Santa Ana Heights : Deputies Halt Club’s Topless Dancing Act

Orange County sheriff’s deputies Tuesday afternoon halted topless dancing at the Laff Stop, a comedy club-turned topless dancing venue.

The manager of the club near John Wayne Airport was cited for operating an adult entertainment business without a license, and nine female dancers were cited for indecent exposure, said Sheriff’s Lt. Dick Olson.

The citations were issued one day after Laff Stop attorney Paul Mast unsuccessfully petitioned an appeals court to overturn a preliminary injunction issued July 20 ordering the establishment to discontinue the “Newport Fantasy” topless show until the Laff Stop and the county meet in court in September.

Neither Mast nor club owner Jorn S. Rossi could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The court order “only requires them to stop performing topless,” said Tom Agin, the attorney handling the case for the county. “They can actually have the same dancers if they keep their tops on.”

The former comedy club, which once featured comics David Letterman and Robin Williams, had fallen on rough economic times before Rossi decided to offer topless dancing in February.

Rossi made the change without first obtaining adult entertainment permits from the county. In an effort to stay open, he filed a lawsuit against the county, alleging that the county’s zoning ordinances do not apply to Santa Ana Heights, an unincorporated area south of the airport.

Mast and Rossi have also contended that the club’s topless dancing is protected by the First Amendment.

If the club ignores the preliminary injunction, the county could file contempt charges.