Another 25 percent are illegal since they are gambling games. 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?". 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. 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. 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. 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. The same carny-cops (police officers patrolling the midway), and the same returning interstate carny-outlaws appear to be working in concert for income at annual extravaganzas.This, combined with the hoodwink nods from corrupt public servants, seems to be the big American secret at fairs and festivals. 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. There seems to be this very strong stereotype of carnival workers as being shady, creepy, untrustworthy, scary, or somehow deviant in some other way. 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. And members only had to obey one rule: Thou shall not snitch to the cops.. Step right up to the king of all carnival rip-offs, Razzle Dazzle, which searches for and destroys its prey. This seedy history and the ongoing corruption of local officials made the city an attractive place for lawbreakers. 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. The British form of fairground cant is called "polari". They dont draw a line, everything is fair game.. 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. If a person cheats customers, it is likely that same person will cheat the government. In late 1991 and 1992, the grisly murder of Ault - involving carnival workers and satanism - dominated Indiana and Ohio headlines for months. Which Animated Disney Movie Should Get A Horror Adaptation Next? Cops are discouraged from arresting the dishonest carny for two obvious reasons: money and politics. 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. WebEmployees felt differently about being labeled a carnie, a name colloquially used to describe carnival workers. 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. 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. From 1995 to 2002, Gregory and his wife, Vonna Jo Gregory, contributed heavily to politicians in national elections. Im curious because Ive worked shows for many years, both as a canvas boss and business manager. I thought the carny rep for being shady came from the idea that carnival games were fixed so you couldnt win any good prices. Police have said the carnival mafia does not exist. Richardson was aware that I had been police trained and experienced in enforcement of carnival games. Despite the loose structure that made up the Dixie Mafia network, the Southern crime syndicate was implicated in a number of high-profile cases. U.S. 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. With a greater number of gambling and crooked games, the carnival owner will increase his undivided claim to the unshared game loot. "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. It turns out their real lives have more dimension than anyone gives them credit for. East coast or west? I completed a larceny report for Steve, who told about the carnival patch and offered to lend me the book by John Scarne entitled. 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. 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. Slick carnival entrepreneurs are business-savvy. 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. State legislators said carnival companies have exaggerated costs to kill bills. 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. The two Razzle games, managed by an up and coming Frank Zaitshik, were shut down. Oct 21, 2022 / Comments Off on Chiefs, Criminals, & Carnival Workers: A Brief History of Tattoo with Adam Romano Comments This short lecture shares the story It is evident that the police officers oath of office is not upheld and easily forgotten by some. 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. 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. It was a really good business for a long time, though. Friendly associations are formed by acquainted individuals over several years. We have a full drug testing center on-site. But at the other five carnivals, nine workers had warrants and several other employees gave fake names to authorities or fled the festival grounds. During my 30-40 minute survey for Thomas, I counted 166 attempts by hoodwinked teens at $2 a shot. As reported in the Savannah Morning News, the government contended Lovett and Randall Roach (Magic Midway carnival owner) schemed from 2004 until September 27, 2013, when Lovett retired. No rigged games, daily ride inspections, and regular and random drug testing andbackground checksgo a long way towardcleaning up the carnie image. 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. Marcello tolerated the Dixie Mafias presence as long as they played by his rules and paid for his hospitality. But it was getting harder and harder to make money, with each fairground becoming more of a bureaucratic morass every year. Rossen Reports: Are carnival games cheating you-and your kids?" For decades, this gang operated lawlessly and targeted anyone who stood in their way. They dont! 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. Carnival life is its own world, detached from mainstream lifestyles. Theft, fraud, and sexual misconduct are all examples of these crimes. Yes, they are scraping by and yes they are poor, but labor ready hires anyone who is there to work at 6am in the morning . Furthermore, Lovett was convicted on two charges of extortion and two more charges of making false statements to the FBI. The objective of the Razzle agent is to. 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. I pointed Thomas in the direction of a carnival supply company where she could purchase the rim, which she acquired in time for the feature. He begins to search for a sympathetic police officer for help. All 12 rims on the North American Midway Entertainment (NAME) carnival midway measured 10.5-by-17 inches on elliptical axes. 