From the 1870s Birmingham is the industrial heart of the greatest manufacturing nation on the planet. But the price is high. Charles Dickens describes the city as ‘a vision of hell’. Life expectancy is below 45 years. ibid.
Women also play a role in the real Peaky Gang’s activities. ibid.
The street gangs are all about territorial conflict. But there is one other element that defines them: gambling. ibid.
The vast majority [of gangs] are named after streets. The phenomenon is repeated in cities like Liverpool, Glasgow and Manchester, where the gangs known as Scuttlers often have names inspired by real events like the Franco-Prussian war. There’s even a Buffalo Bill gang after the famous frontiersman tours his wild-west show. ibid.
Gang violence is now out of control. They are terrorising the vast majority of law-abiding citizens. ibid.
1921: Britain’s first ever gangland war between two gangs from different cities. Throughout 1921 hundreds of gangsters fight brutal running battles for control over illegal racecourse rackets. Thugs from Birmingham and south London on one side, Italian and Jewish mobs on the other. And at the root of these racecourse wars is a man called Billy Kimber, Britain’s first nationwide gangland kingpin. The Real Peaky Blinders II: The Racecourse Wars
Just like prohibition of alcohol spurred the rise of organised crime and gangsterism in America, prohibition of gambling will have the same effect here. ibid.
The real money to be made in gambling in the 1910s is at the races themselves. These are the only places where respectable punters can legally go to bet. And where large amounts of cash is changing hands, gather the thieves and the rogues. ibid.
The Birmingham gang gets wind very quickly that Darby Sibini’s going to be coming in to support the Jewish bookmakers. ibid.
The so-called Battle of Epsom propounds the racecourse wars into the limelight. ibid.
‘People need to know that in the 21st century people can be used for money and treated like animals.’ Panorama: The Hunt for Britain’s Slave Gangs, BBC 2019, East European dude
It’s 5 a.m. in West Bromwich. Detective constable Mike Wright is on his way to arrest a man he believes is involved in human trafficking and may have breached an anti-slavery court order. Mike’s part of a West Midlands police team carrying out the biggest ever investigation into modern slavery: Operation Fort. ibid.
The slaves were held in houses across the West Midlands. They were put to work in legitimate well-known businesses. The gang committed their crimes in plain sight. ibid.
It’s become clear to the police that the gang they’ve caught is one of many operating across Britain. ibid.
Back in Birmingham the trial has now been running two months. ibid.
When the police raided the traffickers’ homes, they found a Bentley, designer clothing, cash and a stack of debit cards, as well as evidence they had control of 174 bank accounts. In total police believe the gang had made £2 million. ibid.
The trial is finally drawing to a conclusion. Caroline is working on her closing speech; it’s the last chance she’ll have to remind the jury of the evidence given in court by more than sixty slaves. ibid.
The 5 gang members convicted in the first trial are sentenced between them to 35 years behind bars. Later the three other members including gang elder Ignacy Brzezinski are also convicted – they get a total of 20 years. ibid.
He was a front-door philosopher, and studied the art of fighting without fighting. Well, most of the time. Clubbed 2009 starring Colin Salmon & Natalie Gumede & Mel Raido & Shaun Parks & Scot Williams & Maxine Peake & Neil Morrisey & Ronnie Fox & Anthony Ghosh et al, director Neil Thompson, commentary
For the first time in my life I had fought back. ibid.
Fuck me, the girls were tidy; it was wall to wall peach. And I was in heaven. But there was another side to the club, a darker side that Louis seemed oblivious to – the dealing. ibid.
Everyone deserves a chance to walk away. ibid. Louis
Watch My Back: A Gangster’s Story. ibid. Danny’s book
In 2003 a desire for revenge cost two innocent girls their lives … On 2nd January 2003 shots rang out at a party in Aston, Birmingham. Chaos ensued as party-goers ran for cover. When the panic had died down the bodies of two young women were found lifeless on the street. Teenagers Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare would be innocent victims. The murder was carried out by four childhood friends. The Killer Within s1e8: Ellis, Gregory, Martin & Simms, Sky Crime 2021