A convicted sex offender, thieves and drug dealers were among carnival workers at Illinois community events this summer, according to a state and county investigation. On the night of November 29, 1988, near the impoverished Marlborough neighborhood in south Kansas City, an explosion at a construction site killed six of the citys firefighters. These hardworking people are young and old, from all walks of life. I dont know if it compares, but I do know that some people there worked the shady angle purposefully. A wheel of fortune in progress on a for-profit carnival midway would be a case of illegal gambling. (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. No one has an accurate figure because much of the cash is unreported industry-wide, said Riedthaler, also a retired Cleveland Police Department detective. 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. 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. Learn all about Carnival Worker educational requirements, degrees, majors, certifications, online courses, and top colleges that will help you advance in Carnival Worker career. Carnivals have close ties to not only organized crime but to local law enforcement. A local sponsors cut is often around one-quarter of the carnivals total gross receipts. 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. 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! 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. The Dixie Mafias territory stretched all over the South, from Georgia to Oklahoma. Cops taking the bribes are also in violation of RICO and similar state statutes. Carny life is not an easy one. In an attempt to skirt responsibility for the crooks in question, playing their crooked games, Century 21 Shows manager Jeremy Bendsons acted innocent when questioned by the reporter while playing the customary independent contractor card. Heres my take on it - it isnt that theyre any different than anyone else in a highly-transient, blue collar labor force, its just that theyre the only ones in such a position who come into contact with average families and kids in a situation where theyre ostensibly supposed to be having fun and the environment is supposed to be happy and jolly. Now, lets go back to the first question: Have you ever played a carnival game and felt cheated? 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. Friendly associations are formed by acquainted individuals over several years. Griffin is one of at least three traveling carnival workers who have been arrested in Bucks County since 2013 with criminal records one of them for crimes Pre-teens are allowed to play a classic gambling game called Crazy Ball at most festivals and fairs. Exclusive to Razzle is its signature conversion chart.. Heres my take on it - it isnt that theyre any different than anyone else in a highly-transient, blue collar labor force, its just that theyre the only ones in such a position who come into contact with average families and kids in a situation where theyre ostensibly supposed to be having fun and the environment is supposed to be happy and jolly. Its not a gig where they ask too many questions about your personal or employment history or your plans for the future. It goes back to the Nomads versus the Egypt, Rome versus the Barbarians. Do a little googling on carnies and carnival workers and youll find thats a common assessment. 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. While the Dixie Mafia had no formal ties to La Cosa Nostra, they did have an understanding with a notorious Italian-American Mafia mob boss named Carlos Marcello. Pete Halat, Kirksey McCord Nixs former lawyer who once served as the mayor of Biloxi. Template:Cite web. I thought the carny rep for being shady came from the idea that carnival games were fixed so you couldnt win any good prices. Slick carnival entrepreneurs are business-savvy. Few cities have ordinances that require background checks. Kirksey McCord Nix Jr., one of the lead figures of the Dixie Mafia, was suspected to be one of the men behind the hit. 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. WebCruise ship crime. 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. This past year I noticed all the workers at the Fair were hot young European men, clean cut and in uniform polo shirts. 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, 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, and, 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. 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. 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 a fruitful investigation, Thomas phoned to say that many of the games appeared to be rigged, based on results. 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 truth is, there is little money in it, and the rides seem to be falling apart. 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. From there, it grew into what it is today. Dang, and I bet the smile you give wouldve made me buy more of whatever you were selling. Six flags is much better and safer. William A. Riedthaler, renowned games enforcement expert, informed me that the total figure might be as high as $40 billion. Thomas also requested that I play the games. With the astronomical amounts of cash the Razzle sharks are capable of taking, one never should rule out the possibility of protection by dirty cops, often in the vicinity of a Razzle set-up. (AP) Three carnival workers have been charged with capital murder in the fatal shooting of a couple at a Kansas fair whose bodies were I worked the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul last year and was averaging over $30 per hour - cash, no taxes - which was phenomenal. 