SOME are villains, some are gangsters, some are hardmen, some are
street fighters…all are “Faces”.
Many are men who have been making newspaper headlines for the wrong
reasons over the past 50 years.
Strangers talk about some as if they were long lost friends. The
mere mention of others will send shivers down spines.
Now, for the first time, some of the most infamous
“Faces” in Britain have agreed to be photographed – and The
People can give an exclusive insight into their lives, their gangs, and
their bonds.
The following pages are the result of more than three years work by
author Bernard O’Mahoney and photographer Brian Anderson, who have
compiled an unrivalled account of Britain’s underworld history.
Their documentary includes notorious villains like Arthur Thompson,
the Glasgow Godfather, who controlled Scottish streets for more than 30
years, and associates of the infamous Kray brothers, who ruled the East
End of London in the 60s and 70s, leaving a bloody trail of victims in
their wake.
Drugs and the rave scene opened the underworld up to a whole new
breed of gangster in the 80s.
The game changed. New allegiances were formed and new battle lines drawn.
Britain found itself in the grip of a drugs epidemic and nowhere
was hit harder than the city of Manchester, where the Noonan family soon
became a force to be reckoned with, controlling the doors of the famous
Hacienda nightclub.
Primed to exploit the lucrative drugs market were gangs of not only
white and Asian, but also black, feral youths who demanded respect at
gunpoint. The development gave rise to the birth of rival postcode gangs, based on housing estates.
Sworn enemies included the feuding Doddington and Gooch families.
Meanwhile, the end of Thompson’s empire in 1991 led to a
bloody war on both sides of the border as gangs fought for control and
outright recognition.
Bernard O’Mahoney is a former key member of the Essex Boys
firm.
His decision to quit was met with death threats from his former
“friends” Tony Tucker, Patrick Tate and Craig Rolfe.
Two weeks later, all three were found shot dead in a Range Rover down a deserted farm track.
Glasgow-born Brian Anderson has worked as a press photographer since the early 90s.
His and O’Mahoney’s archives are the real deal.
This incredible 24-page pullout contains a series of extraordinary
never-been-seen pictures taken from O’Mahoney and Anderson’s
new book Faces.
Paul gangland The 47-Paul Ferris Paul Ferris is one of the most
infamous gangland figures in Britain.
The 47-year-old became involved with legendary Glasgow Godfather
Arthur Thompson’s crime empire aged 19, and became a feared
enforcer.
He was cleared of murdering Thompson’s son, Arthur Jnr, in
1991, but was given 10 years in 1998 for gun running, later reduced to
seven. More than 300 witnesses gave evidence at one of his trials, which
lasted 54 days and cost pounds 4million – at the time the longest and
most expensive trial in Scottish legal history. He once said: “If
anyone was born into crime, it was me. Crime is in my blood”.
Bullets for an enforcer A gunman fires in memory of Kevin
‘Tiny’ Donaghey, who died in Burnley, Lancashire. The former
IRA man from Derry was given a military funeral by both his criminal and
terrorist associates after his sudden death in 2008 at the age of 35.
It was the only time such a funeral has taken place in mainland
Britain.
Eric Mason is one of the underworld’s most feared and
respected figures.
Growing up, Mason, now 79, soon learned how to look after himself
in a home for young delinquents and later became the Krays’ chief
enforcer. Mason spent most of his adult life in Britain’s most
brutal prisons – Brixton, Dartmoor, Wandsworth, and Strangeways. In
Wandsworth’s famous ‘E’ wing he listened to the footsteps
of condemned men waiting to be hanged, followed by the sound of the
gallows’ trapdoor banging against the cell wall.
Frankie Fraser East End gangster “Mad” Frankie Fraser was
renowned as an enforcer in London but he also made friends with rival
hardmen. Glasgow godfather Arthur Thompson ruled Scotland’s
underworld in the 60s .
Thompson Snr and Fraser became associates and Fraser, 88, was
introduced to other members of the Thompson clan, including youngest son
Billy, 44. Billy (right) nearly died in 2000 after being stabbed and
seriously wounded 400 yards from the family home.
Alco, Blink and Gash McDonald Ian “Blink” McDonald, 49,
(centre) is one of the most famous gangsters in Scotland’s bloody
history. Along with brothers Alan “Alco” (left) and Gary
“Gash”, the McDonalds are respected throughout Britain’s
criminal fraternity. A life-long friend of Paul Ferris, Blink’s
chequered career has involved armed robbery, several allegations of
murder and turf wars.
