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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Dublin's gangsters' molls: The women on the arms of some of the world's most notorious criminals
For a decade, the streets of Dublin have been awash with the blood of its two most notorious gangs - the Kinahans and the Hutches. Peculiarly, these two families were once friendly and many of the top tier criminal members have worked together in the past. Both are known as two of the most feared mobs in Ireland with empires worth millions and reach into the UK, Spain and Dubai. But alongside the gangland murders, contract killings and drug smuggling on a colossal scale, these gangsters still pursue family lives with their wives and girlfriends. They go on holiday, buy fancy clothes and live in imposing mansions - albeit with bulletproof windows and reinforced doors. But while they enjoy the trappings of domestic bliss - their lives are far from ordinary. Kinahan godfather Christy 'The Dapper Don' Kinahan Snr grew up in a middle-class family and law enforcement first became aware of him around the time he started working with Hutch Family Godfather Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch's older brother Eddie, reportedly robbing delivery vans and warehouses. While The Dapper Don built up his empire smuggling heroin into Ireland in the 80s, The Monk is suspected of making millions by teaming up with the Provisional IRA to pull off some of the biggest bank heists in Ireland's history. The Dapper Don's son Daniel 'Chess' Kinahan was famously friends with The Monk's nephew Gary Hutch. But that all changed in 2015 when Gary Hutch was wrongly suspected of being an informant for the Spanish police and was executed. What followed was a fierce gangland feud still raging to this day with 18 people killed in 10 years of bloodshed. Below, MailOnline looks at the women behind the kingpins wreaking havoc, making millions and often evading justice in a deadly fight for control of Ireland's drug trade. Daniel 'Chess' Kinahan, Christy 'The Dapper Don' Kinahan Snr and Christopher 'Mano' Jnr are all wanted, with US rewards totalling $15million Patricia Fowler Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch's wife has never been pictured - until today. Keeping a low profile, Patricia Fowler, who has been married to Hutch Family godfather, 63, for 38 years, has managed to avoid the press and only previously appeared with her face blurred out in gardai arrest footage. There is no suggestion Patricia is involved in crime herself. But she has been close to the heart of the Irish mob for decades through her association with her husband. Patricia grew up around the corner from Hutch and the pair started dating when they were teenagers. They were still teens when they had their first child together and have five children in total. None of their children are involved in criminality. The Monk married Patricia in March 1987, when he was 24 years old. They lived together on Buckingham Street in Dublin's north inner city before moving elsewhere. 'The Monk' earned his nickname because he abstained from booze, drugs and smoking and in part due to his hairstyle when he was younger. While his family are known to have been linked to the Hutch-Kinahan feud, the majority of casualties have been on the Hutch side. While it is commonly referred to as a feud, many see it as the dismantling of the Hutches by way of execution-style mafia hits. The most well known was the machine gun murder of David Byrne in 2016 at he Regency Hotel in Dublin, a hit that sparked the most deadly year of the feud to date. Six attackers, including a man disguised as a woman and two others dressed as police officers armed with AK-47s, stormed the four-star hotel, which has since been renamed as the Bonnington, and shot Kinahan gangster Byrne. It is believed the main target was suspected Kinahan Cartel boss Daniel Kinahan, who had left moments earlier. In August 2021, Patricia was having dinner with Hutch in a restaurant in Fuengirola on the Costa Del Sol - where two Scottish gang members were shot dead last month - when Spanish police arrested him in connection with the murder of David Byrne, for which he was later found not guilty. These days, although the Hutches are still a major crime group facing investigations in Dublin, they have not reached the heights of criminality that the Kinahans have. At the time of the photograph, Patricia's husband was hiding out in Europe as the Kinahans reportedly had a €500k (£420k) hit out on him. Caoimhe Robinson Caoimhe Robinson married suspected Kinahan mobster Daniel 'Chess' Kinahan, 47, in a glitzy ceremony at the £1,000-a-night Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai in 2017. It is thought members of the feared Lyons mob who are