Thompson in turn was accused of the culpable homicide of Goldie and Welsh. In the past, the journalists job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. The recent stabbing of a gangland godfather's son has reignited the battle for control of a 300m drugs market. Even when his own son was murdered outside his own front door, he ordered his family not to give them statements. 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. For all advertising and other non-editorial uses contact the GIW office for further information. Two weeks later Joe learned of Thompsons plans to blow up both his and Johns homes in Glasgow. In 1969, Arthurs wife, Rita, stabbed the wife of Patrick Welsh in the chest. READ MORE:The Glasgow crime story of the mysterious murder of wealthy Marion Gilchrist in 1908. How Rita Ora and Dua Lipa have mirrored each other over . He added: "Thompson is the leader of the hardcore of thugs in Aberdeen prison. Rita's husband, William Gunn, the biker, isn't so lucky, getting five years in jail for threatening to kill one of the leading witnesses. Arthur Jnr had enjoyed a celebratory dinner with his father and other family members at the popular Cafe India restaurant in Glasgows Charing Cross. THE widow of Arthur Thompson, the former Glasgow godfather, has died. He forced their van off the road by driving his own car directly at it the van hit a lamp post and both men were killed. Friendly with the likes of 'Mad' Frankie Fraser and Billy Hill, he was a leading underworld figure north of the border. 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. READ MORE:The Glasgow crime story of the murder of Jackie Gallagher. With 50 years experience providing images from the most prestigious museums, collections and artists. Two weeks later Joe learned of Thompsons plans to blow up both his and Johns homes in Glasgow. As we release the first episode of our Glasgow Crime Stories podcast, read the extended version of telling the story of infamous crime godfather Arthur Thompson and the murder of his son. She received three years in prison for the attack. Glasgows criminal underbelly was laid bare during three months of evidence and its hard-won City of Culture status took a battering. Nothing befitted his life like the leaving of it. The Thompson Gang was soon the most feared group in Scotland and rivals were terrified of Arthur due to his sadistic nature. Also known as MS-13, Mara Salvatrucha is arguably the most dangerous gang in the United States at present and they are apparently the gang that the FBI is most worried about. By the Eighties, the Thompson clan had moved into the drug trade led by the Thompsons' eldest son, Arthur Jnr, known as Fat Boy, who operated out of Blackpool. In 1985, he was arrested and charged with supplying heroin in what was probably a set-up; an 11-year prison sentence was the result. A Gannett Company. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. Friends of Thompson say he was never the same after young Arthurs death. A funeral mass will be held at 11 AM, on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at St. Michaels Catholic Church, Galena where friends may gather after 10:30 AM until the time of mass. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. 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. Billy Thompson has now been taken off the critical list and looks set to make a full recovery. He started young around the Garscube Road. Arthur also enjoyed hobnobbing with celebrities. Search for birth, death, marriage, divorce, US Census, and military records. However, Thompson said the pairs reputation would damage the bands career. Scores of large ones involving hundreds of foot soldiers, secret weapons arsenals and explosives in safe houses across Glasgow, and over three years in the mid-70s they mob carried out dozens of armed robberies, usually of payrolls, often from hospitals and major works, but also from post offices across the country. Rangers vs Kilmarnock starting team news as Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin in but no Malik Tillman. In 1988, Thompson suffered a broken leg after he was run over by a car and shot at, again outside his home. The Godfather was reportedly able to use his prison contacts to have steaks, alcohol and chocolate delivered to him each day in his cell. 541 court search results for people named "Rita Thompson" in the United States. The police breakthrough came, inevitably, from an informant and many of the gang were found in Norval's Maryhill airt and in the south side under the noses of the authorities, just yards from the Orkney Street police office. 'You're wasting your time,' a shopkeeper said. He was jailed three years ago for carrying a knife and, a week after his release, was jailed again for carrying a harpoon gun. Despite these issues, Arthur made a fortune from drugs and was also reportedly earning 100,000 a week as a loan shark. She had lived in the same house in Provanmill since Mr. The young cop 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 was seen as the rising star of the Glasgow underworld and a man who could take over from Arthur Snr. He certainly knew who was responsible but would not be sharing that information any time soon with the police. It was common for Arthur to crucify his victims by nailing their hands and feet to furniture. Old Arthur testified against Ferris thus breaking the gangster code of silence. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can Both men died, but Arthur escaped prosecution because no witness would testify against him. [4], On 18 August 1991 Thompson's son Arthur Jr (nicknamed "Fatboy") died after being shot three times[7] outside the family home,[8] "The Ponderosa". He recognised them immediately as they and Ferris were regulars. View the profiles of professionals named "Rita Thompson" on LinkedIn. In time-honoured tradition, Thompson failed to speak out against the brothers and they were cleared of all charges. Rita M. Glasgow. McPherson wrote: It was straight out of a Guy Ritchie movie and was full of cockney hardmen. 