As a gun-wielding bank robber, the author was top of the criminal tree. But he'd also spent the greater part of his adult life in prison, an environment where respect and basic survival were guaranteed only to those prepared to use the most brutal violence. 0This book describes how he came to realize that the game wasn't worth the candle.
Set in the summer of 1976, the story follows 16-year-old Noel Smith, a Teddy Boy who embraces his style with a drape suit and quiff. As he navigates the vibrant youth culture of South London, he rises to become the leader of a rockabilly gang. The narrative explores his confrontations with rival groups, including Punks and bikers, highlighting the fierce loyalty and camaraderie within his gang amidst the backdrop of a changing musical landscape.
The autobiography of convicted felon Noel, Razor, Smith. Razor has shot, slashed and robbed his way into gangland legend. The battle of Morden, the massacre at the White Swan, gun fights in Brixton, beatings by police and rival gangs, Razor tells it all.
THE TRUE STORY OF LONDON'S MOST PROLIFIC ARMED ROBBERY GANGThe average bank robbery takes around four minutes. The essential ingredients are ruthlessness, cunning and plenty of bottle. You'll also need a weapon, a disguise and a getaway car. If you have all those things, then you could go to work right now. The Bradish boys had all these things and, boy, did they go to work.The 'Dirty Dozen' were a ruthless federation of criminals who ran the armed robbery game in London for over a decade.When charismatic leader 'Gentleman' Jim Doyle was jailed, the innovative but violent Bradish brothers, Sean and Vincent, stepped up to take the throne. Hardened by a life in London's most lawless corners, they recruited a tight-knit crew to forge a reputation as the brutal kings of their underworld trade.Banks, security vans, post offices, travel agents - anywhere was fair game and nowhere was safe. With endless money at their disposal, the gang spent freely on cars, drugs and decadence. Life was good.But with the Met's tough-as-nails Flying Squad hot on their heels, a member of the inner circle cracked under the pressure and turned grass - and so began the thrilling chase-down of the Bradish boys and their illicit empire. The Dirty Dozen is the real story of the rise and fall of London's most feared crime syndicate.
The ultimate guide to the criminal world through its slang - from insults to terms of respect, weapons to injuries, crimes to punishment 'I have spent almost 33 of the last 53 years in and out of prison, but mainly in. I was a juvenile offender back in the mid 1970s and went on to become an adult prisoner in the 1980s and beyond. My shortest prison sentence was 7 days (for criminal damage) and my longest sentence was life (for bank robbery and possession of firearms). I have 58 criminal convictions for everything from attempted theft to armed robbery and prison escape, and I was a career criminal for most of my life. What I do not know about criminal and prison slang could be written on the back of a postage stamp and still leave room for The Lord's Prayer . . . ' From ex-professional bank robber and best-selling author Noel Smith, this is the most authoritative dictionary of criminal slang out there - and an absorbing journey, through words, into the heart of the criminal world.