part of a four-way gang war in Scotland attended the wedding. There is no suggestion Caoimhe is involved in crime herself. Caoimhe, from Coolock in the north of Dublin, is also the ex-girlfriend of gangster Micka 'The Panda' Kelly, who was linked to six murders and was shot dead by the Real IRA in Clongriffin, north Dublin, in 2011. The Panda was gunned down as he left an apartment in north Dublin. His dead body was shot again before a car was driven over him. Three years earlier, The Panda is thought to have organised a gruesome double murder in 2008 that saw drug dealers David 'Babyface' Lindsay and Alan Napper supposedly horrifically tortured and shot dead before their bodies were cut up and thrown in the Irish Sea. Caoimhe has sold and let millions of pounds worth of property in Dubai despite international sanctions freezing her husband's assets Although traces of their blood were found in a house in County Down a year later, their bodies have never been found. Vinnie Ryan from the Real IRA was charged with possession of an AK-47 believed to be connected with The Panda's murder and he was later shot dead — supposedly on orders from the Kinahans. Caoimhe has sold and let millions of pounds worth of property in Dubai despite international sanctions freezing her husband's assets. This allegedly includes a mansion that was rented out for £20,000-a-year before being sold for £4.3million, and a luxury villa with a swimming pool and a terrace overlooking a golf course that was sold last May for nearly £10million. Months before she started selling her properties, the US unveiled sanctions against seven senior figures in the Kinahan cartel and a $5million (£4million) bounty for the arrest of Daniel, his father 'The Dapper Don', and brother Christopher Jr. Caoimhe is not the target of any sanctions or arrest warrants and - unlike other members of the Kinahan family - is not a fugitive. The Dapper Don remains the godfather but is thought to have handed the reins over to his two sons, Caoimhe's husband Daniel and Christopher 'Mano' Kinahan Jr. They have their fingers in many pies, from drug smuggling to extortion, money laundering, arms smuggling and property development. They have allegedly sold products to Iran and Hezbollah's intelligence services and the Mexican cartels. The Kinahans are thought to have €1.5billion (£1.2billion) hidden in offshore accounts around the world. Joanne Byrne Joanne Byrne, 51, is married to Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh, the jailed boss of the Kinahans' UK operation. She is also the daughter of infamous Irish mob boss James 'Jaws' Byrne, who was friends with Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch until the murder of his son David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016. Little is known about Joanne and she is rarely pictured. She was born in November 1973 to parents James 'Jaws' Byrne and Sadie Byrne, and has five siblings. Jaws, who passed away aged 76 last year, was an armed robber with links to crime boss Martin 'The General' Cahill. Cahill was killed in 1994 when a gunman, allegedly from the Provisional IRA, shot him multiple times in the face and upper torso. She faces a battle over £500,000 worth of luxury goods seized from her and Kavanagh's home by the National Crime Agency Jaws lived in Dublin's Raleigh Square, a cul de sac that became the Byrne Organised Crime Group's stronghold, with Joanne's gangster brothers Liam and David both living down the road as well as senior member Sean 'Lugs' McGovern. In 2018, the Irish High Court found that jaws, his wife Sadie, daughter Maria and three others 'while not members of the Byrne organised crime group, are closely related to its members and involved in money laundering'... and 'have access to the proceeds of criminal activity carried out by the Byrne organised crime group.' Joanne's brother David, 33, was a Kinahan gangster before he was murdered while her other brother is jailed Kinahan criminal Liam Byrne, 44. She is also the cousin of convicted Kinahan murderer 'Fat Freddie' Thompson, 44. Joanne is thought to be still living in her and 'Bomber's' £1million Staffordshire 'luxury fortified mansion' set with bulletproof glass and reinforced doors that police raided in 2019. During that bust, they seized £500,000 of luxury gear including 120 designer handbags, 120 sets of designer heels, 36 pairs of Armani jeans and £40,000 of cash that was stuffed down the back of a sofa - as well as a slew of weapons. There were drawers full of expensive watches and jewellery and an astonishing weapons haul that included a stun gun, zombie knives, an axe and samurai style sword was also found. The police seized all the items and prosecutors are also fighting to seize the house itself. While there is no suggestion she was involved