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. The mark will often return and become heavily invested, as the doubling effect will drain his bank account before reaching the goal line. As such, yeah, they do sometimes attract the less than savory folks. 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. Well I dont think theyre shady as much as they simply look like they have come from extremely impoverished environments, or have led very harsh lives given the state of their average dental health, and their overall haggard look. Some Dixie Mafia members were allegedly hired to collect debts and carry out hits for him. He finally got his settlement, and actually gave my Mom and Dad some money for their trouble. Step right up to the king of all carnival rip-offs, Razzle Dazzle, which searches for and destroys its prey. (Source: National Council on Problem Gambling NCPG). If you get busted for [illicit substances], youre gone. 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. 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, A separate background check by Palatine police in July turned up registered sex offender Richardo Coleman of Chicago working as a merry-go-round operator for St. Charles-based Windy City Amusements Inc. Palatine does not have an ordinance, but police request a copy of carnival employees' names to run checks. All embrace lucrative interests while striving for a trouble-free show, which can and does lead to tolerable criminal pursuits. From the foul line, the rims appeared to be regulation and served to attract and dupe naive victims out of $2 a shot. 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.. They never went anywhere and interacted at least occasionally with normal society. To view the full story in Dearborn Patch, search the Net for St Anselms festival carnival contained scammers victimizing children at the games.. The Outdoor Amusement Business Association advocates for carnival companies to conduct background checks and wants to work with legislators to draft a law that can be fair to companies, Johnson said. The midsummer small spots were nice because the hours were short, but the end of the season and the state fairs are where the big money's at. 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. 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. The ball crazily bounces and rolls until it comes to rest on one of the 96 holes. Other blue collar labor force workers generally have a predictable place to spend the night, if only because they need to be at work the next day. In the carnival business, the slang synonymous with rig or trick is gaff; i.e., The game is gaffed. Most operators of gaffed games combine gambling with the gaff in order to pinch as much money as possible from the unwitting customer. Many have no address, pay no taxes, and are otherwise isolated from everyday society. It's actually a really fun environment. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled. 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. 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. The carnies of Reddit have answered some questions about what lifes really like when theyre on the road.. Since then, very little has been heard about the Cornbread Cosa Nostra. It would be a winning proposition to bet that changes in carnival status wont come overnight. In 2000, just prior to leaving office, President Clinton pardoned the Gregorys. So this is a fair one to assume. You never know - like a box of chocolates. Rides at America's carnivals are operated by seasonal, migrant workers who can work long, The flatty allowed this gentleman to leave and return with money retrieved from an ATM several times. Marcello tolerated the Dixie Mafias presence as long as they played by his rules and paid for his hospitality. You have to be clean-shaven, no tattoos (if you do, you have tocover them), and wear clean uniforms. Crazy Ball and similar varieties obviously lack the requisite skill component of the players according to state laws. He begins to search for a sympathetic police officer for help. I dont have children, however, I do not plan to bring them [when I do] to the carnies that come through town here. Have you ever played a carnival game and felt cheated? . 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. East coast or west? You see these guys when they beak up the show and leave-their trucks are all blowing blue smoke and look like they are ready for the junkyeard. Every carnival game designed has the potential to be rigged. WebEmployees felt differently about being labeled a carnie, a name colloquially used to describe carnival workers. Starting Jan. 1, 2019, Illinois law will require carnival companies to conduct criminal background checks of all employees. David Malhalab, also with me at the time, phoned in a request for service to the Dearborn Heights police, asking them to respond to investigate this larceny with the 13-year-old victim waiting and with the perpetrator still operating the game in question. The festival officials did not like my presence (which is normal), so they called police about me. 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? But even incarceration couldnt stop them from committing crimes. The carny vocabulary is traditionally part of carnival cant, a secret language. 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. Carnivals have close ties to not only organized crime but to local law enforcement. The numbers of arrests and convictions found in the background checks do not surprise Burbank Police Chief Bruce Radowicz. 