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Normandie Casino History
The Normandie Casino has been family owned and operated by the Miller family since 1947, and it is currently one of the few family-owned casinos in the country. The Normandie is also famous for being the only original Southern California card club still in existence today.
Just a few years after the first big casino was built in Las Vegas and before Indian casinos began dotting the Southern California landscape, the Western Club opened its doors in Gardena in 1940. Seven years later, in 1947, the Western Club was renamed the Normandie and Russ Miller became an owner.
Russ Miller, patriarch of the Miller family and founder of the Normandie Casino, was a true pioneer of the gaming industry in California. He was selected to appear on the Gardena Wall of Fame in 1998, and in the Fall of 2007, Russ Miller was inducted into the Golden State Gaming Association Hall of Fame for his innovation and dedication to California gaming.
Unfortunately, both Russ Miller and his wife Mary have passed away, but over the years prior they brought their four sons–Lee, Larry, Greg, and Steve — into the family business. Today, their four sons and grand children continue the family legacy while they manage and run the day-to-day operations of the casino.
The following is a brief history on how gambling became legal in California and how the Normandie Casino played an important role in that process.
In the 1880s, a law was passed in California that outlawed all forms of gambling except poker. The lawmakers of that day liked their poker, so they left it out of the law. Ernie Primm, the entrepreneur who expanded this legal loophole into Gardena’s multimillion-dollar poker industry, founded the first card club in 1936.
A few years later, law enforcement officials closed him down for being a public nuisance. Primm sued, taking the case to the California Supreme Court. His lawyer convinced the court that what wasn’t specifically cited as illegal in the California Penal Code must be legal. Primm won the case, and Gardena licensed clubs in 1938 by local option.
Only five-card draw and lowball poker could be played at that time. In those early years, Russ Miller worked as a doorman for Ernie Primm. With his knowledge of the games, he was soon made a supervising Floorman. In time, he became a partner in Primm’s club.
In 1940, the Western Club opened on Western Avenue. Seven years later, the club was renamed the Normandie, and Russ Miller became an owner. As the city grew, so did the card clubs. Their license fees provided most of the money needed to operate the city.
In addition, the clubs donated funds for Gardena’s first community center building, bus line, and swimming pool, and provided playground equipment for the city parks. Every Christmas, the card clubs donated the food and employees donated their time to feed the needy in the city. Donations have always been made to local charities and organizations.
During the 1960s, Gardena boasted six luxurious card clubs. It was in fact the only city in Los Angeles County to have legal gambling. The clubs flourished until 1980, when the Bell Club in the city of Bell, California, opened. Other cities soon followed suit, and the Gardena monopoly on card gaming came to an end.
In 1980, Russ Miller decided to move the Normandie Casino to a better location near the 110 Harbor Freeway at Rosecrans and Vermont. A new 50,000-square-foot casino was constructed, along with a Las Vegas-style entertainment venue billed as “The Million Dollar Showroom”. A few years later after hard fought legal battles in court, Seven-card Stud and Texas Hold-em were added to the already existing lineup of games, Five-card Draw and Lowball.
In the mid-1980s, a tremendous Asian influence came with the introduction of the California games, including Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, and Super 9, a game similar to Baccarat. The Normandie completely revamped its restaurant to accommodate a variety of Asian tastes: Mandarin, Vietnamese, Thai, and Korean, along with a standard Continental menu. The Normandie Casino opened its famous Red Dragon Room which featured high-limit Asian games. The Red Dragon Room, with its additional outdoor patio, continues to be one of the most popular Asian gaming rooms in Los Angeles today. The casino is also host to a luxurious V.I.P. Blackjack and Baccarat Room, a first in Southern California.
Unfortunately, in 1997, at the age of 90, Russ Miller passed away. Four years later his wife, Mary, died at the age of 78. But over the years prior they brought their four sons into the family business–Lee, Larry, Greg, and Steve. Today, their four sons and grand children continue the family legacy while they manage and run the day-to-day operations of the casino. Frequently, they can be seen walking about the casino greeting guests. Under their management, the Normandie continues to expand and improve. After more than 60 years, the Normandie is still a family-run business, and it is still the only original card club remaining in Southern California.