Yes! Just who was this alleged "Big time Gangster" that nobody seems to have heard of? A man constantly boasted that he was "well known throughout Manchester," yet the ONLY person he mentioned was Mick Tainey. The ONLY one. So it is not a fantastic leap of the imagination to come up with a title as I have. This is a man that crime authors have seemingly overlooked, even documentary makers. Writers have wasted their time going on about Bobby McDermott, the "King of the barrowboys" and a top class fence who attained huge stature in the city. Even the Richardsons admired him, allegedly. Then there was Bobby Critchley, the man who had a bulletproof car. What about Jock McGrath, the former heavyweight boxer? A very tough man. Also, there was Owen Ratcliffe, the club owner who threatened Billy Hill if he tried to get a hold in Manchester. What about the time the "heroes" to the mentally deranged, the Krays, tried to get a toe in. He went looking for them, on his own. No minders/bodyguards. Apparently, he feared no man. Of course, we cannot forget the Quality Street Gang. All this is long before the "Gunchester" tag. But for some reason, the name of Tainey just does not appear.
When the documentary about the Manchester Underworld was shown on TV, it featured the QSG, The Crazy Face Gang(Armed blaggers), The Doddies & the Goochies & the Cheetham Hillbillies. No mention of this man "With his own criminal organisation". What a missed opportunity! The only information I have come up with so far, is an area of Manchester that there are some Taineys, but nothing at all about this big villain. Later on, there came the Noonans and Chris Little. Always some other names.
I am interested in Bobby Critchley the man with the bullet proof car. Do you know if he had a brother called Billy.
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