George Bumb Jr., the quiet one with a flair for things mechanical, was already at the controls of Air One Helicopter. He can't ignore it. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. It's like we had no life except for the family." Behind the scenes, the Bumbs suspected their potential gambling competitors and a disgruntled former Flea Market employee of giving investigators unsubstantiated material to use against them. 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. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. They recorded the conversation. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) "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." According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. But Jeff and his family started hearing that instead of showing concern and support for his daughter, George Bumb Sr. and others in the family were blaming his freshman daughter for the incident and not her adult-age cousin. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. Jeff Bumb later explained to the press that they didn't know partnerships were required to file such reports, and they paid the state a $1,250 fine. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. 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 had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." In fact, he hasn't set foot in the place since October 1995, the year he stopped talking to his father and three brothers. (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. "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." In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. Snow White or Cinderella? 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 and his brothers had a plan, he says. A FEW DAYS AFTER returning from his son's Oct. 13, 1995, military graduation in San Diego, Jeff and his wife, Elizabeth, got some appalling news: Their 14-year-old daughter had been involved in a sexual relationship with an older male cousin. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. 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. OK--we didn't get out--OK? 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." They recorded the conversation. Well, guess what? They recorded the conversation. Christopher Gardner Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. They recorded the conversation. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. You think this didn't break my heart?" "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." AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. He and his brothers had a plan, he says. OK--we didn't get out--OK? And for nearly a month, they did. 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 disputes that such a letter was even necessary for Jeff to get licensed. "What am I going to say to the vice president?" At one point in the investigation, sheriff's detectives had Jeff's daughter call Matthew while he was working at the Flea Market to confirm the sexual activities. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. Place of living: Nadia lives in Los Angeles, where she was born, together with her family. 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. Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. Well, guess what? They recorded the conversation. Well, guess what? The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. I'm on the hook for $15 million. Jeff signed a deal with his brothers that prohibited him from owning Bay 101 stock until he got all the necessary licenses. 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. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. When he was jailed, the desperate cop wrote a 15-page handwritten letter in pencil to George Bumb in May 1997 asking the Flea Market owner to bail him out. "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. "It's a very strong family. And Jeff himself had been playing poker since he was 12. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." Christopher Gardner "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. 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. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. For all his quirks and controlling behavior, the old man is regarded as a benefactor by most family members and some Flea Market employees who know their boss to be capable of great generosity. It wasn't the idea of gambling. Jeff entertained offers to buy the club, the highest bid, he recalls, coming in at $40 million. They recorded the conversation. 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. Christopher Gardner Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." But there was no gambling done that night. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. "And I told you that I loved you and you are like a father to me. It wasn't the money, either.
George Bumb Jr. of San Jose Flea Market and Bay 101, dead at 61 It pitted Bumb against Bumb. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." 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. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. Ultimately, Jeff says with resignation, he hopes I find the truth, "not my truth, not their truth, just the truth." He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. 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. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. 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. Ultimately, Jeff says with resignation, he hopes I find the truth, "not my truth, not their truth, just the truth." OK--we didn't get out--OK? When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." "He worked for me." 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. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" 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. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. 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. "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." George Bumb Jr., the quiet one with a flair for things mechanical, was already at the controls of Air One Helicopter. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. VENZON WAS well known to the Bumbs. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." EVERY DAY THE CLUB stayed closed, the Bumbs lost more money. 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. 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. And then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. "They didn't teach anything about this. He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." 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." The Bumbs' reputation as an unconventional, insular, wealthy, large brood keeps tongues in political circles flapping. But the Bumbs are hardly traditional political players. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. 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. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. "He worked for me." Christopher Gardner And then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. But the Bumbs are hardly traditional political players. Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. 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. 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. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. 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. "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. When he was jailed, the desperate cop wrote a 15-page handwritten letter in pencil to George Bumb in May 1997 asking the Flea Market owner to bail him out. He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." "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." And for nearly a month, they did. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. Well, George, whether you want to believe it or not I do love you and you are like a father to me." He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. Life of Brian: Initially denied a gaming license by the state, Brian Bumb has since received a provisional license and become a partner in Bay 101 with his brothers, Tim and George. 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. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. The only reason we are driving around in his Lexus today is because he knows I have read the bizarre and bitter contents of a 2-foot-high stack of documents down at the Santa Clara County Superior Courthouse. "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. A FEW DAYS AFTER returning from his son's Oct. 13, 1995, military graduation in San Diego, Jeff and his wife, Elizabeth, got some appalling news: Their 14-year-old daughter had been involved in a sexual relationship with an older male cousin. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. The Bumbs made millions off of their successful gaming club, Bay 101, but the experience tore the family apart and aired the dirty laundry of a once tightly-knit and fiercely private clan. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. Over the years, he had developed working relationships with the city's politicians and bureaucrats. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. Seven of George Bumb Sr.'s eight grown children reside in the eastside foothills within a mile or two of their father, often on the same block. During his long tenure at the Flea Market, Venzon apparently developed a close relationship with George Bumb Sr. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. 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 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. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. The day before, Monday at noon, half of the club's tables were full of gamblers playing seven card stud, Omaha and Texas Hold 'Em. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. 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. 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. Dealers stood at the tables, ready to deal the cards. Privacy hasn't been so easy to come by for the Bumbs in the '90s, since they got involved in Bay 101. "I'm a big boy." Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. 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. "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." (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" The Bumbs' reputation as an unconventional, insular, wealthy, large brood keeps tongues in political circles flapping. He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. It wasn't the money, either. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. But the Bumbs are hardly traditional political players. 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. Behind the scenes, the Bumbs suspected their potential gambling competitors and a disgruntled former Flea Market employee of giving investigators unsubstantiated material to use against them. I'm on the hook for $15 million. 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." On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. At the time, San Jose, like cities throughout the state, was strapped for cash, looking at an $11 million budget shortfall. "Jeff is a wheeler and dealer," explained his Uncle John, the Flea Market's executive vice president and owner of the Skeeball Arcade. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. 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. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. 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. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. 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. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. Eight months later, the frame of the weapon was found in a Salinas pond near Venzon's home with the barrel and slide missing. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. 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. Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. Jeff entertained offers to buy the club, the highest bid, he recalls, coming in at $40 million. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce.