For example, this letter - from someone actually defending carnies and who says theyre much-maligned and decent people, acknowledges obviously rigged games as a given. Carnivals have close ties to not only organized crime but to local law enforcement. I havent thought about that in a long time. Rigging a game by the use of bait-and-switch, sleight of hand, magic, or physics, to trick someone out of money is considered a form of larceny or fraud. 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? By the 1980s, the blurred lines between government officials and Dixie Mafia members had become so extreme that federal authorities designated the entire Harrison County Sheriffs Office in Mississippi as a criminal enterprise. Step right up! Friendly associations are formed by acquainted individuals over several years. Several scout-cars responded and one bully-type sergeant threatened to arrest me. A wheel of fortune, seen at a nonprofit fundraiser is an example of a legal form of gambling. The same carny-cops (police officers patrolling the midway), and the same returning interstate carny-outlaws appear to be working in concert for income at annual extravaganzas. Add to that the fact that their livelihood is specifically and directly derived from extracting money from members of said society, and it shouldnt be surprising that there is some shadiness there. Step right up to the king of all carnival rip-offs, Razzle Dazzle, which searches for and destroys its prey. That occurred even though state police checked carnival workers' backgrounds. In 2001, the U.S. Justice Department investigated the Gregorys and determined that from 1998-2001, Tony Rodham received a total of $323,769 in salary and loans from the Gregorys. In the 1960s, the Dixie Mafia emerged as a loose confederation of crooks and con artists based in Biloxi, Mississippi. The only games legally authorized on carnival midways in the United States are skill-based (unrigged) games otherwise known as games of skill. If skill is not the dominating element influencing the outcome of a game, that game would be considered chance-based or a game of chance. All chance-based games are considered gambling games and are illegal when operated on privately owned carnival midways; for example, a game which is set up in a way, which only luck can win a prize, is illegal gambling. He would work hard when he worked, but then would go on benders. All states will allow honest games of chance at not-for-profit fundraisers, such as raffles or millionaire parties for charitable organizations and churches. State legislators said carnival companies have exaggerated costs to kill bills. 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. In 2014, a Razzle victim wrote to me about being fleeced for $7,000 at a festival in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. She said that in Indianapolis, her college varsity basketball 3-point-shooting star, Carly Thibault, missed all 13 attempts at the basketball toss. I had alienated some ranking officers because I thought my job in law enforcement was to protect festivalgoers and to crack down on the crooks. Rather the way they interact with the public is a large part of what makes them different. . He was an alcoholic. WebCruise ship crime. They even have their own language., At least thats what people think about carnies. In 2000, just prior to leaving office, President Clinton pardoned the Gregorys. 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. Halat was released from prison in 2012, while Nix continues serving a life sentence. Unlike the traditional Mafia, this group was not united by ethnic heritage and had no known hierarchy or oath. As for the coworkers I got along with, I never asked them about their criminal background, so I couldnt tell you. 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 . Volume rip-offs against vulnerable teens are an almost complaint-free luxury. Gaffed and chance-based games travel to thousands of carnival lots and fairs each year, raking in billions of dollars in ill-gotten gains with virtual impunity. It should be standard procedure throughout the U.S. for all police departments to require officers to complete written reports on all midway game complaints, with case numbers issued to complainants and victims. All players lay a bet down on a color and only one of the players throws a rubbery ball in a bin of 96 colored holes. So, they either rent or default on thier sub-prime mortgage. But by the early 1990s, the syndicate had largely collapsed. "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. According to law enforcement sources, the outdoor amusement industry is at least a $10 billion-per-year business in North America, mostly a cash-based trade. I think most of these businesses will be gone in a few years. In all three cases, the police refused to write a basic incident report upon complaints and requests for assistance. What level of education is required for Carnival Workers? Razzle, which combines the magic of sleight of hand with bait and switch, and psychology, is difficult to explain without physically demonstrating it. In addition to carny jargon, some carnival workers used a special infix ("earz" or "eez" or "iz") to render regular language unintelligible to outsiders. OK, you GOTTA give us details! Festival carnivals are usually sponsored by charitable service organizations such as Kiwanis, Jaycees, Shriners, or neighborhood churches, which lend legitimacy to the for-profit midway games. I will usually see three to eight tubs on every midway of Wade Shows and North American Midway Entertainment. One of the top leaders of the Dixie Mafia, Kirksey McCord Nix Jr., had been caught running a scam from prison and even ordering a mob hit from behind bars. Get one nights sleep and start setting up in the morning. But years later, it became a terrifying criminal confuse the mark, build him up repetitively and let him believe he is close to the big win. Thats exactly what I did. The big con: With very close examination, it is revealed that the marble board is 3s- and 4s- heavy, making 29 the eight marble average tally. We have a lot of interesting family friends from the fair business. To create insurance-like policies, carnival magnates often contribute to political campaigns of U.S. congressmen, senators, governors, and local politicians for a couple of reasons: in case they are interested in a state fair, county, or municipal contract and wish to develop clout; and in case carny-owners need friends in government to bail them out of trouble after a dishonest carny runs into a police officer who just wants to do his or her job. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Thomas also requested that I play the games. Many have no address, pay no taxes, and are otherwise isolated from everyday society. 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. YouTubePete Halat, Kirksey McCord Nixs former lawyer who once served as the mayor of Biloxi. In my view, what Deputy Chief Dennis Richardson did isnt much different from what disgraced former Chief Willie Lovett did for nine years: Conspiracy to obstruct enforcement of criminal laws. (Lovett probably tossed every Razzle and hoop complaint at all his cheating carnivals.). The Razzle agent, known as a flatty, carnival jargon for the operator of a crooked big-dollar table game called a flat joint or flat store, is a professional con man with an enticing appeal. 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. 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. Therefore theres a psychological disconnect created by the incongruity of the bright flashy lights and colorful displays and cheesy music and rides, and the down-trodden, rough-necked cigarette smoking laborers who set it all up and keep it running. I completed a larceny report for Steve, who told about the carnival patch and offered to lend me the book by John Scarne entitled. WebThe HBO series "Carnivle" centered around a traveling carnival in the American Southwest during the 1930s. But even incarceration couldnt stop them from committing crimes. These sneaky tub-type games are displayed on over 90 percent of carnival midways which I had checked in Michigan, with tub-agents using the age-old deadening-ball trick on the mark. ;)) He was a fun drunk, too! Not one ball went through any of the 12 stingy rims. My dad owns a traveling carnival. A report by the U.S. House Committee on Government Reform concluded that United Shows of America, Inc. paid Rodham $240,000 for undocumented consulting services. It becomes very cliquey. Huston, vice president of Operations at Pugh Shows at the time, was present when Argo was arrested. Party one night. With a greater number of gambling and crooked games, the carnival owner will increase his undivided claim to the unshared game loot. "For someone who has been convicted, served his time and is now released and rehabilitated, they have a right to work as well.". The carnival balls were regulation 9.5 inches but also gaffed by over inflation to cause intensified rebounding off the gaffed rims. Johnson called previous proposed legislation discriminatory. The old classic carnivals with geeks & shows of dubious morality etc. But I dont have any illusions that this is the end of the Dixie Mafia., After reading about the Dixie Mafia, meet Joe Valachi, the first mobster to expose the Mafias darkest secrets, and Frank Lucas, the real-life heroin kingpin who inspired the film American Gangster., The Little-Known Story Of The Dixie Mafia, The Cornbread Cosa Nostra Of The South. Theft, fraud, and sexual misconduct are all examples of these crimes. "Some of them, you wonder why they are not in jail," Radowicz said. She cleaned and closed up the pie stand, only to stay up into the wee hours counting money and balancing all of the cash registers' records, snatch a couple hourssleep, and get up early enough to set everything up and restock before the fair opened the next morning. Dang, and I bet the smile you give wouldve made me buy more of whatever you were selling. It was a really good business for a long time, though. That would surely subject them to a false arrest claim and a possible headline about their rip-off (the kids) church festival. Police officials in Wayne County and the City of Dearborn have been allowing known rigged games at their carnivals for the last decade while patrons were under the impression they were being protected by cops seen patrolling the midway. I requested (verbally and in writing) that Richardson or his deputies investigate the fraud and gambling nature of the 12 deceptive (optical illusion) rims, where winning was nearly impossible, even for high school varsity players. A continuing criminal enterprise is an example of organized crime. The last two victims also withdrew money from the ATM. This style eventually migrated into wrestling, hip hop, and other parts of modern culture.[4]. Go to work at 6 am;go to bed at 2 am the next day. 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. Theyre not really shady, theyre just poor and scraping by. They dont! Do a little googling on carnies and carnival workers and youll find thats a common assessment. Lists about the strange, fascinating, and horrifying history of circuses and carnivals in America and around the world. Youll also find quite a few references to various arrests, some of which are for rape and murder. For a carnival owner or manager to deny responsibility is like saying I didnt run you over, my car did! When it comes to interviews, carnival owners and managers will act outraged while feigning ignorance about the rigged game and its perpetrator. Im not a betting man, but I am willing to lay heavy odds that federal law enforcement will make carnival racketeering a higher priority once they acknowledge all the components. The few drifter-lifestyles left are heavily frowned upon. On Sunday, prosecutors said someone driving through Almeda Malls parking lot became the victim of a hate crime when he was attacked by a group of carnival workers. Carny is thought to have become popularized around 1931 in North America, when it was first colloquially used to describe one who works at a carnival. 