List of British gangsters

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This is a list of some organised crime figures within the underworld of the United Kingdom.

NameLifeYears activeOrganizationCommentsReferences
Roy Francis Adkins 1947–19901970s – 1980sAdkins familyOne-time partner of Dutch drug czar Klass Bruinsma, he was allegedly head of the drugs division of the Bruinsma organisation during the 1980s. Implicated in the murder of ex Great Train Robber Charles Wilson. [1]
Colin & David Gunnb. 20032003 – presentBestwood CartelLed by the Gunn brothers, the Bestwood cartel were the dominant force in the Nottingham underworld responsible for multiple murders. [2] [3] [4]
Christopher Brayford b. 19651985–2003 Clerkenwell crime syndicate Head of the Clerkenwell crime syndicate until an investigation by MI5 and the Inland Revenue resulted in his imprisonment in 2003. [5] [6]
Jack "Spot" Comer 1912–19961930s – 1950sControlled London's East End bookmaking rackets until the 1950s. [7]
Tommy Comerford 1933–20031990s – 2003Liverpool underworld figure and drug trafficker. One of the first British mobsters to establish an international drug trafficking network in Great Britain [8]
George Cornell 1928–19661960s – 1966 Richardson Gang Enforcer who worked for Charlie and Eddie Richardson during the 1960s. A childhood friend of the Kray Twins, he was used as a go-between by the Richardson's until his murder by Ronnie Kray at The Blind Beggar pub in 1966. [9]
Frankie Fraser 1923–20141940s – 1966 Richardson Gang Initially a bodyguard for well known gangster Billy Hill (gangster) Fraser later joined the Richardson Gang and served as their enforcer.
Freddie Foreman b. 19321948–1990Kray TwinsA freelance enforcer for the Kray twins during the 1960s, Foreman was involved in the gangland slayings of Frank "The Mad Axeman" Mitchell and Ginger Marks [10] [11]
Mickey Green 1942 – 20201970s – 1998An English Gangster and drug lord who has also held Irish nationality. He has allegedly been one of Britain's leading drug dealers for many years and is said to be worth at least £75 Million. Implicated in the Gangland murders of London crime figures Gilbert Wynter and Solly Nahome.[ citation needed ]
Billy Hill 1911–19841920s – 1970sLongtime underworld figure in the London underworld. A partner of Jack Spot during the 1940s, he also organised the Eastcastle St. postal van robbery in 1952 and a £40,000 bullion heist in 1954. [12]
David Hunt (gangster) b. 19611980s –present"The Hunt Syndicate"English organised crime boss, linked to violence, fraud, prostitution, murder and money laundering.[ citation needed ]
Ronnie and Reggie Kray 1933–1995 (Ronnie)
1933–2000 (Reggie)		1952–1968Controlled organised crime in London's East End during the 1950s and 60s. Responsible for the murders of George Cornell and Jack "The Hat" McVitie. [13]
Thomas "Tam" McGraw 1952–20071960s – 2000sScottish mobster involved in extortion, narcotics and drug trafficking in Glasgow from the 1970s until his death in 2007. Was a gangland figure identified during the Glasgow Ice Cream Wars. [14]
Jack "the Hat" McVite 1932–19671950s – 1967Kray TwinsDrug trafficker and sometimes associate of the Kray twins. Lured to an underworld party, he was murdered by Reggie Kray following the failed gangland hit on suspected informant Leslie Payne. [15]
Messina Brothers 1930s – 1950sMaltese-born Sicilian mobsters who controlled prostitution and white slavery. [16]
Desmond Noonan 1959–20051980s – 2000sNoonan crime firmA senior member of the Noonan "crime firm" in Manchester, he became its leader following his release from prison in 2003. He and his brother Dominic were responsible for at least 25 unsolved murders during their 20-year reign in Manchester's underworld. [17]
Dominic Noonan b. 19661980s – 2000sNoonan crime firmHead of the Noonan "crime firm" during the 1980s and 90s. The Noonans were the subject of director Donal MacIntyre's 2006 documentary A Very British Gangster. [18]
Kenneth Noye b. 19471980s – 1990sInvolved in the Brink's-Mat robbery in 1983 and subsequently stabbed police officer John Fordham to death. [19] Though acquitted for Fordham's death, Noye was convicted of the 1996 murder of Stephen Cameron. [20]
John Palmer 1950–20151960s –2010sKnown by the nickname "Goldfinger" Due to his involvement in melting down £26 million worth of gold from the 1983 Brink's-mat robbery to try to pass it off as legitimate.
Joey Pyle 1937–20071950s –1992London gangland boss, and pioneer and promoter of unlicensed boxing. Less well known to the general public than Krays and the Richardsons, of whom he was an associate. A key police target during his criminal career although he seldom served time in prison. [21]
Bruce Reynolds 1931–20131950s – 1980sMasterminded the 1963 Great Train Robbery. [22] [23] At the time it was Britain's largest robbery, netting £ 2,631,684, [24] equivalent to £69 million today. [25] Reynolds spent five years on the run before being sentenced to 25 years in 1969. He was released in 1978. He wrote three books and performed with the band Alabama 3, for whom his son, Nick, plays. [26]
Charlie and Eddie Richardson 1934–2012 (Charlie)
b. 1936 (Eddie)		1950s – 1967Richardson GangBrothers who co-led the Richardson Gang in South London during the 1960s. Rivals of the Kray Twins, [27] they were eventually imprisoned after being implicated in the murder of a South African businessman in 1967.[ citation needed ]
Charles "Derby" Sabini 1888–19501920 – 1940The Sabini GangReferred to as the "King of Racecourse Gangs" and leader of the Sabini's, Ottavio Handley, more commonly known as Charles Sabini was a turn of the century era mobster who controlled many of the racecourse betting rackets in London until his imprisonment in 1940.
Bobby Cummines b. 19511960s – 1970sYoungest armed robber in Britain at 16, became a brutal hitman in the 70s but then went to prison, where former gangster Charlie Richardson persuaded him out.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Train Robbery (1963)</span> 1963 robbery in Ledburn, England

