Norval went down for 14 years. 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. The eyewitnesses who did not speak up at the trial were not bad people, they were just terrified of Thompson and what he might do to them.. Old Arthur testified against Ferris thus breaking the gangster code of silence. The eyewitnesses who did not speak up at the trial were not bad people, they were just terrified of Thompson and what he might do to them.. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. *** Local Caption *** Scottish gangs This photo license is intended for editorial use only. One retired publican said: To stop trouble all the landlord or bar manager in one of those pubs needed to say was, This is Arthur Thompsons place.. He recognised them immediately as they and Ferris were regulars. . The world's leading specialists in the distribution of art, cultural and historical images and footage for reproduction. When it comes to selling coins, there is a lot to consider and if you aren't too sure about what collectors are after, selling it can be quite tricky. Family and friends gathered in Motherwell to pay their respects to little Isabella Grace Docherty and lit lanterns for the five-year-old who died hours after complaining of feeling sick. Three shots at close range from a .22 pistol hit young Arthur. The group has a total disdain for the modernization of their country and completely reject Western influences. photos. Rita Thompson, who had throat cancer, died in 2006 at the age of 72. He graduated to forming protection rackets and like some other gangsters of the era, Arthur wisely invested his money in legitimate businesses and became an exceptionally wealthy man. View the profiles of professionals named "Rita Thompson" on LinkedIn. Join Facebook to connect with Rita Thompson and others you may know. Brothers Martin, George and Henry Welsh, 24, were charged with murdering Margaret and attempting to kill Arthur in the revenge attack. In spite of this, he is scalded with boiling water. The Thompson Gang was soon the most feared group in Scotland and rivals were terrified of Arthur due to his sadistic nature. He was killed by a single shot from a high-powered .22 rifle. Ironically Ferris was a former friend and ally of the Thompson family, said to be closer to the father than even his own son. Rita Ora's Best Looks. In a bravura performance from the witness box, he denied he was Glasgows Godfather and criticised the police. Today, the Mungikis membership is approximately 500,000, and it is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the worlds deadliest gangs. 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. His bullet-ridden body was rushed to Glasgow Royal Infirmary but he died a few hours later. Within a few weeks Ferris had been arrested, but Hanlon, 23, and Glover, 31, remained free. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes. Body of missing man Matthew Cosgrove discovered by police in Lanarkshire. He was seen as the rising star of the Glasgow underworld and a man who could take over from Arthur Snr. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Veterinary hospital McDonald Vets, in Scotstoun in the west of Glasgow, has resumed a full service after closing for several months following the blaze in August 2022. [8] He had been given two-and-a-half years, reduced on appeal to 18 months. He had been responsible for negotiating between dealers in the North and the rest of England. Supports are provided on site 24/7 including case workers from JHS and medical services provided by Ottawa Inner City Health (OICH) - a non-profit organization that provides health care to homeless and street involved people. [14], Thompson is survived by Tracey Thompson, his last remaining child. Rita lives in Glasgow, KY in a single family house with Elisa. For webmasters |, COPYRIGHT 2006 Scottish Daily Record & Sunday. His account, as it was in all subsequent violent episodes, was that the red mist had come down and he couldn't remember a thing about it afterwards. 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. Additionally, Ora has shared photos with both Waititi and Thompson. In the United States, MS-13 is making its deadly mark. Rita M. Glasgow, 89, of Galena, died Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at Galena Stauss Senior Care Community, Galena surrounded by her family. Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. As a consequence, many of the young men that arrived gravitated towards violence. They continue to terrorize Kenyans, and it has been suggested that they might be the worlds largest gang regarding membership. Other papers record Thompson trying to stir up a hunger strike and pressing inmates to petition for better privileges and visiting rights. Single Use in context. McPherson wrote: It was straight out of a Guy Ritchie movie and was full of cockney hardmen. Arthur's son Billy became a heroin . However, he survived an assassination attempt in 1985 and another one in 1988. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The car was deliberately placed on the funeral route. For more than 30 years until his death in 1993 Arthur Thompson ruled Glasgows criminal underworld with an iron fist through his interests in extortion, money lending, illegal casinos, robbery, and drugs. The Godfather was reportedly able to use his prison contacts to have steaks, alcohol and chocolate delivered to him each day in his cell. [6] Thompson was charged with murder but not prosecuted as the police could find no witnesses who would testify. Three months later, Thompson narrowly escaped death when he was in a car that exploded outside his house. By the early 1980's Thompson - now in his 50's - was all-powerful in Glasgow and beyond. Thirty years later no one has yet been charged with the murders or stood trial. Out of the darkness stepped a mystery man who opened fire before escaping in a stolen car with two other men. The Thompson Gang was finished at this point, and Arthur died in his bed in 1993. Privacy policy | So the person in charge would have to have been something very special, and Arthur was certainly that.. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. GALENA, Ill. Rita M. Glasgow, 89, of Galena, died Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at Galena Stauss Senior Care Community, Galena surrounded by her family. The gangster was always the same dealing with the police. He was jailed three years ago for carrying a knife and, a week after his release, was jailed again for carrying a harpoon gun. 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. Norval's daughter, Rita Gunn, is charged with conspiring to damage the court but acquitted. Arthur Snr suspected both men of being involved in his sons murder and is said to have paid a hitman 20,000 to execute them. His criminal career, however, was not quite over and his last brush with it, ironically, involved drugs. She had lived in the same house in Provanmill since Mr. There was a time when Billy Thompson, youngest member of Glasgow's most infamous criminal clan, could rely on his family's reputation to protect him wherever he went. However, Ferris was found not guilty of all charges in June that year after the longest-running murder trial in Scottish legal history. Mirrorpix / GIW Photos. Young Arthur - nicknamed Fat Boy by his detractors - had been released that Saturday morning from Noranside Prison in Angus on a weekend parole as part of a training for freedom programme. Another police file from 1969 said: "Thompson is one of the leading criminal lights in Glasgow with connections in London.". Glasgow veterinary hospital forced to close after fire reopens its doors. Teacher strikes suspended as union backs new Scottish Government pay offer. THE MOB'S REVENGE; 50TH BRITISH SOLDIER TO DIE SERVING IN IRAQ Troops ambushed after Islamic chief's arrest. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. Three years later, a car mounted the pavement outside his home and ran him over. They fought in the streets, they fought in the pubs and they made names for themselves - but it was amongst themselves. We are doing this to improve the experience forour loyalreaders and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. They had been shot in the head and the anus. Fort Fairfield - Rita Jean Thompson, 78, wife of the late Berkley A. Thompson, passed away Thursday evening, February 9, 2023, at Madigan Estates, Houlton, following an extended illness. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. mg.co.za. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's 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. At 1.30pm, five cars left her home in Provanmill Road in Glasgow's East End bound for nearby Riddrie Park Cemetery. Rita Thompson, who had throat cancer, died in 2006 at the age of 72. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Arthur survived thebomb attack but his mother-in-lawMargaret Johnstone was killed outright. [4] Thompson then went on to invest his money into legitimate businesses, which grew more and more over the years, making him a very wealthy man. After a few years of relatively low-key activity, the gang escalated its violent activity in 2007. You can make a complaint by using the report this post link . For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Shelter Scotland launch Glasgow Central Station pop up clothes shops. 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. He drove his car directly at their van and forced it off the road. We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments. Kenyas security forces had to act and stormed into the Mathare region. Glasgow Live. He then walked the few yards from one court to another to give evidence in the Welshes murder trial. He would have given his last penny to anybody, and he often did., Trouble was it was someone else's money. So the person in charge would have to have been something very special, and Arthur was certainly that.. It is now open and serving up cocktails, other drinks and food. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please In 1969, Arthurs wife, Rita, stabbed the wife of Patrick Welsh in the chest. On both occasions, he told police that he feared for his life. [3] Protection rackets soon followed, and he was also involved in bank robberies and heists for a time. Theres also little doubt that Arthur Thompson Snr ordered the killings. United Kingdom, {"event":"pageview","page_type1":"catalog","page_type2":"image_page","language":"en","user_logged":"false","user_type":"ecommerce","nl_subscriber":"false"}, {"event":"ecommerce_event","event_name":"view_item","event_category":"browse_catalog","ecommerce":{"items":[{"item_id":"MPX5165602","item_brand":"other","item_category":"photo","item_category2":"no_copyright","item_category3":"standard","item_category5":"not_balown","item_list_name":"search_results","item_name":"glasgow_gangster_arthur_thompson_with_his_wife_rita_thompson_c_1970_b_w_photo","item_variant":"undefined"}]}}. The 37-year-old was found seriously injured on his doorstep on Tuesday. By the 1980s, the Thompson family had entered the drug trade, led by Thompson's son Arthur Jr.[5] It was rumoured that, by the 1990s, Thompson was earning some 100,000 a week as a loan shark (usurer). Copyright 2023 Farlex, Inc. | JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. 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. They had each been shot in the back of the head, with an extra bullet fired up their anuses for good measure. It was also rumoured that Thompson was involved in the 1963 Great Train robbery when 2.6 million (equivalent to around 30m now) was stolen from the Glasgow to London mail train. 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. Nothing befitted his life like the leaving of it. The gang boss was out for blood, and he suspected two members of the rival Welsh gang, Patrick Welsh, and James Goldie, of the attack. The documents cover the period from 1967 to 1969, when Thompson was in his late 30s and paint a picture of the criminal kingpin as a devious man used to getting his own way. . Thompson would also carry out hits for the Krays in London and they would do the same in return in Glasgow. The myth has him dedicating himself to a life of crime after watching the movie Dillinger in a local fleapit. Thompsons name was enough to strike fear into anyone who crossed him. [5] Their bodies had been dumped on the route of Fatboy's funeral procession, so that his hearse passed their dead bodies. The spot where Fat Boy died is just a few yards from where Billy Thompson was stabbed 10 months ago during the unsuccessful first attempt on his life and a short distance from the site of the most recent attack. 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. 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. They don't succeed and the trial eventually goes ahead in the south court. However, Rita never sang a note. This photo license is intended for editorial use only. Let's take a critical look at the truth about Walter Norval, rather than the sepia-tinted mythology. [5], His other son, Billy, was stabbed and seriously wounded 400 yards (350 metres) from the family home[8] in 2000, but survived. The authority's suspicions of Thompson were not unjustified. Fairbairn was a ferocious right-winger who had married into the Scottish aristocracy, later became Solicitor-General appointed by Margaret Thatcher and died of cirrhosis of the liver. John and Elizabeth Brooks Published on18/06/2021. Arthur Jnr had enjoyed a celebratory dinner with his father and other family members at the popular Cafe India restaurant in Glasgows Charing Cross. Powerful social search locates profiles on social networks, dating sites, online shopping, web forums, music platforms, etc. In the 1960s, his wife Rita was employed as a singer, with one pub paying a fee of 200 for each performance the equivalent of 4000 in todays money. Menu Log In Sign Up 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.. Please note that only low-res files should be uploaded. McPherson wrote: It was straight out of a Guy Ritchie movie and was full of cockney hardmen. His grandchildren and great grandchildren have to remain anonymous for the safety of the family. It was started in California when large groups of people from El Salvador fled the country during its civil war. