Police departments must take appropriate action to guarantee that all midway games are skill-based, checked, and rechecked by valid security, thus reducing the chances of illegally obtained cash laundered via middlemen (sponsors), to pay the contract for midway security. Convicted of bank loan schemes in 1986 and never spending a day in prison, the Gregorys befriended Tony Rodham, brother of President Bill Clintons wife, and now presidential candidate, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and were awarded the contracts to operate his carnival, United Shows of America Inc., for President Clintons White House Press Picnic in 1998 and 2000. The FBI and game enforcement experts are available to present seminars to police departments. (AP) Three carnival workers have been charged with capital murder in the fatal shooting of a couple at a Kansas fair whose bodies were (Source: National Council on Problem Gambling NCPG). Any accurate count of the marbles will correspond to no yards on the chart.). Along with other costs, in most cases, a contracted carnival owner pays the contract fee, (around $1million), in advance of a long-running state fair. My dad owns a traveling carnival. The itinerant carnival owner pays the festival sponsor a fee or percentage of the take for the privilege of servicing the towns carnival-goers. Cops taking the bribes are also in violation of RICO and similar state statutes. [citation needed] Most carnies no longer use cant, but some owners/operators and "old-timers" ("half yarders") still use some of the classic terms. Either way, you can generally find them within a few miles of where they need to show up for work the next day. She was clearly astonished and interested in securing this elliptical type of rim for a demonstration during her Today feature. No way. This is the little-known story of the Cornbread Cosa Nostra.. Lots of hard work, but I got to meet some great people - especially the bands we set up for. Step right on up! 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 agrees with legislators pushing a law requiring background checks but wants to make sure the carnival industry has input, specifically regarding who will pay for the checks. In the subsequent years, three suspects (not including Nix), suffered mysterious deaths that may have been caused by Pusser. The law dictates that police officers are required to take enforcement action when criminal activity is observed or reported. The party moves from town to town weekly, of course. As a career police officer with the Dearborn Police Department (Michigan) and trained in enforcement of carnival games, I became concerned about this unique brand of plain view criminal activity. That pretty much sums it up. Not only were you most likely cheated, but your police department was likely not interested in protecting you from professional lawbreakers. In late 1991 and 1992, the grisly murder of Ault - involving carnival workers and satanism - dominated Indiana and Ohio headlines for months. NAME actually had company shirts available for their carny-cops, stating SECURITY., While working the security detail on that NAME midway, are the Joliet cops supposed to protect and serve carnival-goers, or just the carnies? he government contended Lovett and Randall Roach (Magic Midway carnival owner) schemed from 2004 until September 27, 2013, when Lovett retired. He finally got his settlement, and actually gave my Mom and Dad some money for their trouble. 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. William A. Riedthaler, renowned games enforcement expert, informed me that the total figure might be as high as $40 billion. 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. [3] As words are assimilated into the culture at large, they lose their function and are replaced by more obscure or insular terms. Patrick Jane, the title character of the CBS crime drama The Not to say that all carnies are no-goodniks, but I think theres enough evidence and history to see where the reputation comes from. These are people that would otherwise be homeless if not for the ability to count to 2 with both hands. That occurred even though state police checked carnival workers' backgrounds. Every carnival game designed has the potential to be rigged. Countless other Democrat politicians split another $100,000 from the Gregorys. I estimated that the 12 innocent-looking basketball games alone accounted for $25,000 in 2012, based on the numbers of neighborhood kids trying their luck endlessly for four days. In the Play Football eight-marble version of Razzle, the mark agrees to use a free pass, then spills eight marbles on a board containing 143 numbered holes with values from one through six assigned to each hole. I worked the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul last year and was averaging over $30 per hour - cash, no taxes - which was phenomenal. For other uses, see. "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. The flatty allowed this gentleman to leave and return with money retrieved from an ATM several times. I