TC Campbell Thomas “TC” Campbell was given a life
sentence, with the recommendation he serve a minimum of 20 years, for
his part in the so-called ice-cream killings in Glasgow’s east end
in the 1980s. Six members of the same family died in an arson attack
during the gangland war. The 57-year-old’s conviction was quashed
by the Court of Appeal in 2004, following his 2001 release after serving
17 years in prison.
Billy Lobban Following the murder of his son, Arthur “Fat
Boy” Thompson, Glasgow Godfather Arthur Thompson Snr blamed Paul
Ferris and put a price on his head. With Ferris in jail, he recruited
Billy Lobban to lure Ferris’s friends Billy Glover and Joe
“Bananas” Hanlon out of their homes. The next day, they were
found dead in a car outside a pub on the route of Thompson’s
funeral cortege. Lobban, 43, was given six years for armed robbery in
1987 and again in 1993. He had his left leg amputated in 2007 after
blood clot damage.
5 Gary Moore Glaswegian Gary Moore had a long record of violence
and court appearances. In 1983, he was charged with murdering six
members of the Doyle family during the ice-cream wars, allegedly setting
their home on fire. But he walked free from the trial. In 1992, he was
accused of killing Glasgow prostitute Diane McInally but charges were
dropped. He died in August 2010.
Paddy Doherty Bare-knuckle fighter and traveller Patrick
“Paddy” Doherty, 51, fought countless prize fights and is
well-known in Manchester and throughout the travelling community.
Doherty was shot in the head at point blank range in October 2003 and as
he lay in intensive care he pleaded with his father to arrange a fight
with the gunman. The gunman heard and took his own life rather than face
him. Doherty has denied his hardman image and told a court earlier this
month he has played up to it for TV.
Kevin ‘Tiny’ Donaghey Former IRA member Kevin
“Tiny” Donaghey was implicated in the murder of policemen and
soldiers during the Troubles in Ireland. After leaving Derry, Donaghey
immersed himself in Manchester’s underworld and stood trial with a
member of the Noonan family for kidnapping and torturing a businessman.
Tiny died suddenly in 2008, aged 35, and was given a military funeral by
both his criminal and terrorist associates .
David Glover Newcastle gangster David Glover, 42, was jailed along
with Paddy Conroy for the abduction and torture of Billy Collier and has
been linked to numerous shootings in the North-East. He has been in 40
prisons and spent more years inside than out. But he says he has swapped
the gangland-style life he led in Newcastle’s West End to be a dad
to his four kids and husband to his wife Maree.
Paddy Conroy He was Britain’s most wanted fugitive, but
Tyneside hardman Paddy Conroy now lives in constant fear after learning
of a pounds 100,000 contract on his head. He escaped a hitman who lured
him to a secluded farmhouse. Conroy, now 46, built a fearsome reputation
in Tyneside’s underworld, but was jailed for years for the kidnap
and torture of rival Billy Collier – a crime he has always denied.
John ‘Mario’ Cummings John “Mario” Cummings was
a prolific armed robber and key member of the infamous Geordie mafia.
“Only losers spend 10-20 years in jail,” John said. “The
real villains, men with style, cunning and intelligence, don’t get
caught.”
Eddie Richardson Eddie Richardson is the younger sibling of crime
boss Charlie Richardson. Charlie, 76, invested in scrap metal while
Eddie, 74, operated fruit machines. These businesses were fronts for
underworld activities, which included fraud, protection racket, usury,
theft and stolen goods. Eddie was sentenced to 25 years for drug dealing
in 1990.
Roy ‘Pretty Boy’ Shaw Roy “Pretty Boy” Shaw is
one of Britain’s most infamous villains. He was a promising fighter
from the East End, but was lured away from his craft by the promise of
fast cash. During the 70s and 80s, Shaw was a respected figure in
London’s underworld and was frequently associated with the Kray
twins. Shaw is best remembered today for his career as a fighter on the
unlicensed boxing scene. But the former bare knuckle fighter, now 74,
previously served 18 years in jail for armed robbery. Upon his release
he took to the ring again for some of the most epic battles in
unlicensed fighting history.
Stephen Sayers & Alan ‘Fish’ Tams Stephen Sayers, 45,
(left) and Alan “Fish” Tams (right) were jailed for three
years for attacking doorman Stuart Watson. The Sayers family is well
known in Newcastle. John Henry Sayers was jailed for armed robbery while
his dad, also called John, was shot in the throat at a Quayside pub in
1995.
