EVERY DAY THE CLUB stayed closed, the Bumbs lost more money. "He worked for me." 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 years, he had developed working relationships with the city's politicians and bureaucrats. Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. 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 Jeff himself had been playing poker since he was 12. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. 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. (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. 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. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. 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. 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. 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. They recorded the conversation. 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. 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 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. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. He and his brothers had a plan, he says. One wag refers to them as "the Beverly Hillbillies of San Jose." Phone & Email; All Addresses (1) Family (3) Social; Court (2) And More; Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. "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. Don't Shoot: George Bumb Sr., the publicity-shy patriarch of the Bumb family and creator of the Flea Market, in a rare photo which appeared in California Today magazine in 1980. He also runs day-to-day operations at the family-owned Flea Market. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." "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, San Jose, like cities throughout the state, was strapped for cash, looking at an $11 million budget shortfall. It's like we had no life except for the family." 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." It's like we had no life except for the family." It did the unthinkable: And for nearly a month, they did. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." 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. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. 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. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." VENZON WAS well known to the Bumbs. The court saga evolved into a battle of wills between a father--a man who wouldn't even let the Vatican tell him what to do--and his oldest son, determined to break free from the old man's grasp. Just so everyone got the point, Jeff Bumb announced to the press that he and Brian were divesting from Bay 101, and records show he eventually sold his shares for $1.4 million. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. 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. 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. 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. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. 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 wanted to relocate and expand Sutter's Place in Alviso from a five-table card room to a 40-table one, matching the size of Northern California's largest card room, Garden City in San Jose. The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. 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. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. 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 started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. You know the school we went to?" And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." Well, guess what? "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" 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. And he [Jeff] wants me to violate the condition which says in it that I sign away my rights and they close us down. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. "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. According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. Snow White or Cinderella? 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. But his dream, which now seemed so close to being a reality, was about to become a nightmare. According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. 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. Their pun-afflicted surname adds to the hillbilly mystique. 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. And he [Jeff] wants me to violate the condition which says in it that I sign away my rights and they close us down. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. Over the years, he had developed working relationships with the city's politicians and bureaucrats. She is seen as one of the most successful Lawyer of all times. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. Eight months later, the frame of the weapon was found in a Salinas pond near Venzon's home with the barrel and slide missing. In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. The Bumbs had a plenty of experience with a cash business through the Flea Market, which they've run for almost 40 years. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." Jeff signed a deal with his brothers that prohibited him from owning Bay 101 stock until he got all the necessary licenses. No you may not, The Flea Market Inc. owns and operates all prepared food and beverage concessions. It's very tightknit," says Bryant, adding that the senior Bumb doesn't give interviews--ever. EIGHT MONTHS AFTER its approval by the City Council, the peach-colored Bay 101 held its "grand opening." And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. Jeff entertained offers to buy the club, the highest bid, he recalls, coming in at $40 million. Or at least he thought he didn't. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. I'm on the hook for $15 million. EIGHT MONTHS AFTER its approval by the City Council, the peach-colored Bay 101 held its "grand opening." (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) He also disputes that such a letter was even necessary for Jeff to get licensed. 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 . 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. You know the school we went to?" In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. 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. 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. 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 a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." 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. Christopher Gardner AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. 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. 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. 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 for nearly a month, they did. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. Ultimately, Jeff says with resignation, he hopes I find the truth, "not my truth, not their truth, just the truth." "He worked for me." "I'm a big boy." The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. Jeff's grandfather, Frank Bumb, had met his wife, Mary, at a card parlor in San Francisco where they worked. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. It wasn't the idea of gambling. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. 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. 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. So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. Christopher Gardner EIGHT MONTHS AFTER its approval by the City Council, the peach-colored Bay 101 held its "grand opening." 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. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." And for nearly a month, they did. The district attorney's office says that Bumb attorney Ron Werner turned the letter over to authorities immediately after it came in the mail. It wasn't the idea of gambling. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. 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. 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." 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 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." 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. Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. 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. 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. Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. Christopher Gardner 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. 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. "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." 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. 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. 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 then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. 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. And it was very explicit in there that no Bumbs could have anything to do with the club. They recorded the conversation. "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. Snow White or Cinderella? she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. Well, George, whether you want to believe it or not I do love you and you are like a father to me." Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." And for nearly a month, they did. The card club has done more than bring unwanted public scrutiny to this insular group. And then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. 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. Jeff entertained offers to buy the club, the highest bid, he recalls, coming in at $40 million. 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. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. Eight months later, the frame of the weapon was found in a Salinas pond near Venzon's home with the barrel and slide missing. 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 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." 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. There were flowers everywhere. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. 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. Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. I'm on the hook for $15 million. After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. 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. 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. And for nearly a month, they did. Privacy hasn't been so easy to come by for the Bumbs in the '90s, since they got involved in Bay 101. 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 demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. "They didn't teach anything about this. Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. EVERY DAY THE CLUB stayed closed, the Bumbs lost more money. So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. Whenever trouble arose at the Flea Market with city code or building inspectors, the Bumbs sent Jeff to settle things. When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. Or at least he thought he didn't. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. 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. 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. 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. 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. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. 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.