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." Jeff's grandfather, Frank Bumb, had met his wife, Mary, at a card parlor in San Francisco where they worked. "He took care of it." Dealers stood at the tables, ready to deal the cards. He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. 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. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. 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. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. 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. After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. "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." When family patriarch and Flea Market mastermind George Bumb Sr. was invited to attend a party with President Clinton in San Francisco a couple of years ago, he refused to go and sent his community relations specialist, Betsy Bryant, instead. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. 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. Jeff himself was hit with a federal grand jury investigation over financial transactions in connection with a multimillion-dollar residential development near Silver Creek Road. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. "I'm a big boy." 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. Three years ago, the Mercury News listed the Bumb family in the Top 10 of the valley's most generous political contributors. It wasn't the idea of gambling. You know the school we went to?" 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. "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." But there was no gambling done that night. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" The investigation was given a shot in the arm after the arrest of Johnny Venzon in 1997, a cop who made headlines for burglarizing homes while on duty to pay for his mounting gambling debts. 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. Or at least he thought he didn't. Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. 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. They recorded the conversation. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. Eight months later, the frame of the weapon was found in a Salinas pond near Venzon's home with the barrel and slide missing. 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. Eight months later, the frame of the weapon was found in a Salinas pond near Venzon's home with the barrel and slide missing. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. 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 is a wheeler and dealer," explained his Uncle John, the Flea Market's executive vice president and owner of the Skeeball Arcade. It pitted Bumb against Bumb. After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. And for nearly a month, they did. As legend has it, the Bumbs still send a monthly check to the widow of a former head of security who died of a brain tumor 20 years ago. 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. It did the unthinkable: 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 guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." You know the school we went to?" They recorded the conversation. 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. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. On March 17, 1993, the City Council gave Bumb and his partners the green light to open a 40-table card room on a 10-acre plot of land off U.S 101. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." And it was very explicit in there that no Bumbs could have anything to do with the club. Tim and George, under pressure from then Police Chief Lou Cobarruviaz, had already signed an agreement a year earlier that prohibited Brian, Jeff and their father from having anything to do with the card room. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. 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. On March 17, 1993, the City Council gave Bumb and his partners the green light to open a 40-table card room on a 10-acre plot of land off U.S 101. On March 17, 1993, the City Council gave Bumb and his partners the green light to open a 40-table card room on a 10-acre plot of land off U.S 101. And he [Jeff] wants me to violate the condition which says in it that I sign away my rights and they close us down. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. 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. But Jeff was confident. "They didn't teach anything about this. Even though all the lights were out, she told police that she knew it was Matthew "because the moonlight shined into the room through the large windows that faced the ocean." 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. 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. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." During his long tenure at the Flea Market, Venzon apparently developed a close relationship with George Bumb Sr. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." "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. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. 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. 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. When Vice President Al Gore called to personally invite the elder Bumb to a fundraiser at the Los Altos home of real estate magnate George Marcus, Bumb put the VP on hold for several minutes, ultimately making Betsy take the call. After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. During his long tenure at the Flea Market, Venzon apparently developed a close relationship with George Bumb Sr. The state, still busy conducting background checks, still hadn't approved the Bumbs and their partners' gaming licenses. The district attorney's office says that Bumb attorney Ron Werner turned the letter over to authorities immediately after it came in the mail. But there was no gambling done that night. 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. 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. Other allegations were more dubious: Investigators chased after a tip that the Bumbs were skimming cash from the Flea Market parking lot, an accusation that was never proven. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. 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. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. 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 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. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. 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. 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. "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. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. And he [Jeff] wants me to violate the condition which says in it that I sign away my rights and they close us down. 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. Bryant, who acts as emissary for the family and its patriarch, thinks the Bumbs are a misunderstood bunch. Other allegations were more dubious: Investigators chased after a tip that the Bumbs were skimming cash from the Flea Market parking lot, an accusation that was never proven. The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. 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. "And when I visited you at your home I told you that other than God you are the only person I've gotten down on my knees for," Venzon says on page 7. "He worked for me." George Bumb Sr.'s loan-repayment demands came in July 1996, just as his oldest son and his wife were about to move to Los Gatos and break away from the family and its eastside enclave. "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. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. And it was very explicit in there that no Bumbs could have anything to do with the club. 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. EVERY DAY THE CLUB stayed closed, the Bumbs lost more money. According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. VENZON WAS well known to the Bumbs. Privacy hasn't been so easy to come by for the Bumbs in the '90s, since they got involved in Bay 101. When family patriarch and Flea Market mastermind George Bumb Sr. was invited to attend a party with President Clinton in San Francisco a couple of years ago, he refused to go and sent his community relations specialist, Betsy Bryant, instead. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. 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. Or at least he thought he didn't. 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. He also disputes that such a letter was even necessary for Jeff to get licensed. By Will Harper According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. "He worked for me." He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. Dealers stood at the tables, ready to deal the cards. "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." The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. 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. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. And Brian, the handsome and gregarious youngest brother, was in charge of day-to-day operations at the Flea Market. 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. Eight months later, the frame of the weapon was found in a Salinas pond near Venzon's home with the barrel and slide missing. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." 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 then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. 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. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. 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. 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. When family patriarch and Flea Market mastermind George Bumb Sr. was invited to attend a party with President Clinton in San Francisco a couple of years ago, he refused to go and sent his community relations specialist, Betsy Bryant, instead. 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. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" 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. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. Their pun-afflicted surname adds to the hillbilly mystique. 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. You think this didn't break my heart?" 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 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. "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. George Bumb Sr.'s loan-repayment demands came in July 1996, just as his oldest son and his wife were about to move to Los Gatos and break away from the family and its eastside enclave. Or at least he thought he didn't. You know the school we went to?" Of the four brothers, Tim and George had faced the least resistance from state gaming officials. 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. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. California Secretary of State Data last refreshed on Monday, April 4, 2022 Their pun-afflicted surname adds to the hillbilly mystique. EIGHT MONTHS AFTER its approval by the City Council, the peach-colored Bay 101 held its "grand opening." In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. Of the four brothers, Tim and George had faced the least resistance from state gaming officials. So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. 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. The state, still busy conducting background checks, still hadn't approved the Bumbs and their partners' gaming licenses. After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. Other allegations were more dubious: Investigators chased after a tip that the Bumbs were skimming cash from the Flea Market parking lot, an accusation that was never proven. "He took care of it." But Jeff was confident. Jeff didn't mind, though. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. FROM THE START, Jeff's three brothers and father didn't share his enthusiasm for opening a lavish gaming house. 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. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. In her 10 years as the Flea Market's community relations specialist, Bryant has come to adore the lack of pretension among this clan of millionaires who have their offices in a mobile home where none of the furniture seems to match. 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. 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. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. 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. And then there's the stuff that never made it into headlines, like the alleged murder-for-hire plot out at the Flea Market. Werner said no. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. 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. Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. 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. 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. Jeff signed a deal with his brothers that prohibited him from owning Bay 101 stock until he got all the necessary licenses. Christopher Gardner Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. 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. The state, still busy conducting background checks, still hadn't approved the Bumbs and their partners' gaming licenses. When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. When family patriarch and Flea Market mastermind George Bumb Sr. was invited to attend a party with President Clinton in San Francisco a couple of years ago, he refused to go and sent his community relations specialist, Betsy Bryant, instead. "He took care of it." Over the years, he had developed working relationships with the city's politicians and bureaucrats. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." 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. 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. 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. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. "They didn't teach anything about this. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. San Jose Flea Market. "And when I visited you at your home I told you that other than God you are the only person I've gotten down on my knees for," Venzon says on page 7. 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. 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. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. Other allegations were more dubious: Investigators chased after a tip that the Bumbs were skimming cash from the Flea Market parking lot, an accusation that was never proven. When Vice President Al Gore called to personally invite the elder Bumb to a fundraiser at the Los Altos home of real estate magnate George Marcus, Bumb put the VP on hold for several minutes, ultimately making Betsy take the call. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. The Bumbs had a plenty of experience with a cash business through the Flea Market, which they've run for almost 40 years. The district attorney's office says that Bumb attorney Ron Werner turned the letter over to authorities immediately after it came in the mail. The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired.