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. 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. "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." 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. Today, Bumb family enterprises include the local Premium Pet Stores chain, Air One Helicopters and, of course, Bay 101. 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. During his long tenure at the Flea Market, Venzon apparently developed a close relationship with George Bumb Sr. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. And it was very explicit in there that no Bumbs could have anything to do with the club. 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. 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. According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. "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." Or at least he thought he didn't. Werner said no. 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. 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. But Jeff Bumb would greatly prefer not to talk about this. 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. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. And there were gamblers everywhere who had come looking for some action. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. EVERY DAY THE CLUB stayed closed, the Bumbs lost more money. First, Jeff tried to have the Bumb & Associates partnership dissolved after accusing his family of trying to force him out without paying him a fair price. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. Even in the tangle of legal briefs and heated accusations, no one denies that Jeff is the one who hunted down a site, negotiated the deal and spent hours on the phone lobbying San Jose City Council members for a big, new gaming house in San Jose. VENZON WAS well known to the Bumbs. OK--we didn't get out--OK? ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. 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. Of the four brothers, Tim and George had faced the least resistance from state gaming officials. It's like we had no life except for the family." Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." 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 I told you that I loved you and you are like a father to me. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. It's very tightknit," says Bryant, adding that the senior Bumb doesn't give interviews--ever. Christopher Gardner "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. 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. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. "I did a great job," Bumb says of the sprawling gambling club, furiously chomping on a piece of Wrigley's Doublemint, the gum he chews when he's not sucking on an unfiltered Camel. 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. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. "I'm a big boy." He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. Tim, the second youngest of George Bumb's four boys, was already running the family toy business, Fact Games, and Premium Pet Stores. 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. "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. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. The card club has done more than bring unwanted public scrutiny to this insular group. 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. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. 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. 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. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. 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. Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) 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." 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. 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. Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. 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. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. 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. 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. "Jeff is a wheeler and dealer," explained his Uncle John, the Flea Market's executive vice president and owner of the Skeeball Arcade. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. 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. Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. 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. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. If all this weren't enough, a sexual relationship between his 14-year-old daughter and a 19-year-old Bumb cousin was reported to police, slicing the family's cherished privacy wide open for the world to see. Well, George, whether you want to believe it or not I do love you and you are like a father to me." The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." Well, guess what? He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." Christopher Gardner 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. During his long tenure at the Flea Market, Venzon apparently developed a close relationship with George Bumb Sr. 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." It did the unthinkable: And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. But Jeff was confident. 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." After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. 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. Of the four brothers, Tim and George had faced the least resistance from state gaming officials. 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. "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. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. And it was very explicit in there that no Bumbs could have anything to do with the club. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. 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. But Jeff was confident. 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. Of the four brothers, Tim and George had faced the least resistance from state gaming officials. Three years ago, the Mercury News listed the Bumb family in the Top 10 of the valley's most generous political contributors. The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." 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. 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. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. 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. "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." 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 also disputes that such a letter was even necessary for Jeff to get licensed. He also runs day-to-day operations at the family-owned Flea Market. Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. It's like we had no life except for the family." And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. "It made you tough, made you get a thick skin." 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. The card club has done more than bring unwanted public scrutiny to this insular group. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. Or at least he thought he didn't. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. "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. Bryant, who acts as emissary for the family and its patriarch, thinks the Bumbs are a misunderstood bunch. 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 Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. Christopher Gardner A FEW DAYS AFTER returning from his son's Oct. 13, 1995, military graduation in San Diego, Jeff and his wife, Elizabeth, got some appalling news: Their 14-year-old daughter had been involved in a sexual relationship with an older male cousin. He also disputes that such a letter was even necessary for Jeff to get licensed. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. 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. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. Behind the scenes, the Bumbs suspected their potential gambling competitors and a disgruntled former Flea Market employee of giving investigators unsubstantiated material to use against them. "I 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." "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." Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" 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.
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