OK--we didn't get out--OK? His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. Privacy hasn't been so easy to come by for the Bumbs in the '90s, since they got involved in Bay 101. 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 couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. 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. And it was very explicit in there that no Bumbs could have anything to do with the club. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. During his long tenure at the Flea Market, Venzon apparently developed a close relationship with George Bumb Sr. 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. You know the school we went to?" 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. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." 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. 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. Eight months later, the frame of the weapon was found in a Salinas pond near Venzon's home with the barrel and slide missing. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. "And I told you that I loved you and you are like a father to me. Jeff signed a deal with his brothers that prohibited him from owning Bay 101 stock until he got all the necessary licenses. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. Tim, the second youngest of George Bumb's four boys, was already running the family toy business, Fact Games, and Premium Pet Stores. Well, guess what? "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." But there was no gambling done that night. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" "They didn't teach anything about this. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." "It's a very strong family. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. 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. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. 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." 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. Campaign records show that Bumb & Associates and Bay 101 have made at least $587,000 in campaign donations since 1994 to local and state politicians and ballot measures. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. 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. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." Their pun-afflicted surname adds to the hillbilly mystique. "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." 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. Well, guess what? Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. And there were gamblers everywhere who had come looking for some action. Tim, the second youngest of George Bumb's four boys, was already running the family toy business, Fact Games, and Premium Pet Stores. Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. The state, still busy conducting background checks, still hadn't approved the Bumbs and their partners' gaming licenses. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. 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. 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." 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. 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. 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. 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. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. 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. When the Vatican eliminated Latin from the Catholic mass in the '60s, George Bumb Sr. responded by building his own chapel, named for the rebellious St. Athanasius, at the base of Mt. (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) It wasn't the money, either. He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. 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. Christopher Gardner Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. You think this didn't break my heart?" "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. 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. It's like we had no life except for the family." The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. 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. Well, guess what? Brian Bumb Sr., son of George Bumb Sr., now supervises and is part owner (15.7%) of the San Jose Flea market among his other brothers, George Bumb Jr., and Timothy Bumb, who each have 14.1% ownership. Snow White or Cinderella? "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." 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. George Bumb Sr., an avid card player, held a regular weekly family poker game at his home. 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. Werner said no. Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. Christopher Gardner 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. Earlier this year, a month before Venzon was sentenced to 14 years in prison, district attorney investigator Michael Schembri closed out the Venzon case, noting in a court filing, "No new information has been uncovered relating to the murder for hire case [at the Flea Market] which our department investigated several years ago." 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. 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 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, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. "He worked for me." (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) 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. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. "And I told you that I loved you and you are like a father to me. Their pun-afflicted surname adds to the hillbilly mystique. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. EVERY DAY THE CLUB stayed closed, the Bumbs lost more money. 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. "And I told you that I loved you and you are like a father to me. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. 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. 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." He also disputes that such a letter was even necessary for Jeff to get licensed. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. 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. 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. Whenever trouble arose at the Flea Market with city code or building inspectors, the Bumbs sent Jeff to settle things. 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. 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. His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. 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. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. Of the four brothers, Tim and George had faced the least resistance from state gaming officials. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. Snow White or Cinderella? And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. Dealers stood at the tables, ready to deal the cards. 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. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. 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. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. 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. Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. "He took care of it." 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 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. "I'm a big boy." "I liked my name," he maintains. It did the unthinkable: The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. Christopher Gardner And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." 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. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. 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. 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. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. 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. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." 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. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." 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. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. But his dream, which now seemed so close to being a reality, was about to become a nightmare. Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. 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 and his brothers had a plan, he says. Werner said no. 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. OK--we didn't get out--OK? Jeff signed a deal with his brothers that prohibited him from owning Bay 101 stock until he got all the necessary licenses. "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." Christopher Gardner 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.)" Campaign records show that Bumb & Associates and Bay 101 have made at least $587,000 in campaign donations since 1994 to local and state politicians and ballot measures. 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. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. He and his brothers had a plan, he says. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." A nurse was present to monitor his condition. (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) They recorded the conversation. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. 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. Jeff's grandfather, Frank Bumb, had met his wife, Mary, at a card parlor in San Francisco where they worked. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." 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. But Jeff was confident. He and his brothers had a plan, he says. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. "Jeff is a wheeler and dealer," explained his Uncle John, the Flea Market's executive vice president and owner of the Skeeball Arcade. 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. They recorded the conversation. Bryant, who acts as emissary for the family and its patriarch, thinks the Bumbs are a misunderstood bunch. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" 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 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. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. "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." 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. 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. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. Ultimately, Jeff says with resignation, he hopes I find the truth, "not my truth, not their truth, just the truth." "Jeff is a wheeler and dealer," explained his Uncle John, the Flea Market's executive vice president and owner of the Skeeball Arcade. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. 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." Werner said no. 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. 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. You know the school we went to?" she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. 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. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. The district attorney's office says that Bumb attorney Ron Werner turned the letter over to authorities immediately after it came in the mail. And for nearly a month, they did. The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. But the Bumbs are hardly traditional political players. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. "He worked for me."