Person Page - 259

     Ricci Rodriguez married Elizabeth Bosso, daughter of Joseph I. Bosso and Michelina Tanti.

     Mary Agius was born circa 1947. She married Manuel Tanti, son of Peter Tanti and Anna Tonna.
     Her married name was Tanti.

     Patricia Yvonne Stafford was born circa 1937. She married Frank P Tanti, son of Peter Tanti and Anna Tonna, on 9 March 1957 at San Francisco, CA, USA.
     Her married name was Tanti. Patricia Yvonne Stafford was living in 2021 in Galt, CA, USA.

     Adela Castro Arrechea was born between 1882 and 1888 in Guatamala; age 48 in 1930 census; age 52 in 1940 census.¹ She married Giovanni Antonio Bajada, son of Antonio Bajada and Adelaide Lica, on 9 September 1924 at San Francisco, CA, USA; ages 25 and 36. Adela Castro Arrechea died in 1987.
     She immigrated in 1920. Her married name was Bajada. She and Giovanni Antonio Bajada were listed in the 1930 US Census age 48, poultry farmer in Santa Cruz, CA, USA.² Adela Castro Arrechea and Giovanni Antonio Bajada were listed in the 1940 US Census age 58, poultry farm in Santa Cruz, CA, USA.¹ Adela Castro Arrechea and Giovanni Antonio Bajada were listed in the 1950 US Census age 67 in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Co., CA, USA.

     Sandra Bajada was born. She married (?) Scott.
     Her married name was Scott.

     (?) Scott married Sandra Bajada, daughter of Richard John Bajada and Martha E Thatcher.

     Antonio Bajada married Adelaide Lica, daughter of Stephen Lica.

     Adelaide Lica married Antonio Bajada, son of Charles Bajada.
     Her married name was Bajada.

     Helen Marguerite Arana was born circa 1921. She married Joseph Simon Paul Sammut Jr., son of Joseph Sammut and Julia Celia Mager. Helen Marguerite Arana and Joseph Simon Paul Sammut Jr. were divorced in September 1967 at San Mateo Co., CA, USA. Helen Marguerite Arana died in January 2021 at Burlingame, CA, USA.
     Her married name was Sammut. She and Joseph Simon Paul Sammut Jr. were listed in the 1950 US Census age 32, pool room, bar, retail liquor proprietor in San Bruno, CA, USA.

Helen Marguerite Arana was mentioned in the San Francisco Chronicle on 10 February 1951: ARTICHOKE JOE JR., BOOKIE, SUED BY WIFE -- Joseph, P. Sammut, 34, a San Bruno bookie known as “Artichoke Joe Jr.’ yesterday was sued for separate maintenance in San Mateo County Superior Court by his wife, Helen Marguerite. Mrs. Sammut asked for custody ,of the couple's four children, $1000 monthly allowance, $2500 in attorney fees and division of community property, including a home at 651 Huntington avenue, her husband's office, “Joe’s Pool Room,“ at 676 San Mateo avenue and various parcels of real estate. Sammut is the son of Joe Sammut Sr., a bookie who a few years ago was sentenced to the Federal penitentiary for perjury. “Artichoke Joe Jr.” himself was arrested for bookmaking in 1940 and 1949.

     Karen Anne Rasmussen was born on 9 October 1956 in San Francisco, CA, USA. She married Dennis John Sammut, son of Joseph Simon Paul Sammut Jr. and Helen Marguerite Arana, on 22 December 1980 at San Francisco, CA, USA.
     Her married name was Sammut. Karen Anne Rasmussen was a witness Gambling Control Commission case: http://www.cgcc.ca.gov/documents/adminactions/pending_hearings/Artichoke_Joes_Accusation.pdf with Dennis John Sammut and Sally Ann Sammut in 2018. Karen Anne Rasmussen was living in 2020 in Woodside, CA, USA. Karen Anne Rasmussen was also known as Annie.

     Lara Anne Sammut was born on 27 September 1982 in San Francisco, CA, USA.

     Cody Joshua Sammut was born in August 1985 in CA, USA.
     He was living in 2021 in Woodside, CA, USA. He was a CEO of Artichoke Joe's Casino in 2022.

