EAST END GANGLAND

Hardback. SIGNED. Murder, Extortion, Vice, Drugs. From the immigration gangs of the early 20th century to the Kray twins and after, nowhere in Britain is as synonymous with organised crime as London's East End. In this fascinating and revealing book, James Morton looks back at the crimes and the criminals that have given the area its legendary reputation. It was a series of horrific killings in the late 19th century that first brought the East End to the nation's attention, in particular, the Whitechapel Murders of 1888, carried out by Jack the Ripper. That and the area's ever changing social mix - from the influx of Ashkenazi Jews to the rising Asian population of modern times, has helped create a climate where organised crime can flourish. Features : the Sabini brothers, Brilliant Chang, Jack Spot and Billy Hill, Ronnie and Reggie Kray, Charlie Knight etc., right up to the present day - drug dealing, soccer violence and the rising influence of ethnic gangs such as the Brick Lane Massif. Illus., Bibliog. and Index. 373pp. 8vo. h/back. With tipped-in label SIGNED BY JAMES MORTON. Lightly browned pp. o/w Nr. F. in Nr. F. dw. which has a v.v. sl. faded sp. Appears unread.