The Great Train Robbery was the robbery of £2.61 million from a Royal Mail train travelling from Glasgow to London on the West Coast Main Line in the early hours of 8 August 1963 at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn, near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kray twins</span> British criminal duo during 1950s and 1960s

Ronald James "Ronnie" Kray and Reginald "Reggie" Kray were English gangsters or organised crime figures and identical twin brothers from Haggerston who were prominent from the late 1950s until their arrest in 1968. Their gang, known as the Firm, was based in Bethnal Green, where the Kray twins lived. They were involved in murder, armed robbery, arson, protection rackets, gambling and assaults. At their peak in the 1960s, they gained a certain measure of celebrity status by mixing with prominent members of London society, being photographed by David Bailey and interviewed on television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Biggs</span> English criminal (1929–2013)

Ronald Arthur Biggs was an English criminal who helped plan and carry out the Great Train Robbery of 1963. He subsequently became notorious for his escape from prison in 1965, living as a fugitive for 36 years, and for his various publicity stunts while in exile. In 2001, Biggs returned to the United Kingdom and spent several years in prison, where his health rapidly declined. He was released from prison on compassionate grounds in August 2009 and died in a nursing home in December 2013.

The Brink's-Mat robbery was one of the largest robberies in British history, with £26 million worth of gold bullion, diamonds, and cash stolen. It occurred at the Heathrow International Trading Estate, London, on 26 November 1983, from a warehouse operated by Brink's-Mat, a former joint venture between US security company Brink's and London-based company MAT Transport. The bullion was the property of Johnson Matthey Bankers Ltd. Micky McAvoy and Brian Robinson were convicted of armed robbery. Most of the gold has never been recovered. Lloyd's of London paid out for the losses, and several shooting deaths have been linked to the case.

