Jeff signed a deal with his brothers that prohibited him from owning Bay 101 stock until he got all the necessary licenses. 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 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. He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." And then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. Or at least he thought he didn't. EIGHT MONTHS AFTER its approval by the City Council, the peach-colored Bay 101 held its "grand opening." 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. Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. 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. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. 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. One month later, the state attorney general's office made a devastating announcement: Authorities had come across issues of "such magnitude" and "concern" that they would need at least another month to decide if gambling should be allowed at Bay 101. 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. "It made you tough, made you get a thick skin." 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. 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 state, still busy conducting background checks, still hadn't approved the Bumbs and their partners' gaming licenses. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. 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. 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. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. It did the unthinkable: I'm on the hook for $15 million. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. 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. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" Ultimately, Jeff says with resignation, he hopes I find the truth, "not my truth, not their truth, just the truth." In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. "It's a very strong family. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. 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 wasn't the money, either. FROM THE protected confines of his silver 1998 Lexus SC 400, Jeff Bumb peers out his window to take in the imposing sight of the 72,000-square-foot salmon-hued house of cards he once called his baby. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. 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. 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. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. 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 two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. EVERY DAY THE CLUB stayed closed, the Bumbs lost more money. And there were gamblers everywhere who had come looking for some action. "He worked for me." And Brian, the handsome and gregarious youngest brother, was in charge of day-to-day operations at the Flea Market. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. 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. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. 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 I told you that I loved you and you are like a father to me. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. Snow White or Cinderella? The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" 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. 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. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. EVERY DAY THE CLUB stayed closed, the Bumbs lost more money. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. Jeff entertained offers to buy the club, the highest bid, he recalls, coming in at $40 million. 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 past year alone, Bumb & Associates and Bay 101 have given $56,000 to now-Attorney General Bill Lockyer, the man in charge of card-room regulation. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. He also runs day-to-day operations at the family-owned Flea Market. 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." 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. 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. Bumb family attorney Ron Werner suggested that Jeff and his family had a hidden motive for waiting nearly a month to report the incident to police. Jeff entertained offers to buy the club, the highest bid, he recalls, coming in at $40 million. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. 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. 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. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. He also runs day-to-day operations at the family-owned Flea Market. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. The investigation was given a shot in the arm after the arrest of Johnny Venzon in 1997, a cop who made headlines for burglarizing homes while on duty to pay for his mounting gambling debts. It's like we had no life except for the family." Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" EVERY DAY THE CLUB stayed closed, the Bumbs lost more money. Christopher Gardner 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. "I'm a big boy." 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. Or at least he thought he didn't. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" 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. VENZON WAS well known to the Bumbs. You think this didn't break my heart?" Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. Snow White or Cinderella? 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 Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. 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 a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. 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. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. He babysat the construction site every day for almost five months. Eight months later, the frame of the weapon was found in a Salinas pond near Venzon's home with the barrel and slide missing. 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. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. VENZON WAS well known to the Bumbs. "What am I going to say to the vice president?" It's like we had no life except for the family." You think this didn't break my heart?" 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. 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. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. "They didn't teach anything about this. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. "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." At the time, San Jose, like cities throughout the state, was strapped for cash, looking at an $11 million budget shortfall. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. It pitted Bumb against Bumb. "I liked my name," he maintains. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. But Jeff Bumb would greatly prefer not to talk about this. 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. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. 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. 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. About 20 percent of the 130 students there are Bumb relatives.) He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. 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. Christopher Gardner 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. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. There were flowers everywhere. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. 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. Seven of George Bumb Sr.'s eight grown children reside in the eastside foothills within a mile or two of their father, often on the same block. 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. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. 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. 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. 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. "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." 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. Dealers stood at the tables, ready to deal the cards. Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. One month later, the state attorney general's office made a devastating announcement: Authorities had come across issues of "such magnitude" and "concern" that they would need at least another month to decide if gambling should be allowed at Bay 101. 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. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. He also disputes that such a letter was even necessary for Jeff to get licensed. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. 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." George Bumb Jr., the quiet one with a flair for things mechanical, was already at the controls of Air One Helicopter. 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. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. But there was no gambling done that night. 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 statement to police, Jeff's daughter recounted how the first incident had happened the year before on the Fourth of July at a family beach house near Santa Cruz when the older boy allegedly started fondling her while she was asleep on the living room couch. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. "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. And then there's the stuff that never made it into headlines, like the alleged murder-for-hire plot out at the Flea Market. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. FROM THE START, Jeff's three brothers and father didn't share his enthusiasm for opening a lavish gaming house. 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. 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. 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. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. 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. Well, George, whether you want to believe it or not I do love you and you are like a father to me." And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." 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." Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. It's like we had no life except for the family." Werner said no. But his dream, which now seemed so close to being a reality, was about to become a nightmare. 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. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. 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. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. During his long tenure at the Flea Market, Venzon apparently developed a close relationship with George Bumb Sr. (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" 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. I'm on the hook for $15 million. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. "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." FROM THE START, Jeff's three brothers and father didn't share his enthusiasm for opening a lavish gaming house. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." "He took care of it." The state, still busy conducting background checks, still hadn't approved the Bumbs and their partners' gaming licenses. You think this didn't break my heart?" Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. A nurse was present to monitor his condition.

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