Jeff Bumb says he believes that state and local investigators at the time of Bay 101's limbo were investigating a rumor that Jeff had tried to get someone killed, a charge Jeff denies. During the Venzon investigation, San Jose police dug up an old file from November 1990 in which Venzon, a sheriff's deputy, had reported his department-issued Smith & Wesson 9 mm automatic stolen. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. But he didn't cash out. Jeff was also getting word from his nieces and nephews that his father said at a family poker game: "If it was up to him, all the grandchildren would marry each other." Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. Of the four brothers, Tim and George had faced the least resistance from state gaming officials. And for nearly a month, they did. He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. During his long tenure at the Flea Market, Venzon apparently developed a close relationship with George Bumb Sr. The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. "I mean," Jeff later said at a deposition, "it was a time of hurt and heartache for us--and not my father, not my mother, not my brother George, not my brother Tim, not Brian could care less." It wasn't the idea of gambling. But Jeff says that privately he and his brothers had an oral agreement--which Tim Bumb now corroborates--that would one day let him repurchase his shares and become a partner in Bay 101 again. And Jeff himself had been playing poker since he was 12. OK--we didn't get out--OK? The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. "He worked for me." Over the years, he had developed working relationships with the city's politicians and bureaucrats. Over the years, he had developed working relationships with the city's politicians and bureaucrats. Eight months later, the frame of the weapon was found in a Salinas pond near Venzon's home with the barrel and slide missing. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. Unlike other partners, neither Jeff nor Brian had buyback provisions in their written agreements, an intentional omission meant to appease state gaming officials who wanted them out of the picture. In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. Tim and George Jr. worried that pressuring state and city officials to deal Jeff back in at Bay 101 would backfire and authorities would close down the card room. You know the school we went to?" And for nearly a month, they did. He also disputes that such a letter was even necessary for Jeff to get licensed. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." "He worked for me." On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. They recorded the conversation. Originally he was scheduled for questioning on March 10, 1997, but the old man's lawyers explained that their client was extremely ill, suffering from "severe life-threatening conditions," practically on his death bed. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. In fact, on the day he was arrested, records show that Venzon pawned a 14-karat-gold diamond cluster ring and a ladies' gold tennis bracelet for a total of $298 at American Precious Metals, a jewelry store at the Flea Market run by Joseph Bumb. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. "Jeff is a wheeler and dealer," explained his Uncle John, the Flea Market's executive vice president and owner of the Skeeball Arcade. And for nearly a month, they did. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. Most of George Bumb Sr.'s five dozen grandchildren have grown up in the 95127 ZIP code and have attended the family-run K-12 Catholic school, St. Thomas More, located on Flea Market grounds since 1978. In a statement to police, Jeff's daughter recounted how the first incident had happened the year before on the Fourth of July at a family beach house near Santa Cruz when the older boy allegedly started fondling her while she was asleep on the living room couch. According to Werner, molestation of his daughter became part of a laundry list of damning things Jeff threatened to disclose if his buy-out demands weren't met. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. Don't Shoot: George Bumb Sr., the publicity-shy patriarch of the Bumb family and creator of the Flea Market, in a rare photo which appeared in California Today magazine in 1980. The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. They recorded the conversation. OK--we didn't get out--OK? George Bumb Sr., an avid card player, held a regular weekly family poker game at his home. But Jeff says that privately he and his brothers had an oral agreement--which Tim Bumb now corroborates--that would one day let him repurchase his shares and become a partner in Bay 101 again. Eight days after the molestation incident was reported to police--and one day after Jeff Bumb formally refused his father's $6.9 million buyout offer--George Bumb Sr. sent Jeff a curt typewritten memo informing Jeff that he was terminated effective immediately and had to clean out his desk before 5pm. Snow White or Cinderella? It wasn't the idea of gambling. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. Bumb family attorney Ron Werner suggested that Jeff and his family had a hidden motive for waiting nearly a month to report the incident to police. He and his brothers had a plan, he says. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. They recorded the conversation. You know the school we went to?" Deputy chief Tom Wheatley says that police wondered if Venzon, or someone, destroyed the barrel to prevent a ballistics test from tracing a fired bullet to the gun. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. Originally he was scheduled for questioning on March 10, 1997, but the old man's lawyers explained that their client was extremely ill, suffering from "severe life-threatening conditions," practically on his death bed. Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. In February 1994, nearly one year after the San Jose City Council gave Bay 101 its blessing, the state denied the Bumbs and their partners' gaming license application. One month later, the state attorney general's office made a devastating announcement: Authorities had come across issues of "such magnitude" and "concern" that they would need at least another month to decide if gambling should be allowed at Bay 101. You think this didn't break my heart?" And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. The source code for the WIKI 2 extension is being checked by specialists of the Mozilla Foundation, Google, and Apple. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. The court saga evolved into a battle of wills between a father--a man who wouldn't even let the Vatican tell him what to do--and his oldest son, determined to break free from the old man's grasp. Or at least he thought he didn't. Christopher Gardner One of George Bumb Sr.'s granddaughters explained to police that her family was very old-fashioned: "The woman gets the short end of the deal; she is a whore. Bumb family attorney Ron Werner suggested that Jeff and his family had a hidden motive for waiting nearly a month to report the incident to police. But Jeff was confident. According to Werner, molestation of his daughter became part of a laundry list of damning things Jeff threatened to disclose if his buy-out demands weren't met. "They didn't teach anything about this. When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. Tim Bumb says writing a letter on Jeff's behalf would have violated the agreement with the police chief and put the club in jeopardy. he asked. But Jeff says that privately he and his brothers had an oral agreement--which Tim Bumb now corroborates--that would one day let him repurchase his shares and become a partner in Bay 101 again. Jeff was also getting word from his nieces and nephews that his father said at a family poker game: "If it was up to him, all the grandchildren would marry each other." There were flowers everywhere. First, Jeff tried to have the Bumb & Associates partnership dissolved after accusing his family of trying to force him out without paying him a fair price. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. Tim and George Jr. worried that pressuring state and city officials to deal Jeff back in at Bay 101 would backfire and authorities would close down the card room. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. According to Werner, molestation of his daughter became part of a laundry list of damning things Jeff threatened to disclose if his buy-out demands weren't met. Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. "I mean," Jeff later said at a deposition, "it was a time of hurt and heartache for us--and not my father, not my mother, not my brother George, not my brother Tim, not Brian could care less." He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. Christopher Gardner "He worked for me." "They didn't teach anything about this. Some improprieties did turn up: Bumb & Associates, a partnership including the four brothers and their father, had failed to file required reports disclosing more than $100,000 in political contributions made between 1989 and 1992. They recorded the conversation. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. The state, still busy conducting background checks, still hadn't approved the Bumbs and their partners' gaming licenses. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. Bumb family attorney Ron Werner suggested that Jeff and his family had a hidden motive for waiting nearly a month to report the incident to police. "And I told you that I loved you and you are like a father to me. In fact, he hasn't set foot in the place since October 1995, the year he stopped talking to his father and three brothers. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." George Bumb Sr., an avid card player, held a regular weekly family poker game at his home. I'm on the hook for $15 million. And it was very explicit in there that no Bumbs could have anything to do with the club. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. The court saga evolved into a battle of wills between a father--a man who wouldn't even let the Vatican tell him what to do--and his oldest son, determined to break free from the old man's grasp. He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. Even in the tangle of legal briefs and heated accusations, no one denies that Jeff is the one who hunted down a site, negotiated the deal and spent hours on the phone lobbying San Jose City Council members for a big, new gaming house in San Jose. Just so everyone got the point, Jeff Bumb announced to the press that he and Brian were divesting from Bay 101, and records show he eventually sold his shares for $1.4 million. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. The court saga evolved into a battle of wills between a father--a man who wouldn't even let the Vatican tell him what to do--and his oldest son, determined to break free from the old man's grasp. "He worked for me." The court saga evolved into a battle of wills between a father--a man who wouldn't even let the Vatican tell him what to do--and his oldest son, determined to break free from the old man's grasp. Just so everyone got the point, Jeff Bumb announced to the press that he and Brian were divesting from Bay 101, and records show he eventually sold his shares for $1.4 million. Jeff Bumb says he believes that state and local investigators at the time of Bay 101's limbo were investigating a rumor that Jeff had tried to get someone killed, a charge Jeff denies. First, Jeff tried to have the Bumb & Associates partnership dissolved after accusing his family of trying to force him out without paying him a fair price. As a compromise of sorts, he was debating whether he should apply for a license as a gaming-club manager instead of as an owner. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. "I'm a big boy." "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." Though authorities were never able to prove a paid snuff plot, Jeff Bumb believes the allegations were a factor contributing to authorities' mistrust of him. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. The gambling palace Jeff Bumb--the oldest son who is often described as the most entrepreneurial of the four brothers--had in mind was going to take a lot of effort and political skill. Deputy chief Tom Wheatley says that police wondered if Venzon, or someone, destroyed the barrel to prevent a ballistics test from tracing a fired bullet to the gun. One month later, the state attorney general's office made a devastating announcement: Authorities had come across issues of "such magnitude" and "concern" that they would need at least another month to decide if gambling should be allowed at Bay 101. When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. In response to Jeff's legal attacks, George Bumb Sr. and Bumb & Associates filed two separate suits of their own to collect nearly $1 million in loans and interest they claimed Jeff never paid. During his long tenure at the Flea Market, Venzon apparently developed a close relationship with George Bumb Sr. Hamilton, where Latin mass is conducted on a regular basis. Still Standing: Jeff Bumb, Bay 101's ostracized founder, boasts that despite various local, state and federal investigations over the years he has emerged squeaky clean. "They didn't teach anything about this. Well, George, whether you want to believe it or not I do love you and you are like a father to me." So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. And for nearly a month, they did. That promised to be a hard sell to the San Jose City Council, which would have to authorize both the new site and the expansion. And Brian, the handsome and gregarious youngest brother, was in charge of day-to-day operations at the Flea Market. He can't ignore it. The court saga evolved into a battle of wills between a father--a man who wouldn't even let the Vatican tell him what to do--and his oldest son, determined to break free from the old man's grasp. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. And Jeff himself had been playing poker since he was 12. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. Jeff's grandfather, Frank Bumb, had met his wife, Mary, at a card parlor in San Francisco where they worked. "My issue with [George Bumb Sr.]," Jeff Bumb complains about his father, "was his control of where you lived, what kind of house you bought, where your children went to school, who your friends are, whether your children went to college, who they would marry, what kind of wedding they would have." Well, guess what? Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. Jeff was also getting word from his nieces and nephews that his father said at a family poker game: "If it was up to him, all the grandchildren would marry each other." Don't Shoot: George Bumb Sr., the publicity-shy patriarch of the Bumb family and creator of the Flea Market, in a rare photo which appeared in California Today magazine in 1980. He and his brothers had a plan, he says. The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. The card club has done more than bring unwanted public scrutiny to this insular group. VENZON WAS well known to the Bumbs. "We made it very clear to Jeff and everybody else concerned," Tim says, "that I'm not going to stick my neck on the line here. You know the school we went to?" Three years ago, the Mercury News listed the Bumb family in the Top 10 of the valley's most generous political contributors. "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." OK--we didn't get out--OK? As a compromise of sorts, he was debating whether he should apply for a license as a gaming-club manager instead of as an owner. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. "It's a very strong family. "He worked for me." She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. Today, Bumb family enterprises include the local Premium Pet Stores chain, Air One Helicopters and, of course, Bay 101. George Bumb Jr., the quiet one with a flair for things mechanical, was already at the controls of Air One Helicopter. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. ON AUG. 11, 1995, Jeff sat in his Flea Market office scribbling on a piece of paper, plotting his grand return to his peach palace. And then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. In the last five years, the Bumb family and its enterprises have been investigated for illegal political campaign contributions, an alleged profit-skimming racket out at the Berryessa Flea Market and even a murder-for-hire scheme involving Johnny Venzon, a former cop, convicted thief and gambling addict. He asked longtime family attorney Ron Werner if his brothers could write a recommendation letter for him, something state officials had told him he would need to be considered eligible for a gaming license. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. The court saga evolved into a battle of wills between a father--a man who wouldn't even let the Vatican tell him what to do--and his oldest son, determined to break free from the old man's grasp. Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. Jeff entertained offers to buy the club, the highest bid, he recalls, coming in at $40 million. He wanted to relocate and expand Sutter's Place in Alviso from a five-table card room to a 40-table one, matching the size of Northern California's largest card room, Garden City in San Jose. Snow White or Cinderella? Police reports would suggest she had, "for about a year," been giving "blow jobs" to 19-year-old Matthew Bumb, son of George Bumb Jr. "He took care of it." ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. Christopher Gardner The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. EIGHT MONTHS AFTER its approval by the City Council, the peach-colored Bay 101 held its "grand opening." According to Werner, molestation of his daughter became part of a laundry list of damning things Jeff threatened to disclose if his buy-out demands weren't met. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. In response to Jeff's legal attacks, George Bumb Sr. and Bumb & Associates filed two separate suits of their own to collect nearly $1 million in loans and interest they claimed Jeff never paid. In a statement to police, Jeff's daughter recounted how the first incident had happened the year before on the Fourth of July at a family beach house near Santa Cruz when the older boy allegedly started fondling her while she was asleep on the living room couch. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. Werner said no. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." Tim Bumb says writing a letter on Jeff's behalf would have violated the agreement with the police chief and put the club in jeopardy. He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. "And I told you that I loved you and you are like a father to me. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. Over the past year alone, Bumb & Associates and Bay 101 have given $56,000 to now-Attorney General Bill Lockyer, the man in charge of card-room regulation. And then police remembered the old rumors about a murder plot at the Flea Market, where Venzon had worked as a security guard for more than 15 years.