Followed categories will be added to My News. As the latest Underbelly series shines a light on the seedy s world of standover, illegal casinos, stickups, the corrupt waterfront and brothels we've pulled this yarn out of the True Crime Scene vaults for you to enjoy. Six reasons why Squizzy sucked. Such were the last words of the biggest gangster in s Melbourne, Leslie "Squizzy" Taylor, whose violent death was true to the brutal way he always conducted business.
It is 86 years since he was shot dead in a duel in Carlton on October 27, , ending a notorious reign on par with today's Carl Williams or Tony Mokbel. He was a pickpocket, bootlegger, witness basher, blackmailer, sneak killer, stool pigeon, perjurer, fire-bomber, jury "squarer" or rigger, burglar and a two-up racketeer. He was the darling of the s sensationalist press, and papers offered competing stories about the gangland hero.
Even his name was disputed. Others used Joseph Leslie Theodore Taylor. Squizzy nabbed but not nailed. As a teenager, the cm, 61kg Squizzy was apprenticed as a jockey. His first arrest was in Blackmail was easy money for Squizzy.
He contracted pretty underworld girls to flirt with married men at the Flemington and Caulfield racecourses. The actors got a commission for their roles. Squizzy springs his crooked mate. Squizzy was a dandy. He wore patent leather shoes, fawn gloves, silk socks, diamond rings and a diamond pin in his knitted silk tie.
He smoked expensive cigars and had gold teeth. Squizzy filled his St Kilda villa with pink and white statues, thick carpets and Mae West lounge chairs. Once, when a Detective Piggott raided his home, he was surprised to find Squizzy in bed wearing pink silk pyjamas.
Squizzy loved motor cars. He had a whole range of fast American models, including a single-seater light six and a large double-seater Minerva. If there was a crime, Squizzy would conveniently leave one of his cars parked in front of a suburban police station - the perfect alibi.
And his official record listed only petty offences. Although he was involved in many murders, he was tried only once - and even that time he was acquitted. Squizy seen running from house after 3 people shot in the Fitzroy Vendetta, Corrs Lane. Gertrude and Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. While hiding from the police, he wrote letters and verse to the press. Yet he had few redeeming qualities. Taylor won lasting notoriety by imitating the style of American bootleggers; he never matched their influence or immunity from the law, and at the time of his death made the mistake of cutting into the cocaine trade without commanding sufficient fear or loyalty from the underworld Convicted eighteen times mainly for minor offences, his efficient and lucrative business in jury rigging was used with great effect.
Squizzy lived in era of depression, war and the rise of the moral majority. The era saw the rise of profitable illegal industries such as race-fixing, illegal gambling, sly grog and cocaine and prostitution. Bourke street east was a flourishing red light district a recruitment area for his gang of Bourke Street Rats and a network of informers to provide blackmail and theft opportunities.
Terror was essential for jury fixing, stand over and blackmail. Corruption in racing gave Sqiz the taste. Other convictions followed, mainly on minor charges of theft. He was probably innocent of this latter crime.
After all he was accused of rigging the Grand final at the MCG several years after his death! His income came from armed robbery, prostitution, the sale of illegal liquor and drugs, as well as from race-fixing and protection rackets. With Paddy Boardman, he conducted an efficient and lucrative business in rigging juries, a service of which he made regular use. Reputedly hid at 66 Glenhuntly Road, Elwood. He was acquitted after two trials. Lawrence wanted to know what happened to the house where Squizzy Taylor was shot by his rival Snowy Cutmore.
Topics: crime , law-crime-and-justice , history , community-and-society , carlton , melbourne , vic. First posted April 13, More stories from Victoria. By Nicole Mills. By Tim Callanan. By Daniel Burt. If you have inside knowledge of a topic in the news, contact the ABC. ABC teams share the story behind the story and insights into the making of digital, TV and radio content. Read about our editorial guiding principles and the standards ABC journalists and content makers follow.
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Curious Melbourne Curious Melbourne. Related Story: Were there really opium dens in Melbourne into the s? Related Story: Meet Melbourne's urban farmers growing food at home. External Link: Squizzy Taylor's mugshots through the years. Photo: Snowy Cutmore was known for dealing drugs and committing violent robberies. Photo: The bedroom where the shootout took place. Supplied: Public Records Office of Victoria. Photo: A map from the Metropolitan Board of Works with the scene of the crime circled.
Photo: The floor plan of the terrace house where Cutmore and Taylor faced off. Photo: The now-sought after terrace houses of Carlton were slums in the s. Supplied: F. Photo: Barnett said these women were "under the influence of liquor" when he took their photo.
Photo: The house at 50 Barkly Street is now a block of unassuming units. Photo: The lane behind 50 Barkly Street as it looks today.
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