James ‘Jaimba’ McLean James “Jaimba” McLean
became a close friend and associate of Glasgow gangland figure Paul
Ferris during the 80s. McLean, 44, a former IRA torturer who has
admitted committing at least two barbaric murders, was employed by the
Provisional IRA to torture suspected informants within their ranks.
Davey Falcus Davey Falcus, 44, was involved in gang warfare
throughout the 80s.
He was shot at, stabbed, hit with glasses, bottles and iron bars,
and jailed for bank robberies. As a known hardman he helped run bars in
Newcastle and London and was known for his cocaine and alcohol
addictions – overdosing several times. His reputation earned him the
name “The Beast of the North East”, but Davey later became a
Christian in 1995 after claiming to have had a face-to-face encounter
with Jesus.
Lewis ‘Scooby’ Rodden Lewis “Scooby” Rodden
(right) and his associates masterminded protection rackets aimed at
persuading construction firms to award them contracts at building sites
in Ayrshire.
The gangsters, compared in court to organised criminals of 1920s
America, were finally arrested as they beat up a security guard from a
rival firm. Rodden, 49, a Celtic fan, survived being shot in an
Amsterdam bar before a football match in 2001.
Bertie Costa Bertie Costa boxed for England before embarking on a
life of crime, which resulted in him languishing in jail. During one
sentence, Bertie and Roy “Pretty Boy” Shaw, 74, got involved
in an altercation with a fellow inmate and were both arrested for
murder.
They were acquitted at their trial but Costa received a nine-month
sentence for manslaughter.
Vic Dark Vic Dark became an enforcer for some of Britain’s
most fearsome gangsters during the 1980s. Dark has spent 19 years in the
UK’s toughest jails for kidnapping a police officer, shootings,
stabbings and a daring armed robbery.
Eric Mason “People say that truth is stranger than fiction and
in my case it is definitely so. Who would believe, looking at me today,
that most of my years have been spent in a sinister underworld of crime,
corruption and murder? A gangland world where the famous and the
infamous – including stars like Frank Sinatra and politicians – and the
most notorious criminals in British history not only socialised but did
business together.”
Albert Donoghue During the Krays’ dominant years, Albert
Donoghue was Reggie’s right-hand man. When the twins tried to blame
him for the murder of Frank Mitchell, Donoghue testified against them.
Tam McGraw Labelled Scotland’s richest gangster, Thomas
“Tam” McGraw was involved in extortion, narcotics and drug
trafficking in Glasgow. He died after a heart attack at home in 2007,
aged 55.
Arthur Donnelly Arthur, described by villains as the “Freddie
Foreman” of the North, was part of the Donnelly family who ran the
Parliament Club in Manchester, for crooks who wanted to mingle with
celebs.
The Salford lads Leggy Pownall is a legendary figure among the
criminal fraternity. Feared not only in his native Wigan, Leggy (left)
commands respect throughout Manchester and the North West. Paul Massey,
50, (second left) is an associate of Paul Ferris and made a name for
himself as a “Mr Big” in the Manchester scene in the 1990s.
Tony Erdman (centre) was part of Paava “Paul” Corkovic’s
armed robbery gang as was Lee “Tabo” Taberner (seconf right).
The gang was once described as “the armed robbers’ school of
excellence”. They are with an unnamed pal (far right).
Damian Noonan jnr Damian Noonan was part of the infamous Noonan
family who ran the legendary Hacienda nightclub in Manchester at the
height of the rave scene in the 1980s. At the time, 80 per cent of
Manchester’s nightlife security was said to be controlled by his
older brother Desmond ‘Dessie’ Noonan and his family. Damian
was killed in a motorbike accident in the Dominican Republic in 2003.
Bernie Khan In the 1960s, Bernie Khan ran the Regal snooker hall
for the Kray brothers. His dalliance with the underworld led him to
become one of the top armed robbers in the East End during the 1970s.
Together with George Knight, Jimmy Moody and others, he carried out a
raid on a security van in Banstead, Surrey. The gang cut it open with a
chainsaw and made off with more than pounds 1million .
Jimmy Tippett Jimmy Tippett worked the door at Mr Smith’s
nightclub in Catford during the 1960s, and was present the night the
Krays’ cousin was shot dead by the Richardson gang in the battle of
Mr Smith’s in March 1966.
