Latest news with #gangster
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ex-bikie gangster rapper disrespects rival boxer before heavyweight fight - then gets a dose of instant karma
Ex-bikie gangster rapper John 'Big Kash' Lavulo talked a big game ahead of his recent heavyweight bout against Caleb Tialu - but the social media star was left humbled after losing the fight. Lavulo, 36, fought in suburban Brisbane, and was supremely confident before entering the ring. He labelled his own style 'fast and explosive', and was adamant he would get the job done inside the first round. Next he mocked Tialu by grabbing his nipple as the two faced off following their weigh-in. Tialu didn't respond to the public disrespect - and ultimately had the last laugh after being awarded the fight on points. In comes after Lavulo unleashed a savage attack on former Nomads boss Moudi Tajjour in June last year. In a brutal three-minute YouTube video, heavily-tattooed 'Big Kash' made wild transphobic and homophobic claims about one-time underworld enforcer Tajjour. 'Big Kash' - who survived a 2020 assassination attempt in Sydney's west - unloaded on the ex-bikie turned TikTok star in a video. Lavulo said he was hitting out after Tajjour took offence at another video which the rapper says was not aimed at him. He also claimed twice-married Tajjour is a fake and an 'embarrassment' to his family. Since burning his Nomads colours and leaving the club several years ago, Tajjour has become a cult figure on social media as he engages in verbal battles with both real and would-be gangsters. Tajjour in the late 1990s was the youngest-ever recruit into the Nomads, joining the Sydney chapter of the notorious bikie gang when he was only 15. He and his brother Sleiman spent four years behind bars after being convicted of the manslaughter of Robin Nassour, the younger brother of Fat Pizza star George Nassour, in 2006. Tajjour moved from Sydney to the Gold Coast in 2024 to be closer to his son Gabriel. In 2017, he was briefly married to Sanaa Mehajer, the sister of disgraced property developer Salim Mehajer, but now has a new wife, Jenna.
The Review Geek
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Mercy for None Season 1 Review – A gripping one-man journey of revenge
Season 1 Episode Guide Episode 1 -| Review Score – 4/5 Episode 2 -| Review Score – 4/5 Episode 3 -| Review Score – 4/5 Episode 4 -| Review Score – 4/5 Episode 5 -| Review Score – 3/5 Episode 6 -| Review Score – 3.5/5 Episode 7 -| Review Score – 3.5/5 Whether it is the blood-soaked journey of Kill Bill or the gun-slinging extravaganza of John Wick, audiences have always loved watching a revenge-fuelled hero mow their way through a crowd of villains. There is a unique thrill to watching a formidable one-man army tear through enemies like it's nothing, all in the name of justice. Mercy for None follows in the same vein, giving us a gritty, action noir with gangsters, murders, and one man's quest for revenge. The 7-episode K-drama follows Nam Gi-jun, a gangster who was exiled 11 years ago and whose younger brother Gi-seok is now second in command. When Gi-seok is killed, Gi-jun takes it upon himself to expose the murderer and kill anyone who was involved. And so begins Gi-jun's violent warpath, as he sifts through the members and traitors of the two major gangs — Juwoon Group and Bongsan Group — and uncovers a larger conspiracy. Gi-jun is very much the hook here. From the outset, the exiled gangster is talked about with reverence and the other gang members even bow to him when he arrives at Gi-seok's funeral. He's often described as legendary and people exchange cryptic warnings about him. At one point, a character calls Gi-jun a God while describing how he single-handedly turned the tide during a gang war back in the past. This mythology around his character works really well and as the action kicks off, you're eager for Gi-jun's rivals to get what they deserve. Despite sporting an ankle injury — a token from his banishment — Gi-jun is practically invincible and takes down professional fighters and assassins. He is hit and stabbed and shot but none of that stops him. Every once in a while, he does fall down but that only makes it more satisfying to watch him get up again. When he comes across newer gang members, you gleefully wait for them to realise just who he is. This plot armour is quite apparent and you do have to suspend your disbelief to enjoy Gi-jun's crusade. But the action choreography is executed quite well and supplemented by the camerawork, which accentuates Gi-jun's moves. Dark sets and neon lighting often make the backdrop for these fights, making it a visual treat. And for lovers of gore, that last episode really ups the ante. So Ji-sub's performance is excellent as well. Rather than depicting Gi-jun as an angry, vengeful brother, he infuses the character with quiet determination and heartwrenchingly sad eyes. Gi-jun is grieving and he doesn't want to murder so many people but he will do it, because he must. While incredibly effective, his performance could be