Cody Joshua Sammut was mentioned in the San Francisco Chronicle in July 2024: A casino family amassed millions in San Bruno. Now, they’re in a bitter civil war
he family that owns and operates Artichoke Joe’s Casino, which has stood in San Bruno for more than a century, is known for philanthropy. But behind a rosy public image, a bitter family feud is playing out.
By Tomoki Chien
Published Jul. 26, 2024 • 5:50am

Dennis Sammut knew he was about to die. A deadly pancreatic cancer was eating at the 76-year-old’s gut, and it was time to prepare the family business for his death.

This was no small task. Sammut, the no-nonsense grandson of Maltese immigrants, was the third-generation owner of Artichoke Joe’s Casino, a 103-year-old San Bruno institution he grew into one of the Bay Area city’s largest employers — and biggest cash cows.

In 2019, the card room paid the city almost $2 million in taxes: enough to fund San Bruno’s library, streets and public works budgets. The Sammuts, a beloved local family, had donated some $3.7 million to the community over the previous decade.
The image shows the facade of a building with a sign reading "Artichoke Joe's Casino" in large red and yellow letters, set against a clear, blue sky.
Artichoke Joe’s Casino, which opened in 1916, is one of San Bruno's largest employers — and biggest cash cows. | Source: Tâm V?/The Standard

That December, Sammut, who died a month later, walked into a meeting that could come to define his legacy.

The question of the day was his financial compensation. The company, in his mind, owed him a significant bonus after a legal saga had forced him to take a pay cut two years before. Never mind that he was on his deathbed.

It should have been a meeting to settle his affairs. Instead, he set in motion a bitter legal battle that is still tearing the Sammuts apart.

The hundreds of public documents generated by the civil war offer a rare glimpse into one of San Bruno’s most influential businesses as the Sammuts fight over millions of dollars. They also expose an ugly side of a family that has long been a fixture of the community.

At the heart of the sprawling dispute is the fortune. At stake is control of the casino itself.
‘A selfless philanthropist’

Dennis Sammut was a man of clout; the business he ran is nearly as old as the city of San Bruno itself.

His grandfather founded the enterprise in 1916, and over the next century, the Sammuts converted the pool house in a horse stable into a full-fledged card parlor that employs some 400 full-time workers. In 2021, Artichoke Joe’s had the eighth-largest gross revenue of any California gambling operation.

All that money bought influence.

In 1996, when plans for the not-yet-built BART airport extension threatened to impinge on Artichoke Joe’s parking lot, Sammut enlisted a crack team of Washington lobbyists to kill the project’s federal funding. He nearly succeeded.

In 2010, when a natural gas pipeline exploded and killed eight people in San Bruno, Sammut rushed to provide aid.

He regularly donated thousands to local schools, the San Bruno Professional Firefighters Association and AARP and served for 12 years on the city’s economic development committee.
Dennis Sammut hands a check to a man
The late Dennis Sammut, right, hands a check to Service League of San Mateo County Executive Director Mike Nevin in 2011. Sammut had a reputation for philanthropy. | Source: Courtesy photo

But a little over a decade ago, Artichoke Joe’s started running into serious legal trouble.

In 2011, state gambling regulators temporarily suspended the card room’s operating license, accusing the company of failing to alert authorities about suspicious transactions and allowing criminal loan sharks to prey on patrons.

The company agreed to pay $825,000 in fines, retrain staff to spot loan-sharking and comply with regulations targeting money laundering. But six years later, federal regulators found that Artichoke Joe’s had not properly implemented those measures and levied an $8 million fine.

Artichoke Joe’s ultimately paid $5 million as part of a settlement. It later paid the state $5.3 million in a separate settlement for allegedly misleading regulators and violating money laundering laws.

These were the largest fines state and federal regulators had ever imposed on a California gambling operation.
Dennis Sammut holds a certificate
Dennis Sammut accepts a certificate from the San Bruno City Council celebrating Artichoke Joe's 100th anniversary in 2016. | Source: Courtesy Riechel Reports

Still, after Sammut died in January 2020, the mayor of San Bruno spoke at a ceremony to celebrate his charitable work. The San Mateo Daily Journal dedicated a 740-word obituary to him. Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives posthumously thanked Sammut for his service.

“It wasn’t about getting a plaque or acknowledgment,” Mayor Rico Medina said of Sammut. “It was about making a difference.”
Allegations of ‘self-dealing’

It did not take long for the family to fall apart.

In 2022, Sammut’s sister Sally Johnson sued his widow and son. Johnson accused her sister-in-law, Annie Sammut, and nephew, Cody Sammut, of excessively and illegally compensating themselves after the death. The complaint also names the card room as a defendant.

Johnson alleged that before her brother died, he “committed numerous acts of self-dealing” and compensated himself lavishly, all while mismanaging the card room.

Annie and Cody have denied wrongdoing. Both continue to sit on the company’s board, and Cody was named CEO after his father’s death. Johnson told The Standard that her two relatives voted her off the board about a month ago.

Lawyers for Artichoke Joe’s, Annie and Cody did not respond to requests for comment. In court documents, attorneys for Artichoke Joe’s noted that Johnson “was gifted a minority interest and made a director but never worked at the business.”

“What I’m doing is for the integrity of the Sammuts,” Johnson said in an interview. “We never had any money growing up. Our father worked hard, our grandfather worked hard.”
Joseph Sammut Jr. plays cards
Joseph Sammut Jr., father of Dennis Sammut and Sally Johnson — pictured playing poker in the 1970s — turned Artichoke Joe's into a full-fledged gaming establishment. | Source: Courtesy photo

Her lawsuit has carved an irreconcilable rift in the family. At its core, it is a battle over the Sammut fortune.

Johnson alleges that between 2011 and 2016, Dennis Sammut quadrupled his annual bonus to $3 million. That was a quarter of the card room’s revenue in 2016 and nearly triple its net income, according to Johnson.

But the crux of the suit is the December 2019 board meeting just before Dennis’ death.

In Johnson’s telling, her brother insisted that because he had taken smaller bonuses as a result of the massive fines imposed on the company, the board should award him a deferred package to make up for it.

Artichoke Joe’s has said in court documents that Dennis’ mother, who was 99 at the time, had an estate plan that required the company to repurchase her shares if one of her children died before her.

Because that appeared likely, the company said, Dennis chose to defer his 2019 bonus so the card room would have enough cash on hand.
The image shows a person standing in front of a tall brick building labeled "Artichoke Joe's." The person is saluting with their right hand, wearing glasses and a dark jacket.
Dennis Sammut poses outside the card room in 1981. | Source: Courtesy San Francisco Examiner/Newspapers.com

“Dennis managed Artichoke Joe’s as a dictatorship,” Johnson’s complaint reads. “He alone made the decisions and expected others in the company and in the family to fall in line.”

Johnson alleges that her brother lied to her, saying the bonus was needed because he had loaned the company money. Regardless, Johnson voted with the rest of the board to approve the bonus in principle, though the family did not specify how much it would be or when it would be paid out.

Dennis died a month later, and it took two years for the family to revisit the matter. When it did, things did not go well.

In December 2021, Cody and Annie proposed a massive $16.15 million compensation package for the late owner, citing the board’s 2019 agreement. Johnson was irate.

As Dennis’ wife and son, Annie and Cody would gain directly from the bonus, Johnson wrote in the lawsuit. They should not have been able to vote on the compensation package, she said.

The two initiated the first $3.23 million payment installment anyway.

In an interview, Johnson said the dispute over the compensation package has nothing to do with her own fortune.

“The money’s not going to go to me,” Johnson said. “It’s going to go back into Artichoke Joe’s. That money should go to our people, our employees.”

Attorneys for Annie and Cody have pointed out that Johnson approved the bonus in principle in 2019 and argued that their clients were merely carrying out the binding directive when they approved the $16.15 million package.

Artichoke Joe’s has argued that because of her own “delay and lack of diligence,” Johnson has no standing.

“Plaintiff consented to the action of which she now complains,” the card room’s lawyers wrote.
More dirty laundry

Johnson’s lengthy lawsuit enumerates several other complaints against her sister-in-law and nephew. The two have denied any wrongdoing with respect to the claims.

One of the most salient allegations is that Annie loaned Artichoke Joe’s $2.5 million at an 8.5% interest rate, which Johnson characterized as exorbitant. The term was supposed to expire in early 2022.