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. So the person in charge would have to have been something very special, and Arthur was certainly that.. Urgent reappeal to find missing Glasgow man as disappearance 'very out of character'. The first bullet grazed his cheek, the second smashed into his ribs, a lung, the third, tore through his gut and pierced his heart. [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. But since the death of his father and brother that reputation is no more. She was born September 4, 1944, in Fort Fairfield, the daughter of Stephen Jr. and Rita (Theriault) Murphy. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. We found 2 records matching "Rita Thompson" in KY. * Historical, vital, and court records and search results may require an additional purchase. At eight he was nicking potatoes from shops and coal briquettes (blocks of compacted coal dust for younger readers) from coal lorries, which he then sold on. 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. He is known to have blown up a pub and social club after one owner refused to comply. Around 500 bodies of Mungiki gang members have turned up in bushes outside Nairobi; they are probably victims of in-fighting. In 1989, Arthur's daughter, Margaret, died of a drugs overdose. He had been responsible for negotiating between dealers in the North and the rest of England. 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. On the morning of young Arthur's funeral, a month after his murder, their bodies were discovered outside the Cottage Bar, in Shettleston, Glasgow. Glasgow shop sign blunder warns customers against 'consummation of food and drink'. contact the editor here. Perhaps a more fitting coda from the band might have been, I fought the law and the law won. By this stage in his career Norval had a wife in Liddesdale Street, Milton, and a mistress, Jean, whom he housed separately, in Willowbank Street, but who remained loyal to him for the rest of his life. Failure to pay him what you owed resulted in a painful punishment. In August 2014 he died from pneumonia aged 85, cuing the high-profile exit at Maryhill Crematorium with musical accompaniment by the Clash. McPherson wrote: It was straight out of a Guy Ritchie movie and was full of cockney hardmen. Joe Jackson was with his older brother John when they saw Thompson, in his top-of-the-range Jaguar, force a van into a lamp post, killing the occupants, James Goldie and Patrick Welsh. After several escapes from camp he was sentenced to 18 months hard labour for slashing another soldier with shards of glass. But he was able to argue an attempted murder case down to a three-year sentence in Peterhead for assault. THE MOB'S REVENGE; 50TH BRITISH SOLDIER TO DIE SERVING IN IRAQ Troops ambushed after Islamic chief's arrest. Ferris, then 28, was found not guilty in June 1992 at the High Court in Glasgow after the longest-running murder trial in Scottish legal history. On the day of Fatboys funeral, the bodies of two of Ferris associates were found in a car. Born in September 1931 in the industrial area of Springburn, Glasgow he was destined for a life of crime. Two years later Fat Boy was gunned down outside The Ponderosa just six hours after coming home from prison on weekend leave. Police have run up against a wall of silence, but believe the murder is linked to drugs. Visitation will be . Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved Rita Thompson (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), who passed away at the age of 64, on August 18, 2021. His team, the Barlanark Gang, initially continued paying him a cut, but the two sides quickly fell out as the Gang found new paymasters. Thompson would also carry out hits for the Krays in London and they would do the same in return in Glasgow. In time-honoured tradition, Thompson failed to speak out against the brothers and they were cleared of all charges. Menu Log In Sign Up 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 property details and household demographic information related to income, investments, and interests. In June, it began a reign of terror against matatu drivers and conductors while also targeting people who defected from the gang. For webmasters |, COPYRIGHT 2006 Scottish Daily Record & Sunday. 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. Souhila and her husband were almost ready to open Adam Supermarket before the Napiershall Lane business was hit with a devastating inferno on Wednesday night. Man charged in connection with death of Neil Canney in Greenock. View Anniversary. Readers comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. Editors' Code of Practice. He died from a heart attack in 1993 aged 61. As a result, they were given a police guard and their families moved to safety. Had they lived both Hanlon and Glover would likely have stood trial alongside Ferris as alleged accomplices in Arthur Thompson Jnrs murder. You can make a complaint by using the report this post link . Zoe Hagman and her daughter Ariana Catalano have opened Arredo on Shawlands' Kilmarnock Road to bring some flair to the street and also to the homes of local shoppers. It's not known what Thompson's views were when Ferris was cleared of murdering his son. His coffin was carried by members of a biker club, his six daughters and a granddaughter all wore matching red outfits and music from the Clash blared out as the retinue made its way into the crematorium. [11][12][13], Thompson died at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 13 March 1993 from a heart attack at the age of 61. The judges in all four cases have to be constantly guarded by armed police. Thompsons name was enough to strike fear into anyone who crossed him. He was a very violent, ruthless, clever criminal and a real nasty piece of work. There was to be further drama that day as there was also a bomb scare at the cemetery where Thompson Jr was due to be buried. Join Facebook to connect with Rita Thompson and others you may know. 