in or knew about her husband's criminal activities, Joanne faces losing her collection of designer clothes and accessories as well as her and Bomber's plush gated pad in an assets battle with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). In 2022 Bomber was sentenced to 21 years in HMP Belmarsh for conspiring to import £36million of drugs into the UK. Last year he was sentenced to a further six years for trying to dupe law enforcement authorities by leading them to a cache of guns in a bid for a reduced sentence. Simoan McEnroe Simoan McEnroe, 43, is married to Kinahan Cartel mob boss Liam Byrne, 44, who is understood to be one of the most trusted members outside of the immediate family. Social media posts show her luxury lifestyle from partying in Ibiza to splurging on a lavish party for her youngest son's confirmation. Along with her close mates Anita Freeman and Kelly Quinn, the partner of her murdered brother-in-law David Byrne, Simoan McEnroe has been named by CAB in proceedings against the Byrne Organised Crime Group, an offshoot of the Kinahan Cartel. The CAB has seized multiple properties linked to Byrne, including his €1million (£854,000) Dublin mansion beset with chandeliers, hot tubs, games rooms, bars and a high-end security system. When that home was raided in 2016, cops had to use specialist equipment to cut through the reinforced doors. The CAB has seized almost 50 assets totalling close to €2million (£1.7million) from the Byrne Organised Crime Group. Simoan has been married to Liam Byrne for 27 years and have three children aged nine, 14 and 24. There is no suggestion she or her children are involved in crime themselves. Their eldest, Lee Byrne, is engaged to and having a baby with ex-England and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard's daughter Lilly. Neither he nor Lilly are thought to involved in crime themselves. Along with his brother-in-law Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh, Liam Byrne helped run the Kinahans' UK operation and was jailed for five years in 2024 for his part in a submachine gun haul plot cracked open using decrypted EncroChat messages. During the trial, he claimed to be a car salesman and a 'spray painter by trade'. Despite this, his and Simoan's home is in a gated community in a luxury part of Merseyside. Simoan speaks on the phone while holding a gold clutch purse with a handbag over her shoulder In January this year, Byrne was let out of prison with an electronic tag as part of the Prime Minister's controversial Early Release Scheme to ease overcrowding in prisons, sources said. It came three months after he was sentenced to five years in jail for his part in a submachine gun haul plot - although he had already served 192 days in a Spanish jail, which were taken off his final sentence. At the time of his release, sources told MailOnline his neighbours were 'terrified' his release could lead to violence on their street, pointing out that in 2023, criminals targeted an address on the estate where the Byrne family live, setting fire to the front of the property. Anita Freeman Anita Freeman is the longterm girlfriend of Sean 'Lugs' McGovern, a close friend of the Byrnes and a suspected top tier Kinahan Cartel associate. They met as teenagers and now have two children together. For years, she has lived out in Dubai, brushing shoulders with some of the most wanted men on the planet. But although her pals include suspected Kinahan Cartel kingpin Daniel 'Chess' Kinahan's moll Caoimhe Robinson, her own boyfriend is in a spot of bother, to put it lightly. For years he and other senior members of the Cartel, also known as the Kinahan Organised Crime Group (KOCG) have enjoyed a life of luxury in their Dubai boltholes, seemingly safe from extradition. But after almost a decade trying, Irish police were finally able extradite him from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on May 29, 2025, and charged him with five offences including the 2016 murder of Gerry Hutch's friend, 62-year-old grandfather Noel 'Duck Egg' Kirwan. There is no suggestion Anita is is involved in crime herself. For Freeman, who hails from the south Dublin neighbourhood of Crumlin, it could mean her friends in Dubai move to another jurisdiction they feel is safer from extradition. She has already seen her shared home with Lugs in Crumlin seized by the CAB in 2019 after the Irish High Court deemed it was bought and renovated using the proceeds of crime. It was later sold to Dublin City Council. Anita has been Lugs's girlfriend since the pair were teenagers growing up in South Dublin — McGovern lived in Drimnagh, the nextdoor neighbourhood to Anita Freeman's Crumlin. Lugs was shot once during the 2016 Regency Hotel attack that killed Kinahan Cartel enforcer David Byrne. In 2017, he and Anita