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Perhaps a more fitting coda from the band might have been, I fought the law and the law won. "There is a real danger of him putting the screw on some of the locals in Aberdeen.". Even when his own son was murdered outside his own front door, he ordered his family not to give them statements. There are rumors that the gang split up into two groups in 2007 and its leading members were killed in that year; possibly by government forces although it denies responsibility. View the profiles of people named Rita. By now, his son Arthur Jr., also known as Fatboy, was in charge of the gang as Arthur Sr. took a backseat. Rita's husband, William Gunn, the biker, isn't so lucky, getting five years in jail for threatening. AROUND a hundred mourners yesterday attended the funeral of gangster's wife Rita Thompson. [14], Chasing Killers Joe Jackson ISBN978-1-84596-406-1. Arthur Thompson (September 1931 13 March 1993) was a Scottish gangster who was active in Glasgow from the 1950s and took charge of organised crime in the city for over thirty years. He booked himself into a private clinic and told the police the injury had been caused by a drill bit which broke off. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. 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. The grim find was made by the pubs manager who was passing at the time on his way to open up. Kenyans who live in the slums carrying the body of a suspected Mungiki member. Results for Rita have been distilled from over 6 billion consumer records found online and offline. He might have observed the criminal code but never the marital one. 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. For Norval the past was not just a different country but one with a language and culture he did not understand. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. In June, it began a reign of terror against matatu drivers and conductors while also targeting people who defected from the gang. But that was all in the past for Ferris as he savoured his dramatic acquittal on the High Court steps before a cheering crowd. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Norval's daughter, Rita Gunn, is charged with conspiring to damage the court but acquitted. As money rolled in, they converted their council home into a palace, buying the property next door and knocking the two together. Secret reports on Thompson from the late 1960s made public for the first time by the Scottish Government in 2010 present a chilling portrait of the man. 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. Further violence involving the Mungiki took place after the disputed Kenyan General Election in December 2007. Even when his own son was murdered outside his front door, he ordered his family not to give them statements or tell what they had seen. Arthur was charged with their murders, but he was set free because no witnesses came forward to testify. "He didnt care if he had money in his pocket. A few hours before Fat Boy's funeral, the bodies of local hardmen Bobby Glover and Joe 'Bananas' Hanlon, widely thought to be responsible for Fat Boy's death, were found outside a bar in east Glasgow. [8][7], Thompson's daughter, Margaret, died from a drug overdose in 1989. Which was only partly true because he hurt many nobodies. Anniversary. He certainly knew who was responsible but would not be sharing that information any time soon with the police. In August 1991, Arthur Jnr, 31, was shot dead outside the Thompson family home while on weekend leave from prison. Around 10pm, on August 17, Arthur left his parents house to walk the short distance to his own home where he lived with his wife and young daughter. Today, there is an estimated 70,000 members throughout Central and North America. The 64-year-old woman was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital following the crash on Elmbank Street last month. The violence was on a much, much higher level. It's now, as leader of what becomes known as the XYY Gang, that Norval becomes notorious. At an identification parade, he refused to identify the IRA suspect. Something went wrong, please try again later. Had they lived both Hanlon and Glover would likely have stood trial alongside Ferris as alleged accomplices in Arthur Thompson Jnrs murder. In the 1960s, his wife Rita was employed as a singer, with one pub paying a fee of 200 for each performance the equivalent of 4000 in todays money. Father Neil McGarrity has been placed on the sex offenders register after being found guilty of four sexual assaults and one charge of engaging in sexual activity. Veteran crime reporter Ron McKay tells the story of Walter Norval, the former boss of Glasgow's infamous XYY Gang. The jailing of Fat Boy brought challenges from gangs hoping to take over the Thompson empire. He was born in 1928 in Possil, three years before Old Arthur Thompson, a Godfather contemporary, but one whose criminal path diverged into drugs, whereas Norval preferred to do it the old fashioned way, with a mask and a gun in an armed robbery, never mind the occasional stabbing. We found 1021 people named Rita S Thompson. If located in the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Eire, kindly contact Mirrorpix directly at [email protected]. For McPhee, the end was always going to come like this.' To survive, they formed their own group and called themselves Mara (Central American term for Gang) Salvatrucha (Salva comes from El Salvador, and Trucha means clever). Arthurs influence began to wane while his son was in prison and other gangs saw the chance of rich pickings. In 1966 he escaped death when a bomb exploded in his MG sports car, but his mother-in-law, in the passenger seat, was killed. As a result the takeover never took place. Arthur was also involved in legitimate enterprises such as pubs, demolition, corner shops, garages, and carpet showrooms to keep his assets hidden and launder money from his various criminal enterprises. HE was Glasgows equivalent of Don Corleone, the fictional New York crime godfather immortalised in his portrayal by Marlon Brando. Three months later, Thompson narrowly escaped death when he was in a car that exploded outside his house. 