In 1966 he had been involved in a high-value theft of clothes from a shop in Glasgow and was sentenced to four years in prison. Comments have been closed on this article. The young cop who took on the Godfather rose through the ranks to become head of the Strathclyde Police Serious Crime Squad and retired at the rank of Detective Superintendent in 1992. The first bullet grazed his cheek, the second smashed into his ribs, a lung, the third, tore through his gut and pierced his heart. When fellow gang member Ronnie Biggs was asked shortly before his death in 2013 if Arthur was involved in the robbery, Biggs replied cryptically: I might be dying but Im not a grass.. Nothing befitted his life like the leaving of it. Disaster struck in 1985 when Fat Boy was jailed for 11 years when he fell victim to a huge heroin bust. BROOKS John to Elizabeth (McInally) on 19th June 1971, in the parish of the Immaculate Heart of. It was rumoured to be fitted out with secret passages, hiding spots, and its own underground tunnel. Arthur also enjoyed hobnobbing with celebrities. He was Glasgows equivalent of Don Corleone, the fictional New York crime boss immortalised by Marlon Brando in the classic Oscar-winning Godfather movie. His own death almost 30 years ago marked the end of an astonishing era in the history of the city's underworld. Born in September 1931[1] in the industrial area of Springburn, Glasgow,[2] Arthur Thompson began his career as a money lender, and was said to crucify those who did not repay their debts, by nailing them to floors or doors. See Rita S Thompson's age, phone number, house address, email address, social media accounts, public records, and check for criminal records on Spokeo. View Rita Thomson results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. . Moment 70mph train misses careless pedestrian by just INCHES We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse. heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment. However, despite the murder of his son, the Godfather wasn't quite finished yet. [11] Ferris claimed the younger Thompson had been shot by a hit man known only as "The Apprentice". Arthur survived thebomb attack but his mother-in-lawMargaret Johnstone was killed outright. They just pay someone a couple of grand to go and hurt people for them.. His rivals tried and failed to eliminate him in 1966 when a bomb exploded under his car. In 1988 Arthur was shot in the groin outside The Ponderosa. Rita Rusk: Scotland's first lady of hairdressing dies aged 75 A month later Norval sought Gibson out in a pub and stabbed him eight times before going on the run. While some American readers may know about MS-13 as they apparently operate in 42 states, the gang was relatively unknown outside of the Americas until recently. Police stopped a 38-year-old man on the A82 near Renton today for driving a vehicle which was in a state of disrepair. A 22-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Neil Canney in Greenock. He forced their van off the road by driving his own car directly at it the van hit a lamp post and both men were killed. A Young Arthur Thompson. MS-13 worked with Mexican drug cartels regularly and is becoming ever more active in the United States. He booked himself into a private clinic and told the police the injury had been caused by a drill bit which broke off. There was a massive turnout for young Arthurs funeral that afternoon with key members of the citys underworld there to pay their respects to both the victim and more importantly his father. Both bodies are thought to have been stored at business premises not far from the Cottage Bar overnight, then driven to Darleith Street around mid-morning. Glasgow priest found guilty of abusing four young girls walks free from court. Along with rivals Barrio 18, they have ensured that El Salvador is the worlds murder capital. All planned teacher strikes have been suspended after a new pay offer was presented by the Scottish Government. The truth about the slaying of Arthur 'Fat Boy' Thompson Junior, eldest son of the godfather of Glasgow's biggest criminal clan, outside his home in the Provanmill district in 1991, has been. His grandchildren and great grandchildren have to remain anonymous for the safety of the family. Thompson received a not proven verdict, despite the eyewitness accounts of Joe and his brother. His closing years were plagued by two bouts of cancer, first of the bowel and then the lung. Rita Thompson, 72, who had throat cancer, died on Tuesday. Ironically Ferris was a former friend and ally of the Thompson family, said to be closer to the father than even his own son. Arthur Thompson, Rita