Knowing I was on firm ground, and having experienced a pattern of these intimidation tactics, arrest threats, and failed defamation suits on other occasions, I was wondering if these irritated cops wouldnt chance trumping up an arrest with creative writing. I read every article, book, and case law I could find relating to these games. It becomes very cliquey. In the 1960s, the Dixie Mafia emerged as a loose confederation of crooks and con artists based in Biloxi, Mississippi. Once this amiable operative talks the mark into using the free pass, it is already the beginning of the end. A prime example is the Chief Willie Lovett case. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled. 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. But did the Dixie Mafias grip on the American South really end in the 1990s? Aside from forming alliances with some members of law enforcement, the Dixie Mafia also worked alongside fellow mobsters. No state requires background checks, said Bob Johnson of the Florida-based Outdoor Amusement Business Association, a national trade group. To view the full story in, 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, narrated by NBCs national correspondent Jeff Rossen, entitled , Are carnival games cheating you - and your kids? Since then, very little has been heard about the Cornbread Cosa Nostra. No one has an accurate figure because much of the cash is unreported industry-wide, said Riedthaler, also a retired Cleveland Police Department detective. A local sponsors cut is often around one-quarter of the carnivals total gross receipts. 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. Its a mix. 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. Im not sure what other highly-transient, blue collar labor force[s] youre alluding to, but I disagree that carnies only seem different from such groups because of where and how they interact with the public. Pusser ultimately survived the attack, but his wife Pauline was killed. WebWhile the vast majority of carnival workers are responsible and helpful, a few have been caught engaging in criminal activity. 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. He died broke shortly thereafter. 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. 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. The last two victims also withdrew money from the ATM. It was adopted after a stabbing by a carnival worker in 2001. Yeah, it was a great movie, but I dont get the connection to carnies. You have to be clean-shaven, no tattoos (if you do, you have tocover them), and wear clean uniforms. Party one night. 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. Carny life is not an easy one. 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. Pete Halat, Kirksey McCord Nixs former lawyer who once served as the mayor of Biloxi. Kirksey McCord Nix Jr., one of the lead figures of the Dixie Mafia, was suspected to be one of the men behind the hit. Theres something inherently interresting in flirting with the danger of putting your entertainment in the hands of a untrustworthy-looking stranger, and I know more than one of our crew made extra money just off of their image / appearance in that way. 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. Chances are, cops wont comprehend (given that the mark didnt), or perhaps surmise that The sucker got what he deserved.. American slang term for carnival employee, This article is about carnival employees and carnival slang. 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 remember a lot of late nights when my mom would come home to our trailer late after the fairgrounds had closed. They will always refer to any bad guys as independent contractors and not employees of the carnival even when they are paying the carnival owner for the privilege of occupying cheating space. Some of them love their job;some dislike it and do it to get by. Law enforcement must first recognize this systemic national illness and how it capitalizes on unprotected Americans. Carnival workers have also said they were forced to live in filthy trailers or bunkhouses. 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. 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. In 1967, McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser and his wife were attacked in Tennessee likely in retaliation for Pussers crackdown on the Dixie Mafia. But by the early 1990s, the syndicate had largely collapsed. Starting Jan. 1, 2019, Illinois law will require carnival companies to conduct criminal background checks of all employees. Certain totals correspond to successful yardage gains printed on the perplexing conversion chart. The cost of play builds exponentially. 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. Pop two balloons and get your pick of any prize! 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. Its not a gig where they ask too many questions about your personal or employment history or your plans for the future. Not only were you most likely cheated, but your police department was likely not interested in protecting you from professional lawbreakers. 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. advance man - person who takes care of details that need to be handled in advance of a carnival 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. Richardson was aware that I had been police trained and experienced in enforcement of carnival games. 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. This past year I noticed all the workers at the Fair were hot young European men, clean cut and in uniform polo shirts. Playing ignorant to his many crooked games including Razzle, Gregory, with feigned dismay and with an award-winning performance on camera, stated his intent to fire his swindlers. This seedy history and the ongoing corruption of local officials made the city an attractive place for lawbreakers. In many ways, Biloxi was an ideal place for the Dixie Mafias stomping grounds. During the 1960s, a group of criminals known as the Dixie Mafia began to creep across cities and towns in the South. No way. 