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. 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? That pretty much sums it up. . In all three cases, the police refused to write a basic incident report upon complaints and requests for assistance. Frank had been granted state fair contracts in Michigan and Florida over the previous 25 years. No state requires background checks, said Bob Johnson of the Florida-based Outdoor Amusement Business Association, a national trade group. The term "showie" is used synonymously in Australia, while "showman" is used in the United Kingdom.[1]. Some Dixie Mafia members were allegedly hired to collect debts and carry out hits for him. 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. A new lawyer has taken the helm of the legal department at Carnival Corp., but the cruise lines longtime general counsel isnt abandoning ship just yet. So, I singled out a known scam artist operating one of the basketball games, Kenneth David Argo, a 12-year game agent for Huston. Youll win it this next time for sure. The Dixie Mafias territory stretched all over the South, from Georgia to Oklahoma. Few cities have ordinances that require background checks. Unbeknownst to authorities, Dixie Mafia leader Kirksey McCord Nix Jr. was orchestrating an elaborate extortion scheme from behind bars. Watch Gummo. Carnivals are ubiquitous in the Garden State, but an aura of mystery swirls around the people who stage the phantasmagoric spectacles that light up empty fields In the 1960s, the Dixie Mafia emerged as a loose confederation of crooks and con artists based in Biloxi, Mississippi. 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. Either way, you can generally find them within a few miles of where they need to show up for work the next day. YouTubePete Halat, Kirksey McCord Nixs former lawyer who once served as the mayor of Biloxi. "After it became obvious that we were on the premises, a number of employees suddenly left.". Young teens are the now the focus at carnival festivals. Carnys got nothin! Carny life is not an easy one. New York TimesA New York Times article on Kirksey McCord Nix Jr.s conviction for the murder of a Mississippi judge and his wife. Loved it, although I didnt get along too well with my coworkers - it seems that girl is supposed to equal slut, and I never got the memo. advance man - person who takes care of details that need to be handled in advance of a carnival A major stereotype I hate is that we are all crooks and criminals. 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. Commit a petty crime in every town they go thru. In other words, carnies are not any more shady than other types of work crews that perform similar tasks - its just that people are put off by - to paraphrase Philip Marlowe - having to see the works when the lid is lifted off of life. To create insurance-like policies, carnival magnates often contribute to political campaigns of U.S. congressmen, senators, governors, and local politicians for a couple of reasons: in case they are interested in a state fair, county, or municipal contract and wish to develop clout; and in case carny-owners need friends in government to bail them out of trouble after a dishonest carny runs into a police officer who just wants to do his or her job. Far from a sophisticated organization, this crime ring was a loose network of thugs, as the FBI called them. If you get busted for [illicit substances], youre gone. Step right up to the king of all carnival rip-offs, Razzle Dazzle, which searches for and destroys its prey. There was no chance they would win at some of the games, said Keteyian. I paid Argo $9 and missed all five shots. 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. Gregorys little moon-walk act looks good on the six-o-clock news; however, everyone in the industry knows that carnival owners and managers are never in the dark about the corrupt features of every dirty game on their midways. 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. I worked the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul last year and was averaging over $30 per hour - cash, no taxes - which was phenomenal. Willie Lovett was the longtime chief of police of the Savannah Chatham, Georgia, Metro Police Department. 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. 47% of Carnival Workers have a high school diploma degree, 10% major in criminal justice. 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. 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 ;)) He was a fun drunk, too! This is an ideal way for owners to feel they bought and own the loyalty of cops on their midways. Dang, and I bet the smile you give wouldve made me buy more of whatever you were selling. During the 1960s, a group of criminals known as the Dixie Mafia began to creep across cities and towns in the South. The FBI and game enforcement experts are available to present seminars to police departments. These are people that would otherwise be homeless if not for the ability to count to 2 with both hands. Carny, also spelled carnie, is an informal term used in North America for a traveling carnival employee, and the language they use, particularly when the employee operates a game ("joint"), food stand ("grab", "popper" or "floss wagon"), or ride ("ride jock") at a carnival. Risky Rides: Carnival Workers' Grueling Hours May Threaten Safety. A wheel of fortune in progress on a for-profit carnival midway would be a case of illegal gambling. For money, the sheriff and officers loyal to him would release prisoners from the county jail, safeguard drug shipments, and hide fugitives. In this CBS News Online, July 12, 2011, video expos, U.S. 