Melbourne City Criminals

Melissa Wu

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Russell Street Bombing

Stanley Taylor and Craig Minogue

 On 27 march 1986, an explosion arose in the Russell Street Police Headquarters, affecting buildings from a block away. During this attack, one person died and twenty one were reported to be injured. This destructive event was described to be a revenge attack on Melbourne Police.

What happened?  The first of the explosions erupted from a parked car, which had been loaded with sixty sticks of gelignite, enough to wipe out all the glass windows in e front building, as well as set off a series of Petrol tank explosions in nearby cars. The loud eruption could be heard all throughout the city and the smoke was visible several blocks away. The two criminals, Stanley Taylor and Craig Minogue, who plotted this revenge attack on the police force were eventually caught and tried for offence. In addition they were convicted of the murder of Angela Taylor and related crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment.

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Squizzy Taylor

Who was Squizzy Taylor?  Squizzy Taylor was a self styled gangster in Melbourne CBD during the early twentieth century he was not only a gangster, he was also a blackmailer, thief and if necessary, a killer. He became famous by leading a violent gang war against a rival criminal faction in 1919, he then successfully hid from the police from the years 1991-92.

Who was Squizzy Taylor?  Squizzy Taylor enjoyed a fearsome reputation in Melbourne during the 1920s. His crimes ranged from pickpocketing, shop breaking to murders and killings. He was wounded during a gun fight with a long time rival gangster John Daniel 'Snowy' Cutmore and died in St Vincent's Hospital in Fitzroy On 27th October 1927.

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The Fitzroy Vendetta

What was the Fitzroy Vendetta?

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Taylor was one of the central figures in the 'Fitzroy Vendetta', a violent battle between opposing criminal gangs that lasted for several months during the year 1919. One gang, from Richmond, was led by Taylor along with Henry Stokes, while the other gang was based in Fitzroy and was led by Edward Whiting, Henry Slater and Frederick Thorpe.

What was the Fitzroy Vendetta?

 The battle was based on a planned robbery of £1,435 worth of diamond rings from Kilpatrick & Co, a Collins Street jewellers, in June 1918. The robbery, was carried out by members of the Richmond and Fitzroy gangs. However, the Fitzroy gangs had suspected that someone from the Richmond gang had tipped off the police and this began unease between the two gangs. To add to the tension, members of the Fitzroy gang were not satisfied with the division amount from the robbery.

What was the Fitzroy Vendetta?

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Taylor was arrested over a shooting in Fitzroy in August 1919. The police reported to have seen him jumping into a moving car right after shots were fired into a shop in Fleet Street, Fitzroy. Taylor was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. However, the conviction was abolished, due to the insufficient amount of evidence provided. By the late 1919, the feud had died down. Whiting was in prison, and had to serve a 9 month sentence.

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Chopper Read

Who was Chopper Read?  Mark Brandon Chopper Read was a former Australian criminal who does not have the typical criminal profile. Having been convicted of crimes such as assault, robbery and kidnapping, he has recreated himself and restarted a career as an author based on experiences as a gangland criminal. Raised in the Melbourne suburbs of Collingwood, Thomastown, Preston and , he was a victim of bullies at school since a young age.

Who was Chopper Read?  Influenced by all the brutal violence taken out upon him, Read was already an accomplished street fighter at a young age, as well as the leader of the Surrey Road gang. He began his criminal career by robbing drug dealers, which later evolved to kidnapping and torture. His gang was dubbed "The Overcoat Gang" because they wore long coats all year round, in order to hide their weapons.

Life as an author  Read was secretly released from Pentridge Prison in November 1991 and from then on, ended his criminal offences and started a brand new life as an author of crime novels, selling over 500,000 copies of his works.

Read’s first book, “Chopper: From The Inside”, was collected during the period he spent in Melbourne’s Pentridge Prison and was published in 1991.