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. Carnival companies, not the state, should absorb the costs of background checks, lawmakers said. A worker with a criminal background sexually assaulted three children at Downers Grove Heritage Fest two years ago, according to DuPage County records. So, I singled out a known scam artist operating one of the basketball games, Kenneth David Argo, a 12-year game agent for Huston. 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. Nix and later Halat were both convicted in the conspiracy that led to the judges death. It's the exact opposite of what most folks describe. So - I dont know how that applies to all carny workers. All 12 rims on the North American Midway Entertainment (NAME) carnival midway measured 10.5-by-17 inches on elliptical axes. Any accurate count of the marbles will correspond to no yards on the chart.). My dad built his own candy apple stand when he was in college and stayed in the business for over 30 years. Im curious because Ive worked shows for many years, both as a canvas boss and business manager. 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. 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 Because the job is so transient, some unscrupulous carnival workers have been known to commit minor or even major crimes while working in a town Everyone has their small group of people they work with on a ride and become close to. 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. 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. 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. 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). 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. 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. From 1995 to 2002, Gregory and his wife, Vonna Jo Gregory, contributed heavily to politicians in national elections. There was no chance they would win at some of the games, said Keteyian. Thomas did not get the opportunity to measure the elliptical rims as hoped. But at the other five carnivals, nine workers had warrants and several other employees gave fake names to authorities or fled the festival grounds. This impeded rebound, giving the impression of an easy win as the grifters demo balls never bounce out. The few drifter-lifestyles left are heavily frowned upon. He was an alcoholic. At large expositions, such as a state fair, the money is massive and the split is different. The game is designed to be impossible to spill eight marbles into holes for totals corresponding to any successful yardage gains on the conversion chart. 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. 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. Step right up to the king of all carnival rip-offs, Razzle Dazzle, which searches for and destroys its prey. They collected roughly $12,000, although the victims may have underreported the theft to avoid tax troubles. Twenty-four others, mostly women and children, had stayed behind at the campsite. Jeff Blomsness of South Barrington-based All Star Amusements Co. said his company conducts background checks and drug tests on workers. From there, it grew into what it is today. 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. It is evident that the police officers oath of office is not upheld and easily forgotten by some. "After it became obvious that we were on the premises, a number of employees suddenly left.". Ward Hall? Thats exactly what I did. The itinerant carnival owner pays the festival sponsor a fee or percentage of the take for the privilege of servicing the towns carnival-goers. Carol Stream has one of the stronger local ordinances, barring felons convicted in the past five years from working as carnival employees. It is an ever-changing form of communication, in large part designed to be impossible to understand by an outsider. Step right up to the king of all carnival rip-offs, Razzle Dazzle, which searches for and destroys its prey. 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. Most of the employees are actually nice people, but for many of them, it is almost a job of last resort. Cops taking the bribes are also in violation of RICO and similar state statutes. Carnivals/fairs are a lot of hard work. WebThe criminal Justice system acts as a carnival mirror that magnifies the threat of street crime while minimizing the harms from occupational hazards, health care, chemicals and poverty. Lists about the strange, fascinating, and horrifying history of circuses and carnivals in America and around the world. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. 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. WebCruise ship crime. The mark will often return and become heavily invested, as the doubling effect will drain his bank account before reaching the goal line. ", In this CBS News Online, July 12, 2011, video. As for my petty crime, I smoked a lot of pot. They dont have ties in the community. 