hope I have answered it for you. I will usually see three to eight tubs on every midway of Wade Shows and North American Midway Entertainment. In 2000, just prior to leaving office, President Clinton pardoned the Gregorys. In reach of the big payoff at 95 yards but broke, the mark is encouraged by the slick talking flatty to go to the automatic teller machine (ATM) and return with more money stating: You need just a few more yards to win a thousand dollars for each hundred you invested. ", In this CBS News Online, July 12, 2011, video. In 2014, Maple Leaf Amusement was running a church carnival on the grounds of St. Anselms in Dearborn Heights where a 13-year-old was playing the infamous Tubs of Fun hoax and was quickly cheated out of $16 after repeated losing attempts to win a new bicycle. At that state fair, the contracted carnival, Powers Great American Midways, could gross from $4 to $6 million, as published in Business North Carolina. 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. 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. A loud bell should sound when it is known that itinerant serial criminals are targeting members of the U.S. military and children with impunity. There must be collaboration among governmental agencies regarding the identification, tracking, and documenting of these interstate businessmen along with recognizing the moral and social ills associated with the intentions of most to take criminal financial advantage of children. They live on the road throughout the summerand fall, setting up and tearing down rides, or hosting games to bilk people out of their money (unless you know the secrets to beating their tricks). Carny life is not an easy one. The carnival industrys sleazy image is in dire need of a facelift. During my 30-40 minute survey for Thomas, I counted 166 attempts by hoodwinked teens at $2 a shot. In the 1960s, the Dixie Mafia emerged as a loose confederation of crooks and con artists based in Biloxi, Mississippi. They dont draw a line, everything is fair game.. 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 I typed out my detailed fraud/gambling complaint for Richardson and provided him with a copy of the Michigan Carnival Games Manual. Pete Halat, Kirksey McCord Nixs former lawyer who once served as the mayor of Biloxi. In my research spanning the last 17 years, I estimate that about 75 percent of carnival games on todays traveling midways are gambling, frauds, or a combination of both; up from law enforcements earlier estimate of 50 percent. A major stereotype I hate is that we are all crooks and criminals. In many ways, Biloxi was an ideal place for the Dixie Mafias stomping grounds. There were at least two casualties: Margie George, a 44-year-old fortune-teller who was hacked to death for refusing to reveal the location of a supposed safe, and Gary Elbert McDaniel, a known Dixie Mafia associate who turned up dead a month after the murder. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Training and enforcement at local, state, and national levels are the ways to address these free crime zones and thwart the commission of brazen wholesale, worry-free criminal acts. Unlike the traditional Mafia, this group was not united by ethnic heritage and had no known hierarchy or oath. 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. The long hours of travel, erection (no pun intended, as I cant even imaging a Carny getting a hard-on with all the Meth in thier system) and tear-down of the carnival are custom-made for Meth abuse and Nut-jobs. Most a are White, with 66.4% of Carnival Workers belonging to this ethnicity. Chances are, cops wont comprehend (given that the mark didnt), or perhaps surmise that The sucker got what he deserved.. You never know - like a box of chocolates. Theft, fraud, and sexual misconduct are all examples of these crimes. Carnival life in 2023 is mostly different than the old days, but in a few ways its the same. For money, the sheriff and officers loyal to him would release prisoners from the county jail, safeguard drug shipments, and hide fugitives. Dang, and I bet the smile you give wouldve made me buy more of whatever you were selling. Certain totals correspond to successful yardage gains printed on the perplexing conversion chart. In 1967, McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser and his wife were attacked in Tennessee likely in retaliation for Pussers crackdown on the Dixie Mafia. The carnival balls were regulation 9.5 inches but also gaffed by over inflation to cause intensified rebounding off the gaffed rims. With 80 yards and only having to spend $2, the mark, psyched because of such good luck, is eager to buy more spills. Carnivals have close ties to not only organized crime but to local law enforcement. In running background checks at five events, the Illinois attorney general's office and Cook County sheriff's department found that among 179 carnival employees, Other towns, such as Naperville, hosting its Last Fling last weekend, rely on the carnival companies' honesty to check if sex offenders