Kenneth James Noye is an English criminal. He was acquitted in 1985 of the murder of a police officer in the grounds of his home, but was convicted in 1986 of conspiracy to handle stolen goods from the Brink's-Mat robbery and sentenced to fourteen years' imprisonment, of which he served eight years in custody. While on licence, Noye murdered Stephen Cameron during a road rage incident. He was arrested for the murder in Spain after a two-year manhunt and sentenced to life imprisonment. Noye was later released on licence from the murder sentence in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankie Fraser</span> English gangster

Francis Davidson Fraser, better known as "Mad" Frankie Fraser, was an English gangster who spent 42 years in prison for numerous violent offences.

Jack McVitie, best known as Jack the Hat, was an English criminal from London during the 1950s and 1960s. He is posthumously famous for triggering the imprisonment and downfall of the Kray twins. He had acted as an enforcer and hitman with links to The Firm, and was murdered by Reggie Kray in 1967.

The Clerkenwell Crime Syndicate, also known as the Adams Family or the A-team, is an English criminal organisation, allegedly one of the most powerful in the United Kingdom. Media reports have credited them with wealth of up to £200 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Reynolds</span> English criminal

Bruce Richard Reynolds was an English criminal who masterminded the 1963 Great Train Robbery. At the time it was Britain's largest robbery, netting £2,631,684, equivalent to £69 Million today. Reynolds spent five years on the run before being sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment in 1969. He was released in 1978. He also wrote three books and performed with the band Alabama 3, for whom his son, Nick, plays.

The Arifs are a south-east London-based Turkish Cypriot criminal organization heavily involved in armed robbery, drug trafficking and other racketeering-related activities within London's underworld since the late 1960s. Following the downfall of the Kray brothers, the Arifs were one of several criminal organisations who took control of the London underworld including the Clerkenwell crime syndicate and the Brindle family. with whom they were engaged in a highly publicised gangland war during the 1990s.

Derek Creighton "Bertie" Smalls was considered by many as Britain's first supergrass. Although there have been informers throughout history – the Kray twins were partly convicted two years before Smalls on evidence given by Leslie Payne – the Smalls case was significant for three reasons: the first informer to give the police volume names of his associates and provide the evidence that would send dozens of them to prison to serve long sentences; the first criminal informer to strike a written deal with the Director of Public Prosecutions; the only criminal informer to serve no time for his crime in return for providing Queen's evidence.

Roy Francis Adkins was an English gangster. He was a recognised London gangland figure during the 1970s and 80s.

Freddie Foreman is an English publican, gangster, former associate of the Kray twins and convicted criminal.

<i>Real Crime</i> 2001 British TV series or programme

Real Crime is a British documentary television series produced by ITV Studios for the ITV network. Each episode examines a notorious crime and includes interviews with relatives of the victims. It was broadcast from 2001 to 2011, and ended after ten series. From 2008 until 2011, each episode was presented by Mark Austin and from 2010 was listed as Real Crime with Mark Austin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terence Hogan</span> English professional criminal (1931-1995)

Terence Hogan, also known as Terry "Lucky Tel" Hogan and Harry Booth, was an English professional criminal and notorious figure in the London underworld in the 1950s and 1960s. He took part in the 1952 Eastcastle Street mailbag robbery in which £287,000 was stolen from a post office van leaving Paddington station. Hogan was a member of the infamous "Bowler Hat Gang", who dressed up as city gents to execute the robbery of an armoured payroll truck at London's Heathrow Airport in 1962, and a short time later, was believed to be tied to the Great Train Robbery (1963) under his alias Harry Booth.

Charles Frederick Wilson was an English career criminal. A member of the Great Train Robbery gang, of which he was treasurer, he was shot dead on the doorstep of his Marbella home in 1990.

British firms are organised crime groups originating in the United Kingdom.

<i>The Great Train Robbery</i> (2013 TV series) British television miniseries

The Great Train Robbery is a two-part British television miniseries, written by Chris Chibnall, that was first broadcast on BBC One on 18 and 19 December 2013. The series is distributed worldwide by Kew Media.