Thompson.Circa, Glasgow - Global ImageWorks This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. The subsequent police investigation centred on his former protege Paul Ferris and two friends and associates Joe Hanlon, who was nicknamed `Joe Bananas, and Bobby Glover. The trial has to be delayed. Thompson later gave a personal undertaking to the police that he would not harm the two officers. He even threatened to bomb the homes of two off-duty police officers after they saw him kill two men in Royston Road, Glasgow, in May that year. By this stage in his career Norval had a wife in Liddesdale Street, Milton, and a mistress, Jean, whom he housed separately, in Willowbank Street, but who remained loyal to him for the rest of his life. A measure of his influence came after his oldest son Arthur Thompson Jnr was jailed for 11 years in 1985 for drug dealing. We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments. Commuters will have the chance to grab some pre-loved fashion bargains later this month, with the money raised helping Shelter Scotland amidst the housing emergency. By 1966, Arthur Thompson was all-powerful in Glasgow. Glasgow's gangsters - Arthur Thompson, the Godfather, Killings of Patrick Welsh and James Goldie, "Fears gangland enforcer Ferris moving in on Capital cab trade", http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/861134.stm, https://web.archive.org/web/20051227034428/http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/s2.cfm?id=474552002, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arthur_Thompson_(gangster)&oldid=1115792863, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 October 2022, at 06:54. HE was Glasgows equivalent of Don Corleone, the fictional New York crime godfather immortalised in his portrayal by Marlon Brando. Join Facebook to connect with Rita and others you may know. The Godfather was able to use his prison contacts to have steaks, alcohol and chocolate delivered to him each day in his cell. How Fat Boy and the Apprentice unleashed Glasgow's gang wars Get the latest crime news direct to your inbox with the Glasgow Crime and Courts newsletter. Powerful social search locates profiles on social networks, dating sites, online shopping, web forums, music platforms, etc. In spite of this, he is scalded with boiling water. He was a very violent, ruthless, clever criminal and a real nasty piece of work. He is known to have blown up a pub and social club after one owner refused to comply. Join Facebook to connect with Rita Thompson and others you may know. Although he was aging, Old Arthur was still seen as a threat, so his enemies wanted to remove him from the picture permanently. Glasgow comedian pokes fun at 'West End Mums' in hilarious Pet Shop Boys parody, Hilarious TikToker Zara has created a fantastic parody of Pet Shop Boys 80s classic 'West End Girls' taking aim at mums living in the west end of the city 'because being south's an anxiety trigger. Dumbarton police stop 'dangerous' vehicle on A82 as driver fails cannabis test. He then walked the few yards from one court to another to give evidence in the Welshes murder trial. Rita Thompson, who had throat cancer, died in 2006 at the age of 72. In October 2016, the gang is believed to have murdered up to 6 people in the Brentwood area of New York including two teenage girls. The Mungiki was linked to a triple murder in the United States and also mutilated and decapitated a 2-year old boy as part of a bizarre ritual. One police file said: The overall picture of Thompson is that of aviolent, vicious and active criminal who will stop at nothing to uphold his position in the underworld as a hard man and to gain his own ends.. Two weeks later Joe learned of Thompsons plans to blow up both his and Johns homes in Glasgow. Bridgeman Images John and Elizabeth Brooks Published on18/06/2021. Joe, now 80, said: As far as I was concerned what my brother and I saw that night was murder. Uncover Rita's photos, videos, and more . Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. Something went wrong, please try again later. Copyright 2018 Global Image Works, LLC. Once, when giving evidence at the High Court in Glasgow, Arthur Thompson even joked about speaking with cotton wool in his mouth a technique Brando used to sound like a mob boss. PDF Rita Thompson building was built comprised of Building safety and Rita's husband, William Gunn, the biker, isn't so lucky, getting five years in jail for threatening. This luxury fortress was known as 'The Ponderosa'. The gang is sometimes referred to as the Kenyan version of the Yakuza, Mafia or Cosa Nostra due to its organization. The first milestone he set himself was to go to Borstal, which he achieved at 16 after breaking into a Hope Street office and holding up a newsagent with a fake gun. Glasgow crime stories: Arthur Thompson | Glasgow Times The myth has him dedicating himself to a life of crime after watching the movie Dillinger in a local fleapit. He might have observed the criminal code but never the marital one. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. READ MORE:The Glasgow Crime Story of Eleni Pachou who was murdered in her work Di Maggio's. His former business associate, Frankie Fraser, said Mrs Thompson was a "lovely lady". In 1988, Thompson suffered a broken leg after he was run over by a car and shot at, again outside his home. Fraser, now dead, once recalled: Down south, we viewed Glasgow as the Wild West. Within a few weeks Ferris had been arrested, but Hanlon, 23, and Glover, 31, remained free. She received three years in prison for the attack. In a bravura performance from the witness box, he denied he was Glasgows Godfather and criticised the police. Like any other inmate, he regularly applied for parole and the previously secret documents reflected the view of the authorities had of him at the time. In 1969, Arthurs wife, Rita, stabbed the wife of Patrick Welsh in the chest. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please She had lived in the same house in Provanmill since Mr. Thompson in turn was accused of the culpable homicide of Goldie and Welsh. Police have confirmed that the body of Matthew Cosgrove was discovered in the Lesmahagow area on Friday afternoon. 17-19 Garway Road Norval went down for 14 years. According to legend, he introduced himself to the Kray brothers by bursting into a club they frequented with a gun and shouting: Im Arthur Thompson, from Glasgow, remember my name. Whether the story is true or not, he worked as an enforcer for the brothers. The judges in all four cases have to be constantly guarded by armed police. It was just a way for the terrified owner to pay protection to Thompson. In the United States, MS-13 is making its deadly mark. Download Glasgow gangster Arthur Thompson with his wife Rita Thompson, c.1970 (b/w photo) from Bridgeman Images archive a library of millions of art, At the time his parents lived in Provanmill Road, Blackhill, in a garishly converted former council house nicknamed The Ponderosa, after the 1960s cowboy TV series Bonanza. "He didnt care if he had money in his pocket. Norval's trial has a fiery hanselling. The group has a total disdain for the modernization of their country and completely reject Western influences. His criminal career, however, was not quite over and his last brush with it, ironically, involved drugs. You can make a complaint by using the report this post link . Underworld sources say there is a battle to control Glasgow's 300 million drug market which has spawned a wave of attacks and murders in the city. In May, veteran gangland boss Frank McPhee was shot through the head on his doorstep, as his 11-year-old son looked on in terror. READ MORE:The Glasgow crime story of the murder of Jackie Gallagher. Glasgow Live. The Peddie School community mourns the death of Leonore Annenberg, wife of our esteemed alumnus, the late Walter Annenberg '27. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. 'No one is going to say anything about him or the rest of the family.'. View property details and household demographic information related to income, investments, and interests. It's now, as leader of what becomes known as the XYY Gang, that Norval becomes notorious. Glasgows criminal underbelly was laid bare during three months of evidence and its hard-won City of Culture status took a battering. However, Thompson said the pairs reputation would damage the bands career. A funeral mass will be held at 11 AM, on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at St. Michaels Catholic Church, Galena where friends may gather after 10:30 AM until the time of mass. Glasgow's gangsters, Arthur Thompson - the Godfather, Glasgow bakery Mortons Rolls 'ceases all trading' in 'hammer blow' to city. Results for this person or the person you are looking for are not guaranteed to appear in search results. A few days after the double murder, armed police raided the Ponderosa home looking for evidence but nothing was found. Beatings and slashings were routinely inflicted on anyone who failed to pay up. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. For more than 30 years until his death in 1993 Thompson ruled Glasgows criminal underworld with an iron fist through his interests in extortion, money lending, illegal casinos, robbery, and drugs. Search by name or location to find online obituaries. AROUND a hundred mourners yesterday attended the funeral of gangster's wife Rita Thompson. To quote from Norval's musical epitaph, My daddy was a bankrobber, but he never hurt nobody, he just loved to live that way, and he loved to steal your money.". Initially, the group was in favor of female circumcision and later adopted rituals such as wearing dreadlocks and swearing oaths like the Mau Mau rebels who fought against Britain in the 1960s. One of his main sources of income over the years was providing protection to pubs in the city. Thompson signed into a private clinic in the West End of Glasgow and told police the injury was caused by a broken drill bit. Beatings and slashings were routinely inflicted on anyone who failed to pay up. On April 16, she posted a pic of the director holding her in a matching Gucci sweater, while . The Thompson Gang was finished at this point, and Arthur died in his bed in 1993. Copyright 2023 Farlex, Inc. | The goal was to protect Kikuyu farmers in their land disputes with the Maasai and local government forces dominated by the Kalenjin tribe. YASSER FEVER; TENS OF THOUSANDS MOB ARAFAT COFFIN. Rita Thomson - Address & Phone Number | Whitepages Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved Rita Thompson (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), who passed away at the age of 64, on August 18, 2021. The story of Glasgow's original Godfather, Walter Norval The continent of Africa is plagued by an infestation of machete wielding gangs, and the Mungiki originated in much the same way as most of these outfits. Find census, military, and other historical records.*. [8] He had been given two-and-a-half years, reduced on appeal to 18 months. Menu Log In Sign Up Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. In 1963, in what became known as The War of Norval's Ear, he lost a piece of it when it was bitten off in a backstreet brawl by another toerag named Big Mick Gibson. Obituaries & Death Notices in Glasgow - Funeral Guide The authority's suspicions of Thompson were not unjustified. New Glasgow west end venue The Wendy Bar opens its doors on Byres Road. But when I was with Thompson, I was safe and I could have had anything in the pub that I wanted that night.. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Honey Boo Boo star Alana Thompson's boyfriend Dralin . She sadly passed away on Wednesday, March 1. Norval's daughter, Rita Gunn, is charged with conspiring to damage the court but acquitted. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. He was friendly with another legendary London gangster too Mad Frankie Fraser. Rita Thompson is on Facebook. Today, the Mungikis membership is approximately 500,000, and it is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the worlds deadliest gangs. As we release the first episode of our Glasgow Crime Stories podcast, read the extended version of telling the story of infamous crime godfather Arthur Thompson and the murder of his son. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. She revealed her dying wish when she was told she was losing her battle with throat cancer, according to a former henchman of her late husband. In 1969 Thompson's wife, Rita, forced her way into the Welsh home, stabbed Patrick Welsh's wife in the chest, and was jailed for three years. Thompson suspected both men of being involved in his sons murder and is said to have paid a hitman 20,000 to execute them. By the 1980s, Glasgow was in the midst of a heroin epidemic as the drug flooded into the city in a market worth up to 30 million. Around 500 bodies of Mungiki gang members have turned up in bushes outside Nairobi; they are probably victims of in-fighting. It was clear to everyone in the citys underworld what type of message was being sent out with the double murder. Thompson himself had been known for punishing enemies or bad debtors by nailing their hands and feet to the floor crucifixion-style. The term Mungiki means multitude or united people in the Kikuyu language. In his day, he said, "gangsters were hard men. He started young around the Garscube Road. As a result, they were given a police guard and their families moved to safety in another part of the city. A few days after the double murder, armed police raided his Ponderosa home looking for evidence but nothing was found. So the person in charge would have to have been something very special, and Arthur was certainly that.. In his 2009 autobiography, legendary Scottish football commentator Archie Macpherson revealed he was paid up to 500 a time in the early 1980s to host events organised by Thompson.