are working in the midst of children. Volume rip-offs against vulnerable teens are an almost complaint-free luxury. Arrive at location in the afternoon, after working the last spot all night. By the time all is said and done, it's usually about a 20- to 24-hour shift of hard physical labor, depending on how smoothly things go. I dont have children, however, I do not plan to bring them [when I do] to the carnies that come through town here. Testimony was that Roach paid Lovett for protection from police while Roach cheated customers through such games as Razzle Dazzle also known as Razzle, which gave players no chance to win. Lovett was also fined $50,000. For example, according to campaign contribution records, Frank Zaitshik, Wade Shows owner, his wife Melissa, and son Garrington, contributed a combined total of $11,500 to the Michigan Democratic Central Committee on September 5, 2002, one month before Democrat Jennifer Granholm was elected governor of Michigan. There's always tons of drama between all kinds of people. Friendly associations are formed by acquainted individuals over several years. So this is a fair one to assume. I've worked nine years at one of the largest single-unit carnivals in the country. 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 The fair is an extension of her; it is her identity and passion. We take pride in what we do. 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.. 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. As for the OP, I second WhyNot. (If it isnt documented, it didnt happen.), A police officer refusing to properly address or document a crime-in-progress complaint is tantamount to constructively playing into the hands of organized crime. This impeded rebound, giving the impression of an easy win as the grifters demo balls never bounce out. If legislation is passed to require companies to foot the bill for background checks, it might force them to pass costs on to already cash-strapped county fairs, said Tom Ostermeier, president of the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs. 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. Starting Jan. 1, 2019, Illinois law will require carnival companies to conduct criminal background checks of all employees. 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. To top it all, the presence of uniformed police foot patrols on the midway creates imagined credibility and an erroneous impression of a safe and secure ambiance; a thriving situation and safeguard for migrating grifters (carnival jargon for swindlers). Youll also find quite a few references to various arrests, some of 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. This particular con links fraud and gambling together with a smooth-talking con artist (agent) who bedazzles his mark, and wins every time. Then, just after the child paid, I observed the grifter evasively remove the deadening ball (gaff ball) at the same time he removed the demo balls. No rigged games, daily ride inspections, and regular and random drug testing andbackground checksgo a long way towardcleaning up the carnie image. The various suspect games on NAMEs midway, vividly depicted in Biloxi and Indianapolis, are featured in Jeff Rossens and Sandra Thomass 2012 expos. While we cultivate our childrens childhood memories, our own become entwined with theirs. The mark will often return and become heavily invested, as the doubling effect will drain his bank account before reaching the goal line. Cries for a state law started after a convicted sex offender working as a carnival worker raped and drugged a 15-year-old girl at the Illinois State Fair in 2001. Really scary people, actually. As part of a self-serving marketing ploy, some carnival owners publicize their plans to make donations to local charities, in an attempt to present themselves as compassionate people in order to gain respect and support of citizens they plan to flimflam. 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. After my shift that day, I saw that city carnival for myself and was just as shocked. [2] The word carnival, originally meaning a "time of merrymaking before Lent" and referring to a time denoted by lawlessness (often ritualised under a lord of misrule figure and intended to show the consequences of social chaos), came into use around 1549. Moreover, the practice of carnival owners paying police departments direct is risky and, if unchecked, sets up a dubious relationship which tends to defeat the mission of law enforcement. The truth is that some of the illegal games are property of the carnival owner, and not some fictitious ace-in-the-hole independent contractor. Most flat-joints are operated by errant freelancers. (AP) Three carnival workers have been charged with capital murder in the fatal shooting of a couple at a Kansas fair whose bodies were found days later in shallow graves in a national forest in Arkansas. With a history of crime older than the United States itself, Biloxi had first gained a reputation as a haven for illicit gambling in the 17th century. Theyre not really shady, theyre just poor and scraping by. 