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. 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." Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. 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. Christopher Gardner "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. Jeff signed a deal with his brothers that prohibited him from owning Bay 101 stock until he got all the necessary licenses. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. 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. 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. 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. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" 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. Finally, in July 1994, the state cleared Tim and George and gave them a conditional OK to let the games begin. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. The investigation was given a shot in the arm after the arrest of Johnny Venzon in 1997, a cop who made headlines for burglarizing homes while on duty to pay for his mounting gambling debts. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. But Jeff Bumb would greatly prefer not to talk about this. 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. In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. 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. Werner said no. Well, George, whether you want to believe it or not I do love you and you are like a father to me." The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. 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. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. "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. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. Christopher Gardner His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. He and his brothers had a plan, he says. It's like we had no life except for the family." 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. 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. In fact, he hasn't set foot in the place since October 1995, the year he stopped talking to his father and three brothers. About 20 percent of the 130 students there are Bumb relatives.) bumb family san jose net worth His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." "They didn't teach anything about this. "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. 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. "I'm a big boy." After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." 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. 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. You think this didn't break my heart?" "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." "It made you tough, made you get a thick skin." "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." "The thing they probably value most is their privacy," Bryant explains. ON AUG. 11, 1995, Jeff sat in his Flea Market office scribbling on a piece of paper, plotting his grand return to his peach palace. One of George Bumb Sr.'s granddaughters explained to police that her family was very old-fashioned: "The woman gets the short end of the deal; she is a whore. 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. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. Jeff was also getting word from his nieces and nephews that his father said at a family poker game: "If it was up to him, all the grandchildren would marry each other." "It made you tough, made you get a thick skin." 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. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. Privacy hasn't been so easy to come by for the Bumbs in the '90s, since they got involved in Bay 101. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. 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. Tim, the second youngest of George Bumb's four boys, was already running the family toy business, Fact Games, and Premium Pet Stores. 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. Well, guess what? He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. But Jeff Bumb hasn't made a penny from the club since it opened in September 1994. Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. Jeff was also getting word from his nieces and nephews that his father said at a family poker game: "If it was up to him, all the grandchildren would marry each other." It wasn't the money, either. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. 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 ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. And it was very explicit in there that no Bumbs could have anything to do with the club. 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. "He worked for me." The card club has done more than bring unwanted public scrutiny to this insular group. "It's a very strong family. (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) One wag refers to them as "the Beverly Hillbillies of San Jose." Christopher Gardner 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. According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." 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. VENZON WAS well known to the Bumbs. You think this didn't break my heart?" Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. A FEW DAYS AFTER returning from his son's Oct. 13, 1995, military graduation in San Diego, Jeff and his wife, Elizabeth, got some appalling news: Their 14-year-old daughter had been involved in a sexual relationship with an older male cousin. The Bumbs had a plenty of experience with a cash business through the Flea Market, which they've run for almost 40 years. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. When Werner broke the news that Jeff's brothers wouldn't write a letter on his behalf, he says Jeff became furious. Initially, police filed felony charges against Matthew Bumb for having oral sex with a minor and penetrating her with his fingers. Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. I'm on the hook for $15 million. But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. "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 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. 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 followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. 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 money, either. "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. The investigation was given a shot in the arm after the arrest of Johnny Venzon in 1997, a cop who made headlines for burglarizing homes while on duty to pay for his mounting gambling debts. The card club has done more than bring unwanted public scrutiny to this insular group. There were flowers everywhere. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. I'm on the hook for $15 million. Christopher Gardner 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. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." 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. His crimes included taking valuables from the bereaved family members of dead crime victims while pretending to console them. The investigation was given a shot in the arm after the arrest of Johnny Venzon in 1997, a cop who made headlines for burglarizing homes while on duty to pay for his mounting gambling debts. attorney Frank Ubhaus asked the Bumb patriarch. "Jeff is a wheeler and dealer," explained his Uncle John, the Flea Market's executive vice president and owner of the Skeeball Arcade. The Bumbs' reputation as an unconventional, insular, wealthy, large brood keeps tongues in political circles flapping. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. (Tim Bumb, the school's director, says it was put there to save on rent. 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. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. And then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. (That thing that involved Jeff when Bay 101 was scheduled to open but didn't.)" He started telling people around the office that he wanted out of the family business. 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. Tim now runs Bay 101, which he says is no easy task. 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. After learning of the incident, Jeff and wife Elizabeth did not report the matter to police immediately. Jeff's daughter interrupted Matthew and said, "And I didn't know better. The investigation was given a shot in the arm after the arrest of Johnny Venzon in 1997, a cop who made headlines for burglarizing homes while on duty to pay for his mounting gambling debts. According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. The dolphin fountain at the front entrance is there because he wanted it there--water and fish are good luck. 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. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. 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. But there was no gambling done that night. And then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. On Nov. 8, 1995, attorney Albin Danell, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, contacted the police, apparently after consulting with Elizabeth. In the last five years, the Bumb family and its enterprises have been investigated for illegal political campaign contributions, an alleged profit-skimming racket out at the Berryessa Flea Market and even a murder-for-hire scheme involving Johnny Venzon, a former cop, convicted thief and gambling addict. The two, she said, never talked about what was going on while it was happening. You think this didn't break my heart?" 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. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. George Bumb Jr., the quiet one with a flair for things mechanical, was already at the controls of Air One Helicopter. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. 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. (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) You know the school we went to?" He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. 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. So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. 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. George Bumb Jr. of San Jose Flea Market and Bay 101, dead at 61 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. 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. 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.