ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. 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 didn't teach anything about this. He also runs day-to-day operations at the family-owned Flea Market. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. 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. He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. 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. 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. 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. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. And he [Jeff] wants me to violate the condition which says in it that I sign away my rights and they close us down. 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. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. 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. 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. 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. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" "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. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. "They didn't teach anything about this. 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. About 20 percent of the 130 students there are Bumb relatives.) Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. 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. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" 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. 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. 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. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. Well, George, whether you want to believe it or not I do love you and you are like a father to me." Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. And he [Jeff] wants me to violate the condition which says in it that I sign away my rights and they close us down. 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. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. And for nearly a month, they did. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. 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. 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. 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 ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. 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. 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. Today, Bumb family enterprises include the local Premium Pet Stores chain, Air One Helicopters and, of course, Bay 101. Dealers stood at the tables, ready to deal the cards. 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. And there were gamblers everywhere who had come looking for some action. Well, guess what? 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. It's like we had no life except for the family." "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" 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 he [Jeff] wants me to violate the condition which says in it that I sign away my rights and they close us down. 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. And it was very explicit in there that no Bumbs could have anything to do with the club. He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. 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 was confident. 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. 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." Snow White or Cinderella? "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." Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. 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. 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. In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. And there were gamblers everywhere who had come looking for some action. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." The Bumbs had a plenty of experience with a cash business through the Flea Market, which they've run for almost 40 years. He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. 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. The card club has done more than bring unwanted public scrutiny to this insular group. 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. 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. 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. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. 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. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. Christopher Gardner And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. 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. You know the school we went to?" And then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. It's very tightknit," says Bryant, adding that the senior Bumb doesn't give interviews--ever. 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. Whenever trouble arose at the Flea Market with city code or building inspectors, the Bumbs sent Jeff to settle things. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. 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. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. They recorded the conversation. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. 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. A blue knit polo shirt covers his stocky 52-year-old frame. Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. 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. And then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. 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. But there was no gambling done that night. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. And then there's the stuff that never made it into headlines, like the alleged murder-for-hire plot out at the Flea Market. And he [Jeff] wants me to violate the condition which says in it that I sign away my rights and they close us down. 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. Well, guess what? "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." 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. Jeff signed a deal with his brothers that prohibited him from owning Bay 101 stock until he got all the necessary licenses. 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. 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. 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. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. 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. 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. "It's making a whole lot of money," Bumb says of the club which city financial forecasters have predicted will gross $34.6 million this year, $11.5 million more than its cross-town rival, Garden City. OK--we didn't get out--OK? Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. They recorded the conversation. 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." 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 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." But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. he asked. 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. "He took care of it." But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. Tim, the second youngest of George Bumb's four boys, was already running the family toy business, Fact Games, and Premium Pet Stores. 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. 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. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. "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." They recorded the conversation. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. And then there's the stuff that never made it into headlines, like the alleged murder-for-hire plot out at the Flea Market. 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 Bumb would greatly prefer not to talk about this. FROM THE START, Jeff's three brothers and father didn't share his enthusiasm for opening a lavish gaming house. You think this didn't break my heart?" It did the unthinkable: California Secretary of State Data last refreshed on Monday, April 4, 2022 He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." Jeff signed a deal with his brothers that prohibited him from owning Bay 101 stock until he got all the necessary licenses. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. 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. Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. 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. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. There were flowers everywhere. (Tim Bumb, the school's director, says it was put there to save on rent. 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. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." 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. Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. And for nearly a month, they did. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. Christopher Gardner 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 Brian, the handsome and gregarious youngest brother, was in charge of day-to-day operations at the Flea Market. He and his brothers had a plan, he says. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. 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." 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. Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. He babysat the construction site every day for almost five months. 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. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. It's like we had no life except for the family." Christopher Gardner He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. Werner said no. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. 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." 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." She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. Jeff didn't mind, though. It pitted Bumb against Bumb. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. And then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. And there were gamblers everywhere who had come looking for some action. It's like we had no life except for the family." 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. 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. When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. 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. "He worked for me." He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." 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. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." "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. "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.