Gangland Soho

(Paperback)

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Description

Behind the fashionable bars and clubs of Soho lies a fascinating history of criminal activity, featuring some of London's most notorious gangsters. From the razor gangs of the 1920s to the post-war gangleaders Billy Hill and Jack Spot; from the pre-war French pimps and the Messina brothers to the Albanian gangs, through to the thriving Soho of today, the area has been a Mecca for thieves, conmen, drug dealers, notorious pimps and crooked lawyers. James Morton vividly portrays the crimes and criminals that have given Soho its infamous reputation, including the vicious Kray-Richardson gang, a Second World War Jack the Ripper, the shooting in the streets of Soho of gangster Jack Spot and the gangland murder of boxer Freddie Mills. Behind the fashionable bars and clubs of Soho lies a fascinating history of criminal activity, featuring some of London's most notorious gangsters. From the razor gangs of the 1920s to the post-war gangleaders Billy Hill and Jack Spot; from the pre-war French pimps and the Messina brothers to the Albanian gangs, through to the thriving Soho of today, the area has been a Mecca for thieves, conmen, drug dealers, notorious pimps and crooked lawyers.

Reviews

'A full, judicious and endlessly entertaining biography THE SUNDAY TIMES 'This hard-hitting, at times terrifying book for lovers of London, history and the human psyche portrays the area's myriad nature so vividly that going for that drink in Soho will never seem quite the same again.' IRISH WORLD 'Reading this book is like sitting in the snug of one of Soho's old hostelries and listening to the tales of an old inhabitant...rattling good read.' BBC HISTORY

Author Bio

James Morton, a former solicitor, is the author of LOLA MONTEZ (Portrait 2006, 978 0 7499 5115 3) and co-author of CONNED (Portrait 2007, 978 0 7499 5143 6). His previous books include GANGLAND and EAST END GANGLAND. He lives in Barnet.