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. As part of my research for the Today feature, each morning before the 2012 Arab Festival carnival opened, I measured the basketball rims and found, pretty much, what I had expected. The mark will pay $4 for the next play, than $8, then $16, then $32, and so, every time 29 is tallied. Today, carnival-goers lose thousands of dollars in this 100-year-old con game played all over the world. I've worked nine years at one of the largest single-unit carnivals in the country. I pay 10-to-1!. All embrace lucrative interests while striving for a trouble-free show, which can and does lead to tolerable criminal pursuits. I was a carnie for a summer. Patrick Jane, the title character of the CBS crime drama The The new law, sponsored by State Senator 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. These hardworking people are young and old, from all walks of life. For money, the sheriff and officers loyal to him would release prisoners from the county jail, safeguard drug shipments, and hide fugitives. Im more afraid of the patrons than the carnies. Carnival Corp. has been on criminal probation since 2017 as part of a record-setting $40 million fine and plea agreement for illegally dumping oily waste into the If you get busted for [illicit substances], youre gone. Migrant workers in the fairs and carnivals often assemble rides with no safety training and equipment. Pre-teens are allowed to play a classic gambling game called Crazy Ball at most festivals and fairs. Drupal theme by ThemeSnap.com, Carnival racketeering is endemic throughout the United State and has been for years. 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. 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. 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. Far from a sophisticated organization, this crime ring was a loose network of thugs, as the FBI called them. the truth is, there is little money in it, and the rides seem to be falling apart. 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. Countless other Democrat politicians split another $100,000 from the Gregorys. In the subsequent years, three suspects (not including Nix), suffered mysterious deaths that may have been caused by Pusser. Ignoring it, wont make it go away. The fair is an extension of her; it is her identity and passion. The Dixie Mafias territory stretched all over the South, from Georgia to Oklahoma. 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. The flatty allowed this gentleman to leave and return with money retrieved from an ATM several times. Back on topic, I never did carnivals, but I have worked a freak show / side show. 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. I completed a larceny report for Steve, who told about the carnival patch and offered to lend me the book by John Scarne entitled. 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. Human flotsam. 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). Ive seen horror shows and Ive seen highschool kids. Nixs former lawyer Pete Halat, who later became mayor of Biloxi, blamed the missing money on his former law firm partner Vincent Sherry, who was then a judge of the Second Mississippi District Circuit Court. For me, it's more of a family tradition, and I also can't stand staying in one place too long. Rather the way they interact with the public is a large part of what makes them different. It is evident that the police officers oath of office is not upheld and easily forgotten by some. A favorite American mythologyis that of the carnie, someone who works at a carnival. 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. With no interest to investigate the game in question, the four responding officers allowed the swindlers to continue to rip-off children while backing off on their threats against me. Carnivals have close ties to not only organized crime but to local law enforcement. The law dictates that police officers are required to take enforcement action when criminal activity is observed or reported. The various suspect games on NAMEs midway, vividly depicted in Biloxi and Indianapolis, are featured in Jeff Rossens and Sandra Thomass 2012 expos. Cops are discouraged from arresting the dishonest carny for two obvious reasons: money and politics. 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. We have a full drug testing center on-site. I disagree. Halat was released from prison in 2012, while Nix continues serving a life sentence. What the Greatest Showman Got Totally Wrong, The Bittersweet Story of Jumbo the Elephant, Carnival Workers Describe What The Life Is Really Like. Now, lets go back to the first question: Have you ever played a carnival game and felt cheated? CBS News exposed a carnival company which was cheating soldiers and their families out of money at the 2011 Fourth of July Freedom Fest at Fort Hood, Texas, the largest military base in the country. But he apparently believed that if he had enough money, hed be able to get out of prison. These small carnys get seedier every year. They even have their own language., At least thats what people think about carnies. No roots, no stability. The bill would increase fines for amusement companies for failing to check the criminal history of new hires. The carnies of Reddit have answered some questions about what lifes really like when theyre on the road.. As a retired police officer, I continued to expose and help curb what I found to be a free-wheeling crime anomaly, by publishing several investigative accounts, including two books: Carnival Games: The Perfect Crimes (2010) and Carnival Games: $10,000,000,000 Hoodwink Racket (2012). A major stereotype I hate is that we are all crooks and criminals. 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. Not one ball went through any of the 12 stingy rims. Huston, vice president of Operations at Pugh Shows at the time, was present when Argo was arrested. [citation needed] Most carnies no longer use cant, but some owners/operators and "old-timers" ("half yarders") still use some of the classic terms. 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. Furthermore, Lovett was convicted on two charges of extortion and two more charges of making false statements to the FBI. Have you ever played a carnival game and felt cheated? Arrive at location in the afternoon, after working the last spot all night. 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! From murdering authority figures to burning down buildings to creating elaborate extortion schemes, the Dixie Mafia was known far and wide as an anything-for-a-buck gang. 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