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YOUR TABLE IS READY A SPECIAL REPORT

RESTAURANT In these flush times, lines to get into L.A.’s favorite restaurants are getting longer; once inside, Angelenos are spending more money. 1

HOST He’s called one of the most powerful men in Hollywood: the maitre d’ at The Grill, who seats the power brokers. 18

LOUISE’S Two years after filing for bankruptcy protection, the Italian eatery has updated its looks and menu and is back in the black. 19

ON THE COVER

IDEALAB Bill Gross’ Idealab has turned out three Internet IPOs, two of which had spectacular debuts. What’s next?

GANG Joseph Shayfar thought he got a good deal when he bought a Van Nuys apartment building for under $3 million. Then he had to grapple with a gang problem.

UP FRONT

APARTMENTS Developer Tom Gilmore plans to transform three dilapidated downtown office buildings into 235 loft apartments. 3

PAYDAY A battle is emerging between companies that make high-interest loans to poor workers and consumer groups saying such practices constitute gouging. 3

UNION Debate grows over whether a recent vote by county doctors to unionize will improve patient care. 3

WRITERS Screenwriters are pushing a bill in Sacramento to exempt themselves from local business taxes; local cities and business groups oppose the move. 4

NFL Just who are those guys at the NFL who have been pulling the strings on L.A.’s bid for a football franchise? 5

MBA MBA graduates are racing off to join hot Internet start-up companies. 6

SOCCER Ticket sales are soaring for the Women’s World Cup Soccer tournament this month. But will women’s soccer sizzle or fizzle in the television ratings? 7

CHRISTIE’S For the first time in 16 years, Christie’s is holding a classic car auction in L.A. 9

DEATH The Neptune Society, which specializes in low-cost cremations, has gone public, giving investors a chance to cash in on the final phase of the Baby Boomers. 10

GARMENT Once high-flying Tarrant Apparel has seen its stock plummet 40 percent since the company called off joint venture talks. 10

PENSION As the chief investment officer for the Orange County Employees Retirement System, Farouki Majeed is out to prove he’s no Bob Citron. 11

IMPROV Interview with Budd Friedman, founder of Hollywood’s famed Improv comedy club. 14

COMEDY Local comedy clubs are bouncing back after several lean years led to an industry shakeout. 15

MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY

TIMES Mark Willes steps down as publisher of the Los Angeles Times to focus on running parent company Times Mirror Corp. 20

PAPER How did the Los Angeles Times manage to lose track of 3,000 tons of newsprint? 20

Columns & features Show Business 20, Advertising & PR 21, Computers 22-23

SMALL BUSINESS

INTERNET Online publication IPO Monitor is trying to cash in on the dual trends of the Internet and initial public offerings by offering subscribers information on IPOs. 24

Columns & features Weekly Briefing 24, Jane Applegate 25, At Home 27, Entrepreneur’s Notebook 30, Alf Nucifora, 32

PEOPLE

JOSEPH PREVRATIL The Queen Mary chief executive talks about the upswing in the Long Beach tourist attraction’s fortunes, and what it’s like to live and work on the world-famous ship. 33

Columns & features Newsmakers 34

INVESTMENTS & FINANCE

CORPORATE FOCUS 99 Cents Only Stores 40

Columns & features Wall Street West 41, Econowatch 41, LABJ 100 42, Jane Bryant Quinn 43

REAL ESTATE

Columns & features Real Estate 44

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