The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. And then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. Werner said no. 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 couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. 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. 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. One wag refers to them as "the Beverly Hillbillies of San Jose." Of the four brothers, Tim and George had faced the least resistance from state gaming officials. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. It did the unthinkable: Christopher Gardner When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. 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. That's the case of the three brothers Roberto Irineu, Joao Roberto and Jose Roberto Marinho, who share the control of Latin America's largest media empire, Globo, and whose combined net worth is R . 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. Tim and George, under pressure from then Police Chief Lou Cobarruviaz, had already signed an agreement a year earlier that prohibited Brian, Jeff and their father from having anything to do with the card room. Of the four brothers, Tim and George had faced the least resistance from state gaming officials. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. Ultimately, Jeff says with resignation, he hopes I find the truth, "not my truth, not their truth, just the truth." It did the unthinkable: Snow White or Cinderella? 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. He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. 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. "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. Christopher Gardner Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. 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. 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. It wasn't the money, either. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. 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. When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. And he [Jeff] wants me to violate the condition which says in it that I sign away my rights and they close us down. OK--we didn't get out--OK? Snow White or Cinderella? In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. 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. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. 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. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. 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. Now that their gaming license had been denied, a decision needed to be made--quickly. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. 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. So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. 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. He and his brothers had a plan, he says. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. 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. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" 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." Meanwhile, Jeff and his lawyers spent 15 months trying get his father to appear at a deposition. EVERY DAY THE CLUB stayed closed, the Bumbs lost more money. Dealers stood at the tables, ready to deal the cards. 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 demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. 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. 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. 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. Well, guess what? 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 told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. The Flea Market, touted as the nation's largest, made the Bumbs rich, grossing nearly $12 million in 1996. 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. During his long tenure at the Flea Market, Venzon apparently developed a close relationship with George Bumb Sr. 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. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. 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. "Jeff is a wheeler and dealer," explained his Uncle John, the Flea Market's executive vice president and owner of the Skeeball Arcade. Hamilton, where Latin mass is conducted on a regular basis. Almost four months later, on July 21, 1998, George Bumb Sr. appeared in the downtown offices of Berliner Cohen to have his deposition taken. He also runs day-to-day operations at the family-owned Flea Market. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. You think this didn't break my heart?" Today, Bumb family enterprises include the local Premium Pet Stores chain, Air One Helicopters and, of course, Bay 101. He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. Snow White or Cinderella? But his dream, which now seemed so close to being a reality, was about to become a nightmare. He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. You know the school we went to?" Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. And then there's the stuff that never made it into headlines, like the alleged murder-for-hire plot out at the Flea Market. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. 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. Their pun-afflicted surname adds to the hillbilly mystique. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. 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. In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. 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. OK--we didn't get out--OK? Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. 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. His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. 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. 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. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. 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. Snow White or Cinderella? And for nearly a month, they did. Over the years, he had developed working relationships with the city's politicians and bureaucrats. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. "My issue with [George Bumb Sr.]," Jeff Bumb complains about his father, "was his control of where you lived, what kind of house you bought, where your children went to school, who your friends are, whether your children went to college, who they would marry, what kind of wedding they would have." Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. 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. During his long tenure at the Flea Market, Venzon apparently developed a close relationship with George Bumb Sr. He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. I'm on the hook for $15 million. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. Jeff entertained offers to buy the club, the highest bid, he recalls, coming in at $40 million. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. Christopher Gardner 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. The district attorney's office says that Bumb attorney Ron Werner turned the letter over to authorities immediately after it came in the mail. 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. 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. Before the end of the month, the Flea Market laid off Jeff's daughters Anne and Rebecca. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" 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. 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. They recorded the conversation. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. And that ain't happening because I can't afford it." Jeff entertained offers to buy the club, the highest bid, he recalls, coming in at $40 million. 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." Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. Christopher Gardner It wasn't the idea of gambling. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. There were flowers everywhere. Jeff Bumb later explained to the press that they didn't know partnerships were required to file such reports, and they paid the state a $1,250 fine. 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. Three years ago, the Mercury News listed the Bumb family in the Top 10 of the valley's most generous political contributors. And there were gamblers everywhere who had come looking for some action. 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. 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. 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. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. "They didn't teach anything about this. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" 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. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. "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. You think this didn't break my heart?" Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. And there were gamblers everywhere who had come looking for some action. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. He and his brothers had a plan, he says. 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." 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. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. 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. Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. Christopher Gardner A nurse was present to monitor his condition. Bryant, who acts as emissary for the family and its patriarch, thinks the Bumbs are a misunderstood bunch. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" You think this didn't break my heart?" 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. 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. And as with any divorce, embarrassing private details about the family and its businesses made their way into the public record. EIGHT MONTHS AFTER its approval by the City Council, the peach-colored Bay 101 held its "grand opening." And Jeff himself had been playing poker since he was 12. Well, George, whether you want to believe it or not I do love you and you are like a father to me." "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." It pitted Bumb against Bumb. The Hewlett family: Based in Palo Alto, worth $2.6 billion. 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. You know the school we went to?" ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. "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."