes Dr. Leon Bloom is a retired dentist.

Dr. Leonard Bloom, of course, is also a retired dentist. Bingo!

State records show Dr. Leon Harry Bloom is 64 years old, a licensed dentist since 1954. He owns a Nissan, is registered to vote in Encino, and has a wife named Bernice.

Similar records tell us Dr. Leonard Arthur Bloom is 54, a licensed dentist since 1958. He owns a Cadillac and a Rolls-Royce, is registered to vote in San Diego, and has a wife named Diane.

Conclusion: There are two distinct Dr. Blooms, both retired dentists with money to invest, a zest for high-stakes sports, and a reluctance to talk to the press or anyone else.

“I know it’s an incredible coincidence, but these things happen,” London said.

But why the secrecy? Particularly when it ill-served the bid of Bloom, London & Associates? A call is made to Dr. Leon Bloom.

“I am not at liberty . . .”

A Grudge That Flies

If you look at the luggage being carried through the terminal at Lindbergh Field by selected USAir flight attendants, you’ll notice a sticker: “Children of a Lesser Pay Scale.”

That identifies them as former employees of Pacific Southwest Airlines, which merged into oblivion earlier this year with USAir.

Although attendants will vote on a new contract in October that closes the pay gap between ex-PSAers and their new colleagues, parity is still a few years away. This has led to a certain airborne grumpiness.

Dirtiest of Campaigns

In San Diego, they hire political consultants and spend thousands of dollars on television ads. In Oceanside, they call each other names.

But in Fallbrook, they really know how to choose a mayor: They sling mud.

So, last Saturday, contenders Patti Seim, Carol Morgan and Alfred Canchola squared off at noon and slung mud from 15 paces. It was part of a series of fund-raisers in the campaign for the post, which is honorary since Fallbrook voted against cityhood.

Al Diederich, of the Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce, was there to make sure the rules were followed, and said: “It was a dirty fight to the finish.”