a tad monotonous for some people. Mercy for None Season 1's story doesn't live up to the level of its action sequences, though. The first few episodes are short, fast-paced and end with tantalising cliffhangers that hook you into the show by focusing on Gi-jun's fights. However, the latter half of the season unravels the larger conspiracy behind GI-seok's death. But in doing so, the episodes lose some of the former tight, gripping storytelling. What's more, there is a surprising lack of depth in the writing. For all the talk about the gang's business and power, we never actually find out what they do. The word illegal gets thrown around a lot but nobody bothers to expand on this. Similarly, there are supporting characters that seem to play very important roles, but we never dive into them. Many of the emotional beats center around Gi-jun fighting people who were once an important part of his life. It's clear that it pains him to hurt them but there's nothing to back these claims. We don't know or understand their relationship or its significance and the sentimentality, often played really well by a teary-eyed So Ji-sub, falls flat. I also have to mention that this is an entirely testosterone-driven drama that features exactly one woman who isn't an extra and even then, her role is minimal. Ultimately, your experience of this drama entirely hinges on whether the magic of So Ji-sub's Gi-jun and his superhero-like prowess works on you. If you're looking for a deep and complex take on the gangster drama, Mercy for None is not it. But if you enjoy watching one man shoot, slice, and hit his way through gangsters for the sake of his little brother, you will enjoy this K-drama and likely finish it all in one go.
BBC News
11-06-2025
- BBC News
Sidhu Moose Wala: Gangster tells BBC why India's biggest hip-hop star was murdered
It was a killing that shocked India: Punjabi hip-hop star Sidhu Moose Wala shot dead through the windscreen of his car by hired hours, a Punjabi gangster named Goldy Brar had used Facebook to claim responsibility for ordering the three years after the murder, no-one has faced trial - and Goldy Brar is still on the run, his whereabouts BBC Eye has managed to make contact with Brar and challenged him about how and why Sidhu Moose Wala became a response was coldly articulate."In his arrogance, he [Moose Wala] made some mistakes that could not be forgiven," Brar told the BBC World Service."We had no option but to kill him. He had to face the consequences of his actions. It was either him or us. As simple as that." On a warm May evening in 2022, Sidhu Moose Wala was taking his black Mahindra Thar SUV for its usual spin through dusty lanes near his village in the northern Indian state of Punjab when, within minutes, two cars began tailing footage later showed them weaving through narrow turns, sticking close. Then, at a bend in the road, one of the vehicles lurched forward, cornering Moose Wala's SUV against a wall. He was trapped. Moments later, the shooting footage captured the aftermath. His SUV was riddled with bullets, the windscreen shattered, the bonnet trembling voices, bystanders expressed their shock and concern."Someone get him out of the car.""Get some water.""Moose Wala has been shot."But it was too late. He was declared dead on arrival at hospital - hit by 24 bullets, a post-mortem would later reveal. The 28-year-old rapper, one of modern-day Punjab's biggest cultural icons, had been gunned down in broad daylight.A cousin and a friend who had been in the car with Moose Wala at the time of the ambush were injured, but gunmen were eventually identified. They carried AK-47s and pistols. In the weeks that followed the murder, about 30 people were arrested and two of the suspected armed men were killed in what the Indian police described as "encounters".Yet even with arrests piling up, the motive remained Brar, who claims to have ordered the hit, wasn't in India at the time of the killing. He is believed to have been in conversation with him unfolded over six hours, pieced together through an exchange of voice notes. It gave us a chance to find out why Moose Wala had been killed and to interrogate the motives of the man who claimed responsibility. Sidhu Moose Wala was born Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu in a Jat-Sikh family in rural Punjab, before moving in 2016 to Canada to study engineering - a journey familiar to hundreds of thousands in the Punjabi it was there, far from his village of Moosa - the inspiration for his rap name - that he reinvented himself as one of Punjabi music's most influential artists. In just five years, Moose Wala became the unmistakable voice of Punjabi his signature swagger, flashy style, and lyrical grit, Moose Wala sang openly about identity and politics, guns and revenge, pushing the boundaries of what Punjabi music had been willing to was fascinated by rapper Tupac Shakur, who had been murdered, aged 25, in 1996. "In terms of personality, I want to be like him," Moose Wala once told an interviewer. "The day he died, people cried for him. I want