Elephant Boys
Subtitle: Tales of London and Los Angeles Underworlds
Edition: Second
Publisher: Mainstream Publishing
Published: March 15, 2001
Place of publication: Edinburgh
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 288
ISBN-13: 9781840184761
Subjects: True crime; USA; United Kingdom, Great Britain; English
First sentence: The early part of the book concerns his uncles, Wag and Wal McDonald,  who took part in the racing gang battles with the Sabini gang between the World Wars. His uncle Wag ran off to California, where he became bodyguard to Charlie Chaplin and other movie stars, and to Mafia boss Jack Dragna.
This is one of the best accounts of Britain's gangland, written by someone who knew what it really was like.
Description: Elephant Boys is a story about growing up in the Elephant and Castle district of south-east London. The author was a member of the notorious Elephant Boys gang in the 1950s and relates tales of local villains and West End of London gangsters whom he knew. He was a close friend of Eddie Richardson and was with Jack Spot when the 'Fight That Never Was' took place in Frith Street, Soho.