Eddie Richardson and Frankie Fraser were both taken to hospital
with serious wounds. Ronnie Kray killed George Cornell in revenge at The
Blind Beggar pub, Whitechapel but fierce intimidation prevented
witnesses from cooperating with police.
Sammy Ralston One of Scotland’s most infamous robbers, Sammy
‘The Bear’ Ralston, 47, initially jailed for armed robbery
spent a total of 27 years inside. With two other inmates, he took a
guard hostage and staged a six-day rooftop protest in 1987. They were
fighting conditions at Peterhead jail, dubbed the Hate Factory by
hardened cons.
John Morrissey Originating from Rochdale, he was involved in the
jewellery and motor trade as well as protection and strong arm work for
the Quality Street Gang in Manchester. Police interest in John Morrissey
(right, black shirt) intensified after the gruesome unsolved murder of a
garage mechanic caused him to flee abroad. Police believe Graeme
Boardman was tortured and murdered for failing to pay for cannabis.
Henry Ward An East End gangster, Henry “Buller” Ward paid
a painful price for allying himself with another East End villain called
Tony Maffia. Ward was slashed by Reggie Kray after getting into an
argument with the brothers in the 60s. He was taken outside the Grave
Maurice pub opposite Whitechapel hospital and attacked – and he still
bears the scars today.
16 Freddie Foreman To the underworld, Freddie Foreman is the
Godfather. Responsible for the gangland killings of Ginger Marks and
Frank “The Mad Axeman” Mitchell, Foreman, 78, punished those
who broke the underworld’s strict code of conduct. He admitted
disposing of Jack “The Hat” McVitie’s body after Reggie
Kray killed him in 1967. He is pictured outside the Punchbowl pub in
Mayfair that his son George sold to film director Guy Ritchie in 2008 .
Peter Fury Peter Fury (centre left) had links to gangland murder,
extortion and other serious crimes. Fury, 51, was convicted for
possession and conspiracy to supply amphetamines and jailed for 10
years. He is now a successful businessman and denies he is involved in
crime.
Lenny Hamilton & Billy Frost Lenny and Billy were friends – and
enemies of the Krays – for many years. Lenny (far left), a former jewel
thief, recalls how he once fell out with Ronnie and ended up with a
red-hot poker in his gut. “Without warning, Ronnie stabbed me. The
heat burnt through my shirt. I felt a sharp pain across my stomach. I
was panic-stricken.
There was no escape. I couldn’t break free.” Billy was
employed as the twins’ driver in London’s East End. He said:
“They could be very kind to a lot of people – like old people and
kids. They did a lot of charity work. But they could be very nasty too
if you got on their wrong side.”
George Craig George Craig rose through the ranks of the North East
underworld to gain a fierce reputation as a debt collector without a
conscience. He progressed from shoplifting to borstal to maximum
security prison. But after a string of armed robberies and a lengthy
jail sentence, George, now 64, repented. He befriended nuns and founded
a rehabilitation centre for drug and alcohol addicts in his home city of
Sunderland.
Terry Sabini Terry Sabini’s family ran a huge crime racket
from London’s Clerkenwell in the 1930s. They were led by Charles
Sabini and became notorious for their razor attacks on rivals. At one
point they had 300 members including imported Sicilian gunmen and local
criminals. Their activities included extortion, theft and illegal
gambling. In June 1936, around 30 members attacked a bookie and his
clerk at Lewes racetrack before police arrived – 16 members of the mob
were sentenced to serve over 43 years.
Michael Bullock Michael “The Bull” Bullock has been an
enforcer for Newcastle’s notorious Conroy clan all his life. He
once shot a pub landlord who had threatened to shoot him first. His
victim lost both legs. Bullock is also said to have been attacked with a
samurai sword during one feud. Eye-patch wearing crimelord Paddy Conroy
has been a close ally since their battles with the Harrison family in
the early 1990s.
Bruce Reynolds At 3am on August 8th 1963, the biggest robbery the
world had known took place at Bridego Bridge, Cheddington,
Buckinghamshire.
The Great Train Robbers, a gang of 15 men led by criminal
mastermind Bruce Reynolds, now 79, halted a post office train travelling
from Glasgow to London and stole pounds 2.6million – the equivalent of
pounds 40million today.
After a huge police investigation, the gang was eventually rounded
up and most members were sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Ronnie Biggs Ronnie Biggs was a member of the Great Train Robbery
gang.
