Artichoke Joe's Casino
Gambling business in California, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Artichoke Joe's Casino is a card club in San Bruno, California. The club is owned by Dennis Sammut and managed, in part, by Ron Cox, a former Foster City councilman.[1]
- 659 Huntington Avenue
San Bruno, California - 37°37′39″N 122°24′39″W
| Artichoke Joe's Casino | |
|---|---|
The casino in December 2020 | |
 Interactive map of Artichoke Joe's Casino | |
| Location |
|
| Opened | 1916 |
| Casino type | card club |
| Owner | Dennis Sammut |
| Website | Official website |
History
The establishment has been a family-founded and -owned business since 1916. The single room "Joe's Pool Parlor" was rebranded "Artichoke Joe's" in 1921, becoming a permanent fixture in San Bruno sporting life.[citation needed] Joseph Sammut opened his pool parlor and phone exchange in Al LoReaux's former plumbing shop.[citation needed] Most bets concerned horse races.[citation needed] Joe accepted any wager, no matter how large. Asked how he would pay off if he lost a big bet, he replied, "In artichoke leaves," hence the name.[citation needed] Still owned by the Sammut family, Artichoke Joe's is one of the city's oldest businesses.[2][independent source needed]
The casino came to fame in the 1990s when the owner spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in an attempt to prevent potential loss of business due to the SFO BART extension construction project.[3][4]