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. Veteran crime reporter Ron McKay tells the story of Walter Norval, the former boss of Glasgow's infamous XYY Gang. In his day, he said, "gangsters were hard men. Additionally, Ora has shared photos with both Waititi and Thompson. 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). The Thompson Gang was finished at this point, and Arthur died in his bed in 1993. 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. Joe, now 80, said: As far as I was concerned what my brother and I saw that night was murder. mg.co.za. Thirty years later no one has yet been charged with the murders or stood trial. The gang is sometimes referred to as the Kenyan version of the Yakuza, Mafia or Cosa Nostra due to its organization. In 1966 he had been involved in a high-value theft of clothes from a shop in Glasgow and was sentenced to four years in prison. Comments have been closed on this article. heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment. Prison chiefs were also under no illusions about the kind of man they were dealing with. They had been shot in the head and the anus. In May, veteran gangland boss Frank McPhee was shot through the head on his doorstep, as his 11-year-old son looked on in terror. She received three years in prison for the attack. Please note that only low-res files should be uploaded. [5], Thompson also survived two further attempts on his life; he was shot in the groin outside his home "The Ponderosa" in Provanmill, named after a ranch in the Western television series Bonanza in 1985. However, despite the murder of his son, the Godfather wasn't quite finished yet. It was clear to everyone in the citys underworld what type of message was being sent out with the double murder. There are 200+ professionals named "Rita Thompson", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. During his trips to London hed become friends with one of the ring leaders, Buster Edwards, who would later attend the funeral of Arthurs murdered son, Arthur Jr. A 22-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Neil Canney in Greenock. However, he survived an assassination attempt in 1985 and another one in 1988. Arthur was charged with their murders, but he was set free because no witnesses came forward to testify. To quote from Norval's musical epitaph, My daddy was a bankrobber, but he never hurt nobody, he just loved to live that way, and he loved to steal your money.". One of his main sources of income over the years was providing protection to pubs in the city. It may be one of the few occasions when the law had got the better of him. Glasgow's original Godfather: Walter Norval. He then walked the few yards from one court to another to give evidence in the Welshes murder trial. A sniper waited for him after he had been chased through Glasgow by another hitman. Another local hard man, Paul Ferris, was charged with Fat Boy's murder, but cleared after Scotland's longest criminal trial. Readers comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. It was now all about drugs and there Wattie drew the line. It was just a way for the terrified owner to pay protection to Thompson. Police have confirmed that the body of Matthew Cosgrove was discovered in the Lesmahagow area on Friday afternoon. Glasgow crime stories: Arthur Thompson who ruled the city's underworld for more than 30 years. Dumbarton police stop 'dangerous' vehicle on A82 as driver fails cannabis test. HE was Glasgows equivalent of Don Corleone, the fictional New York crime godfather immortalised in his portrayal by Marlon Brando. When they arrived in Los Angeles, they encountered an established system of Latin gangs and were not welcome. At an identification parade, he refused to identify the IRA suspect. 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. 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. Editors' Code of Practice. Counts may not reflect the number of records that will appear in search results. His other son, Billy died in 2017 as a result of his drug addiction. Drag your file here or click Browse below. Along with rivals Barrio 18, they have ensured that El Salvador is the worlds murder capital. The company, based in Drumchapel, has reportedly ceased all trading with its annual results currently overdue by more than two months. Commuters will have the chance to grab some pre-loved fashion bargains later this month, with the money raised helping Shelter Scotland amidst the housing emergency. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the. In 1988, Thompson had another lucky escape when he was shot in the groin in a demolition yard he owned in the East End of Glasgow. Add up to 5 colours and slide the dividers to adjust the composition, Click for a quote that fits your requirements. Three shots at close range from a .22 pistol hit young Arthur. Results will return exact matches only.Any images with overlay of text may not produce accurate results.Details of larger images will search for their corresponding detail. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to El pentatln o pentatln femenino es un evento combinado de atletismo en el que cada mujer compite en cinco eventos separados durante un da (anteriormente dos das). inaccuracy or intrusion, then please This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's 74 members of the sect were arrested. Arthur Thompson was one of 300 people called to give evidence. Teacher strikes suspended as union backs new Scottish Government pay offer. Kenyas security forces had to act and stormed into the Mathare region. A Gannett Company. Thompson suspected both men of being involved in his sons murder and is said to have paid a hitman 20,000 to execute them. The violence was on a much, much higher level. Arthurs influence began to wane while his son was in prison and other gangs saw the chance of rich pickings. 