Over two centuries its influence has spread across the globe. Ross Kemp: Mafia & Britain I: The British Connection, History 2024
On 18th June 1982 a corpse was found under this bridge in central London. Details made the death suspicious. The body was identified as Roberto Calvi. Up until the death of Roberto Calvi it was assumed the Mafia had no business here. ibid.
Just how far does the Mafia’s tentacles spread throughout Britian? ibid.
[Gennaro] Panzuto only stayed at the caravan park for a few months. He soon upgraded to a three-bedroomed house on the outskirts of Preston … The armed police turned up. ibid.
‘An Aberdeen businessman has been accused of being the godfather of a Mafia crime gang and a catalogue of crimes including racketeering, extortion and violence.’ ibid. TV news
Charles Darby Sabini: ‘Blood and guts and brutal street smart’ … He wasn’t strictly Mafia … and his mother was Scottish. ibid.
On 21st March 1980 a major Philadelphia Mafia boss was assassinated. The motive for this brutal killing was unclear. Would Angelo Bruno’s death change the American Mob’s relationship with gangland Britain? Ross Kemp: Mafia & Britain s1e2: US, History TV
With a link between the Mob and London casinos. How did the Mob’s operation in London work? And where did it lead? ibid.
‘They made billions of dollar on both sides of the ocean.’ ibid. Professor Nicaso
Woking, Surrey: An unlikely place for the Contrara-Caruana Mafia family to base its operation. ibid.
Francesco di Carlo, Franky ‘The Strangler’: A Mafia hitman originally suspected of the brutal and very public murder of Vatican banker Robert Calvi under Blackfriars Bridge. Iibid.
From the 1970s Britain was a vital part of the Mafia trafficking and money-laundering operation. Pushing heroin and illegal money in the United States. ibid.
[Jamie]: I’m sorry, Sebastian. I’m sorry, guys. Temple I, heist goes wrong, Sky 2019
Lee, I’ve been shot in my stomach. ibid. Jamie
Four Arrested In Depot Robbery, One Still Missing. ibid. Sky News banner
I’ve already told you, he’s [Jamie] a fucking friend of mine! ibid. Lee to Daniel
[Beth]: Eleanor, this could work. This could be the cure. Temple II, flashback
It isn’t over. Beth, it isn’t over, OK? ibid. Daniel
It’s a clinic for people who can’t, or don’t want to, go in the system. ibid. Daniel to Anna
[Anna]: Why though?
[Daniel]: Because I can’t give up. I won’t give up. ibid.
Just stay with the guy. It’s only a couple of hours. Temple III, Daniel to Lee
[Gangster]: What do you take me for? A cunt? Gangster No.1 ***** 2000 staring Paul Bettany & Malcolm McDowell & David Thewlis & Saffron Burrows & Kenneth Cranham & Jamie Foreman & Eddie Marsan et al, director Paul McGuigan
Freddie Mays. Freddie Mays. The Butcher of Mayfair. The man was a legend. He’d only done a copper in Bethnal Green and god away with it, for fuck’s sake. ibid.
What a place! A fucking palace. In he came. There he was. In those hand-made Italian leather shoes. Silk socks. The suit? Do me a favour. The man was class. A class act. Style. Im-fucking-peccable. What a man. ibid.
Lennie Taylor’s goons torching our club? Lennie Taylor, you cunt. Think you’re better than Freddie Mays? Lennie fucking Taylor? You little piece of dead meat? ibid.
Is it? Well there’s the chair. Who wants it? There it is. Come on. Who wants it? Come on, who wants it? You ain’t got the bollocks, none of ya. ibid. Freddie Mays to gang
Just another bird. Just another skinny fucking bird. ibid. Gangster’s commentary
You let a bird into your life, the next thing you know, the walls are all poof pink. ibid.
Not bad looking? I’m a prince, darling. ibid.
What a comedy. What a skirmish. Look at his suit now. Tatters. The bird’s fucked. But Freddie’s still twitching. Nice to know. He tries to get up. Falls back. Hopeless. Tries again. Go on, son. No! He pulls himself along the pavement, trail of blood like a bleeding slug. Come on, Freddie! Two more yards. ibid.
I’ve got a machete on the back seat, a chopper on the passenger, and this old Beretta tucked in me trousers. And I’m fucking happy. ibid.
I’m superman. King-fucking-Kong. ibid.
‘99. Freddie Mays is back. Lock up your daughters. ibid.
What have you got that I haven’t got? ibid.
[Leans over balcony] Bitch. [Punches glass screen] One day I’ll catch up with you. You want a war? I’ll give you a fucking war one arm tied behind me back. I’ll shoot you. Blow you to kingdom come. They’ll need a dustpan and brush to scrape you off the walls. Make mincemeat out of you. Pie and mash. Puddles of blood. I’ll leave you lying there. Garrotte the lot of you. Calling me a cunt. Calling me a cunt. Calling me a cunt. You cunt. I’ll fucking kick ya. I’ll kick fuck out of to you. I’ll kick to fuck you! Fuck you! Rip your face off. I’ll fucking, I’ll fucking burn you … [on roof] Freddie Mays. Freddie Mays. I don’t need you, Freddie. Who am I? I’m superman! King fucking Kong! I can pick you up and throw you a million miles. I’m Number One. Number fucking One. I’m Number One. Number fucking One. Number One. Number One. Number One. Number One. Number One. Number One. Number one. One. One. One. One. Number fucking One. I’m number one – fuck you! – Number One. [jumps off roof]. ibid.