Johnson alleges that, during the same meeting at which Annie and Cody voted to award the late Sammut a $16.15 million bonus, the two also voted to extend the term of Annie’s loans by three years.

“Artichoke Joe’s had ample cash available to repay Annie’s notes,” Johnson’s suit reads.
The image shows the entrance of Artichoke Joe's Casino, with an arched canopy above and a man walking while talking on the phone outside.
Dennis Sammut’s sister Sally Johnson has accused his widow and son of excessively and illegally compensating themselves after his death. | Source: Tâm V?/The Standard

That allowed Annie to enrich herself at the expense of the card room, Johnson argued. She also took issue with a $600,000 bonus that Cody proposed and approved for himself with the help of his mother in 2022, calling it “excessive.”

Johnson also claims that Cody and Annie have failed to produce the card room’s annual financial reports for the last five years and have “taken steps to prevent” her from viewing balance sheets and income and cash flow statements.

The legal battle is unlikely to end soon.

In April 2023, the family entered court-ordered private mediation. It was unsuccessful.

Johnson indicated that she thinks further mediation would be unproductive and is asking for a jury trial. Among her demands, she wants the court to forever banish Cody and Annie from the company’s board.

“We need professionals on that board,” Johnson said. “People who’ve been trained to run a company.”

Annie, Cody and representatives of the card room object to a jury trial and have expressed a willingness to reenter mediation. They won’t reconvene until September.

Johnson said she hopes the court will rule in favor of what she sees as necessary to save Artichoke Joe’s. But, she said, there may be no saving the Sammuts.

“It has ruined the family,” she said. “It’s really sad.”.

     Michael J Sammut was born in San Francisco, CA, USA.
     He was a witness Gambling Control Commission case: http://www.cgcc.ca.gov/documents/adminactions/pending_hearings/Artichoke_Joes_Accusation.pdf with Dennis John Sammut and Sally Ann Sammut in 2018.

     Sally Ann Sammut was born on 16 September 1948 in San Francisco, CA, USA. She married Charles P Hatch on 22 December 1974 at San Francisco, CA, USA. Sally Ann Sammut married Randy Brent Johnson.
     Sally Ann Sammut was listed in the 1940 US Census of Joseph Simon Paul Sammut Jr. and Helen Marguerite Arana in 1950 at San Bruno, CA, USA; age 32, pool room, bar, retail liquor proprietor. As of 22 December 1974,her married name was Hatch. Her married name was Johnson.
Dennis John Sammut Gambling Control Commission case: http://www.cgcc.ca.gov/documents/adminactions/pending_hearings/Artichoke_Joes_Accusation.pdf in 2018. Sally Ann Sammut was living in 2020 in Menlo Park, CA, USA.

     Randy Brent Johnson was born circa 1950. He married Sally Ann Sammut, daughter of Joseph Simon Paul Sammut Jr. and Helen Marguerite Arana.

     Richard Scott Sammut was born on 30 September 1952 in San Mateo Co., CA, USA. He married Karen Ann Queally. Richard Scott Sammut died in January 2021 at Millbrae, CA, USA, at age 68.

     Charles T. Abela was born on 2 October 1924 in Mosta, Malta. He married Frances Grace Camilleri on 15 November 1958 at Malta. Charles T. Abela and Frances Grace Camilleri were divorced on 18 February 1981 at San Mateo Co., CA, USA. Charles T. Abela died on 20 February 2020 at East Palo Alto, CA, USA, at age 95.
     He emigrated from Malta in 1952 to San Francisco, CA, USA. He and Frances Grace Camilleri were living in East Palo Alto, San Mateo Co., CA, USA.
Obituary: in 2020: Charles was born in Mosta, Malta on October 2, 1924. He immigrated to the United States in 1952 and began working in San Francisco, California. In June of 1958, he returned to Malta and on November 15th of the same year, married his bride, Frances, of 61 years. They returned to the United States and settled in East Palo Alto, California where they raised their family and where he entered his eternal rest.

In June of 1968, he began his 32 year career with the Ravenswood City School District as a skilled carpenter and locksmith then retired in 1990. He was an accomplished artist, loved fishing and camping and enjoyed working in his garden where he grew vegetables, fruits and flowers.

