The owner, manager, or patch of a carnival who pays police security, either directly or indirectly through a third party, with the expectation of having police-protected illegal games, would be in violation of the federal RICO Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) U.S. Code, Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 11, section 201, Bribery of public officials. Gifts and gratuities handed out for the same purpose also amount to bribery. I informed her that the gaffed carnival basketball rims are not bent by the carnies, but manufactured for the carnies, and for the designed purpose of creating a false impression of size and shape. When cheating for money occurs, it is no longer a game, but a crime. Carnival midways are the only venues in the United States where local police departments allow carnival lots to be free crime zones for illegal gambling, larceny, and fraud. As reported in the. For the youthful victim, rebound energy forced her ball out of the empty tub each time because the angle of the tub is always set up to cause failure in this scam. Gregorys little moon-walk act looks good on the six-o-clock news; however, everyone in the industry knows that carnival owners and managers are never in the dark about the corrupt features of every dirty game on their midways. A major stereotype I hate is that we are all crooks and criminals. I disagree. Here, lets see if my charm works on you, Back on topic, I never did carnivals, but I have worked a freak show / side show. The various suspect games on NAMEs midway, vividly depicted in Biloxi and Indianapolis, are featured in Jeff Rossens and Sandra Thomass 2012 expos. No one has an accurate figure because much of the cash is unreported industry-wide, said Riedthaler, also a retired Cleveland Police Department detective. I was just a kid, so I dont know what all kinds of things he did, but I do know he had a few brushes with the law. He said you could make enough money each summer to last the year, and a lot of his old carnie friends travel all over the world when they aren't working fairs. Ward Hall? I know that around here, when they need to hire local workers they pick from the pool of people on day parole, so take that as you will. You have to be clean-shaven, no tattoos (if you do, you have tocover them), and wear clean uniforms. Troops Cheated out of Money at Carnival,Armen Keteyian investigated a Texas-based company called Century 21 Shows at Fort Hood for allegedly defrauding its special guests: American soldiers returning from the Mid-east war or deploying to war. NBC producer Sandra Thomass Today show and Dateline features used several hidden cameras at NAMEs carnivals in June, 2012, and were able to capture on film and describe the agents cheating deadening ball maneuver during both NBC 2012 exposs narrated by NBCs national correspondent Jeff Rossen, entitled Rossen Reports: Are carnival games cheating you - and your kids?". Thomas also requested that I play the games. I completed a larceny report for Steve, who told about the carnival patch and offered to lend me the book by John Scarne entitled Scarnes New Complete Guide to Gambling.Scarne writes that the patch is a carnival front man who squares complaints with players and police. The patch, who is sometimes a lawyer (in carnival terms the mender or fixer), collects patch money from crooked game agents who pay him to bribe police or to patch up any problems with wiped out sore losers. The patch may arrive in advance of the carnival to make friends and deals. The British form of fairground cant is called "polari". That would surely subject them to a false arrest claim and a possible headline about their rip-off (the kids) church festival. Aside from forming alliances with some members of law enforcement, the Dixie Mafia also worked alongside fellow mobsters. A week after Dearborns Arab festival, Sandra Thomas took her Today show hidden camera investigation crew to NAMEs midways in Biloxi, Mississippi, and Indianapolis, Indiana, to see if the NAME carnivals at those locations displayed crooked games. But he apparently believed that if he had enough money, hed be able to get out of prison. Burbank's policy--like other municipalities'--has no teeth because it cannot stop someone with a criminal history from working at a carnival, said lawmakers and law enforcement officials advocating stronger legislation. It is evident that the police officers oath of office is not upheld and easily forgotten by some. Carnival owners, workers, and agents, known as carnies, who own, manage, or operate these chance-based games and share in the take, are conspiring to promote gambling. He begins to search for a sympathetic police officer for help. Federal indictments involving four members of La Cosa Nostra in the carnival rackets resulted in convictions in 2013. Thomass U.S. Army Special Forces sniper, who could take out the enemy at 200 yards with one shot, was unable to Shoot out the Star from the distance of 12 feet with 100 shots. In 2008, campaign finance records show that Frank contributed to the following U.S. Congressional candidates: Joe Baca, Brian Bilbray, Gerry Connolly, Jim Costa, Randy Forbes, Zoe Lofgren, Mike Pence, Dennis Rehberg, andNydia Velzquez. Also zeroed in as targets, are members of the U.S. military. Template:Cite web. Im more afraid of the patrons than the carnies. Now, the mark plays for another $2 and the carny adds up the marbles in a slow accurate manner which will always translate to either no yards or 29 which is the doubling-up number on the chart and often hit because of the defeating number arrangement on the marble board. Hey! Im a public librarian, and I gotta say I really dont like Larry who drinks in the bathroom checking that safety catch on the Scrambler, ya know? It is only through undercover surveillance, search warrants, raids, arrests, Freedom