moved to Dubai under the threat of growing Gardaí power. Left to right: Liam Byrne with wife Simon McEnroe and Anita Freeman with her partner Sean 'Lugs' McGovern Lugs is thought to be on a 23-hour lockdown in Ireland's only maximum-security jail, Portlaoise Prison Although she has intermittently returned to Ireland, Lugs had avoided doing so for fear of arrest, meaning even that he missed his father's funeral in 2022. It is understood that despite her partner's arrest, Anita has remained in Dubai with the rest of the Kinahan Cartel. Lugs is thought to be on a 23-hour lockdown in Ireland's only maximum-security jail, Portlaoise Prison. As well the murder charge, he was charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation in relation to Mr Kirwan's murder from October 20 and December 22, 2016 and enhancing the abilities of a crime gang to carry out the same murder. He was also charged with directing a crime gang to carry out surveillance on Hutch associate James 'Mago' Gately and facilitating a criminal organisation in connection with a conspiracy to murder Gately between October 17 2015, and April 6, 2017. McGovern has not yet issued a plea in relation to the charges. Kelly Quinn Tragically, Kelly Quinn will always be remembered as the girlfriend of slain gangster David Byrne, 36, who was machine-gunned to death during the Regency Hotel attack in 2016 as part of the Hutch-Kinahan feud. Kelly has two children with David Byrne, who she claimed was in the 'wrong place at the wrong time' and had 'nothing to do with any of that feud,' adding that he was 'never involved'. In reality, David Byrne was a known and feared Kinahan Cartel enforcer tasked with intimidating people who owed the gang money for drugs. He was never convicted of a serious crime but since he was a teenager, he was investigated by every specialist garda unit battling organised crime. Tragically, Kelly Quinn will always be remembered as the girlfriend of slain gangster David Byrne Kelly has two children with David Byrne (pictured, Byrne and his children), who she claimed was in the 'wrong place at the wrong time' and had 'nothing to do with any of that feud,' adding that he was 'never involved' He was also questioned but not charged over the murder of mercenary hitman Gary Bryan, who was shot six times in the head in front of his girlfriend while he was fixing a car in 2006. When he was dead, the killer shot several more rounds into his limp body. No one has ever been found guilty of his murder. His death, alleged to have been carried out by the Hutch Family, sparked a series of revenge killings. After David Byrne's death, a further nine people were killed in 2016: Eddie Hutch Snr; Vinnie Ryan; Noel 'Kingsize' Duggan; Martin O'Rourke; Michael Barr; Gareth Hutch; David Douglas; Trevor O'Neill; and Noel 'Duck Egg' Kirwan. Of the men killed as part of the feud that year, only David Byrne was from the Kinahan side. Photos of Kelly taken after David's death also showed her dressed in a leopard print top, black leggings and white Adidas trainers while smoking a cigarette and getting into a cream coloured Mini Cooper with black stripes on the bonnet Kelly Quinn flicked the cigarette to the ground before getting inside the Mini Cooper What's next for the Kinahans? The big question on everyone including the molls' lips now is will this all fall apart? Ireland's High Court has been declaring many of their assets as the proceeds of crime and the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) has been seizing them on those grounds. And this year after almost a decade of negotiations, Irish police, An Garda Síochána (also referred to as the Gardaí) extradited top Kinahan gangster Sean 'Lugs' McGovern from Dubai this year in what they view will be a test case for extraditing and arresting other senior members of the Cartel. Dr Philip Berry is a former counter-narcotics official at the Home Office who worked for the Afghanistan Serious and Organised Crime team. He is now a consultant focusing on the international drug trade and a visiting senior lecturer at KCL. He told MailOnline: 'Given the profits generated by the cocaine business, it seems likely that the Kinahan organised crime group will remain in the industry as long as they continue to evade the authorities.' 'The Kinahans have also been involved in trafficking other drugs, including heroin and cannabis, and have participated in other criminal activities. 