Charles is survived by his wife, Frances Abela, 4 children, Larry Abela (Norma), Jim Abela (Katya), Joe Abela and Vicky Shuherk (Fred), 8 grandchildren, Ashley White (Jeff), Alexandra Shuherk, Alyssa Shuherk, Vinny Schlaick, Nicholas Abela, Alexander Abela, Haley Schlaick and Elizabeth Abela and his sister, Maria Bellizzi (Henry) of Malta. He was preceded in death by 2 of his children, Charles Abela, Jr. and Ann Abela.

Mass will be held on Tuesday, February 25 at 11:00 am at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 1425 Bay Road in East Palo Alto, California and burial to follow at Alta Mesa Cemetery, 695 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, California.

     Larwrence J Abela was born on 7 September 1959 in San Mateo Co., CA, USA. He married Sharon Lynn Nordin on 31 August 1985 at Alameda Co., CA, USA. Larwrence J Abela married Norma (?)
     Larwrence J Abela was living in 2024 in Springfield, OR, USA.

     Norma (?) married Larwrence J Abela, son of Charles T. Abela and Frances Grace Camilleri.
     Her married name was Abela.

     Charles Joseph Abela Jr was born on 21 January 1963 in Redwood City, San Mateo Co., CA, USA. He died on 10 June 1980 at Tuolumne Co., CA, USA, at age 17.

     Katya C. (?) was born circa 1971. She married James Charles Abela, son of Charles T. Abela and Frances Grace Camilleri.
     Her married name was Abela.

     James Charles Abela was born on 21 October 1961 in San Mateo Co., CA, USA. He married Katya C. (?)
     As of 21 October 1961, James Charles Abela was also known as Johnmarie C. Abela. He was living in 2024 in San Francisco, CA, USA.

     Victoria M. Abela was born on 2 June 1968 in San Mateo Co., CA, USA. She married Frederick L. Shuherk.
     Her married name was Shuherk. Victoria M. Abela was living in 2024 in Vida, OR, USA. Victoria M. Abela was also known as Vicky Abela.

     Frederick L. Shuherk married Victoria M. Abela, daughter of Charles T. Abela and Frances Grace Camilleri.

     Sharon Lynn Nordin was born on 4 February 1955 in San Mateo Co., CA, USA. She married Larwrence J Abela, son of Charles T. Abela and Frances Grace Camilleri, on 31 August 1985 at Alameda Co., CA, USA. Sharon Lynn Nordin died on 31 October 2009 at age 54.
     Sharon Lynn Nordin was also known as Sharon Swanson. As of 31 August 1985,her married name was Abela.

     Jill Martin was born circa 1972. She married Anthony Andrew Abdilla, son of Sam C. Abdilla and Jean M McKay, on 1 August 1996 at San Francisco, CA, USA.
     Her married name was Abdilla.

     Joseph John DeBono was born on 8 April 1931 in Mellieha, Malta. He married Hedi M. Trinkler on 26 April 1958 at San Francisco, CA, USA. Joseph John DeBono died on 16 March 2020 at San Mateo, CA, USA, at age 88. He was buried on 20 March 2020 at Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma, CA, USA.
     He emigrated from Malta on 27 May 1950. He was naturalized on 10 April 1956 at San Francisco, CA, USA. He was a member of the Maltese American Social Club in 2010.
Obituary: : Joseph John Debono passed away peacefully on Monday, March 16th, 2020 at the age of 88. He was at home surrounded by family when God descended from Heaven to guide his spirit to his glorious permanent home. He was born in Mellieha, Malta on April 8th, 1931 and came to the United States when he was just a teenager. Joe always worked selflessly and tirelessly to be able to provide for his family. Taking an early retirement allowed him to spend a lot of time with his late wife Hedi, his three children Suzanne, Charles, and Jon, and his precious grandchildren Anthony, Max, and Maya. He thoroughly enjoyed gardening, weekly bingo, and going to church every Sunday. He was a loving nannu, father, and husband and his memory will continue to live on in the hearts and minds of his family forever.

     Mary DeBono was born on 8 November 1933 in Mellieha, Malta. She married Paul Vella on 10 October 1953 at San Francisco, CA, USA.
     Her married name was Vella. Mary DeBono was living in 2021 in Millbrae, CA, USA.