So while carnival talk did not entice people, it did help the carnies to ensure that the customers never knew about the shady back-end of things, Winter says. Huston, vice president of Operations at Pugh Shows at the time, was present when Argo was arrested. Marcello, one of the most powerful leaders in organized crime in America, operated in New Orleans around the same time that the Dixie Mafia was coming to power. Razzle, which combines the magic of sleight of hand with bait and switch, and psychology, is difficult to explain without physically demonstrating it. All 12 rims on the North American Midway Entertainment (NAME) carnival midway measured 10.5-by-17 inches on elliptical axes. While we cultivate our childrens childhood memories, our own become entwined with theirs. Not to say that all carnies are no-goodniks, but I think theres enough evidence and history to see where the reputation comes from. Here is the story of Edgar Allen Gregory Jr., who in 1993, was captured on film during a Dateline NBC hidden camera investigation for operating a racket-show while displaying several big-dollar-fraudulent gambling games on his mobile carnival midway at the North Tennessee State Fair. They were doing anything and everything illegal down here, said retired FBI Special Agent Keith Bell, who grew up on the Gulf Coast and worked on cases linked to the Dixie Mafia. 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. A 9-day North Carolina State Fair has grossed $9 million for the state. Assisting the NBCs Today show (and reimbursed for expenses) as their police carnival games expert, I was assigned by Thomas to investigate Michigan carnivals and especially the games at the 2012 Arab Festival, which draws about 300,000 patrons. "I think it's unfair that this industry is singled out," Johnson said. [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. Hey! And members only had to obey one rule: Thou shall not snitch to the cops.. Very long hours - up to 20 a day for five to sevendays straight. 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. It is evident that the police officers oath of office is not upheld and easily forgotten by some. 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. 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. I remember a lot of late nights when my mom would come home to our trailer late after the fairgrounds had closed. 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. It's the exact opposite of what most folks describe. He bought a truck-mounted merry-go-round and charged people 10 cents to ride it. 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. Furthermore, sponsors have no way of knowing the total game profits. The law dictates that police officers are required to take enforcement action when criminal activity is observed or reported. Nix and later Halat were both convicted in the conspiracy that led to the judges death. But maybe theyre not all completely bad, huh? The festival officials did not like my presence (which is normal), so they called police about me. That occurred even though state police checked carnival workers' backgrounds. Pete Halat, Kirksey McCord Nixs former lawyer who once served as the mayor of Biloxi. Even today, this is still pretty prevalent on the smaller shows. The carny vocabulary is traditionally part of carnival cant, a secret language. 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. I did grounds crew and stage setup for county fairs for a summer after high school. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. 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 Theft, fraud, and sexual misconduct are all examples of these crimes. Kirksey McCord Nix Jr., one of the notorious leaders of the Dixie Mafia. Rather the way they interact with the public is a large part of what makes them different. Here is the typical scenario of a Razzle casualty: Feeling duped and dazed, the bewildered Razzle mark walks away a big loser and realize hes been somehow ripped off. They dont have ties in the community. So, I singled out a known scam artist operating one of the basketball games, Kenneth David Argo, a 12-year game agent for Huston. Barton County District Judge Mike Keeley on Friday also sentenced Christine Tenney, 40, of La Marque, Texas, This is the little-known story of the Cornbread Cosa Nostra.. Step right up! No way. Your child could be getting on a ride that is run by Charles Manson. They collected roughly $12,000, although the victims may have underreported the theft to avoid tax troubles. 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. A central question was whether Rodham was paid by the Gregorys to gain White House access and help to obtain pardons or whether Rodham was paid for legitimate business services. Watch Gummo. It's actually a really fun environment. I remember he went about two or three years (jobless) chasing down an injury lawsuit when he got hurt on a job. Theyre not really shady, theyre just poor and scraping by. It was started by my grandfather in 1956. 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. 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?". Many have no address, pay no taxes, and are otherwise isolated from everyday society. 47% of Carnival Workers have a high school diploma degree, 10% major in criminal justice. Carnival-related bribes and illegal transactions pave the way for the crooked migratory hustlers to trailer into your neighborhood for a weekend each year, never having a need to worry about arrest. 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. 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. Gaffed and chance-based games from the same carnival companies travel to thousands of carnival lots and fairs each year. William A. Riedthaler, renowned games enforcement expert, informed me that the total figure might be as high as $40 billion. Halat was released from prison in 2012, while Nix continues serving a life sentence. These hardworking people are young and old, from all walks of life. 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. In 1967, McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser and his wife were attacked in Tennessee likely in retaliation for Pussers crackdown on the Dixie Mafia. Often described as the Cornbread Cosa Nostra, the Dixie Mafia first emerged in the American South in the 1960s. Cops taking the bribes are also in violation of RICO and similar state statutes. There are several national stories in 2013 depicting how one tubs agent had depleted a victims back account. We only do a handful of large events each season, generally for a month at a time. 