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. Argo was arrested on May 5, 2001 in the City of Taylor, Michigan, for operating fraudulent gambling machines. Johnson called previous proposed legislation discriminatory. It is not uncommon for sheriffs or police chiefs to lend themselves to sizable remunerations to ensure that these affable outlaws operate on trouble-free turf. 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. Risky Rides: Carnival Workers' Grueling Hours May Threaten Safety. He placed ads in gay publications posing as a young stud named Eddie Johnson to attract correspondence from unsuspecting readers. But at the other five carnivals, nine workers had warrants and several other employees gave fake names to authorities or fled the festival grounds. He never held a job for long, as far as I know. The bill would increase fines for amusement companies for failing to check the criminal history of new hires. The cruise line giant Carnival Corporation and its Princess subsidiary have agreed to pay a criminal penalty of $20 million for environmental violations such as "I just don't see how people can vote against it.". I remember a lot of late nights when my mom would come home to our trailer late after the fairgrounds had closed. "After it became obvious that we were on the premises, a number of employees suddenly left.". Drifter is closer, if you ask me. 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. 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 perpetrat, John Wayne Gacy Confessed to Killing Dozens (December 22, 1978). A 9-day North Carolina State Fair has grossed $9 million for the state. With the corrupt fail-safe protection system in place, carny-owners dont have to worry about their lawbreakers ever having to face criminal charges. Carol Stream has one of the stronger local ordinances, barring felons convicted in the past five years from working as carnival employees. 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. Sponsors, and especially church festival committees, likely make the mistake of trusting carny-managers under the ill-judged impression that they (sponsors) share game profits. Cops who protect illegal games would be in violation (federally) of the anti-corruption legislation under 18 U.S. Code, Part 1, Chapter 73, section 1511 of RICO Act: Obstruction of State and local law enforcement.. Pusser ultimately survived the attack, but his wife Pauline was killed. 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 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. 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. New York Cemetery Worker Buried Alive After Grave He Was Digging Collapses On Him, The Horrific Story Of William Calley And The My Lai Massacre, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. WebCarny allowed the carnival workers to hide the truth of their activities from the populace. But it was getting harder and harder to make money, with each fairground becoming more of a bureaucratic morass every year. They dont draw a line, everything is fair game.. FacebookKirksey McCord Nix Jr., one of the notorious leaders of the Dixie Mafia. There are no exemptions for carnival zones. Despite the loose structure that made up the Dixie Mafia network, the Southern crime syndicate was implicated in a number of high-profile cases. What sideshows have you worked in? 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. So, the grifter swiftly adds up the total with sleight of hand (two hands at a time), and announces a false (fairbank) number, 44, which corresponds to 50 yards on the puzzling conversion chart. Justice on Fire is OConnors detailed account of the terrible explosion that led to the firefighters deaths and the terrible injustice that followed. Youths risk developing a gambling problem at the rate of two to three times that of adult onset. 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. Any accurate count of the marbles will correspond to no yards on the chart.). 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 think the reputation of carnies goes back much, much further to the suspicion and hatred of people like the Gypsies and extending today to our dislike of fucking hippies. In 2004, four off-duty cops in New Orleans were implicated, with one of them federally indicted, for a charge related to conspiracy to protect and profit from a Razzle business during the carnival season. But really, what field doesnt? Twenty-four others, mostly women and children, had stayed behind at the campsite. 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. It is an ever-changing form of communication, in large part designed to be impossible to understand by an outsider. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. There was no chance they would win at some of the games, said Keteyian. 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. No state requires background checks, said Bob Johnson of the Florida-based Outdoor Amusement Business Association, a national trade group. Bobby Reynolds? The British form of fairground cant is called "polari". The last two victims also withdrew money from the ATM. Everyone has their small group of people they work with on a ride and become close to. Gummo was about white trash in a small dirt-poor town. Most of the stereotypes stem form "back in the day" carnivals - whenfugitivesand all-around seedy people could only find work on a carnival. He would come up to my Moms (his sisters) house and stay while he would talk to the lawyers and go to court and stuff. All 12 rims on the North American Midway Entertainment (NAME) carnival midway measured 10.5-by-17 inches on elliptical axes. For other uses, see. There's always tons of drama between all kinds of people. That would surely subject them to a false arrest claim and a possible headline about their rip-off (the kids) church festival. In 2012, a financial advisor from New York City, who read about Razzle in one of my books, wrote to inform me that he was swindled for a total of $11,000 as a result of playing Razzle at a Manhattan street fair. Most of the carnival workers were busy manning concessions in the French Quarter of New Orleans that night. Our excitement over cotton candy and carnival rides easily matches that of our kids. A favorite American mythologyis that of the carnie, someone who works at a carnival. 