The patrons, numerous prominent Angelenos among them, were allowed to leave without being questioned. Inside, they found a crowded, sophisticated casino, complete with a roulette wheel and card games. When no one answered their knocks, the lawmen kicked in the door. It was January 31, 1930, and they were headed to a notorious portion of Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, the winding thoroughfare long known as the “County Strip.” They were paying a visit to an address they already knew well: 8477 Sunset Boulevard, where a mansion zoned for residential use was operating as The Sphinx Club. Clyde Plummer, head of the District Attorney’s vice detail, rounded-up his men.
