Whiskey, gangsters and alliances: Britain's surprising Mafia history
Discover the shocking history of Britain’s ties to the Mafia, from Prohibition-era bootlegging to modern-day crime networks still active in the UK today.
Image: Ronnie (L) and Reggie Kray (R) crossed paths with the Mafia on multiple occasions | Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo
Ross Kemp goes on a global journey to follow a trail of illegal money and drugs along an intricate path where history meets globalisation to reveal the true reality of Britain’s historical relationship with the Mafia. Ross Kemp: Mafia and Britain starts Tuesday, 10th September at 9pm on Sky HISTORY.
When thinking about the Mafia, what comes to mind? A figure like Al Capone, maybe, or a scene from The Godfather? But what about Britain? The country has a surprising link with the Mafia, going back to the days of bootlegging. In this article, we take a closer look at the connection, which still continues today.
The 1920s
The 1920s began with the 18th Amendment to the US Constitution taking effect. This banned the manufacture, sale and transport of alcohol within the United States. While it was designed to stop the harmful impacts of intoxicating liquor on society and individuals, Prohibition had several unintended consequences.
One of these was essentially to create organised crime in America.
Prior to this, the Sicilian Mafia operated in some US cities, but their criminal activities were limited and uncoordinated. However, the growing demand for banned alcohol brought a lucrative opportunity for the Mob to quench the country’s thirst. It quickly developed into a slick operation involving racketeering, bribery, speakeasies and violence.
As well as domestic ‘bootlegging’ of alcohol over land, the Mob engaged in ‘rum running’. This involved transporting alcohol illegally over bodies of water.
Liquor was brought in from British smugglers, as well as those in Canada and Mexico. Among the notorious customers of this smuggled alcohol were ‘King of the Bootleggers’ Big Bill Dwyer, Charles ‘Lucky’ Luciano and Al Capone.
The reason was simple. Illicit bootleg alcohol made in the US was often poor quality ‘moonshine’ or ‘bathtub gin’. So, good money could be made running genuine Scotch whiskey and other authentic tipples.
British smugglers shipped their liquor to the Caribbean before it was transported up to the US East Coast and New Orleans.
A key figure in rum running was William ‘Bill’ McCoy, a former merchant sailor who ran whiskey from Nassau in the Bahamas to the US until he was caught in 1923. His product was so good that it became known as ‘the real McCoy’.
The US Coast Guard took action to limit rum running. However, the practice continued until the 21st Amendment was ratified in December 1933. This repealed the 18th Amendment, ending Prohibition.
The Krays and the Mafia
Fast forward to 1960s London and the Kray twins, Ronnie and Reggie, who operated a criminal enterprise in the East End known as ‘The Firm’.
The Krays were no strangers to the press and operated Esmeralda's Barn. This fashionable West End nightclub hosted the likes of Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra (who himself had rumoured Mob connections).
Given their high-profile status, it’s maybe no surprise the Krays crossed paths with the Mafia. In fact, they formed an alliance with the Commission, the Mob’s governing body.
The Cuban Revolution of 1959 ended the Mob’s use of Havana nightclubs as vessels for money laundering. London was their next target, with the Krays seen as useful partners in getting a foothold in the city.
This brought Ronnie and Reggie into contact with Meyer Lansky, who was an associate of Lucky Luciano, and Philadelphia crime boss Angelo ‘The Gentle Don' Bruno. Communication between them was facilitated by actor George Raft, star of the original Scarface (1932).
The alliance later fell apart. However, in the late-1960s, Ronnie travelled to the US to meet Mafia bosses in Chicago and Las Vegas. During his trip, he met Lansky and reportedly toured a Vegas mansion, complete with a tiger cage where unlucky victims were fed to its feline occupant before being thrown off the Hoover Dam.
Finally, no discussion of Britain and the Mafia in this period would be complete without mentioning Bert ‘Battles’ Rossi, a notorious British gangland boss who met Ronnie Kray in prison in the 1950s.
Rossi later became acquainted with Angelo Bruno and Carlo Gambino, head of New York’s Gambino crime family. Among other things, Rossi worked as a Mob enforcer and is partly credited with introducing the Mafia to London.
The Mafia and Britain today
Organised crime is still active globally, having evolved to take advantage of technology and more sophisticated cross-border trade.
While the Mob no longer operates in the US on the same scale as it did in the period from the 1930s to 1960s, links remain between the Sicilian Mafia and its New York-based counterparts. Italian mobsters are engaged in money laundering and drug dealing, with Britain a key hub for their activities.
There have also been instances of US mobsters moving to Britain to lie low in towns and suburbs across the country.
So, while Britain rarely comes up in historical discussions and cultural depictions of the Mafia, the links run deep and continue to this day.
