Another game room do-si-do.
An illegal game room in Waianae was raided by Honolulu police on Thursday afternoon, resulting in one arrest and the seizure of 24 gambling machines.
A 35-year old Vietnamese male, Hieu Trong Bui, was arrested for the standard charges of promotion of gambling and possession of gambling devices. It is the third time in two months that the raid on an illegal game room let to the arrest Vietnamese man on the same charges.
The game room was operating in a commercial building at 87-746 Farrington Highway.
Real estate records show the property is owned by Patrick R. Gouveia, Sr. and Patrick R. Gouveia, Jr, of Waianae. There is no indication either were involved in operating the game room.
It was the third raid of the same location in just over two years.
In October 2018, police seized $20,790 in cash and arrested Sh-Vanthia Avilla-Coronel on the same charges, promotion of gambling and possession of gambling devices.
Then in March 2020, another gaming operation at the same address was raided and $4,747 was seized. A notice that it was subject to administrative forfeiture was published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on October 5, 2020.
Earlier this month, I received a note about another game room in Waianae.
There is a game room at the mauka-west corner of Farrington Highway and Jade Street here in Makaha. My family has to drive and/or walk past it almost daily. We have written to HPD to no avail. It has been operating for several months, although it shut down at the beginning of the most recent COVID crackdown (Very responsible, har, har). It opened again as soon as we went to Tier I (Wonder what its mask policy is). Today, there were people outside trimming the grass and taking care of the yard. No shame. No fear. Just a couple women and a man with weed whackers and rakes, whistling while they worked no doubt while the games continued inside, judging by the cars in the “parking lot” next door.
And so it goes.
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ANOTHER Illegal gambling parlor raid–oh well–everything is copacetic.
Like the one in Palolo on Palolo ave. (Formerly Rainbow Mart) Created a “laundromat” with a dozen or less washing machines & Dryers, not commercial grade, operated a game room in the back and they got busted a few months back. If you saw the set up of the “laundromat” you’d be wondering too what they’re doing with all that extra space walled off in the back. The parking lot was always full in the evening yet no one would be washing clothes.
I quite sure they’re back in business for the parking lot is full at night with no one washing clothes.
An ongoing problem in any neighbour hood no matter what economic situation we’re in…….
Normally I’m not inclined to nit pick but I couldn’t help but notice the liberal use of “Vietnamese” here. Is the man not an American citizen and still a Vietnamese national? Does it matter in the story (I could have gathered he’s Vietnamese by his name)? Maybe not but I’m wondering about the necessity to use that in the story? Is it a style choice?
Should we then say “the property is owned by Portuguese males Patrick R. Gouveia, Sr. and Patrick R. Gouveia, Jr, of Waianae?”
I have NO clue what Sh-Vanthia Avilla-Coronel is? Filipino??
I am pretty sure he is using the information from the police report, which gives a basic description of the offender. The Gouveia?s were not arrested, so there was no description.
Yeah thanks Scott, I pretty much understand that but am still wondering (out loud) the actual relevance of tossing in “Vietnamese” a couple times? But then again, I guess cops don’t use the AP Style Book. Cheers.
We are seeing new names in crime, in traditionally Chinese Triads, organized crime rings, formerly, predominantly ethnic Chinese, now largely replaced by Vietnamese.
Vietnam and Korea are part and parcel of the old Confucius Kingdom of ethnic Chines.
Vietnamese membership was welcomed long ago in historic, formal local organizations.
Honolulu’s Chinatown is long gone! Today’s, Vietnam Town.
Like commenter WhatMeWorry, I wondered why the article said “Vietnamese.”
Gouveia Trust is mentioned in this list of gambling-related forfeitures
https://ag.hawaii.gov/afp/files/2020/10/HSA-100520.pdf
The online arrest log always includes a “race” and sex. It would be interesting to see their list of “races” and compare it with those from other jurisdictions. I read somewhere that in Britain they have to specify whether Asians are Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi and whether Whites are English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, Irish Traveller, or Other White. Can’t find that list at the moment either.
Patrick Gouvea wanted — 11 priors
https://www.khon2.com/local-news/hawaiis-most-wanted-patrick-gouveia/