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. 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. 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. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. "They didn't teach anything about this. "And I told you that I loved you and you are like a father to me. Three years ago, the Mercury News listed the Bumb family in the Top 10 of the valley's most generous political contributors. "The thing they probably value most is their privacy," Bryant explains. 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. It did the unthinkable: 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. Snow White or Cinderella? 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 a compromise of sorts, he was debating whether he should apply for a license as a gaming-club manager instead of as an owner. Eight months later, the frame of the weapon was found in a Salinas pond near Venzon's home with the barrel and slide missing. 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. 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. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. View more. Well, guess what? He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. 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. Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" 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. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. 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. Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. But there was no gambling done that night. 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. Snow White or Cinderella? 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. 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. He and his brothers had a plan, he says. 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. Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. 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. 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. "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." Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. He chose the building's peachy-pink paint job, he says, because he wanted "a pleasant, welcoming earth tone." He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. 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. 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. Christopher Gardner 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. 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. OK--we didn't get out--OK? 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 as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. 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. 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. Today, Bumb family enterprises include the local Premium Pet Stores chain, Air One Helicopters and, of course, Bay 101. "And I told you that I loved you and you are like a father to me. 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." Or at least he thought he didn't. On March 17, 1993, the City Council gave Bumb and his partners the green light to open a 40-table card room on a 10-acre plot of land off U.S 101. He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." It wasn't the money, either. 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. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. 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. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. 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. As we do our drive-by on a Tuesday midmorning, there are more than 100 cars in the parking lot. 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. (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" He and his brothers had a plan, he says. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. 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. "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." At the time, San Jose, like cities throughout the state, was strapped for cash, looking at an $11 million budget shortfall. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" Well, guess what? ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. 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. George Bumb Sr., an avid card player, held a regular weekly family poker game at his home. 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. OK--we didn't get out--OK? 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 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. 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. "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. But he didn't cash out. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. 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. 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." Dealers stood at the tables, ready to deal the cards. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. 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. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. "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. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. It wasn't the money, either. 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." she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. Christopher Gardner Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. And there were gamblers everywhere who had come looking for some action. Christopher Gardner But the Bumbs are hardly traditional political players. Jeff didn't mind, though. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. "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. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. 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. And for nearly a month, they did. "They didn't teach anything about this. 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. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." "He worked for me." When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. But his dream, which now seemed so close to being a reality, was about to become a nightmare. 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. "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." 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. 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. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. It wasn't the idea of gambling. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. 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. 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. There were flowers everywhere. 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." 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. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. 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. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) Joe Bumb, cousin of Brian Bumb, owns American Precious Metals, an open-air store within the flea market that sells mostly jewelry. Christopher Gardner ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. But he didn't cash out. And he [Jeff] wants me to violate the condition which says in it that I sign away my rights and they close us down. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. 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. Christopher Gardner 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. 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 teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. 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." "He worked for me." "He took care of it." Well, guess what? Dealers stood at the tables, ready to deal the cards. Other allegations were more dubious: Investigators chased after a tip that the Bumbs were skimming cash from the Flea Market parking lot, an accusation that was never proven. But he didn't cash out. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. 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. Christopher Gardner (Tim Bumb, the school's director, says it was put there to save on rent. Tim, the second youngest of George Bumb's four boys, was already running the family toy business, Fact Games, and Premium Pet Stores. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. During his long tenure at the Flea Market, Venzon apparently developed a close relationship with George Bumb Sr. You know the school we went to?" "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." "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. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." 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. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. 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. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. And for nearly a month, they did. 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. Dealers stood at the tables, ready to deal the cards. "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 nurse was present to monitor his condition. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. 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. At the time, San Jose, like cities throughout the state, was strapped for cash, looking at an $11 million budget shortfall. 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. It wasn't the idea of gambling. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. 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. 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. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. The Bumbs made millions off of their successful gaming club, Bay 101, but the experience tore the family apart and aired the dirty laundry of a once tightly-knit and fiercely private clan. "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. In a statement to police, Jeff's daughter recounted how the first incident had happened the year before on the Fourth of July at a family beach house near Santa Cruz when the older boy allegedly started fondling her while she was asleep on the living room couch. He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. You know the school we went to?" Christopher Gardner When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." It's like we had no life except for the family." He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. 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. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" 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. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. 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. The day before, Monday at noon, half of the club's tables were full of gamblers playing seven card stud, Omaha and Texas Hold 'Em. In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. ON AUG. 11, 1995, Jeff sat in his Flea Market office scribbling on a piece of paper, plotting his grand return to his peach palace. Jeff 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. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. 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. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. 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. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." 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.