Welcome to part two of "Dreamworld" Let us start this piece with a switch in continents. We now go to Australia, and that "King of the Underworld" Mark Brandon Read, or as he is better known, "Chopper." Read is credited in his books as committing 19 murders. This would make him a mass murderer, but, alas, this is not true. He has been involved in some murders. It seems to be four, which is bad enough, but the claim of 19 has apparently been shot down, it seems from his own mouth. Underworld people in Melbourne have also rubbished many of his claims, and it has been said that he has simply immersed himself into other people`s stories.
Another feature of Reads` stories is that every villain in Australia is a complete wanker in comparison to him and his cronies. Read made a reputation as a "Standover Man." What this meant is that Read never committed robberies and the like, he robbed the villains of their ill-gotten gains. In Britain, this would have earned him the monicker of "A Thief`s Ponce." Well known thieves ponces here included, The Krays, Brian Cockerill, Lee Duffy & Stephen French.