'Continued law enforcement operations against the Kinahan organisation, Sean McGovern's extradition, and the cooperative relationship between the Irish and UAE authorities means Dubai may not be as safe a haven as the Kinahan organisation once thought.' But despite the threat of losing their fast cars and fancy homes, many of the gangsters' molls are seemingly still living a life of wealth, bathing in the riches of crime and violence. Six were or had links to the Hutch Family, two were innocent people killed in suspected cases of mistaken identity and one, Vinnie Ryan, was thought to have been killed by the Kinahans although whether he was associated with the Hutches is disputed. Kelly had known other molls connected to the Kinahan Cartel for years and is believed to have kept in touch with them. There is no suggestion Kelly is is involved in crime herself. In an undated photo, she was pictured smiling next to Liam Byrne's moll Simoan McEnroe and Sean 'Lugs' McGovern's moll Anita Freeman. Photos of Kelly taken after David's death also showed her dressed in a leopard print top, black leggings and white Adidas trainers while smoking a cigarette and getting into a cream coloured Mini Cooper with black stripes on the bonnet. MailOnline understands she is also close to her nephew Lee Byrne's fiancée Lilly Gerrard, who are also not criminals themselves. Charlene Lam Beautician Charlene Lam, 37, is the partner of top Hutch Family gangster James 'Mago' Gately, 38, who has survived multiple attempts on his life by the Kinahans and has been shot at least six times. There is no suggestion Charlene is involved in crime herself. Her beauty firm Bombshell Beauty in Dublin's north inner city has advertised treatments for up to €300 (£256). She offers everything from jaw and cheek filler for €250 each to PhiBrows - a semi-permanent cosmetic tattoo for sleeker-looking eyebrows for €300. Her salon on Summerhill Parade is above the Bridge Tavern pub, which was called the Sunset House in 2016 when republican Michael Barr was shot dead there, allegedly by the Kinahans, as part of the Hutch-Kinahan feud. The shop makes a little under €30,000 (£25,600) a year. Although Gately has never been convicted of serious crimes, a CAB officer alleged in a sworn affidavit that he 'is a leading and prominent member of the Hutch Organised Crime Gang involved in armed robberies and the importation of controlled drugs'. Beautician Charlene Lam, 37, (pictured) is the partner of top Hutch Family gangster James 'Mago' Gately, 38, who has survived multiple attempts on his life by the Kinahans and has been shot at least six times There is no suggestion Charlene is involved in crime herself. Her beauty firm Bombshell Beauty in Dublin's north inner city has advertised treatments for up to €300 (£256) Charlene holds her phone as she walks in grey trainers, dark green joggers and a pink sweater James 'Mago' Gately with his girlfriend Charlene Lam leaving Northside Shopping Centre in Coolock, Dublin He has been allegedly linked to three murders by CAB although has never been charged with murder. The CAB said the couple had been on a series of 'eye-watering' holidays to Korea, China, Japan, Barcelona and Lisbon. In June last year, her partner Mago's luxury Coolock home was declared as being 'overwhelmingly' the proceeds of crime and was seized by the CAB. Charlene Lam in a pair of running shoes and designer leggings while holding what appears to be two vats of paint Gately and Charlene are now living on Portland Row at the heart of the Hutch Family's territory in the north inner city A ladies' rolex watch and a VW Golf were also taken. The couple have both denied their assets are the proceeds of crime. Gately and Charlene are now living on Portland Row at the heart of the Hutch Family's territory in the north inner city. Another notable resident of the same road is Gerry Hutch's sister.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I got recruited by a county lines gang when I was just nine-years-old - I saw friends kidnapped and was repeatedly threatened with guns and knives - but I never thought I was being exploited
A boy who was recruited by a vicious county line drugs gang at the age of just nine today reveals his harrowing story. The youngster, who lives in north-west England but asked to remain anonymous to avoid reprisals, said he was persuaded into joining the gang by an older member he considered his 'best mate'. At points, they made £2,000 a day smuggling cocaine and cannabis on trains using child couriers, with pupils in school uniform targeted for recruitment because they were considered less suspicious. The boy tells MailOnline of being repeatedly threatened with guns and knives by rivals and seeing a friend being kidnapped. Yet, given his age, he says he never realised he was being exploited until he managed to leave the gang after eight years. Now safe and in full-time work, his testimony is a rare insight into the inner workings of a county lines gang and the tactics they use to groom vulnerable youngsters. Nearly 3,000 children were involved in county lines in the year up to March 2024, according to the latest official figures. The term refers to urban gangs moving drugs to suburban or rural areas in order to expand their market. 