The Normandie was Gardena's longest continuously operating card room. Previously the location of the "Western Club" (1942-1945). The "Normandie Club" opened in 1945 and was rebranded as the "Normandie Casino" in 1986, with the introduction of non-poker table games. Russell "Russ" Miller was a partner or owner of the club from 1947 until his death in 1997. The casino was inherited and operated by his four sons, until 2016, when the sons pleaded guilty in US District Court to charges of not filing suspicious financial activity reports and allowing money laundering at the casino. The Millers lost their license and the casino was bought by Larry Flint, who renamed it the "Lucky Lady Casino".
The graphic is a detail from a matchbook posted below, the photograph is circa 2005 (Normandie Casino brochure). |