The Dictionary of Sydney
Subjects
Law and Order
Crime
Organised crime

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Organised crime

Subject

Kate Leigh

Shark Arm murder 1935

Tilly Devine

The Killing of Angel Street

Shark Arm murder 1935

50-50 Club

Calletti, Guido

Devine, Tilly

Freeman, Samuel 'Jewey'

Green, Francis Donald (Frank)

Holmes, Reginald

Jeffs, Phil

Leigh, Kate

Saffron, Abe

Smith, Arthur (Neddy)

Theeman, Frank

Entry for Kate Leigh in State Reformatory for Women, Long Bay Photographic Description Book, 1915

Frank Green prison record 1933

Guido Calletti prison record c1930

Study in Scarlet: Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine 1950

Sydney's Dope Queen 1925

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Organised crime

Kate Leigh

Kate Leigh, the 'Sly Grog Queen', was a leading figure in Sydney's criminal milieu in the early decades of the twentieth century and a protagonist in the razor gang wars. Famous for her feud with the brothel-keeper Tilly Devine, Leigh was seen by some as the worst woman in Sydney and by others as a community hero and matriarch.

Shark Arm murder 1935

One of Sydney's most sensational crimes, the Shark Arm murder was never solved.

Tilly Devine

Tilly Devine, born Matilda Mary Twiss in London, arrived in Sydney as a war bride in 1920 and became a formidable figure in the city's underworld, particularly in Palmer Street, Darlinghurst. Known for her violence and her legendary feud with Kate Leigh, Devine was the city's leading madam until the end of the 1950s. She died, in financial ruin and unlamented, in 1970 but her legend has recently been revived in popular culture.

The Killing of Angel Street

Thriller based on the disappearance of Juanita Nielsen, whose protagonist protests against overdevelopment and discovers organised crime and corruption.

full record »

Shark Arm murder 1935

Murder revealed when a captured shark regurgitated a severed arm with tattoos in Coogee Aquarium in 1935.

full record »

50-50 Club

Sydney's best known illegal casino, sly-grog nightclub and cocaine den during the 1930s.

full record »

Calletti, Guido

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Pimp, thief and gang leader who became one of Sydney's most notorious gunmen and razor slashers. He was 'short, thickset, foul-mouthed' and was in trouble with the law from the age of 10. By 25 he led the Darlinghurst Push, a gang of street brawlers and stand-over men. He appeared in court 56 times, mostly for violent assault and robbery. He had an ongoing love affair with Nellie Cameron whom he married in 1934. He died of gunshot wounds to the abdomen at St Vincent's Hospital in 1939.

Devine, Tilly

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Prostitute, madam and sly-grog seller, famous in interwar Sydney for her criminal exploits.

Freeman, Samuel 'Jewey'

Gangland criminal famous for his part in the first armed robbery using a motor vehicle. His relationship with Kate Leigh was not enough to save him from a long gaol sentence.

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Green, Francis Donald (Frank)

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Known as 'The Little Gunman' because of his short stature, Frank Green was the lover of Nellie Cameron and rival of Guido Calletti. He had brown hair and eyes, an L-shaped scar on his right cheek from a razor and several bullet wounds on his body. He worked as a gunman for Tilly Devine's brothels in the late 1920s and clashed with the Devines after the shooting of Gregory Gaffney. He was stabbed to death by his girlfriend at his home on Cooper Street, Paddington.

Holmes, Reginald

Businessman who owned a boatbuilding business at McMahons Point and whose criminal activities came to light during investigation of the Shark Arm murder in 1935.

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Jeffs, Phil

Gangster who controlled several night clubs.

full record »

Leigh, Kate

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Madam, sly-grog operator, drug trader and underworld figure.

Saffron, Abe

Nightclub owner and property developer reputed to be a major figure in Australia's organized crime in the latter half of the twentieth century.

full record »

Smith, Arthur (Neddy)

Criminal convicted of drug dealing, armed robbery and murder who gained further notoriety testifying against corrupt police.

full record »

Theeman, Frank

Lingerie designer who sold his Osti design business and moved into property development. Concern over his plans for Victoria Street Kings Cross helped lead to Green Bans in 1972.

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