'I was nine when I first got involved,' said the boy, who is helping social care provider Next Stage Youth Development train professionals to spot the signs youngsters may be involved in county lines. 'My dad had left and I felt like it was on me to provide for my mum and my sisters. It all started with my best mate. He was a bit older, someone I looked up to - he always had the nice trainers, always had a bit of cash and never seemed worried . 'One day, he just said to me, ''Let's run our own line''. And when you're young and desperate to help your mum, that doesn't sound like a trap – it sounds like an opportunity. 'At first, it was just the two of us, we'd make calls, sort the gear, hit the road, cook it up and move it, day in, day out. We were pulling in some serious money - £2,000 a day sometimes.' As the gang grew, more and more vulnerable children were recruited and made to traffic drugs. The boy said: 'My mate told one of his boys, ''I'm putting you on'' – meaning, you're going to do the legwork now - be the grafter, go out and sell. He'd give them a percent of the phone, a cut of the earnings, enough to keep them loyal. 'Then that boy would bring in his own mate, and so on. That's how they spread so quickly and unnoticed. 'This is where the exploitation begins, in the familiarity because we're all ''friends,'' no one questions it. When I was in it, I didn't think I was being exploited. I thought I was being helped. 'I had no money, and no prospects, so someone I trusted was showing me a way to survive. 'We used kids even younger than me - 14, 15 - in school uniform, because they didn't get stopped by police as much. We'd tell them to take off their blazers so their schools wouldn't get involved. 'If a kid got caught too many times, they became a liability and we would just find another one.' The boy described the most dangerous part of his role as 'going OT' - or 'out of town' - which refers to moving to a new area outside the gang's typical turf in order to deal drugs there. 'You're in an area you don't know, with people you barely trust so the lines blur fast. It's just two of you sometimes, dropped into a place where no one cares if you don't make it back,' he said. 'I'd lie to social care staff and say I was staying at a mate's house. If I didn't have a real address, I'd pull one off Google Maps because going ''missing'' brought attention, which was dangerous. 'If we saw the police got too close, I'd have to move all the gear from where we were. We called them ''shots gaffs'' - places where users let us stay and work. I'd cook and sell from there. 'Violence wasn't just a threat, it was normal. I saw my friend kidnapped. I've been threatened with guns and knives, all for grafting where I wasn't meant to.' The boy eventually left the gang after the associate who had first recruited him was sent to prison. 'I was running it on my own. But by being in care and moving around a lot, I eventually got moved out of the area which saved me as I handed the phone to the next in line,' he said. Now in his late teens, he is working full-time and living independently. He is supported by Next Stage Youth Development, which provides accommodation for young people in the North West and West Yorkshire. The youngster hopes his input into a training programme being developed by the company will help professionals working with children help other people in his situation. 'I know others who've gone through the same. I've recruited kids myself from being in different areas and across care, where many kids are looking for a chance to make money,' he said. 'If people like teachers or transport police took a closer look and asked questions when kids are tired, withdrawn, showing up with new clothes and no explanation, you can get an idea of what that child might be facing,' he said. 'If we're sitting on a train looking out of place, don't just turn away – think about whether they might be in trouble.' The Child Criminal Exploitation Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, plans to create a new offence of exploiting children for criminal activity, with a maximum sentence of ten years' imprisonment. Paul O'Rourke, managing director of Next Stage Group added: 'This young person's bravery and insight have shaped a training resource that is already changing how professionals understand exploitation.' 'While we welcome the new CCE Bill as a crucial ethical step forward, real change will come from recognising the deeper issues - poverty, coercion and lack of choice that drive young people into these situations. 'Legal reform must go hand-in-hand with proactive, compassionate approaches that divert young people from the criminal system before it takes hold.'