David Charles Hunt is an English suspected organised crime boss linked to violence, fraud, prostitution, money laundering and murder. He heads a gang dubbed 'The Hunt Syndicate', which has been described as being an extensive criminal empire that has so far evaded significant penetration from law enforcement. Hunt is known in gangland circles as Long Fella due to his height of 6 ft 5 inches. In a confidential police report from the early 2000s which was later leaked online, Hunt's gang was said to include family members and the father of well-known reality TV star Mark Wright.

References

  1. ↑ Campbell, Duncan (21 November 1991). "Shot gang boss wanted robber dead". The Guardian . The man who ordered the killing of the Great Train Robber Charlie Wilson was himself shot dead in an Amsterdam bar, a London inquest was told yesterday. Roy Francis Adkins, a 42-year-old Londoner, was killed in the Nightwatch bar of the American Hotel in Amsterdam on September 28, last year.
  2. ↑ Mansey, Kate (14 March 2010). "Gangster's girlfriend living in fear of hitman sent by HIM". mirror. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  3. ↑ "Brief history of Gunn Crime". LeftLion. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  4. ↑ Doward, Jamie; Fellstrom, Carl (5 August 2007). "Brutal ganglord who fell victim to his own drugs". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  5. ↑ Johnston, Philip (10 March 2007). "Daily Telegraph, 10 March 2007. Retrieved 5 September 2008". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  6. ↑ TERRY ADAMS: THE LAST BRITISH GANGSTER AND THE 'GOODFELLAS' TAPES Archived 4 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Rex Williamson-Travis, Courtnews.co.uk
  7. ↑ Villains' Paradise: A History of Britain's Post-War Underworld: From the spivs to the Krays (John Murray 2006) ISBN   0-7195-6344-5. (Pegasus 2006) ISBN   1-933648-17-1.
  8. ↑ "ic Liverpool – Police to seize drug baron's money". Archived from the original on 4 July 2004. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  9. ↑ Cornell shot by Ronnie Kray. Retrieved 23 September 2007.
  10. ↑ Bennetto, Jason (25 May 2000). "Gangster Foreman is held over Kray killings after confessions on television –". The Independent . London. Archived from the original on 28 October 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  11. ↑ "Kray Aide will not be charged over Killings". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 December 2013.
  12. ↑ Hiscock, John. Gangsters in a class of their own ..., The Daily Telegraph , 21 February 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  13. ↑ "Reggie Kray: Notorious gangster". BBC News. 26 August 2000. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  14. ↑ Britain's top 10 richest (known) drug barons
  15. ↑ 1969: Kray twins guilty of McVitie murder (BBC archived news 1969)
  16. ↑ Devito, Carlo (2005) Encyclopedia of International Organized Crime. New York: Facts On File, Inc. ISBN   0-8160-4848-7
  17. ↑ "Gangland leader 'bled to death", BBC News, 19 April 2005
  18. ↑ "The Gay Gangster". Irish Abroad. 3 July 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  19. ↑ "Noye: From street vendor to Mr Big", BBC News, 14 April 2000
  20. ↑ "Noye: I just struck out", BBC News, 7 April 2000
  21. ↑ "Joey Pyle: A force in London underworld". Surrey Comet. 15 March 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  22. ↑ "Great Train Robber Bruce Reynolds dies aged 81". BBC News. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  23. ↑ "Bruce Reynolds". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. 1 March 2013. p. 33.
  24. ↑ "Obituary: Bruce Reynolds". The Guardian. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  25. ↑ Jake Arnott (12 July 2013). "Great Train Robbery: How Bruce Reynolds became a writer". BBC News. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  26. ↑ Reynolds, Bruce (29 January 2008). "Comment: Anyone can steal – but few get away". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  27. ↑ Armstrong, Jeremy; Myall, Steve (19 September 2012). "Hard as nails: Kray Twins gangster rival Charlie Richardson dies". The Mirror. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
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