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 2011, I personally complained to Wayne County Sheriffs Office, Deputy Chief Dennis Richardson, commander on site, about 12 in-progress rigged basketball games called One in Wins. The basketball rims were actually elliptical and had deceivingly small openings. Their goal was to cover all aspects of true crime: Read More, Contents Copyright 1998-2020 by Crime Magazine | J. Patrick O'Connor Editor | E-mail CrimeMagazine.com, Designed by Orman. As for the OP, I second WhyNot. The flatty allowed this gentleman to leave and return with money retrieved from an ATM several times. Are the officers who wear NAME shirts really policing officers or just bouncers with the job of protecting games and ridding the midway of sore losers?. The objective of the Razzle agent is to confuse the mark, build him up repetitively and let him believe he is close to the big win. The law dictates that police officers are required to take enforcement action when criminal activity is observed or reported. At that point, when the agent tossed the demo balls in, the secret deadening ball absorbed the energy of the demo balls. Exclusive to Razzle is its signature conversion chart.. 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. They dont have ties in the community. Work until your rides set-up, which can take up to ten hours of ass busting dangerous work. When the victims got in touch, Nix duped them into sending the mob large sums of money to pay for his legal defense. Before long, other Dixie Mafia inmates got involved in the scam, placing more fake photos in gay publications and coming up with tall tales about why they needed more money before they could leave jail (or wherever else they claimed to be). It does tend to be full of gossip since everyone works and lives with each other in close quartersRide and customer safety is the number-one priority. FacebookKirksey McCord Nix Jr., one of the notorious leaders of the Dixie Mafia. Your child could be getting on a ride that is run by Charles Manson. Barton County District Judge Mike Keeley on Friday also sentenced Christine Tenney, 40, of La Marque, Texas, 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. While planning for a San Antonio, Texas, state fair, Wade Shows carnival owner Frank Zaitshik stated that it costs him $100,000 to hire off-duty police officers. Some of the cash generated from Franks games should easily cover the overtime pay for carny-cops and perhaps some gratuity items such as free corn-dogs and Winnie the Pooh bears. The mark will pay $4 for the next play, than $8, then $16, then $32, and so, every time 29 is tallied. WebBusiness Insider asked current and former cruise-ship workers what they wish they could tell passengers but can't. It's definitely not the mall parking lot show that most think of when you hear "carnival." It goes back to the Nomads versus the Egypt, Rome versus the Barbarians. Jeff Blomsness of South Barrington-based All Star Amusements Co. said his company conducts background checks and drug tests on workers. East coast or west? The ongoing investigation comes as police officials and some lawmakers are calling for legislation that would require background checks for carnival workers, a measure they say is vital to protecting children from transient workers with sordid pasts. They primarily operated in Biloxi, Mississippi, but the groups reach soon stretched from Atlanta, Georgia to Tulsa, Oklahoma. A lot of money came flowing in, said retired FBI Special Agent Keith Bell. 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. Authorities initially speculated that the gang members had killed McDaniel because they were afraid that he was an informant, but others suspected that he was actually taken out by Pusser. This contract arrangement locks the carny-cops in as quasi-employees of the carnival or carnival sponsor and shares carnival profits in the form of pay. 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 The carnival marketing target demographic currently ischildren, thereby creating a predictable and dependable source of income, as opposed to the time-tested art of cleaning out the occasional high-dollar Razzle-type mark by which there is always the chance of generating trouble via player beefs. This, combined with the hoodwink nods from corrupt public servants, seems to be the big American secret at fairs and festivals. 15.5% of Carnival Workers are Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% of Carnival Workers are Black or African American, 5.4% of Carnival Workers are Asian, 4.5% of Carnival Workers are Unknown, and 0.1% of Carnival Workers are American Indian and Alaska Native. Most carnies are just people with nowhere else to go - usually no family to speak of orskills to get them a career. A wheel of fortune in progress on a for-profit carnival midway would be a case of illegal gambling. Federal law enforcement needs to pay attention to the probability of tax evasion, likely involving many millions of dollars annually, as well as checking for gambling equipment-trailers rolling across state lines in violation of the Johnson Act (Interstate transportation of gambling equipment). After the mob apparently ordered a hit on the judge, Sherry and his wife were murdered in their Mississippi home in 1987. Carnival workers have also said they were forced to live in filthy trailers or bunkhouses. 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 Its a mix. I remember a lot of late nights when my mom would come home to our trailer late after the fairgrounds had closed. One month later, on October 1, 2002, Frank contributed $10,000 to the Republican Party of Florida Federal Campaign Account as Jeb Bush was running for reelection to governor of Florida. I had observed the tub agent cheating the youngster with a deep-rooted bait-and-switch, shenanigan, called the deadening-ball trick, a slick maneuver to covertly conceal a gaff ball at the bottom of the angled tub prior to his demonstration. I conservatively estimate NAME to be a $150 million-per-year corporation based on its stated 15-million fairgoers annually and on an average of only $10 per capita. 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. 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