News.com.au
17 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘You die': New York mafia boss unleashes on gangs in Sydney, Melbourne
Crime gangs playing out their drug wars on Sydney and Melbourne streets are lacking the moral compass of old school New York criminals who made sure 'their own' were protected, according to Michael Franzese, one of the world's most powerful former mob bosses. 'I spent over 20 years in that life, I grew up in it with my father, a major figure, and the truth is we didn't go around killing innocent people, we took care of people in our neighbourhood,' Franzese told 'You couldn't get involved in the drug business, you deal with drugs you die.' Franzese said allowing innocent people to get caught in the crossfire of organised crime was an example of 'morality being at an all time low'. Since the gang war in Sydney began in October 2020, 28 people have been shot and killed – eight of them innocent people, while a further six have been injured – many of them children. On Monday a f50-year-old emale kebab shop worker was caught in the crossfire, critically injured when two men stormed the store and opened fire. Melbourne is facing the same crisis, and was shocked in January this year when 27-year-old 'completely innocent' Katie Tangey died after arsonists linked to the city's tobacco wars hit the wrong house. Franzese said the rise in attacks on innocent people was a reflection on the deterioration of society in general. 'I think it's a reflection on the decline generally of the world we live in. When the mafia originally started in the US there were lots of street gang wars, innocent people caught in the crossfire but it was all straightened out, divided into families and we were very careful,' the 73-year-old said on the eve of his Australian visit. 'We had a code of conduct. Today I would say it's the attitude in general. The conduct has been deteriorating.' Franzese, who was played by Joseph Bono in Martin Scorsese's classic movie Goodfellas, was the caporegime of the New York Colombo crime family but left in 1995 after serving eight years for a $520m tax dodge. He became a major target of law enforcement and was arrested 18 times, indicted seven times and had two federal racketeering cases brought against him, one by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. These days Franzese travels the world telling stories of his mob days, being as 'honest' as he can about his violent way of life, hoping he can wipe some of the shine, courtesy of Hollywood, of a career in crime. 'I like to be as honest as I can, it gives me a lot of credibility,' he says, though shying away from directly answering a question about whether he has committed murder. 'When people ask me that I tell them I lived a violent life at a violent time and if you're part of the life then you are part of the violence. People are usually satisfied with that answer.' Forced to postpone his planned trip to Australia because of immigration hold-ups, Franzese has now provided all the paperwork about his criminal history to satisfy officials and will hold talks in Sydney and Melbourne in July. 'There's a lot of interest in my former life especially in the last four or five years because of social media raising the level of interest about mafia and mob life in general,' Franzese said. 'No doubt Hollywood has played the major part. There has never been any kind of organised crime life that has been romanticised and publicised by the media and entertainment industry as much as the New York mob life,' he said. 'No other group has been covered in such a romantic way.' But the reality is a world away. 'People were very upset when I walked away. The bottom line is I had a lot of years where I struggled because my boss was very upset and took it very personally,' he said. 'You are not allowed to walk away. I need to lie very low, I moved to California. The bottom line is I did not join witness protection or cause hurt to anybody so it turned out okay for me.' The catalyst was a woman. 'I wanted to marry her. The mob life, the mafia life, it's a bad lifestyle. I don't call the guys bad, I had many friends. Good people do bad things. Some very good people did bad things and at the time we believed it was justified. 'The life is bad though because I don't know any family member of that life that wasn't devastated. My dad was in prison for 42 years. My mum blamed him for everything, and rightly so. 'I knew I had to change to preserve my family. I chose my wife over the life. We've been married for 40 years so I made the right decision.'
Globe and Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
B.C. Premier calls on Ottawa to label India's Bishnoi gang as terrorists
British Columbia Premier David Eby is calling on Ottawa to label a notorious Indian gang as a terrorist organization, in a bid to help police tackle extortion cases targeting South Asian businesses. B.C. is singling out the Bishnoi group amid a wave of extortion threats that has rattled Sikh people across Canada. 'There are allegations that gangs in India are operating here in our province, and in other provinces, to intimidate and extort business owners,' Mr. Eby told reporters in Victoria on Tuesday. 'I will be writing to the Prime Minister to ask that one of the gangs that is self-identified as being involved in some of these activities, the Lawrence Bishnoi group, be listed as a terrorist organization in Canada,' he said. Who is Lawrence Bishnoi, the man at centre of row between India and Canada? Mr. Eby's intervention is in response community pressure in Surrey. Last Friday, the Surrey Police Service announced it has established an Extortion Investigations Team after receiving ten reports of extortion just in the past six months. Surrey police say the reports involve individuals or businesses from the South Asian community who are contacted through a letter, phone calls or social media. They face demands for money made under threats of violence. 'We discourage anyone from responding to such demands. Officers are working to prevent these traumatizing situations and to holding those responsible to account,' Chief Superintendent Wendy Mehat, an RCMP liaison for Surrey, said in a statement. On Sunday, B.C.'s Public Safety Minister Garry Begg attended a crowded public safety forum in Surrey where business owners said they are facing threats demanding millions of dollars. 'We don't make this recommendation lightly, but this activity strikes at public confidence in the justice system, in our democracy and in their safety and community, and it erodes public confidence in the rule of law. It is a very serious matter. It's a huge concern for the people of Surrey,' Mr. Eby told reporters. Police forces in at least six cities across Canada are investigating extortion cases targeting the South Asian community and in particular people of Indian origin. In December 2023, police in Abbotsford, B.C., said they were investigating extortions involving affluent members of the South Asian community. They said suspects were believed to have ties to the Bishnoi gang. India's top investigative body, the National Investigation Agency, says Lawrence Bishnoi is running a transnational crime syndicate from an Indian jail cell. The Bishnoi gang has also been identified by the RCMP as playing a possible role in violent crimes on Canadian soil that have led to diplomatic tensions between Canada and India. Last year, the federal government expelled six Indian diplomats after the RCMP said it had credible evidence Indian agents played a role in crimes, including the killings of Canadian citizens and extortion. 'What we've seen, from an RCMP perspective, is the use of organized crime elements and it's been publicly attributed and claimed by one organized crime group in particular, which is the Bishnoi group,' the RCMP said at the time. Mr. Eby said there is a federal co-ordinating task force working on the extortion cases across the three provinces affected, but he said they need additional tools to reach beyond the Canadian border in dealing with transnational organized crime. 'This is more in the nature of terrorism than it is traditional crime. The community is terrified and I'm hopeful that by asking the Prime Minister to take this step, that he lists this organization and any others involved, and give police additional tools to advance their work on the ground.'
