It's the exact opposite of what most folks describe. We open at around 5 or 6 pm on Saturday, close at 10 or 11pm, tear down rides (about four hours), drive them to the next spot (typically about 45 minutesto an hour and a half), then set them all back up (about sevenhours). 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. Kirksey McCord Nix Jr., one of the notorious leaders of the Dixie Mafia. We have a full drug testing center on-site. "After it became obvious that we were on the premises, a number of employees suddenly left.". But it was getting harder and harder to make money, with each fairground becoming more of a bureaucratic morass every year. 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. Getty ImagesBuford Pusser supposedly took out several members of the Dixie Mafia to avenge his wifes death. 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. Its a fundamental divide in human society, and the sedentary city-folks have mostly won. 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. 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. 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. He placed ads in gay publications posing as a young stud named Eddie Johnson to attract correspondence from unsuspecting readers. Tubs of Fun, known as a bucket games, consist of plastic tubs which replace the old bushel baskets, where the agent is able to execute an unnoticeable stealthy trick only when demonstrating how easy it is to win.. 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. While planning for a San Antonio, Texas, state fair, Wade Shows carnival owner Frank Zaitshik stated that it costs him $100,000 to hire off-duty police officers. Some of the cash generated from Franks games should easily cover the overtime pay for carny-cops and perhaps some gratuity items such as free corn-dogs and Winnie the Pooh bears. Not an easy life. There seems to be this very strong stereotype of carnival workers as being shady, creepy, untrustworthy, scary, or somehow deviant in some other way. 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. If you get busted for [illicit substances], youre gone. 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. The Dixie Mafias territory stretched all over the South, from Georgia to Oklahoma. There was no chance they would win at some of the games, said Keteyian. With the likelihood that carnival business books are being cooked, the Internal Revenue Services expertise would be invaluable in uncovering money trails. These hardworking people are young and old, from all walks of life. WebCarnivals have a number of workers, each of whom has a specific role to fill. 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. 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. It becomes very cliquey. 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. 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. There were hundreds of victims. Get one nights sleep and start setting up in the morning. WebWhile the vast majority of carnival workers are responsible and helpful, a few have been caught engaging in criminal activity. Really scary people, actually. 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, there had been 556 arrests and 125 convictions, according to a letter sent to law enforcement agencies. These are people that the term transient doesnt even begin to touch. Seven responded with insights into their job or advice for In 1967, McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser and his wife were attacked in Tennessee likely in retaliation for Pussers crackdown on the Dixie Mafia. Ugh. Huston, vice president of Operations at Pugh Shows at the time, was present when Argo was arrested. They dont have ties in the community. Slick carnival entrepreneurs are business-savvy. 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. Even today, this is still pretty prevalent on the smaller shows. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled. Carnival workers have also said they were forced to live in filthy trailers or bunkhouses. I would set up and tear down the merry-go-round every week with the same crew; we were each other's backbone. 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 . 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. For decades, this gang operated lawlessly and targeted anyone who stood in their way. YouTubePete Halat, Kirksey McCord Nixs former lawyer who once served as the mayor of Biloxi. It was started by my grandfather in 1956. Furthermore, Lovett was convicted on two charges of extortion and two more charges of making false statements to the FBI. Law enforcement must first recognize this systemic national illness and how it capitalizes on unprotected Americans. Not to say that all carnies are no-goodniks, but I think theres enough evidence and history to see where the reputation comes from. Cops taking the bribes are also in violation of RICO and similar state statutes. By maintaining two sets of books, the carnival can cheat the charity out of a large amount of revenue for their purposes.. Police have said the carnival mafia does not exist. There was also the infamous Gypsy Camp Murder in Louisiana. State legislators said carnival companies have exaggerated costs to kill bills. (No, not that Cecil. Watch Gummo. I read every article, book, and case law I could find relating to these games. In addition to carny jargon, some carnival workers used a special infix ("earz" or "eez" or "iz") to render regular language unintelligible to outsiders. But by the early 1990s, the syndicate had largely collapsed. 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. That would surely subject them to a false arrest claim and a possible headline about their rip-off (the kids) church festival. The objective of the Razzle agent is to. But maybe theyre not all completely bad, huh? 