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. Uncover details about birth, marriage, and divorce. He accused Paul Ferris, a former enforcer for the gang, of trying to kill him in 1988. Glasgow shop owner 'in tears' after store weeks away from opening hit by devastating blaze. While America is often deemed to have a high homicide rate compared to other Western nations, it pales in comparison to El Salvador where the murder rate is 22 times higher. Ferris only escaped a similar fate because he was on remand at Barlinnie Prison awaiting trial. Norval made his name in local gangs, moving on to protection rackets, working pubs, clubs and bookies then, naturally, to armed robbery. A few days after the double murder, armed police raided the Ponderosa home looking for evidence but nothing was found. Join Facebook to connect with Rita and others you may know. [11] Ferris claimed the younger Thompson had been shot by a hit man known only as "The Apprentice". Other papers record Thompson trying to stir up a hunger strike and pressing inmates to petition for better privileges and visiting rights. So the person in charge would have to have been something very special, and Arthur was certainly that.. Comments have been closed on this article. Thank you to whichever member of staff was responsible! Copyright 2018 Global Image Works, LLC. Bankrobber, that was the song, and that was old Wattie's business. Body of missing man Matthew Cosgrove discovered by police in Lanarkshire. Thompson later gave a personal undertaking to the police that he would not harm the two officers. HP10 9TY. As well as terrorizing people in the United States, MS-13 still has a heavy presence in El Salvador. The goal was to protect Kikuyu farmers in their land disputes with the Maasai and local government forces dominated by the Kalenjin tribe. [3] Protection rackets soon followed, and he was also involved in bank robberies and heists for a time. However, Thompson said the pairs reputation would damage the bands career. The young Detective Constable got out his own car and ran to a nearby petrol station to phone the emergency services, where he also found Thompson who then sped off. Rita, stabbed the wife of Patrick Welsh in the chest. Rita Thompson - who left an estimated pounds 2million - told pals she wanted her will to pay for a gangland hit on former mobster Ferris, who was cleared of murdering her son Arthur jnr in 1992. Rita's husband, William Gunn, the biker, isn't so lucky, getting five years in jail for threatening. 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. 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. 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. One detective on the case said: 'He had been a dead man walking for years. Arthur also enjoyed hobnobbing with celebrities. All rights reserved. Obituaries & obituary notices in Glasgow. 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. If that was true then young Arthurs decision to take the night air was to prove fatal. 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. Its rumoured Thompson was present when Ronnie infamously shot George Cornell of the rival Richardson gang in Londons Blind Beggar pub in 1966. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's 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. In 1988 Arthur was shot in the groin outside The Ponderosa. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Although Thompson wasnt a tall man, he was powerfully built with a chilling stare that could terrify both friend and foe alike. View the profiles of people named Rita. Arthur's son Billy became a heroin . Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. Gang members are prone to psychotically violent behavior. Rita M. Glasgow, 89, of Galena, died Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at Galena Stauss Senior Care Community, Galena surrounded by her family. In 1969 she was jailed for three years for stabbing a female member of the rival Welsh family in her home and even wrote letters to the Parole Board on Thompsons behalf while inside. The gangster was always the same dealing with the police. On the day of his funeral a month later, the bodies of Joe Hanlon and Bobby Glover were discovered outside the Cottage Bar, a pub they used in Shettleston, Glasgow. Jurors also come under attack and are provided with police bodyguards for the duration. Overall, around 100 people died in the violence. Find census, military, and other historical records.*. Beatings and slashings were routinely inflicted on anyone who failed to pay up. At one time, he had at least 20 pubs in Glasgow paying him 4000 each week. Results for Rita have been distilled from over 6 billion consumer records found online and offline. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can With Fatboy in prison, Old Arthur had to return before his rivals picked his empire apart. There were plans at one stage to move Thompson from cushier Aberdeen to the tougher regime of Barlinnie but Rita bizarrely objected on the grounds that her husband might "fall in with a bad crowd.". Search for profiles by email and username. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. As a result the takeover never took place. 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. Disclaimer: Reference to these media outlets or TV shows should not be construed to imply an endorsement or sponsorship of Spokeo or its products. He drove his car directly at their van and forced it off the road.