RNZ News
5 days ago
- RNZ News
Gang members from New Zealand with Cook Islands heritage causing serious concerns
By Talaia Mika , Cook Islands News Cook Islands Police media and strategic advisor Trevor Pitt told Cook Islands News that the movement of known gang members is a regional problem that has found its way into the Cooks. Photo: Cook Islands Police The growing presence and influence of organised gang members from New Zealand with Cook Islands heritage is causing serious concern for local authorities, with police confirming that the Cook Islands is one of the destinations affected by transnational gang mobility across the Pacific. Cook Islands Police media and strategic advisor Trevor Pitt told Cook Islands News that the movement of known gang members is a regional problem that has found its way into the Cooks. "As for the gangs issue, yes I can confirm that the mobility of organised gangs is a concern to law enforcement, not just for the Cook Islands but throughout the Pacific Islands," Pitt said. "We are just one of the destinations impacted by the movement of known gang members." This comes at the back of the New Zealand Police Commissioner Richard Chambers visit to the Cook Islands on Wednesday to deepen its relationship with the Cook Islands Police Service and assist in whatever way they can. Cook Islands News understands that some individuals with connections to these gangs had been posting videos of their lifestyles on TikTok with local youth engaging with and reacting to this content online - a growing concern in terms of influence and aspiration. Pitt said the Cook Islands Police is part of a broader multi-agency network that includes Immigration, Customs, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), and Transnational Crime Units (TCUs) across the region, including New Zealand and Australia. He said collaboration and information sharing are critical in developing strategies to combat cross-border criminal activity. He added that while he could not speak for the other agencies, the police partnership with New Zealand Police and Australian authorities are vital, especially as more Cook Islanders with gang ties return home. "The increased mobility of known gang members to the Cook Islands is a growing concern, particularly as our own people are part of the organised criminal element," he said. While Immigration requirements are being followed, Pitt said Police cannot stop Cook Islanders from entering the country if they comply with border regulations. Pitt added that one of the greatest challenges lies with vulnerable youth, especially those sent from New Zealand or Australia due to family problems. "Our at-risk youth are an ongoing problem. That includes those young ones who, unfortunately, are often sent from NZ or Australia due to family issues," he said. "These teens would be at risk whether here or in NZ as organised gangs are known to target troubled youth that are caught up in broken homes and families." Despite existing leadership and youth development initiatives run by Police each year, Pitt acknowledged that the resources to support these young people are limited and the outcomes are not always consistent. "The Police can only do so much with the juveniles and our programmes are limited to the youth leadership and development courses, each year," he said. "While we certainly value the support and cooperation of NZ with these, impact upon troubled juveniles is mixed at best." The rising visibility of gang influence through social media, combined with the real-world presence of returning or visiting gang-linked individuals, has escalated concerns about the safety and well-being of Cook Islands youth. Pitt emphasised that strengthening tactical cooperation with international law enforcement is now a top priority for the Cook Islands Police in the face of these evolving threats. Chambers confirmed that New Zealand is open to supporting the Cook Islands in tackling the gang issue and addressing the potential spread of transnational crime. "We're very open to supporting the Cook Islands in any way that we can," Chambers told Cook Islands News during his visit to Rarotonga. -This article was first published by Cook Islands News .