of Information Act requests, and prosecutions by trained law enforcement agents that carnival owners and their representatives will get the message to start following local, state, and federal laws. The carnival industrys sleazy image is in dire need of a facelift. In 2012, I was contacted by NBCs Today show producer Sandra Thomas, who wanted to consult with me regarding a story about carnival games. I thought the carny rep for being shady came from the idea that carnival games were fixed so you couldnt win any good prices. Carnival workers have also said they were forced to live in filthy trailers or bunkhouses. Authorities on enforcement of carnival games estimate that 25 percent of all carnival games nationwide are fraudulent. Exclusive to Razzle is its signature conversion chart.. As for my petty crime, I smoked a lot of pot. Police officers patrolling midways are evidently being paid in whole or in part with carnival money in the form of contracts from the carnival company or carnival sponsor. Basically, sedentary people dont like transient people. The mark will pay $4 for the next play, than $8, then $16, then $32, and so, every time 29 is tallied. It was a crime spree that spanned four generations and crossed multiple states from Texas to Oregon, beginning in the early 1920s with ancestors who were Since then, very little has been heard about the Cornbread Cosa Nostra. They dont draw a line, everything is fair game.. The festival officials did not like my presence (which is normal), so they called police about me. WebBusiness Insider asked current and former cruise-ship workers what they wish they could tell passengers but can't. Pusser ultimately survived the attack, but his wife Pauline was killed. Few cities have ordinances that require background checks. This past year I noticed all the workers at the Fair were hot young European men, clean cut and in uniform polo shirts. Either way, you can generally find them within a few miles of where they need to show up for work the next day. It seems to me youre putting a lot of mental effort into coming up with a high-falutin intellectual explanation, when its simpler and more accurate to say the stereotype stems from carnies who are indeed shady. Yes, they are scraping by and yes they are poor, but labor ready hires anyone who is there to work at 6am in the morning . The happy mark, already halfway to the prize, then pays only $2 to buy another spill of the marbles. Many have no address, pay no taxes, and are otherwise isolated from everyday society. Some of them love their job;some dislike it and do it to get by. The FBI and game enforcement experts are available to present seminars to police departments. For money, the sheriff and officers loyal to him would release prisoners from the county jail, safeguard drug shipments, and hide fugitives. What sideshows have you worked in? The carny vocabulary is traditionally part of carnival cant, a secret language. Aside from being an illegal chance-based game, it teaches kids how much fun it is to wager bets several years before they can gamble legally. I hope I have answered it for you. This complaint and the 2011 complaint to Richardson vanished and both verbal and written statements were never filed in police records. Meanwhile, the Dixie Mafia received hundreds of thousands of dollars during this time. But despite the massive crackdown on former members that followed, many believe that the group is still secretly active today. With the corrupt fail-safe protection system in place, carny-owners dont have to worry about their lawbreakers ever having to face criminal charges. If a person cheats customers, it is likely that same person will cheat the government. The cost of play builds exponentially. Its not a gig where they ask too many questions about your personal or employment history or your plans for the future. It was a clear case of arson, and five people from Marlborough were duly convicted of the crime. Prior to that episode, Frank was arrested, convicted and fined in Waterford, Michigan (1974), for running an illegal carnival game. "For this kid's sake, I wish we would have done it long before that.". The bill would increase fines for amusement companies for failing to check the criminal history of new hires. Slick carnival entrepreneurs are business-savvy. On November 29, 2002, Frank peeled off $5,000 in the same Florida account only days after Jeb Bush was reelected to governor. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Unbeknownst to authorities, Dixie Mafia leader Kirksey McCord Nix Jr. was orchestrating an elaborate extortion scheme from behind bars. "I think it definitely warrants another look," said Rep. Kevin Joyce (D-Chicago), who has sponsored a bill requiring background checks that was killed in past sessions. Richardson was aware that I had been police trained and experienced in enforcement of carnival games. In New York City, the Colombo and Genovese crime families were involved with profits from street and church fair carnival games; their specialty being the game of Razzle. Because of the mixture of carnival-related contract money and politics, the unwritten rule in Dearborn and other towns figures to be: No enforcement of midway games!, NAME also had a contract to pay off-duty Joliet, Illinois, police officers an hourly rate of $49.92 to work security at a weekend shopping mall carnival. It was started by my grandfather in 1956. You never know - like a box of chocolates. Carnival game players lose 95 percent of the time says a carnival game enforcement specialist, Corporal Glenn Hester of the Glynn County Police Department of Brunswick, Georgia. This system of carnival-related racketeering and conspiracy to obstruct law enforcement can only be investigated and prosecuted at the federal level. FacebookKirksey McCord Nix Jr., one of the notorious leaders