Montreal's Irish Mafia: The True Story Of The I... -
The gang’s story begins in the mid-20th century in neighborhoods like ("The Point"), Griffintown, and Goose Village. Emerging in the 1950s as a loose network of Irish-Canadian thieves, they were initially known simply as the "Irish Gang".
They built their reputation on grit and precision, evolving from local muscle for other syndicates into the most successful bank robbers and truck hijackers in North America. In the 1960s, Montreal was the "Bank Robbery Capital of North America," and the West End Gang was a major reason why. The 1976 Brinks Heist: A Turning Point Montreal's Irish Mafia: The True Story of the I...
This windfall wasn't just a payday; it was seed money. Under the leadership of , the gang used the proceeds to pivot from robberies to international drug trafficking. Kings of Coke: The Global Empire The gang’s story begins in the mid-20th century
The West End Gang: Unmasking Montreal’s "Irish Mafia" While the headlines often buzz with the exploits of the Rizzuto family or the Hells Angels, Montreal hides another storied criminal legacy in its shadows: the . Often dubbed Montreal’s "Irish Mafia," this homegrown organization rose from the poverty-stricken streets of the southwest to become a global titan of drug trafficking. Roots in "The Point" In the 1960s, Montreal was the "Bank Robbery
By taking control of the , the West End Gang became a vital gateway for narcotics. They formed a "Consortium" with the Montreal Mafia and the Hells Angels to fix drug prices, establishing ties with the Cali Cartel in Colombia and brokers across Europe and Mexico. Key figures in this era included:
The gang’s most legendary feat occurred on March 30, 1976. Armed with a , they intercepted a Brinks armored car, making off with approximately $2.3 million in cash and gold coins—the largest bank robbery in Canadian history at the time.
: The "King of Coke" who transformed the gang into a multi-billion dollar enterprise before his 1984 assassination in a seedy motel.