the same. When I die, people should remember that I was someone."Over a brief but explosive career, the singer spotlighted the darker undercurrents of India's Punjab region - gangster culture, unemployment, and political decay - while evoking a deep nostalgia for village Wala was also a global force. With more than five billion views of his music videos on YouTube, a Top 5 spot in the UK charts, and collaborations with international hip-hop artists including Burna Boy, Moose Wala swiftly built a fan base stretching across India, Canada, the UK and beyond, powered by a diaspora that saw him as both icon and fame came at a cost. Despite his rising star and socially conscious lyrics, Moose Wala was drifting into dangerous territory. His defiant attitude, visibility, and growing influence had drawn the attention of Punjab's most feared gangsters. These included Goldy Brar, and Brar's friend Lawrence Bishnoi, who even then was in high-security jail in much is known about Brar, apart from the fact he is on the Interpol Red Notice list, and is a key operative in a network of gangsters operated by Bishnoi – orchestrating hits, issuing threats and amplifying the gang's reach. It is thought he emigrated to Canada in 2017, just a year after Moose Wala himself, and initially worked as a truck once a student leader steeped in Punjab's violent campus politics, has grown into one of India's most feared criminal masterminds. "The first [police] cases filed against Lawrence Bishnoi were all related to student politics and student elections… beating a rival student leader, kidnapping him, harming him," according to Jupinderjit Singh, deputy editor of Indian newspaper the led to a spell in jail which hardened him further, says Gurmeet Singh Chauhan, Assistant Inspector General of the Anti-Gangster Task Force of Punjab Police."Once he was in jail, he started to get deeper into crime. Then he formed a group of his own. When it became an inter-gang thing, he needed money for survival. They need more manpower, they need more weapons. They need money for all that. So, for money, you have to get into extortion or crime."Now 31, Bishnoi runs his syndicate from behind bars - with dedicated Instagram pages and a cult-like following."So while Bishnoi sits in jail, Brar handles the gangs," says Assistant Inspector General BBC Eye's exchange with Brar took a year of chasing - cultivating sources, waiting for replies, gradually getting closer to the kingpin himself. But when we got through to Brar, the conversation cast new light on the question of how and why he and Bishnoi came to see Moose Wala as an enemy. One of the first revelations was that Bishnoi's relationship with Moose Wala went back several years, long before the singer's killing."Lawrence [Bishnoi] was in touch with Sidhu [Moose Wala]. I don't know who introduced them, and I never asked. But they did speak," said Brar."Sidhu used to send 'good morning' and 'good night' messages in an effort to flatter Lawrence."A friend of Moose Wala's, who spoke anonymously, also told us that Bishnoi had been in touch with Moose Wala as early as 2018, calling him from jail and telling him he liked his told us that the "first dispute" between them came after Moose Wala had moved back to India. It began with a seemingly innocuous match of kabbadi - a traditional South Asian contact team sport - in a Punjabi village. Moose Wala had promoted the tournament which was organised by Bishnoi's rivals - the Bambiha gang - Brar told us, in a sport where match-fixing and gangster influence are rampant."That's a village our rivals come from. He was promoting our rivals. That's when Lawrence and others were upset with him. They threatened Sidhu and said they wouldn't spare him," Brar told BBC the dispute between Moose Wala and Bishnoi was eventually resolved by an associate of Bishnoi's called Vicky Middhukhera. But when Middukhera himself was gunned down by gangsters in a parking lot in Mohali in August 2021, Brar told us Bishnoi's hostility towards Sidhu Moose Wala reached the point of no Bambiha gang claimed responsibility for killing Middukhera. The police named Moose Wala's friend and sometime manager Shaganpreet Singh on the charge sheet, citing evidence that Singh had provided information and logistical support to the gunmen. Singh later fled India and is believed to be in Australia. Moose Wala denied any Punjab police told the BBC there was no evidence linking Moose Wala to the killing or to any gang-related crime. But Moose Wala was friends with Shaganpreet Singh, and he was never able to shake off the perception that he was aligned with the Bambiha gang - a perception that may have cost him his he can cite no proof of Moose Wala's involvement, Brar remains convinced that the singer was somehow complicit in the killing of Middukhera. Brar repeatedly told us that Shaganpreet Singh had assisted the gunmen in the days before Middukhera's shooting - and inferred that Moose Wala himself must have been involved."Everyone knew Sidhu's role, the police investigating knew, even the journalists who were investigating