of the Dixie Mafia. Razzle, which combines the magic of sleight of hand with bait and switch, and psychology, is difficult to explain without physically demonstrating it. Step right up to the king of all carnival rip-offs, Razzle Dazzle, which searches for and destroys its prey. confuse the mark, build him up repetitively and let him believe he is close to the big win. Most of the carnival workers were busy manning concessions in the French Quarter of New Orleans that night. In 2000, just prior to leaving office, President Clinton pardoned the Gregorys. Gaffed and chance-based games from the same carnival companies travel to thousands of carnival lots and fairs each year. Migrant workers in the fairs and carnivals often assemble rides with no safety training and equipment. Loved it, although I didnt get along too well with my coworkers - it seems that girl is supposed to equal slut, and I never got the memo. Bobby Reynolds? By the 1980s, many top members of the Dixie Mafia had found themselves in prison. But for veteran crime writer and crusading editor J. Patrick OConnor, the factsor a lack of themdidnt add up. Very long hours - up to 20 a day for five to sevendays straight. Theyre not really shady, theyre just poor and scraping by. I dont know if it compares, but I do know that some people there worked the shady angle purposefully. The various suspect games on NAMEs midway, vividly depicted in Biloxi and Indianapolis, are featured in, This game is not only fraudulent, (deception for money), it is much worse when adults steal from young kids. Pleeeeease! In my early years as a police officer of the Dearborn Police Department and working the information desk, a man named Steve Nowosielski walked in to complain that carnival employees were stealing from the patrons with Razzle at the city carnival only 100 yards from the police station. the truth is, there is little money in it, and the rides seem to be falling apart. I remember a lot of late nights when my mom would come home to our trailer late after the fairgrounds had closed. ", In this CBS News Online, July 12, 2011, video. State legislators said carnival companies have exaggerated costs to kill bills. Olivia Bray, mother of three, understands this as well as the limbs attached to her body. I would set up and tear down the merry-go-round every week with the same crew; we were each other's backbone. Dishonest carnival operators generally keep two sets of books, reporting only that sum of money as necessary, with the remainder unreported, states the Michigan Attorney Generals Carnival Games Manual.This 1987 publication is an important tool for law enforcement officers and prosecuting attorneys. CBS News exposed a carnival company which was cheating soldiers and their families out of money at the 2011 Fourth of July Freedom Fest at Fort Hood, Texas, the largest military base in the country. From there, it grew into what it is today. While we cultivate our childrens childhood memories, our own become entwined with theirs. Rather the way they interact with the public is a large part of what makes them different. WebEffective January 1, 2008, no person, firm, corporation, or other entity that owns or operates a carnival or fair shall employ a carnival worker who: has been convicted of any offense set forth in Article 11 of the Criminal Code of 1961, Is a registered sex offender, as defined in the Sex Offender Registration Act, or Carnivals are ubiquitous in the Garden State, but an aura of mystery swirls around the people who stage the phantasmagoric spectacles that light up empty fields After a fruitful investigation, Thomas phoned to say that many of the games appeared to be rigged, based on results. Most carnival game agents, these days, would rather design and display attractive child-luring games that would serve to mark thousands of young teens for their allowance or grass-cutting money. This is an ideal way for owners to feel they bought and own the loyalty of cops on their midways. With 80 yards most marks are usually willing to buy more plays; however, the marble total often adds to 29, the dreaded doubling number. Each time 29 is played, the agent doubles the prize and the mark must double his wager. Ignoring it, wont make it go away. The total is then added up. Aww, you almost had it that time! Of course, one of my friends who went home from university for the summer and has no criminal record was also one of the local workers this year. He was an alcoholic. For 15 years, his city has required carnival companies to submit employees' names--since a 10-year-old boy was sexually molested by a carnival worker who had just been released from prison for a similar offense. It usually takes zero years In the 1960s, the Dixie Mafia emerged as a loose confederation of crooks and con artists based in Biloxi, Mississippi. It is quite common for illegal carnival operators to pay off police and public officials in order to operate, says Riedthaler in the Corruption of Officials section of his police training seminar called Carnival Games Gambling and Frauds.. In other words, carnies are not any more shady than other types of work crews that perform similar tasks - its just that people are put off by - to paraphrase Philip Marlowe - having to see the works when the lid is lifted off of life. Patrick Jane, the title character of the CBS crime drama The Having a secret language is a necessity to avoid discovery. Carnival midways are the only venues in the United States where local police departments allow carnival lots to be free crime zones for illegal gambling, larceny, and fraud. This mirror serves the rich and powerful while it shapes a negative and distorted view of the poor minority. Marcello tolerated the Dixie Mafias presence as long as they played by his rules and paid for his hospitality. 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