And then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. OK--we didn't get out--OK? The card club has done more than bring unwanted public scrutiny to this insular group. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. 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. Jeff signed a deal with his brothers that prohibited him from owning Bay 101 stock until he got all the necessary licenses. EVERY DAY THE CLUB stayed closed, the Bumbs lost more money. 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. 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 don't need their help," he barked at Werner. "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. He also runs day-to-day operations at the family-owned Flea Market. 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. "I'm a big boy." In her 10 years as the Flea Market's community relations specialist, Bryant has come to adore the lack of pretension among this clan of millionaires who have their offices in a mobile home where none of the furniture seems to match. 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. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. 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. Of the four brothers, Tim and George had faced the least resistance from state gaming officials. 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. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. And then, just when it seemed as though family relations couldn't get any worse, they did. 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. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. 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 one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) At the time, San Jose, like cities throughout the state, was strapped for cash, looking at an $11 million budget shortfall. he asked. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. 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 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. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. Campaign records show that Bumb & Associates and Bay 101 have made at least $587,000 in campaign donations since 1994 to local and state politicians and ballot measures. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. 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. 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. "What am I going to say to the vice president?" "Hell, no," George Bumb replied. The couple even had a purchase contract for a $850,000 house on Golf Links Road. 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 and his brothers had a plan, he says. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. 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. They recorded the conversation. 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." But Jeff says the loan dispute screwed up their moving plans. Toward the end of the call, things got heated. He was also the kind of guy, police records reveal, who told his mother about the incidents "because he felt guilty." 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. 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 district attorney's office says that Bumb attorney Ron Werner turned the letter over to authorities immediately after it came in the mail. In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. And Brian, the handsome and gregarious youngest brother, was in charge of day-to-day operations at the Flea Market. A nurse was present to monitor his condition. AN ATTORNEY involved likened the whole contentious affair to a divorce. She told police about at least seven other sexual encounters she had with her cousin after that. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. Jeff's grandfather, Frank Bumb, had met his wife, Mary, at a card parlor in San Francisco where they worked. 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. But Jeff was confident. (In one case, George Bumb Sr. loaned Jeff $31,250 in 1992 for his son to invest in Bay 101.) 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. 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." "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." I'm on the hook for $15 million. 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 also runs day-to-day operations at the family-owned Flea Market. "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. "Jeff is a wheeler and dealer," explained his Uncle John, the Flea Market's executive vice president and owner of the Skeeball Arcade. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. Ultimately, the charges against the older Bumb were reduced to a misdemeanor. George Bumb Jr., the quiet one with a flair for things mechanical, was already at the controls of Air One Helicopter. 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. 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." Matthew Bumb's attorney argued that the relationship was consensual. EVERY DAY THE CLUB stayed closed, the Bumbs lost more money. He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. ALL TOGETHER, the intrafamily litigation has spanned nearly three years. It pitted Bumb against Bumb. 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. According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. Jeff tells the story differently: "Matthew was my godson. "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. So Jeff, Brian and the remaining non-family partners backed out of Bay 101, handing everything over to Tim and George Jr. It wasn't the idea of gambling. Tim and George Jr. would appeal and reapply, the hope being that the club would open as soon as possible. Preventive Medicine: George Bumb Jr. is a co-owner of Bay 101, where a snakebite kit is kept on-hand as a family joke. And it was very explicit in there that no Bumbs could have anything to do with the club. 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. "He worked for me." 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. "I'm a big boy." He demanded $10 million from his brothers to compensate him for violating the purported secret Bay 101 deal. In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. He followed that with suits alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and misrepresentation. Jeff himself was hit with a federal grand jury investigation over financial transactions in connection with a multimillion-dollar residential development near Silver Creek Road. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. 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. she said, referring to the family-run Catholic school at the Flea Market. Matthew is the kind of guy a relative described to police as "polite," the guy parents wanted their daughters to date. OK--we didn't get out--OK? You know the school we went to?" The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. Jeff signed a deal with his brothers that prohibited him from owning Bay 101 stock until he got all the necessary licenses. "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 his dream, which now seemed so close to being a reality, was about to become a nightmare. 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. Jeff's grandfather, Frank Bumb, had met his wife, Mary, at a card parlor in San Francisco where they worked. "Could he [Jeff] do any other work on his own behalf?" FROM THE START, Jeff's three brothers and father didn't share his enthusiasm for opening a lavish gaming house. "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. Or at least he thought he didn't. At the time, Jeff was in the midst of negotiating an arrangement to be bought out of the family businesses. 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. He also disputes that such a letter was even necessary for Jeff to get licensed. 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." The guy doesn't get a slap on the hand." And there were gamblers everywhere who had come looking for some action. "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." In fact, Tim and George had to agree not to collaborate with other Bumbs on any new business venture. 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. You know the school we went to?" But Jeff was confident. Of the four brothers, Tim and George had faced the least resistance from state gaming officials. The ensuing delay forced Jeff Bumb to lay off 600 workers he had hired. You know the school we went to?" "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." "He worked for me." Jeff entertained offers to buy the club, the highest bid, he recalls, coming in at $40 million. According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. Soon after his confession, the word started spreading in the family about what happened. But there was no gambling done that night. The state, still busy conducting background checks, still hadn't approved the Bumbs and their partners' gaming licenses. The teenagers had been drinking booze earlier in the night. And then there's the stuff that never made it into headlines, like the alleged murder-for-hire plot out at the Flea Market. 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. Christopher Gardner EVERY DAY THE CLUB stayed closed, the Bumbs lost more money. 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. You think this didn't break my heart?" 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. The Bumbs' reputation as an unconventional, insular, wealthy, large brood keeps tongues in political circles flapping. `He drives by every day on his way to his Maverick Consulting development business in Mountain View, but he never gets off the Brokaw/First Street exit to pay a visit. 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. 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." There were flowers everywhere. 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. George Bumb Sr., an avid card player, held a regular weekly family poker game at his home. 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. Christopher Gardner 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. He also disputes that such a letter was even necessary for Jeff to get licensed. "My wife broke the code," he says, "and I supported her." When Jeff and Brian were denied licenses for Bay 101, Tim (above) and brother George Jr. jumped in. Within weeks, Jeff says, his six-month-old dog was dead, his cat was dead and the tires of a family car were slashed. He also runs day-to-day operations at the family-owned Flea Market. "I don't need their help," he barked at Werner. 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. VENZON WAS well known to the Bumbs. "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. Christopher Gardner According to Jeff, there was tremendous pressure from his father and others in the family to keep the incest a secret. She recalled that she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt covered by a blanket. The elder Bumb may not have been feeling well, but he wasn't too sick to remember who was boss in this family. He also pulled off an armed robbery of the Aloha Roller Palace. Campaign records show that Bumb & Associates and Bay 101 have made at least $587,000 in campaign donations since 1994 to local and state politicians and ballot measures. "They had to find Snow White and Cinderella," Tim Bumb says, "and that was George and I." 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. Near the end Venzon writes, "They want to bring up the 'murder-for-hire' investigation again. In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. They recorded the conversation. he asked. In a fit, he took the paper he was writing on, crumpled it up and threw it out the office door. 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. 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.