knew. Sidhu mixed with politicians and people in power. He was using political power, money, his resources to help our rivals," Brar told BBC Eye."We wanted him to face punishment for what he'd done. He should have been booked. He should have been jailed. But nobody listened to our plea."So we took it upon ourselves. When decency falls on deaf ears, it's the gunshot that gets heard."We put it to Brar that India has a judicial system and the rule of law - how could he justify taking the law into his own hands?"Law. Justice. There's no such thing," he says. "Only the powerful can... [obtain] justice, not ordinary people like us."He went on to say that even Vicky Middukhera's brother, despite being in politics, has struggled to get justice through India's judicial system."He's a clean guy. He tried hard to get justice for his brother lawfully. Please call him and ask how that's going."He appeared unrepentant."I did what I had to do for my brother. I have no remorse whatsoever." Outside the UK, watch on YouTube, or listen on The killing of Moose Wala has not just resulted in the loss of a major musical talent, it has also emboldened Punjab's the singer's murder, few outside Punjab had heard of Bishnoi or the killing, their names were everywhere. They hijacked Moose Wala's fame and converted it into their own brand of notoriety - a notoriety that became a powerful tool for extortion."This is the biggest killing that has happened in the last few decades in Punjab," says Ritesh Lakhi, a Punjab-based journalist. "The capacity of gangsters to extort money has gone up. [Goldy Brar]'s getting huge sums of money after killing Moose Wala."Journalist Jupinderjit Singh agrees: "The fear factor around gangsters has risen amongst the public." Extortion has long been a problem in the Punjabi music industry, but now after Sidhu's murder, Singh says: "It's not just people in the music and film industry who are being extorted - even local businessmen are receiving calls."When BBC Eye quizzed Brar on this, he denied this was the motive, but died admit - in stark terms - that extortion was central to the gang's working."To feed a family of four a man has to struggle all his life. We have to look after hundreds or even thousands of people who are like family to us. We have to extort people."To get money," he says, "we have to be feared."
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Road To Perdition: Trailer, certificate and where to watch
Depression-era gangster drama with Tom Hanks as a mob enforcer on the run with his son 2002
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Moment rapper threatens murder victim on YouTube - before knifing him in the neck in front of his horrified son
This is the horrifying moment a rapper threatened his murder victim on YouTube before brutally knifing him in front of his young son. Renai Belle, 30, boasted of his 'gangster lifestyle' before stabbing father-of-two Josh McKay, 33 to death in a barbers on July 6, 2024. Belle, who posted online under his nickname Topz had written a rap song the previous year threatening to attack Mr McKay. In his video posted to YouTube, he rapped: 'How many times I put my flicky in man's head?' and 'I pray every day that I buck JMK,' referring to Josh McKay. Police tried to save Mr McKay but were unsuccessful and Belle was convicted of murder. A year prior to the fatal stabbing, Belle posted a song on YoutTube where he directly threatened Mr McKay. In the song, Belle bragged about his gangster lifestyle and his intention to hurt the father-of-two. In the three-minute song, the rap included the lines: 'How many times I put my flicky in man's head?' which Louis Mably, KC, prosecuting told the Old Bailey is a reference to stabbing someone in the head with a flick knife. Belle crept into Hollywood Cuts in Leyton wearing a balaclava before stabbing Mr McKay (pictured) in the neck while he and his barber discussed holiday plans Another line stated: 'I pray every day that I buck JMK.' Mr Mably explained: 'This is a reference to meeting JMK, and the inference is this is Josh McKay,' the prosecutor said. The rap continued: 'That's a good day, not for him though, jakes (police) couldn't catch me...' A year later, Belle carried out his intention and attacked Mr McKay in a barber shop in East London. He crept into Hollywood Cuts in Leyton wearing a balaclava before stabbing Mr McKay in the neck while he and his barber discussed holiday plans. The violent attacker was helped by his teaching assistant girlfriend Tenika Parker, 39, and 22-year-old Daniel Cooper, the Old Bailey heard. Following the gruesome stabbing police descended on the barbershop and tried to save the father-of-two using a scarf to stem the bleeding from the wound but he was unresponsive. The officers began CPR and carried on trying to revive the man until paramedics arrived but there was no pulse. Barber Wray Esson, who was cutting Mr McKay's hair said the pair were 'talking about holiday plans, when all of a sudden he saw a man wearing a balaclava creeping through the door,' (Belle pictured walking to the barbershop in a balaclava) After the fatal stabbing, Mr McKay grabbed the blade and 'went for the attacker' chasing him out of the shop and CCTV caught the moment Belle fled the scene (pictured) Specialist medics including a doctor even performed an emergency operation on the side of the road, but nothing could be done to revive Mr McKay and he was pronounced dead at 3.53pm. Mr Mably said: 'The colour had drained from his face, his eyes were wide open, and he was not breathing.' The prosecutor told the court it appeared Belle 'had an existing, violent hostility towards Mr McKay.' There were no cameras inside the shop but CCTV footage outside showed Mr McKay and his son arriving in their car 30 minutes before the attack. 