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. Ive seen horror shows and Ive seen highschool kids. Gaffed and chance-based games from the same carnival companies travel to thousands of carnival lots and fairs each year. Template:Cite web. 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. He never held a job for long, as far as I know. In many ways, Biloxi was an ideal place for the Dixie Mafias stomping grounds. So - I dont know how that applies to all carny workers. I remember a lot of late nights when my mom would come home to our trailer late after the fairgrounds had closed. Frank has carnival contracts there as well. Go to work at 6 am;go to bed at 2 am the next day. I havent thought about that in a long time. Its a mix. I think most of these businesses will be gone in a few years. 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. Very long hours - up to 20 a day for five to sevendays straight. 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. Meanwhile, the Dixie Mafia received hundreds of thousands of dollars during this time. It's the exact opposite of what most folks describe. 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. confuse the mark, build him up repetitively and let him believe he is close to the big win. These are people that the term transient doesnt even begin to touch. Their goal was to cover all aspects of true crime: Read More, Contents Copyright 1998-2020 by Crime Magazine | J. Patrick O'Connor Editor | E-mail CrimeMagazine.com, Designed by Orman. Theyre not really shady, theyre just poor and scraping by. 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. 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. Certain totals correspond to successful yardage gains printed on the perplexing conversion chart. 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 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. Basically, sedentary people dont like transient people. Carnivals have close ties to not only organized crime but to local law enforcement. 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. 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. 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. The carnies of Reddit have answered some questions about what lifes really like when theyre on the road.. 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. Carnival life in 2023 is mostly different than the old days, but in a few ways its the same. She said that in Indianapolis, her college varsity basketball 3-point-shooting star, Carly Thibault, missed all 13 attempts at the basketball toss. This, combined with the hoodwink nods from corrupt public servants, seems to be the big American secret at fairs and festivals. We certainly hope this deals them a major blow, said one attorney at the time. 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?. [citation needed] Most carnies no longer use cant, but some owners/operators and "old-timers" ("half yarders") still use some of the classic terms. I got into the life through family, and though I'm in college now, I will likely go out again next season. At a recent federal corruption trial, federal investigators testified that Lovett took bribes from a carnival owner during a nine-year period of carnival events from 2004 to 2013 to protect illegal carnival games including a classic old carnival game known as Razzle Dazzle. It is estimated that Lovett, while chief, took bribe installments which amounted to $75,000. This mirror serves the rich and powerful while it shapes a negative and distorted view of the poor minority. I typed out my detailed fraud/gambling complaint for Richardson and provided him with a copy of the Michigan Carnival Games Manual. 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. At three events checked this summer by the attorney general and sheriff's offices, no background problems were discovered. Ugh. William A. Riedthaler, renowned games enforcement expert, informed me that the total figure might be as high as $40 billion. Some of them love their job;some dislike it and do it to get by. On November 29, 2002, Frank peeled off $5,000 in the same Florida account only days after Jeb Bush was reelected to governor. The happy mark, already halfway to the prize, then pays only $2 to buy another spill of the marbles. The mark must accumulate 100 yards (or over) to win that X-Box or HD TV. Also available from Amazon, With the purpose of writing about true crime in an authoritative, fact-based manner, veteran journalists J. J. Maloney and J. Patrick OConnor launched Crime Magazine in November of 1998. 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. 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's always tons of drama between all kinds of people. No one has an accurate figure because much of the cash is unreported industry-wide, said Riedthaler, also a retired Cleveland Police Department detective. Arrive at location in the afternoon, after working the last spot all night. So this is a fair one to assume. 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.. 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. Carnivals have close ties to not only organized crime but to local law enforcement. But even incarceration couldnt stop them from committing crimes. 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. Out my detailed fraud/gambling complaint for richardson and provided him with a greater number employees! Him believe he is close to the prize, then pays are carnival workers criminals $ 2 a shot Dixie Mafia network the! I got into the life through family, and though i 'm in college now i... You can generally find them within a few years different than the old days, but a. For [ illicit substances ], youre gone group of criminals known as the mayor of Biloxi Thomas. 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