Adult theater to open in June

Eron Ben-Yehuda

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- The city’s first-ever strip club is expected to open

by June, its co-owner said. But the girls who dance there may not be in

the buff.

Initially, the Flamingo Adult Theater at the site of a former French

restaurant on 18121 Beach Blvd. was supposed to offer nude dancing. But,

there is doubt that will be permitted after the U.S. Supreme Court

decided last month to uphold an Erie, Penn., law requiring entertainers

to wear pasties and a G-string.

That ruling has spurred the city to consider adopting a similar

ordinance, which will be presented to the City Council within 30 days,

City Atty. Gail Hutton said.

Construction is largely completed for the building that will soon house

the theater. The financing to finish the work still needs to be

negotiated before erotic dancers begin entertaining customers, co-owner

Max Ahmadi said

Ahmadi, who said a final decision about how much clothing will be worn

remains up in the air, minimized the significance of the court’s

decision.

“In California, it’s a far more complex issue than in Erie,

Pennsylvania,” he said.

The city decided in June to settle a 1996 lawsuit challenging its efforts

to bar the club. As part of the settlement, the city could eventually

force the club to move to an industrial location.

City officials have said they are concerned the club will attract

criminals such as prostitutes and drug users. Trouble is already

shadowing the club as a member of the co-owner’s family is scheduled to

go to trial in June on charges of laundering money and trying to smuggle

guns onto planes, Assistant U.S. Atty. Jean Kawahara said.

But Ahmadi said Jirair “Jerry” Tatarian has no financial interest in the

club, which will be managed with the help of Jerry’s brother, Harout. The

Tatarian family owns the land on which the club will operate.

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