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. Pete Halat, Kirksey McCord Nixs former lawyer who once served as the mayor of Biloxi. Aside from forming alliances with some members of law enforcement, the Dixie Mafia also worked alongside fellow mobsters. Instead, the Dixie Mafia was a rag-tag band of crooks who were willing to do just about any crime if there was money involved. In the 1960s, the Dixie Mafia emerged as a loose confederation of crooks and con artists based in Biloxi, Mississippi. On the night of February 18, 1969, at least five alleged members of the Dixie Mafia ransacked the Skeebow Trailer Court near Lake Pontchartrain, where traveling carnival employees had set up their camp. Ranking police officers and elected politicians have always cooperated with carnival owners, as in a partnership. When cheating for money occurs, it is no longer a game, but a crime. 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. So, they either rent or default on thier sub-prime mortgage. With 80 yards and only having to spend $2, the mark, psyched because of such good luck, is eager to buy more spills. Some of them love their job;some dislike it and do it to get by. A worker with a criminal background sexually assaulted three children at Downers Grove Heritage Fest two years ago, according to DuPage County records. Nix and later Halat were both convicted in the conspiracy that led to the judges death. 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. Carol Stream has one of the stronger local ordinances, barring felons convicted in the past five years from working as carnival employees. Most a are White, with 66.4% of Carnival Workers belonging to this ethnicity. This impeded rebound, giving the impression of an easy win as the grifters demo balls never bounce out. Often described as the Cornbread Cosa Nostra, the Dixie Mafia first emerged in the American South in the 1960s. 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. This, combined with the hoodwink nods from corrupt public servants, seems to be the big American secret at fairs and festivals. During the 1960s, a group of criminals known as the Dixie Mafia began to creep across cities and towns in the South. 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. "I think it definitely warrants another look," said Rep. Kevin Joyce (D-Chicago), who has sponsored a bill requiring background checks that was killed in past sessions. The cruise line giant Carnival Corporation and its Princess subsidiary have agreed to pay a criminal penalty of $20 million for environmental violations such as This add-up-the-score ruse, which comes in many captivating forms, involves a brilliant system of cheating, accompanied by vague, complicated rules. Countless other Democrat politicians split another $100,000 from the Gregorys. Which Animated Disney Movie Should Get A Horror Adaptation Next? 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. 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. To address the puzzling doggedness of plain-sight crooked carnival games, one has to first take a look at the history, criminalities, winks and nods of police, and the behind-the-scenes components enabling and perpetuating this century-old system of corruption. At the time, Nix was already serving a life sentence for a 1972 murder (unrelated to the death of Buford Pussers wife). A continuing criminal enterprise is an example of organized crime. I pay 10-to-1!. 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. Carnys got nothin! I watched as all the childs attempts were without the aid of the cagily removed energy-absorbing gaff ball. They dont! WebAnswer (1 of 2): Ahh.. ciazarn. In the Play Football eight-marble version of Razzle, the mark agrees to use a free pass, then spills eight marbles on a board containing 143 numbered holes with values from one through six assigned to each hole. I did grounds crew and stage setup for county fairs for a summer after high school. 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 carnival industrys sleazy image is in dire need of a facelift. The festival officials did not like my presence (which is normal), so they called police about me. Crazy Ball and similar varieties obviously lack the requisite skill component of the players according to state laws. According to information from a Dearborn police officer, in confidence, the police department security hired to patrol Dearborns Arab International Festival is annually awarded a $10,000 contract by festival sponsor, American Arab Chamber of Commerce, to pay overtime for the services of off-duty police officers who patrol the four-day event. A prime example is the Chief Willie Lovett case. But he apparently believed that if he had enough money, hed be able to get out of prison. An Arizona man has been charged with human trafficking for allegedly holding Mexican workers hostage to staff his traveling carnival. Aww, you almost had it that time! It's actually a really fun environment. Troops Cheated out of Money at Carnival,Armen Keteyian investigated a Texas-based company called Century 21 Shows at Fort Hood for allegedly defrauding its special guests: American soldiers returning from the Mid-east war or deploying to war. 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. Despite the loose structure that made up the Dixie Mafia network, the Southern crime syndicate was implicated in a number of high-profile cases. 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?. 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. 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. The numbers of arrests and convictions found in the background checks do not surprise Burbank Police Chief Bruce Radowicz. 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. American slang term for carnival employee, This article is about carnival employees and carnival slang. 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. It turns out their real lives have more dimension than anyone gives them credit for. "I'd recommend you stay with [your children] every ride and every attraction on the midway. Kirksey McCord Nix Jr., one of the lead figures of the Dixie Mafia, was suspected to be one of the men behind the hit. Most carnies are just people with nowhere else to go - usually no family to speak of orskills to get them a career. Ive seen horror shows and Ive seen highschool kids. Six flags is much better and safer. 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. 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. 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. 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