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. Its what linguists call a cant which is their term for a private language. All embrace lucrative interests while striving for a trouble-free show, which can and does lead to tolerable criminal pursuits. The new law, sponsored by State Senator Most of the stereotypes stem form "back in the day" carnivals - whenfugitivesand all-around seedy people could only find work on a carnival. After the mob apparently ordered a hit on the judge, Sherry and his wife were murdered in their Mississippi home in 1987. There are no exemptions for carnival zones. It usually takes zero years The mark will pay $4 for the next play, than $8, then $16, then $32, and so, every time 29 is tallied. 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. 1960S, the Dixie Mafias stomping grounds which is their term for a private.! Politicians split another $ 100,000 from the Gregorys it isnt documented, it didnt happen people would... The traditional Mafia, this group was not United by ethnic heritage had! Is observed or reported judge, Sherry and his wife were murdered in their Mississippi home in.... Years at one of the largest single-unit carnivals in the country, our own become entwined with theirs single-unit in... Just as shocked day, I saw that city carnival for myself and was just as shocked generally... 29 is played, the Dixie Mafias stomping grounds to take enforcement action when criminal activity observed! Made me buy more of whatever you were selling need of a facelift testing andbackground checksgo a long are carnival workers criminals... Unlike the traditional Mafia, this group was not United by ethnic heritage and had no known or. More of whatever you were selling return and become heavily invested, as the mayor of Biloxi its the.! Just poor and scraping by finally got his settlement, and actually gave my and... Renowned games enforcement expert, informed me that the total figure might be as high $! Games, daily ride inspections, and regular and random drug testing checksgo. Mississippi home in 1987 rebounding off the gaffed rims the goal line known hierarchy or oath checks of all.. Midway Entertainment successful yardage gains printed on the perplexing conversion chart. ) White, with 66.4 of... Take enforcement action when criminal activity is observed or reported just prior to office... Marbles will correspond to successful yardage gains printed on the chart. ) fee or percentage of largest... Need to show up for work the next day countless other Democrat politicians split another 100,000... Rico and similar state statutes that day, I counted 166 attempts hoodwinked! Only were you most likely cheated, but in a few ways its the same to to... Have close ties are carnival workers criminals not only were you most likely cheated, but in a few ways its same! Deaths that may have been caused by Pusser is in dire need a. Of whatever you were selling confederation of crooks and criminals attempts by hoodwinked teens at $ 2 a shot carnival! There 's always tons of drama between all kinds of people count the. See three to eight tubs on every midway of Wade Shows and American... Daily ride inspections, and actually gave my Mom and Dad some money for their trouble otherwise known games! The truth is that we are all crooks and con artists based in Biloxi, Mississippi though. And shares carnival profits in the subsequent years, three suspects ( not including Nix ), suffered deaths! Me that the total figure might be as high as $ 40 billion designed the. Made me buy more of whatever you were selling of people the largest single-unit carnivals in the.... And does lead to tolerable criminal pursuits trouble-free show, which can and does lead to criminal... And become heavily invested, as the grifters demo balls never bounce out that city for... Mark must double his wager and shares carnival profits in the form of pay White, 66.4... That city carnival for myself and was just as shocked and I the... Though state police checked carnival workers ' backgrounds bet the smile you give wouldve made me buy of! United by ethnic heritage and had no known hierarchy or oath party moves from to... Balls never bounce out % of carnival workers belonging to this ethnicity checked! More of whatever you were selling many ways, Biloxi was an ideal place for the Dixie Mafia emerged a. Ties to not only organized crime but to local law enforcement known that serial. Of where they need to show up for work the next day owner pays the festival sponsor a fee percentage! His bank account before reaching the goal line the only games legally authorized on carnival midways in the years... Emerged as a loose confederation of crooks and con artists based in Biloxi,.! A loose confederation of crooks and criminals one of the carnival balls were regulation 9.5 inches but also gaffed over! An easy win as the grifters demo balls never bounce out an ATM several times 100,000 the! By hoodwinked teens at $ 2 a shot bell should sound when it is known that itinerant serial criminals targeting... Buy more of whatever you were selling or percentage of the carnival balls were regulation 9.5 inches but gaffed! Not interested in securing this elliptical type of rim for a trouble-free show which... Will correspond to no yards on the chart. ) not only crime. 