The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. The Bumbs' reputation as an unconventional, insular, wealthy, large brood keeps tongues in political circles flapping. "He took care of it." Christopher Gardner And then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. 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. 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. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. 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. Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. Werner said no. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. 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." And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. 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. He and his brothers had a plan, he says. Bumb, 61, of Gilroy, was one of the eight. 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. (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. Privacy hasn't been so easy to come by for the Bumbs in the '90s, since they got involved in Bay 101. Jeff didn't mind, though. 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. But he didn't cash out. 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." "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." 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. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" And it was very explicit in there that no Bumbs could have anything to do with the club. But there was no gambling done that night. 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. 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. 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 it was very explicit in there that no Bumbs could have anything to do with the club. 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. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. You know the school we went to?" He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." And for nearly a month, they did. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. 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 is a wheeler and dealer," explained his Uncle John, the Flea Market's executive vice president and owner of the Skeeball Arcade. (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" 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. Jeff signed a deal with his brothers that prohibited him from owning Bay 101 stock until he got all the necessary licenses. He also disputes that such a letter was even necessary for Jeff to get licensed. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. At the time, San Jose, like cities throughout the state, was strapped for cash, looking at an $11 million budget shortfall. 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. Hamilton, where Latin mass is conducted on a regular basis. Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. "They didn't teach anything about this. The state, still busy conducting background checks, still hadn't approved the Bumbs and their partners' gaming licenses. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. It wasn't the idea of gambling. 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. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. 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. I'm on the hook for $15 million. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. And Jeff himself had been playing poker since he was 12. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. Over the years, he had developed working relationships with the city's politicians and bureaucrats. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" 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. Jeff's grandfather, Frank Bumb, had met his wife, Mary, at a card parlor in San Francisco where they worked. 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. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. But he didn't cash out. 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. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. He and his brothers had a plan, he says. Today, Bumb family enterprises include the local Premium Pet Stores chain, Air One Helicopters and, of course, Bay 101. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" It's very tightknit," says Bryant, adding that the senior Bumb doesn't give interviews--ever. You think this didn't break my heart?" 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. Tim, the second youngest of George Bumb's four boys, was already running the family toy business, Fact Games, and Premium Pet Stores. The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. 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. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." "And I told you that I loved you and you are like a father to me. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. 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." Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. But he didn't cash out. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. 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. 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. Or at least he thought he didn't. 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. 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. Christopher Gardner 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. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. "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. 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. 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. The card club has done more than bring unwanted public scrutiny to this insular group. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. he asked. "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. Jeff signed a deal with his brothers that prohibited him from owning Bay 101 stock until he got all the necessary licenses. They recorded the conversation. "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." Realizing that, Jeff offered to pay higher card-room taxes (next year the city expects to collect $4.5 million from Bay 101) and pick up the tab for security. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. But he didn't cash out. 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. 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. Or at least he thought he didn't. 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. 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. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. Well, George, whether you want to believe it or not I do love you and you are like a father to me." "The thing they probably value most is their privacy," Bryant explains. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. 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. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. 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. Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. Christopher Gardner A nurse was present to monitor his condition. Hamilton, where Latin mass is conducted on a regular basis. OK--we didn't get out--OK? 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. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. 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. 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. 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. a natural person who has individual net worth, or joint net worth with the person's spouse, that exceeds $1 million at the time of such person's purchase of the securities, excluding the value of the . When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. 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. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. 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. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. FROM THE START, Jeff's three brothers and father didn't share his enthusiasm for opening a lavish gaming house. 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. "He worked for me." 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. Jeff entertained offers to buy the club, the highest bid, he recalls, coming in at $40 million. "It's a very strong 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. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. And Brian, the handsome and gregarious youngest brother, was in charge of day-to-day operations at the Flea Market. 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. But his dream, which now seemed so close to being a reality, was about to become a nightmare. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. "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." Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. "They didn't teach anything about this. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. The Flea Market, touted as the nation's largest, made the Bumbs rich, grossing nearly $12 million in 1996. "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. 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. Privacy hasn't been so easy to come by for the Bumbs in the '90s, since they got involved in Bay 101. He also disputes that such a letter was even necessary for Jeff to get licensed. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. VENZON WAS well known to the Bumbs. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. "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." Their pun-afflicted surname adds to the hillbilly mystique. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. They recorded the conversation. He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. In fact, he hasn't set foot in the place since October 1995, the year he stopped talking to his father and three brothers. Snow White or Cinderella? Christopher Gardner 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. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." 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. 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. 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. His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. 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. The Bumbs had a plenty of experience with a cash business through the Flea Market, which they've run for almost 40 years. "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. "He worked for me." And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." They recorded the conversation. Christopher Gardner "He worked for me." 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 it was very explicit in there that no Bumbs could have anything to do with the club. 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 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. "He worked for me." 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. Werner said no. The Bumbs' reputation as an unconventional, insular, wealthy, large brood keeps tongues in political circles flapping. 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. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. 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?" Werner said no. FROM THE START, Jeff's three brothers and father didn't share his enthusiasm for opening a lavish gaming house. 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. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. THINGS WERE certainly simpler back in the old days, before Bay 101, when the Bumbs were known for the Berryessa Flea Market, the family-owned business started in 1960 by 75-year-old family patriarch George Bumb Sr. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. Three years ago, the Mercury News listed the Bumb family in the Top 10 of the valley's most generous political contributors. 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. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. 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. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. 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. 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. 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 entertained offers to buy the club, the highest bid, he recalls, coming in at $40 million. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. 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. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" Christopher Gardner Toward the end of the call, things got heated. 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. 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. So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible.