In 1966, he narrowly escaped death when a bomb exploded under his car; his mother-in-law, in the passenger seat, was killed. It was now all about drugs and there Wattie drew the line. 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. 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. 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. Please note that only low-res files should be uploaded. In his day, he said, "gangsters were hard men. Shelter Scotland launch Glasgow Central Station pop up clothes shops. Add up to 5 colours and slide the dividers to adjust the composition, Click for a quote that fits your requirements. He drove his car directly at their van and forced it off the road. Although he has been dead for nearly eight years, the name of Arthur Thompson still induces instant amnesia or muteness in Provanmill residents. Legend has it that the crime boss later viewed the bodies and shot both men in the chest with another gun. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. She was a graduate of the Fort Fairfield High School, class of 1963, and had been employed as a C.N.A . The 56-year-old had been reported missing on Sunday. View property details and household demographic information related to income, investments, and interests. All planned teacher strikes have been suspended after a new pay offer was presented by the Scottish Government. Legend has it that the crime boss later viewed the bodies and shot both men in the chest with another gun. Joe Jackson was with his older brother John when they saw Thompson, in his top-of-the-range Jaguar, force a van into a lamppost, killing the occupants, James Goldie and Patrick Welsh. The violence was on a much, much higher level. *** Local Caption *** Scottish gangs. Kenyas security forces had to act and stormed into the Mathare region. The presence or absence of records for any individual is not a guarantee of any kind. Earlier this year, pitched battles broke out in Chinese restaurants between the Wo Sing Wo Triad and their rivals, the Tai Huen Chair or Big Circle Gang. Thompson was supported loyally in his criminal enterprises by his wife the diminutive Rita who bore him four children. Arthurs influence began to wane while his son was in prison and other gangs saw the chance of rich pickings. [6] Thompson was charged with murder but not prosecuted as the police could find no witnesses who would testify. Results for Rita have been distilled from over 6 billion consumer records found online and offline. 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. Obituaries & obituary notices in Glasgow. Two weeks later Joe learned of Thompsons plans to blow up both his and Johns homes in Glasgow. On the morning of young Arthur's funeral, a month after his murder, their bodies were discovered outside the Cottage Bar, in Shettleston, Glasgow. Whoever did that was taking a big chance as Hanlon's Ford Orion was well known to the police and was regularly stopped. 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. 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. Joe, now 80, said: As far as I was concerned what my brother and I saw that night was murder. He would have given his last penny to anybody, and he often did., Trouble was it was someone else's money. We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments. Friendly with the likes of 'Mad' Frankie Fraser and Billy Hill, he was a leading underworld figure north of the border. It's now, as leader of what becomes known as the XYY Gang, that Norval becomes notorious. It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Rita M. Glasgow of Galena, Illinois, who passed away on February 22, 2023, leaving to mourn family and friends. We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse. The first milestone he set himself was to go to Borstal, which he achieved at 16 after breaking into a Hope Street office and holding up a newsagent with a fake gun. [10] On the day of Thompson Jr's funeral a car was found containing the bodies of two friends of Ferris, Robert Glover and Joe Hanlon, who were also suspected of involvement in his death and had been killed by gunshots to the back of the head and the anus. The eyewitnesses who did not speak up at the trial were not bad people, they were just terrified of Thompson and what he might do to them.. For Norval the past was not just a different country but one with a language and culture he did not understand. He had been a regular visitor to Northern Ireland. View the profiles of people named Rita. In 1988, Thompson suffered a broken leg after he was run over by a car and shot at, again outside his home. 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. View the profiles of professionals named "Rita Thompson" on LinkedIn. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can Police have confirmed that the body of Matthew Cosgrove was discovered in the Lesmahagow area on Friday afternoon. Fort Fairfield - Rita Jean Thompson, 78, wife of the late Berkley A. Thompson, passed away Thursday evening, February 9, 2023, at Madigan Estates, Houlton, following an extended illness. Police are probing his links with a big dogfighting ring. Copyright 2006 Gale, Cengage Learning. HP10 9TY. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself. Today, there is an estimated 70,000 members throughout Central and North America. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. The goal was to protect Kikuyu farmers in their land disputes with the Maasai and local government forces dominated by the Kalenjin tribe. [8] Billy died on 4 March 2017 as a result of his drug addiction. Friends of Thompson say he was never the same after young Arthurs death. Additionally, Ora has shared photos with both Waititi and Thompson. In 1970 the then governor of Craiginches prison in Aberdeen describe Thompson as a thug of the worst kind who along with another inmate was running warring factions inside and outside of prison. Disaster struck in 1985 when Fat Boy was jailed for 11 years when he fell victim to a huge heroin bust. They fought in the streets, they fought in the pubs and they made names for themselves - but it was amongst themselves. When they arrived in Los Angeles, they encountered an established system of Latin gangs and were not welcome. It may be one of the few occasions when the law had got the better of him. They can be seen laughing and seemingly kissing each other. Brothers Martin, George and Henry Welsh, 24, were charged with murdering Margaret and attempting to kill Arthur in the revenge attack. All rights reserved. The gangster was always the same dealing with the police. For McPhee, the end was always going to come like this.' Charges of illegal possession of a firearm and supplying heroin, cocaine and ecstasy were also thrown out by the jury. He then walked the few yards from one court to another to give evidence in the Welshes murder trial. Norval's trial has a fiery hanselling. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Thompson himself had been known for punishing enemies or bad debtors by nailing their hands and feet to the floor crucifixion-style. Rita Thompson, 72, who had throat cancer, died on Tuesday. Search for birth, death, marriage, divorce, US Census, and military records. On a quiet Sunday afternoon this month, as Billy strolled past his local post office in the tough Provanmill district of the city's East End, he was set upon by at least three men and stabbed repeatedly in his head and body. Paparazzi photos of director Taika Waititi getting close to actress Tessa Thompson and singer Rita Ora went viral on social media over the weekend. Uncover details about birth, marriage, and divorce. Fairbairn was a ferocious right-winger who had married into the Scottish aristocracy, later became Solicitor-General appointed by Margaret Thatcher and died of cirrhosis of the liver. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? He was a very violent, ruthless, clever criminal and a real nasty piece of work. Download Glasgow gangster Arthur Thompson with his wife Rita Thompson, c.1970 (b/w photo) from Bridgeman Images archive a library of millions of art, On April 16, she posted a pic of the director holding her in a matching Gucci sweater, while . Something went wrong, please try again later. Copyright 2023 Farlex, Inc. | Privacy policy | The judges in all four cases have to be constantly guarded by armed police. 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. Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. 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. Born in September 1931[1] in the industrial area of Springburn, Glasgow,[2] Arthur Thompson began his career as a money lender, and was said to crucify those who did not repay their debts, by nailing them to floors or doors. The London Euston to Glasgow train was forced to come to an emergency stop; . Rita Thompson building. His death, coupled with the jailing of Paul Ferris on firearms charges in 1999, left a void which has generated a wave of violence. The Mungiki was linked to a triple murder in the United States and also mutilated and decapitated a 2-year old boy as part of a bizarre ritual. 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.". contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. HP10 9TY. Both men were bitter rivals of Thompson. Thompson died at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 13 March 1993 from a heart attack at the age of 61. 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. It's not known what Thompson's views were when Ferris was cleared of murdering his son. His father and younger brother Billy alerted by the shots found him dying on the pavement. By the early 1980's Thompson - now in his 50's - was all-powerful in Glasgow and beyond. At an identification parade, he refused to identify the IRA suspect. Tributes paid to 'vibrant' Glasgow community hero who tragically died after long cancer battle. "He didnt care if he had money in his pocket. On the day of Fatboys funeral, the bodies of two of Ferris associates were found in a car. Arthur Jnr had enjoyed a celebratory dinner with his father and other family members at the popular Cafe India restaurant in Glasgows Charing Cross. Gillian Rooney was evicted from her Bellshill flat in February 2020 and claims the council threw away her belongings which included irreplaceable scan pictures of her late babies. In the past, the journalists job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Thompson received a not proven verdict, despite the eyewitness accounts of Joe and his brother. Rita Thompson, who had throat cancer, died in 2006 at the age of 72. Thompson later gave a personal undertaking to a senior police officer that he would not harm the two officers. THE widow of Arthur Thompson, the former Glasgow godfather, has died. A few days after the double murder, armed police raided the Ponderosa home looking for evidence but nothing was found. It was rumoured to be fitted out with secret passages, hiding spots, and its own underground tunnel. The term Mungiki means multitude or united people in the Kikuyu language. 17-19 Garway Road She received three years in prison for the attack. contact the editor here. The gunman, an IRA hitman, had been hired by a rival to kill him. (617) 265-4336 View Details Rita Thompson View Details Austin 8813 Collingwood Dr, Austin Associated persons: Daniel H Thompson, Gregory M Thompson, Richard H Thompson, Rita m Thompson (512) 292-0911 View Details Rita I Thompson, age 70 View Details 2747 Hering Ave Address review: Water SystemNO WATER (WNW) Completed College ', Tell-tale sign a coin is rare as expert urges Glaswegians to check change. Dumbarton police stop 'dangerous' vehicle on A82 as driver fails cannabis test. Arthur also enjoyed hobnobbing with celebrities. It was at this point he even joked about speaking with cotton wool in his mouth. Michael Beale will be looking for an immediate reaction from his side after suffering a first defeat in charge of the Light Blues in the League Cup Final defeat to Celtic. Three months later, Thompson narrowly escaped death when he was in a car that exploded outside his house. Had they lived both Hanlon and Glover would likely have stood trial alongside Ferris as alleged accomplices in Arthur Thompson Jnrs murder. The young Detective Constable got out of his own car and ran to a nearby petrol station to phone the emergency services, where he also found Thompson who then sped off. In 1969, Arthurs wife, Rita, stabbed the wife of Patrick Welsh in the chest. Glasgow mum and daughter duo launch interiors shop in heart of Shawlands. Underworld sources say there is a battle to control Glasgow's 300 million drug market which has spawned a wave of attacks and murders in the city. As a result, they were given a police guard and their families moved to safety in another part of the city. But when I was with Thompson, I was safe and I could have had anything in the pub that I wanted that night.. 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. For webmasters |, COPYRIGHT 2006 Scottish Daily Record & Sunday. Comments have been closed on this article. YASSER FEVER; TENS OF THOUSANDS MOB ARAFAT COFFIN. [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. Thompsons name was enough to strike fear into anyone who crossed him. Arthurs son Billy became a heroin addict, and his daughter Margaret died from a heroin overdose. One infamous recent incident occurred when a member in San Francisco killed a man and his two sons for the crime of briefly blocking his car. Other papers record Thompson trying to stir up a hunger strike and pressing inmates to petition for better privileges and visiting rights. On both occasions, he told police that he feared for his life. Urgent reappeal to find missing Glasgow man as disappearance 'very out of character'. 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. Population Served Men who have experienced chronic homelessness Billy Thompson has now been taken off the critical list and looks set to make a full recovery. 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. [5] His other son, Billy, was stabbed and seriously wounded 400 yards (350 metres) from the family home [8] in 2000, but survived. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes. 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. Glasgow Live. - but was later drafted for National Service, which he was determined to avoid, as he had much of school. If you're in need of a Friday funny, this typo blunder spotted at TJ Hughes in Glasgow could be just the thing to cheer you up. Single Use in context. One of his main sources of income over the years was providing protection to pubs in the city. Drag your file here or click Browse below. "His depravity is veneered with conformity and deadly quietness, and he is difficult to undermine when he is on the alert. Thompson survived - just - and two men have since appeared in court in connection with the attack, which police are treating as attempted murder. However, he survived an assassination attempt in 1985 and another one in 1988. [3] Protection rackets soon followed, and he was also involved in bank robberies and heists for a time. Overall, around 100 people died in the violence. Arthur Thompson, Rita Thompson.Circa, Glasgow Image ID: MX116351 Glasgow gangster Arthur Thompson, known as The Godfather, pictured with his wife Rita Thompson.Circa 1970. You can make a complaint by using the report this post link . Initially, the group was in favor of female circumcision and later adopted rituals such as wearing dreadlocks and swearing oaths like the Mau Mau rebels who fought against Britain in the 1960s. In the early 1960s, Thompson became close allies of notorious London gangsters The Kray twins, Ronnie and Reggie so much so, they are reputed to have come up to Glasgow to seek his advice on a plan to take over The Beatles from their manager Brian Epstein. When he was sent to Inverness after one escapade, a 21-inch metal cosh was found inside his pillow. Glasgow crime stories: Arthur Thompson who ruled the city's underworld for more than 30 years. The documents cover the period from 1967 to 1969, when Thompson was in his late 30s and paint a picture of the criminal kingpin as a devious man used to getting his own way. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. [8][7], Thompson's daughter, Margaret, died from a drug overdose in 1989. By the Eighties, the Thompson clan had moved into. He was also cleared of attempting to murder Arthur Thompson Snr by repeatedly driving a car at him and threatening to murder another man William Gillen by shooting him in the leg. However, despite the murder of his son, the Godfather wasn't quite finished yet. At one time, he had at least 20 pubs in Glasgow paying him 4000 each week. McPherson wrote: It was straight out of a Guy Ritchie movie and was full of cockney hardmen. [8] [7] Other children [ edit] Thompson's daughter, Margaret, died from a drug overdose in 1989. Anniversary. Around 500 bodies of Mungiki gang members have turned up in bushes outside Nairobi; they are probably victims of in-fighting. And in a summation which might bring a tear to the glassiest eye she said, Dad wasnt motivated by money. Copyright 2023 Bridgeman Art Library Limited. heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment. GALENA, Ill. Rita M. Glasgow, 89, of Galena, died Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at Galena Stauss Senior Care Community, Galena surrounded by her family. Norval's daughter, Rita Gunn, is charged with conspiring to damage the court but acquitted. Gang members are prone to psychotically violent behavior. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. One detective on the case said: 'He had been a dead man walking for years. He was jailed three years ago for carrying a knife and, a week after his release, was jailed again for carrying a harpoon gun. Copyright 2018 Global Image Works, LLC. We found 1021 people named Rita S Thompson. 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). Find local and national death notices, funeral notices, obituaries, in memoriams, and acknowledgements at funeral-notices.co.uk, plus a directory of over 3,000 UK Funeral Directors 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. Arthur survived, but his mother-in-law was killed. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. Rangers vs Kilmarnock starting team news as Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin in but no Malik Tillman. Thompson signed into a private clinic in the West End of Glasgow and told police the injury was caused by a broken drill bit. It was the end of an astonishing era. Others probably organised the double execution as a favour to him and out of respect. This photo license is intended for editorial use only. Another local hard man, Paul Ferris, was charged with Fat Boy's murder, but cleared after Scotland's longest criminal trial. Despite these issues, Arthur made a fortune from drugs and was also reportedly earning 100,000 a week as a loan shark. They then returned home for a nightcap. In time-honoured tradition, Thompson failed to speak out against the brothers and they were cleared of all charges. HP10 9TY. The driver also failed a roadside drug wipe for cannabis. 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. [11][12][13], Thompson died at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 13 March 1993 from a heart attack at the age of 61. Along with rivals Barrio 18, they have ensured that El Salvador is the worlds murder capital. Once, when giving evidence at the High Court in Glasgow he even joked about speaking with cotton wool in his mouth a technique Brando used in the iconic movie to sound like an Italian mobster. He is known to have blown up a bar and social club after one owner refused to comply. Although Thompson wasnt a tall man, he was powerfully built with a chilling stare that could terrify both friend and foe alike. There was understandable media speculation that Ferris now had a price on his head. Mirrorpix / GIW Photos. This 936 square foot home is the last known address for Rita. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. In August 2014 he died from pneumonia aged 85, cuing the high-profile exit at Maryhill Crematorium with musical accompaniment by the Clash. View the profiles of people named Rita Thompson. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. However, Ferris was found not guilty of all charges in June that year after the longest-running murder trial in Scottish legal history. He then walked the few yards from one court to another to give evidence in the Welshes murder trial. He was caught and, as criminals did at the time, called for the legendary lawyer Joe Beltrami, who hired advocate Nicky Fairbairn to defend him. Another measure of his influence came after his son Arthur Thompson Jr was jailed for 11 years in 1985 for drug dealing. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. See Rita S Thompson's age, phone number, house address, email address, social media accounts, public records, and check for criminal records on Spokeo. 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. He saw little of his father and mother a mixed marriage in the Glasgow sense, father a Catholic, mother a Protestant romping around the area, avoiding school and police, whatever criminal mischief was afoot Wattie was at the heart of it. Some time afterwards he spotted them in their van. Young Arthur - nicknamed Fat Boy by his detractors - had been released that Saturday morning from Noranside Prison in Angus on a weekend parole as part of a training for freedom programme. Its rumoured Thompson was present when Ronnie infamously shot George Cornell of the rival Richardson gang in Londons Blind Beggar pub in 1966. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. Rita Thompson, who had throat cancer, died in 2006 at the age of 72. He died from a heart attack in 1993 aged 61. After several escapes from camp he was sentenced to 18 months hard labour for slashing another soldier with shards of glass. A Gannett Company. If that was true then young Arthurs decision to take the night air was to prove fatal. Discover work experience, company details, and more. It was started in California when large groups of people from El Salvador fled the country during its civil war. One of its founders claims that the Mungiki began as a local militia in the 1980s. In a bravura performance from the witness box, he denied he was Glasgows Godfather and criticised the police. Isgho Votre ducation notre priorit . Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the. Thompson signed into a private clinic in the West End of Glasgow and told police the injury was caused by a broken drill bit. They were heavily involved in the violence in the ethnic Luos area which claimed the lives of several hundred people. . But that was all in the past for Ferris as he savoured his dramatic acquittal on the High Court steps before a cheering crowd. It was common for Arthur to crucify his victims by nailing their hands and feet to furniture. It later transpired that they would have been better off inside prison. While Arthur liked to make money and stay out of the limelight, Fatboy loved being known as a major player in Glasgow and reveled in showing off his wealth. Teacher strikes suspended as union backs new Scottish Government pay offer. Disclaimer: Reference to these media outlets or TV shows should not be construed to imply an endorsement or sponsorship of Spokeo or its products. ANNENBERG--Leonore. [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. His account, as it was in all subsequent violent episodes, was that the red mist had come down and he couldn't remember a thing about it afterwards. Glasgow's original Godfather: Walter Norval. In dramatic scenes, Thompson and the Welshes both stood trial at the same time at the High Court in Glasgow. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can He had been responsible for negotiating between dealers in the North and the rest of England. Rita's husband, William Gunn, the biker, isn't so lucky, getting five years in jail for threatening. The Thompson Gang was finished at this point, and Arthur died in his bed in 1993. Three years later, a car mounted the pavement outside his home and ran him over. Although Thompson wasnt a tall man, he was powerfully built with a chilling stare that could terrify both friend and foe alike.

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