'Footage also showed that at that time, Mr Belle was also in the very same area. He was in a car, and then on foot, in the same area of Lea Bridge Road, at the same time, going right past the barber's,' the prosecutor said. The attack was carried out 25 minutes later. 'What happened in those 25 minutes? Because he didn't go straight in,' the prosecutor said. 'What happened is that straightaway, and very quickly, he saw the opportunity, and made preparations for the attack to make sure he could carry it out before Mr McKay had finished having his hair cut. 'What he did was to go off and get the knife, and the balaclava, before coming back and creeping into the shop.' Barber Wray Esson, who was cutting Mr McKay's hair said the pair were 'talking about holiday plans, when all of a sudden he saw a man wearing a balaclava creeping through the door,' said Mr Mably. 'He thought it was a joke at first, but then saw the man had a large kitchen knife in his hand. 'The man approached Mr McKay, and just as Mr McKay swivelled round on the chair to see what was going on, the man plunged the knife into his neck, and then pulled the knife out. 'Mr McKay stood up. The man went to stab him again but Mr McKay put his arms up to defend himself. 'There was a scuffle and the knife fell to the ground.' Mr McKay grabbed the blade and 'went for the attacker' chasing him out of the shop. Passer-by Debbie Osu saw a man wearing dark clothes with a hood up 'creeping towards the shop' carrying something close to his leg. Moments later Mr McKay came out holding the knife after disarming the attacker, the court heard. Ms Osu heard Mr McKay say: 'I can't believe he caught me.' The prosecutor said the witness saw Mr McKay's distraught son outside saying 'that's my dad.' Parker and Cooper helped Belle carry out the attack, it was said. 'Tanika Parker was obviously a close friend and associate of Mr Belle - it seems they were in fact in a relationship,' the prosecutor said. Parker drove Belle drove to Lea Bridge Road in her SsangYong Turismo, the court heard. The prosecutor said telephone records show Belle had been in touch with Cooper that day asking him 'to provide him with the knife and balaclava'. CCTV footage showed that Belle and Parker attended Cooper's address to collects balaclava and knife, the court heard. Parker was arrested on the night of 7 July while Belle was arrested the next day. He made no comment in police interviews. Parker gave a written statement, in which he said she was in a relationship with Belle, but denied knowing that he was going to carry out an attack. Parker was initially arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and Cooper was arrested after handing himself in to police She was stopped by police while driving the car that had been identified as involved in the murder and after a search of the vehicle, officers found distinct black sliders Belle was seen wearing in CCTV footage, as well as traces of blood that officers sent for forensic testing. Parker was rearrested on Wednesday, 2 October, and charged with perverting the course of justice after CCTV footage showed her attempting to clean her car after the attack to remove any evidence. Belle, of Edmonton, denied but was convicted of murder. Parker and Cooper, both of Walthamstow, denied murder and were cleared by the jury. Parker was cleared of murder by the jury along with Cooper. Cooper had admitted possessing a bladed article, while Parker denied but was convicted of that offence. Parker denied but was unanimously convicted of perverting the course of justice by cleaning her SsangYong Turismo SUV after the attack. Belle and Parker will return for sentence at the Old Bailey on 30 July. Cooper will be sentenced separately on Friday. Detective Inspector Chris Griffith, from Specialist Crime North, who led the investigation, said: 'This was a savage and pre-planned attack, committed in broad daylight and with scant regard for passers-by. What took place left the local community reeling, and two young children without their father. 'My heart goes out to Josh's family and friends. He was a loving parent, whose life was ended in the most horrendous way. 'I hope that today's result provides Josh's family with some closure, and allows the community to feel safer knowing that Belle is no longer free to commit such heinous crimes.'