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. 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. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. In the 1960s, his wife Rita was employed as a singer, with one pub paying a fee of 200 for each performance - the equivalent of 4000 in today's money. Another measure of his influence came after his son Arthur Thompson Jr was jailed for 11 years in 1985 for drug dealing. READ MORE:The Glasgow Crime Story of Eleni Pachou who was murdered in her work Di Maggio's. It was just a way for the terrified owner to pay protection to Thompson. Thompson was one of the most feared criminals in Scotland. Both had been dumped in the well of Hanlon's Ford Orion car parked in Darleith Street a few yards from it's entrance. Editors' Code of Practice. 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. A leading prosecution witness, in prison at the time, is provided with a constant police escort and kept in solitary confinement. At an identification parade he refused to identify the IRA suspect. However, Thompson said the pairs reputation would damage the bands career. Many of the immigrants that arrived in the United States during the 1980s were used to violence as El Salvador is one of the worlds most dangerous places to live. [7], A former enforcer for the Thompson family, Paul Ferris, was arrested, charged with the murder[9] and remanded to HM Prison Barlinnie. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can At one time, he had at least 20 pubs in Glasgow paying him 4000 each week. Thompson died at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 13 March 1993 from a heart attack at the age of 61. The driver also failed a roadside drug wipe for cannabis. There was understandable media speculation that Ferris now had a price on his head. A 22-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Neil Canney in Greenock. 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. All rights reserved. Thompson lived with his family in Provanmill Road in Provanmill, Glasgow, in a garishly converted council house nicknamed The Ponderosa, after the 1960s cowboy TV series Bonanza. Friends of Thompson say he was never the same after young Arthurs death. The gang is sometimes referred to as the Kenyan version of the Yakuza, Mafia or Cosa Nostra due to its organization. New Glasgow west end venue The Wendy Bar opens its doors on Byres Road. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Police have run up against a wall of silence, but believe the murder is linked to drugs. Friends of Thompson say he was never the same after young Arthurs death. Rita Thompson is a Nursing Development Professional & Perioperative Specialist at Stanford Health Care based in Palo Alto, California. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to https://www.thefreelibrary.com/MOB+WIFE+FUNERAL.-a0146927061. View Rita Thompson results in Georgia (GA) including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Tributes have been paid to Rita Rusk, once dubbed Scotland's first lady of hairdressing, after her death at the age of 75. But when I was with Thompson, I was safe and I could have had anything in the pub that I wanted that night.. [8] [7] Other children [ edit] Thompson's daughter, Margaret, died from a drug overdose in 1989. It later transpired that they would have been better off inside prison. On one occasion, the then BBC broadcaster accompanied Thompson to an underworld pub in London. Thompson survived - just - and two men have since appeared in court in connection with the attack, which police are treating as attempted murder. [8] Billy died on 4 March 2017 as a result of his drug addiction. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. At one time, he had at least 20 pubs in Glasgow paying him 4000 each week. In August 2014 he died from pneumonia aged 85, cuing the high-profile exit at Maryhill Crematorium with musical accompaniment by the Clash. The Mungiki sect emerged from Kenyas biggest ethnic group; known as the Kikuyu. But since the death of his father and brother that reputation is no more. He is known to have blown up a bar and social club after one owner refused to comply. Honey Boo Boo star Alana Thompson's boyfriend Dralin . You can make a complaint by using the report this post link .