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." The state, still busy conducting background checks, still hadn't approved the Bumbs and their partners' gaming licenses. And Brian, the handsome and gregarious youngest brother, was in charge of day-to-day operations at the Flea Market. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) 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. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. Well, George, whether you want to believe it or not I do love you and you are like a father to me." Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. 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. "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." It wasn't the money, either. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." It's like we had no life except for the family." The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. He also runs day-to-day operations at the family-owned Flea Market. 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. And it was very explicit in there that no Bumbs could have anything to do with the club. 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. When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. 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. Along the way, Jeff raised the ante, hiring Frank Ubhaus, a lawyer who represented Garden City card club, Bay 101's crosstown rival. Well, guess what? 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 fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. In fact, on the day he was arrested, records show that Venzon pawned a 14-karat-gold diamond cluster ring and a ladies' gold tennis bracelet for a total of $298 at American Precious Metals, a jewelry store at the Flea Market run by Joseph Bumb. 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. "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. Of the four brothers, Tim and George had faced the least resistance from state gaming officials. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. "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." Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." 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. Werner said no. Christopher Gardner "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." 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. Whenever trouble arose at the Flea Market with city code or building inspectors, the Bumbs sent Jeff to settle things. Whenever trouble arose at the Flea Market with city code or building inspectors, the Bumbs sent Jeff to settle things. At the time, San Jose, like cities throughout the state, was strapped for cash, looking at an $11 million budget shortfall. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" This 2,749 square foot home is the last known address for John. 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 for nearly a month, they did. 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 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. Snow White or Cinderella? 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. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. And he [Jeff] wants me to violate the condition which says in it that I sign away my rights and they close us down. After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. You know the school we went to?" The Bumbs had a plenty of experience with a cash business through the Flea Market, which they've run for almost 40 years. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. Werner said no. 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. Search our database of over 100 million company and executive profiles. You think this didn't break my heart?" 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. 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. But Jeff was confident. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. 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. He also disputes that such a letter was even necessary for Jeff to get licensed. 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. "Jeff is a wheeler and dealer," explained his Uncle John, the Flea Market's executive vice president and owner of the Skeeball Arcade. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. It wasn't the money, either. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. It wasn't the idea of gambling. 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. I'm on the hook for $15 million. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." Christopher Gardner But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. 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. Well, guess what? "My issue with [George Bumb Sr.]," Jeff Bumb complains about his father, "was his control of where you lived, what kind of house you bought, where your children went to school, who your friends are, whether your children went to college, who they would marry, what kind of wedding they would have." "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 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. But there was no gambling done that night. But the Bumbs are hardly traditional political players. he asked. They recorded the conversation. 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. 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. 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. 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. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. It pitted Bumb against Bumb. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. Snow White or Cinderella? 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. Hamilton, where Latin mass is conducted on a regular basis. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." 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. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." 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. The owners of the iconic San Jose Flea Market are offering to pay $2 million to a fund to support vendors who for months have protested a development plan they say pushes them out. But there was no gambling done that night. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. OK--we didn't get out--OK? The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. 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 as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. But he didn't cash out. "He worked for me." 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 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. 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. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. 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. During his long tenure at the Flea Market, Venzon apparently developed a close relationship with George Bumb Sr. But the Bumbs are hardly traditional political players. "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. 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. And for nearly a month, they did. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. 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. Christopher Gardner The card club has done more than bring unwanted public scrutiny to this insular group. Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. 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." 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." "I'm a big boy." Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. "They didn't teach anything about this. Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. Christopher Gardner The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. 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. Three years ago, the Mercury News listed the Bumb family in the Top 10 of the valley's most generous political contributors. 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. (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) Toward the end of the call, things got heated. "I'm a big boy." ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. 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. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. 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. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. 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. He also disputes that such a letter was even necessary for Jeff to get licensed. And for nearly a month, they did. 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. 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. So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. 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. It wasn't the idea of gambling. 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. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. It's like we had no life except for the family." "My issue with [George Bumb Sr.]," Jeff Bumb complains about his father, "was his control of where you lived, what kind of house you bought, where your children went to school, who your friends are, whether your children went to college, who they would marry, what kind of wedding they would have." But Jeff was confident. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. 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." His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. "He worked for me." "The thing they probably value most is their privacy," Bryant explains. (Tim Bumb, the school's director, says it was put there to save on rent. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. They recorded the conversation. George Bumb Sr.'s loan-repayment demands came in July 1996, just as his oldest son and his wife were about to move to Los Gatos and break away from the family and its eastside enclave. In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. Jeff didn't mind, though. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. (Tim Bumb, the school's director, says it was put there to save on rent. 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. Eight days after the molestation incident was reported to police--and one day after Jeff Bumb formally refused his father's $6.9 million buyout offer--George Bumb Sr. sent Jeff a curt typewritten memo informing Jeff that he was terminated effective immediately and had to clean out his desk before 5pm. When 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. "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."