Robbers have always seen themselves as the cream of the underworld, at the top of the criminal aristocracy, both in and out of prison. Gangland Robbers follows the stories of the men and women who go to great lengths to organise heists which, if all goes well, will keep them in luxury for many years, if not for life. If their plans fail, then often it is another sort of life. Bestselling Gangland authors Morton and Lobez cover the best stories of the past 200 years: from the tunnel-digging burglary of the Bank of Australia in 1828 through to the hold-ups of the bushrangers; Squizzy Taylor and his crew; the train robbers of the 1930s; Jockey Smith; ‘Mad Dog’ Cox; the ill-fated Victorian Bookie Robbery, as well as the less well-known ‘Angel of Death’, ‘The Pushbike Bandit’ and ‘The Gentleman Bandit’. Gangland Robbers explores the lives—their own and others—that these bandits ruined, those who went to the gallows, and the very few who redeemed themselves.

The last volume in the best-selling series, Gangland North, South & West looks at crime in South and Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania. In addition to contract killing, prostitution, robbery, illegal gambling and the stand-over game, in these regions there has been a healthy living to be made from gold, diamond and pearl thefts. Eastern criminals travel west, south and north to meet and do business, or battle with home-grown stalwarts such as Shiner Ryan, said to be able to open a lock with his hand behind his back; Spadger Bray, suspected of three murders and himself shot dead a decade later; blackmailing brothel madam Shirley Finn, executed on a Perth golf course, and many, many others. Gangland North, South & West is everything that makes life worth living in the underworld.

The sensational murder convictions this winter of former NSW detectives Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara for the killing of drug dealer Jamie Gao has meant that previously suppressed material in Bent can at last be read. James Morton and Susanna Lobez have illustrated, in several Gangland books, that Australia almost certainly has out-ganged other countries. Now their spotlight is turned on corruption within the police services and identifying which state wins the bent cop handicap. Morton and Lobez examine the problems that started with the First Fleet and spread through to the present day, looking at the trouble caused by greed, power, drink, sex, money and, most recently, drugs. They compare the experience in Australia with corruption in America, England and Hong Kong, concentrating in particular on organised corruption at the highest levels, including judges, lawyers and politicians, through to the petty criminals who work our streets. Which state has the shadiest cops? The answer will surprise you.

Gangland Australia details the exploits of an unforgettable cast of villains, crooks and mobsters who have made up the criminal and gangland scene in Australia for over two centuries. In this fully updated and bestselling book, Britain's top true crime author James Morton and barrister and legal broadcaster Susanna Lobez track the rise and fall of Australia's talented contract killers, brothel keepers, club owners, robbers, bikers, standover men, conmen and drug dealers, and also examine the role of police, politicians and lawyers who have helped and hindered the growth of criminal empires. Vivid and explosive, Gangland Australia is compulsive reading.

Gangland Melbourne details the exploits of an unforgettable cast of villains, crooks and mobsters who have defined the criminal and gangland scene in Melbourne from the late 1800s to the present day. In this compelling book, Britain’s top true crime author James Morton and barrister and legal broadcaster Susanna Lobez track the rise and fall of Melbourne’s standover men, contract killers, robbers, brothel keepers and drug dealers, and also examine the role the police have played in both helping and hindering the growth of these criminal empires. In particular, Melbourne’s criminal past is explored through its famous villainous families, the Painters’ and Dockers’ union war of the 1970s and the more recent underworld gangland killings.Vivid and explosive, Gangland Melbourne is compulsive reading.

This is an authoritative, comprehensive account of Victoria’s justice system, starting with a tour of the historic justice precinct which is located on the corner of La Trobe Street and Russell Street, Melbourne. The author takes us back to the earliest days of Victoria’s settlement and introduces the politicians, police, magistrates, and even the criminals who played their parts in Melbourne and Victoria’s development. We are shown how the prison hulks developed into stockades on land, and uncover the philosophy behind the construction of the prisons – many no longer occupied – and the building of courts which were built for conducting trials, both civil and criminal. The book is, in many ways, an insight into an aspect of Victoria’s social history about which little has been written elsewhere. It is a valuable addition to the justice bibliography and even exposes a mystery or two. It took seven years to research and fact check, and includes many photos. All of the author’s proceeds of this book after costs will be donated to Victoria Police Legacy, which looks after families of deceased police officers who have died in the course of their duties.

One year after the death of the fourth member of the infamous Gang of Four, the remaining trio of aged bank robbers is struggling to adapt to life outside prison walls. Having served their last stint in jail following a botched robbery of a closed-down post office, during which they donned gorilla costumes, hi-viz jackets, and colourful Bermuda shorts, the gang now faces a two-year suspended sentence and the challenge of honouring their fallen comrade’s dying wish to stay on the straight and narrow. As they navigate the idiosyncrasies of their fellow residents at the residential home, the trio, now known as The Trio, must also contend with the suspicions of a relentless detective who believes their deceased friend is alive and well, secretly orchestrating a string of heists across the Home Counties. With the detective convinced that the coffin is filled with bricks and stolen loot, The Trio must prove their innocence while adhering to the terms of their friend’s generous will. Amidst the chaos, the Colonel works on his memoir, ‘Confession of a Bank Robber’, and delivers after-dinner speeches to the legal profession. Jock finds himself as the kilted bagpiper for the Tartanettes, a troupe of middle-aged Burlesquers, while Lenny attempts to improve his social skills. As the three vow to honor their late friend’s wishes, a series of copycat heists and odd mysteries come to light, threatening to unravel their newfound freedom and redemption.

Since the arrival of the First Fleet, thousands of prisoners have escaped from prison, police stations, courts, prison vans and hospitals—even dentists’ chairs. They have driven, walked, pedalled, swum or sailed away from custody. Some have killed or been killed in the process; a few have gone overseas or escaped from foreign prisons, and a handful have remained at home, undetected. Gangland: The Great Escapes is filled with tall tales of crims—Ronald Ryan, Jockey Smith, Brenden Abbott, Julie Wright and Annie Davis, and many others—who have been recaptured in minutes and those who have stayed on the run.

Organized crime and the mob figures who run it have long captured the imagination of the American public, appearing since the early twentieth century as characters in a host of popular books, movies, and television programs. But often what the public knew of such figures and their criminal careers was as much myth as fact. This book offers highly readable, carefully researched biographies that dispel the the myths but preserve the fascination surrounding 10 infamous New York mob leaders of the twentieth century. Each in-depth biography will help interested readers understand how and why each of these men achieved special notariety within the world of organized crime. Each biography describes the early years of each man, assessing how he came to a criminal career; his rise to prominence within the mob, providing reaction from those who knew him and witnessed his actions; and the last years of his career, assessing why it ended as it did. Each biography is illustrated with a picture of its subject and concludes with a listing of additional information resources, both print and electronic. A detailed subject index provides further access to the large amount of information contained in each biography. A timeline allows readers to quickly and easily track the birth, death, and important events in the life of each mobster.

An entertaining and provocative collection of columns by the seasoned New York crime reporter offers a close-up look inside the world of the Mafia to reveal the inner workings and everyday operations of underworld crime and present intimate portraits of such key figures as John Gotti and Sammy "the Bull" Gravano. Original.