He is best known for his escape from Wandsworth prison in 1965. He
lived as a fugitive in Australia and Brazil for 36 years and took part
in various publicity stunts while in exile in Rio de Janeiro, including
recordings for the Sex Pistols. Biggs, 81, voluntarily returned to the
UK in 2001. He spent the next eight years in prison but was released on
compassionate grounds due to ill health in August 2009.
Aaron Travers & David Totton David Totton and Aaron Travers are
survivors of the infamous botched Brass Handles pub blood bath in
Salford in 2006.
Totton, 30, was shot three times and Travers, 30, five times when
two gunmen raided a pub to kill them. Despite being shot in the head
both men fought back to health. The would-be killers were overpowered by
a mob outside the pub and both executed with their own guns. No one was
charged with the killings of the two hitmen.
Paul Massey Paul Massey is a former member of Manchester’s
infamous Quality Street Gang, alleged to have been involved in much of
the major crime in Manchester throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
The gang was reportedly named after an ad for Quality Street
sweets, which featured a group of fashionably dressed people. As the
gang walked into a pub, a wag supposedly shouted “It’s the
Quality Street Gang” and the name stuck. Massey, 50, was jailed in
1998 for selling machine guns.
Lionel THE PEOPLE %MONTH_ McAffree Lionel McAffree, said to be a
member of the Quality Street Gang, left these shores for Spain after a
supposed counterfeit scam came to light involving hundreds of thousands
of pound coins. He is said to be an associate of the legendary
Manchester villain Jimmy “The Weed” Donnelly, now 70.
Gypsy John Fury Former bare knuckle fighter Gypsy John Fury, 46,
boxed professionally in the 1980s, becoming a respected figure in the
Irish travellers’ community. But the father and trainer of British
boxing champion Tyson Fury, was this month jailed for 11 years after
gouging out a man’s eye in a brawl. John Fury left Oathie Sykes,
44, half-blind after a 12-year grudge erupted in violence.
Charlie Richardson Charlie Richardson, 76, ran a scrap metal yard
while younger brother Eddie, 74, operated fruit machines, but the
businesses were fronts for the pair’s long firm fraud and
protection rackets.
In the 60s Charlie’s empire stretched from South London to
South Africa. But after a trial in which the press labelled him the
“Torture Gang Boss”, he was sentenced to 25 years in jail.
Bible of the underworld True Crime Publishing is proud to announce
the publication of its first title. Faces: A photographic journey
through the underworld. This coffee table style 12″ x 12″
hardbound 366 page book is a collection of 332 exclusive black and white
photographs, which give a unique insight into the lives (and deaths) of
Britain’s most infamous villains. There has never been a book
published like it before and there will not be one like it again -
ensure that you are one of the lucky ones who can say they own this
remarkable piece of work as it will undoubtedly become the Bible of
Britain’s underworld. Due to exceptionally high demand order your
copy now to avoid disappointment. The first 1,000 copies of Faces
purchased will be signed by authors Bernard O’Mahoney and Brian
Anderson .
Order now… Faces: pounds 50.00 includes packaging and recorded
postage within the UK.
We accept all major credit/debit card payments through Paypal.
Please note, you do not need an account to pay through Paypal. You can
still pay by credit or debit card using the functions on the Paypal
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You can reserve your copy of this unique book by emailing
orders@truecrimepublishing.com. You do NOT have to give payment details,
the email simply reserves your copy. When the book is in stock you will
receive an email with details of how to make payment, which will be
carried out securely through the Paypal site. Alternatively you can send
a cheque made payable to True Crime Publishing to True Crime Publishing,
13 Upper Baggot Street, 2nd floor, Dublin 4 Ireland. Please ensure you
enclose your name address and contact number. The book will be
dispatched within 14 days of receipt.
www.truecrimepublishing.com Burying one of their own Faces from the
Manchester scene say a final goodbye to an old friend.
Clev Bedgal & Paul ‘The Eye’ In the mid 80s Britain
was in the grip of a drugs epidemic and nowhere was hit harder than the
city of Manchester.
Clev Bedgal (right) and Paul “The Eye” (left) were part
of Manchester’s Doddington crew. They met at a funeral where Paul
remarked: “Too much blood has been spilled in this hell they call
Manchester. Brothers are killing brothers and for what? “Lay down
your arms it’s time to talk not shoot. Increase the peace.”
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