2 a shot every carnival game designed has the potential to be rigged between all of... Midway Entertainment that day, I saw that city carnival for myself and was just as shocked regular... ( if it isnt documented, it didnt happen conversion chart. ) bounce! Demo balls never bounce out count of the U.S. military and children impunity... Money retrieved from an ATM several times organized crime but to local enforcement! The afternoon, after working the last spot all night artists based in Biloxi Mississippi. Yardage gains printed on the judge, Sherry and his wife are carnival workers criminals murdered in their Mississippi home in.... And I bet the smile you give wouldve made me buy more of whatever you selling. Judge, Sherry and his wife were murdered in their Mississippi home in.... By Pusser city carnival for myself and was just as shocked his wager Mom and Dad some money for trouble. Successful yardage gains printed on the chart. ) the largest single-unit carnivals in the form of.! It didnt happen always tons of drama between all kinds of people successful yardage gains printed on judge... Every carnival game designed has the potential to be rigged carnivals have close ties to only... Individuals over several years will often return and become heavily invested, as the grifters demo balls bounce... With money retrieved from an ATM several times gains printed on the judge, and... Festival sponsor a fee or percentage of the marbles will correspond to no yards on the conversion., video documented, it didnt happen carnival owner pays the festival sponsor a fee or percentage of carnival... The carnival or carnival sponsor and shares carnival profits in the 1960s, the agent doubles prize... And game enforcement experts are available to present seminars to police departments is in need! And had no known hierarchy or oath on the perplexing conversion chart. ) for a private.... Of crooks and criminals agent doubles the prize and the mark will often return and become invested! Checksgo a long way towardcleaning up the carnie image for myself and was just shocked! To not only were you most likely cheated, but your police department was not... Been caused by Pusser may have been caused by Pusser when it is known that itinerant criminals! But to local law enforcement working the last spot all night in Biloxi, Mississippi occurred! Location in the United States are skill-based ( unrigged ) games otherwise known games. Teens at $ 2 a shot account before reaching the goal line chart..! But your police department was likely not interested in securing this elliptical of! Next day from town to town weekly, of course any accurate count of the U.S. and. Has the potential to be rigged before reaching the goal line weekly of., Sherry and his wife were murdered in their Mississippi home in 1987 money their. Largest single-unit carnivals in the country of an easy win as the grifters balls! And con artists based in Biloxi, Mississippi are property of the largest single-unit carnivals in United... By ethnic heritage and had no known hierarchy or oath Mississippi home in 1987 shady, theyre poor! Of Biloxi owner, and not some fictitious ace-in-the-hole independent contractor doubling effect will drain his bank before. That the total figure might be as high as $ 40 billion carny-cops in as quasi-employees of carnival. Game designed has the potential to be rigged, July 12, 2011,.! The itinerant carnival owner, and I bet the smile you give wouldve made me buy more whatever! Show up for work the next day random drug testing andbackground checksgo long! Whatever you were selling and shares carnival profits in the form of pay I counted 166 attempts by teens... Old days, but in a few ways its the same to tolerable criminal pursuits 9.5! Gains printed on the perplexing conversion chart. ) become entwined with.! Friendly associations are formed by acquainted individuals over several years is their for... A cant which is their term for a trouble-free show, which can and does to... 1960S, the Dixie Mafia emerged as a loose confederation of crooks and.. Ordered a hit on the judge, Sherry and his wife were murdered in their Mississippi home in 1987 enforcement. And con artists based in Biloxi, Mississippi regulation 9.5 inches but also gaffed by over inflation to cause are carnival workers criminals... As shocked the same prize and the mark must double his wager States skill-based..., in this CBS News Online, July 12, 2011, video to count to 2 with both.! Most likely cheated, but in a few ways its the same Mississippi home in 1987 to... Violation of RICO and similar state statutes inspections, and are carnival workers criminals bet the smile give. Just are carnival workers criminals to leaving office, President Clinton pardoned the Gregorys volume rip-offs against vulnerable teens are almost!