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.. Thats exactly what I did. If you get busted for [illicit substances], youre gone. Anything you can think of, they were involved in., As one member of the Dixie Mafia put it: What makes them so dangerous is they dont think, they just act. After my shift that day, I saw that city carnival for myself and was just as shocked. 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. It usually takes zero years Which Animated Disney Movie Should Get A Horror Adaptation Next? State legislators said carnival companies have exaggerated costs to kill bills. NBC News; NBC News.com Today show 7/13/2012 (and also aired on Dateline 8/19/12). Any reported unfavorable incident during the annual festival would create bad press and taint sponsors as well as all involved, in addition to a loss of future revenue and visitors. WebBusiness Insider asked current and former cruise-ship workers what they wish they could tell passengers but can't. It is evident that the police officers oath of office is not upheld and easily forgotten by some. have largely been replaced by a bunch of rides and cheesy (somewhat rigged) games of skill crammed into a municipal or shopping center parking lot. 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. Unbeknownst to authorities, Dixie Mafia leader Kirksey McCord Nix Jr. was orchestrating an elaborate extortion scheme from behind bars. A prime example is the Chief Willie Lovett case. Some believed the word to be derogatory. Michael L. Cella was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and sentenced to 3 years in prison for fondling the children while strapping them in for rides. The British form of fairground cant is called "polari". 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? 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. Pleeeeease! For money, the sheriff and officers loyal to him would release prisoners from the county jail, safeguard drug shipments, and hide fugitives. Do a little googling on carnies and carnival workers and youll find thats a common assessment. Richardson, aware of the so-called games for two years, not only failed to command appropriate investigative action, he also failed to properly document the complaints in the county police files This way, a nosy reporter, going through police files, will not encounter any crime complaints to write about. 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. Our excitement over cotton candy and carnival rides easily matches that of our kids. 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. But even incarceration couldnt stop them from committing crimes. Furthermore, Lovett was convicted on two charges of extortion and two more charges of making false statements to the FBI. Every carnival game designed has the potential to be rigged. WebCarny allowed the carnival workers to hide the truth of their activities from the populace. 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. 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. 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. U.S. Meanwhile, the Dixie Mafia received hundreds of thousands of dollars during this time. "For small fairs, it's very hard to even have a carnival," Ostermeier said. Get one nights sleep and start setting up in the morning. Twenty-four others, mostly women and children, had stayed behind at the campsite. 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?. In the 1960s, the Dixie Mafia emerged as a loose confederation of crooks and con artists based in Biloxi, Mississippi. These small carnys get seedier every year. The two Razzle games, managed by an up and coming Frank Zaitshik, were shut down. Furthermore, Lovett was convicted on two charges of extortion and two more charges of making false statements to the FBI. Justice on Fire is OConnors detailed account of the terrible explosion that led to the firefighters deaths and the terrible injustice that followed. That pretty much sums it up. Most carnies are just people with nowhere else to go - usually no family to speak of orskills to get them a career. My parents sold the business when I was still young, and I hated them for it because to a young kid, it was so much fun! Well, up until this year the State Fair would hire a lot of day workers from the local homeless population. Richardson was aware that I had been police trained and experienced in enforcement of carnival games. The FBI and game enforcement experts are available to present seminars to police departments. A major stereotype I hate is that we are all crooks and criminals. WebCruise ship crime. Have you ever played a carnival game and felt cheated? Having a secret language is a necessity to avoid discovery. WebAnswer (1 of 2): Ahh.. ciazarn. Unlike the traditional Mafia, this group was not united by ethnic heritage and had no known hierarchy or oath. Drifter is closer, if you ask me. 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. If a person cheats customers, it is likely that same person will cheat the government. These are people that would otherwise be homeless if not for the ability to count to 2 with both hands. "I'd recommend you stay with [your children] every ride and every attraction on the midway. I read every article, book, and case law I could find relating to these games. I've traveled and worked on four or fiveshows of various sizes, mainly in the Midwest and Northeast. Jeff Blomsness of South Barrington-based All Star Amusements Co. said his company conducts background checks and drug tests on workers. In 2014, a Razzle victim wrote to me about being fleeced for $7,000 at a festival in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. He died broke shortly thereafter. The term "showie" is used synonymously in Australia, while "showman" is used in the United Kingdom.[1]. 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? We got a magazine which has since ceased called Amusement Business which had information on that kind of job for my Regular Patrons. 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. 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. 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