Elephant and Castle Mob

The Elephant and Castle Mob were one of the many independent street gangs active in London's underworld during the interwar years. A rival of mobster Charles "Darby" Sabini along with the Birmingham Boys and the Cortesi brothers of Saffron Hill,^[1] they were eventually forced out by Sabini with the added manpower of imported Sicilian mafiosi and had disappeared from the city by the end of the Second World War.^[2]

The Elephant and Castle gang existed for many years and was particularly active between the two world wars. At that time they were allied to the Birmingham gang, often called the Brummagems, led by Billy Kimber; the Camden Town gang, led by George Sage and the Finsbury Boys, led by Freddie Gilbert. The gangs rivalled those from north and east London led by Darby Sabini, Alf White, Alf Solomon and Dodger Mullins.

The gang achieved dominance on the race courses and in London's West End by conquering the West End Boys, led by the McCausland brothers, and the King's Cross/Titanic gang led by Alf White. From the 1910s to the 1930s, they were led by the McDonald brothers, Wag and Wal, and battled the Sabini gang for control of allocation of bookmaking pitches on racecourses and the provision of 'services' to bookmakers who were terrorised into paying for them.

Wag McDonald left London for Los Angeles, where he became bodyguard to Mafia boss Jack Dragna in the 1920s and to many Hollywood celebrities, including Charlie Chaplin. His life story is told by his nephew Brian McDonald in Elephant Boys - Tales of London and Los Angeles Underworlds, Mainstream 2000.

Gangs of London, by Brian McDonald, has much on the Elephant and Castle Gang, including the all-female Forty Elephants.

References