Professional magicians don’t usually do requests, but...

Professional magicians don’t usually do requests, but Bruce Cervon couldn’t resist when Guillermo Cruz secretly asked for a personalized trick at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.

Near the end of his routine, Cervon told the audience, “You’ve never seen anything like what I’m going to do next. This is going to be a real magical day for two people with us.”

Cervon pulled out a red silk handkerchief, showed both sides to the audience, then ran it through his hand and plucked out an engagement ring. Cervon handed it to Cruz’s girlfriend, Josie Cortinas, an LAPD officer. She looked at Cruz, an L.A. city firefighter, and began crying.

“It was the funniest thing I ever saw,” Cervon said. “Then she kissed him. I said I guess that means yes, and everyone applauded.”

For their next stunt, Cruz and Cortinas plan to disappear in the Caribbean after their wedding.

Mayor Bradley, urging voter support of a big parks bond measure, recently asserted that it would cost the average taxpayer $1.10 per month. And he added: “You can’t even buy a hamburger for $1.10.”

Could that be true? We eat nothing but kosher burritos for lunch so we can’t be sure. But, in the classy tradition of Only in L.A., we hereby commission a search to find: The Cheapest Burger in L.A. (chain eateries don’t qualify).

Taking the A-Train, L.A. style:

Artists--performing at speeds of up to 55 m.p.h.--entertained passengers aboard the Metro Blue Line from the Civic Center to Long Beach on Sunday afternoon as part of a promotion for a Long Beach gallery.

The 3:05 p.m. run featured the comedy of the D-Cals, the 3:15 run offered music, vocals and performance poetry, and the 3:25 train carried a jazz guitarist and some dancers.

It was, in some ways, an ideal setting for the artists. Uninterested members of the audience were unlikely to leave early.

List of the Day:

Setting a good example of recycling, the following restaurants occupy buildings of previous businesses:

1--L’Opera, Long Beach (bank).

2--Magdalena’s, Bellflower (upholstery shop).

3--Trumps, West Hollywood (gas station).

4--Campanile, Wilshire area (movie studio).

5--Trattoria Angeli Cafe, West L.A. (carpet store).

6--Tamayo, East L.A. (CHP station).

7--Original Pantry, downtown (drug store/barber shop/bar).

8--Parkway Grill, Pasadena (auto repair garage).

9--Guido’s, West L.A., (pizza parlor).

10--Far East Cafe, downtown (hardware store).

miscelLAny:

One-third of the jail cells at the federal prison on Terminal Island have ocean views.