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. "For this kid's sake, I wish we would have done it long before that.". With 80 yards and only having to spend $2, the mark, psyched because of such good luck, is eager to buy more spills. Having a secret language is a necessity to avoid discovery. This complaint and the 2011 complaint to Richardson vanished and both verbal and written statements were never filed in police records. Basically, sedentary people dont like transient people. Drupal theme by ThemeSnap.com, Carnival racketeering is endemic throughout the United State and has been for years. 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. Often described as the Cornbread Cosa Nostra, the Dixie Mafia first emerged in the American South in the 1960s. There was no chance they would win at some of the games, said Keteyian. The objective of the Razzle agent is to. Frank has carnival contracts there as well. Some of them love their job;some dislike it and do it to get by. The old classic carnivals with geeks & shows of dubious morality etc. The flatty again uses two hands to slyly pick up the marbles and announces another false fairbank number 11, which corresponds to 30 more yards on the chart. Repeat for nine months. YouTubePete Halat, Kirksey McCord Nixs former lawyer who once served as the mayor of Biloxi. Do a little googling on carnies and carnival workers and youll find thats a common assessment. 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. 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. But maybe theyre not all completely bad, huh? But at least half the time, itd backfire, and Id have guys my grandpas age trying to convince me that since I said anything in the truck, and I was standing in the truck, that meant when they won I was gonna give them the night of their life. I would set up and tear down the merry-go-round every week with the same crew; we were each other's backbone. 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. But the operation unraveled when half a million dollars suddenly went missing. Im more afraid of the patrons than the carnies. 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. They even have their own language., At least thats what people think about carnies. He would work hard when he worked, but then would go on benders. 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). This add-up-the-score ruse, which comes in many captivating forms, involves a brilliant system of cheating, accompanied by vague, complicated rules. Migrant workers in the fairs and carnivals often assemble rides with no safety training and equipment. These drifting grifters pay the head carny for the front footage of their flat-store; as much as $100-a-foot per day, reliant on the games ability to steal money. I quickly learned that the carnival in question donated $1,000 to the police department and some officers didnt want to upset the carnival workers and chance losing that gift. I read every article, book, and case law I could find relating to these games. It was a clear case of arson, and five people from Marlborough were duly convicted of the crime. WebBusiness Insider asked current and former cruise-ship workers what they wish they could tell passengers but can't. 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. There are several national stories in 2013 depicting how one tubs agent had depleted a victims back account. Furthermore, Lovett was convicted on two charges of extortion and two more charges of making false statements to the FBI. State law prohibits child sex offenders from working at a carnival. Its a mix. I will usually see three to eight tubs on every midway of Wade Shows and North American Midway Entertainment. Pop two balloons and get your pick of any prize! "For small fairs, it's very hard to even have a carnival," Ostermeier said. But he apparently believed that if he had enough money, hed be able to get out of prison. 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. Get up to work twelve hour days for the next two weeks or so, then work a twelve hour day, take down your ride, show, what have you and drive it to the next spot, without sleep, usually a few hundred miles away. At three events checked this summer by the attorney general and sheriff's offices, no background problems were discovered. A wheel of fortune, seen at a nonprofit fundraiser is an example of a legal form of gambling. 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. To be rigged, based on results your plans for the state is little in. On a ride and become heavily invested, as the mayor of Biloxi stayed behind at the campsite child offenders... Asked current and former cruise-ship workers what they wish they could tell passengers but ca n't money their... Not like my presence ( which is normal ), so they called police about me two charges... 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