Montreal's West End Gang all-time power rankings

  Montreal's West End Gang, the Irish mob, the Gang de l'ouest, has been around for about 60 years, mainly in Point St. Charles and NDG.
  They specialized in truck heists and bank robberies before reaping much larger dollars importing hashish and cocaine into town. They have no code, structure or formal hierarchy.
   Some credibly argue that the gang doesn't really exist.
   Nonetheless they have amused generations with their tales, which range from Robin Hood generosity and gifts to the poor to cold blooded killing.
  Here are some of the icons associated with the WEG title, a group and mainly associated with the areas of Point St. Charles and NDG.
   Some are brilliant, talented, genuine and generous. Some not so much.=

1 Frank Peter "Dunie"Ryan Leader. Born 1942. Only child. Dad left when he was three. Grew up near Milton in McGill Ghetto. Chatty and approachable. Known as "mom" as he arranged stolen trucks full of irons and gifted friends cocaine and cash upon de-imprisonment. Convicted of minor B&Es, selling stolen swag. Won appeal of negligence conviction after accidentally running over a vagrant in his Pontiac, a case that left him with a grudge against the justice system. Busted for a bank robbery in 1966. His mother was to bring his $12k bail cash to Boston but someone robbed her. Sentenced to 15 years in an Indiana prison. Freed in 1972. Brokered stolen goods. Minor convictions for theft and assault. Known as a money launderer. Tells crime commission he's a loan shark who buries his cash money underground. Gets into drug importation. Meets with about 40 people a day at the Belvedere Motel bar. Had associate Hughie McGurnaghan killed over money. Charming. Police estimate his wealth at $100 million. Had 300 people working for him. Laval bikers owed him $300k so they plotted to kidnap his kids. Ryan was not pleased. Told bikers their supply is shut. Two bikers are found dead. Problem solved. Hinted that the IRA would go to war for him if required. Always had $500k or more with him. Bars, mostly on St. James W., were his offices until he was killed at Nittolo's on St. James West on Nov. 13, 1984 by Paul April and others over money. Had a son Troy and daugther Tricia who grew with their mom Evelyn in the West Island with no connection to crime. Troy died in 2023, aged 45, cause of death unknown. Tricia (Bertrand) has two kids, Ryan and Ella. Dunie had at least out-of-wedlock child, son Shane Maloney. He is believed to have at least one other out-of-wedlock child. No consensus exists for the spelling of Dunie, as it was a baby word that stuck.

Insider quote: "Dunie was very unimposing. If you saw him you'd never know he had so much control of drugs. Cops didn't believe he was a multi-millionaire. I asked: 'Why don't you go buy an island and relax, take it easy and retire?' he answered, 'If you could pile $100 bills in your living room so high you can't jump over it, it's hard to leave that.' Everybody was doing coke in those days, even those guys."

  ***       

It's the craziest, funniest, scariest and most insightful book ever written about Montreal. Absolute must-reading! Kristian Gravenor's Montreal: 375 Tales of Eating, Drinking, Living and Loving, order your paper copy here now.

                                              *** 
2 John "Jackie" Matticks  (1933 1989)-Smiling Jack led the Matticks faction of the WEG that controlled contraband shipments to the port in the late 1960s thanks to tipoffs from official Kenny Mann. Some say the biker war would never have happened had he still been alive. Skilled truck hijacker. Charges against Jackie and brother Gerry were dropped in the attempted murder of bookie (and/or police informant) Allan Seller, 33, shot in the shoulder and neck in a car near a Taschereau Blvd Oct. 14, 1971. The shooters thought Seller dead. Police arrested Jackie and Jerry but they were acquitted after friends told police the Matticks were with them elsewhere at the time of the shooting. Jackie was known to work hard days at his job as longshoreman. He could read and write, unlike several of his other 13 siblings. Jackie was at a bar on Centre (north side four doors east of Shearer) on 8 March 1989 when he left with an acquintance to check out stolen items he kept garage on Le Ber. He just keeled over and died of a brain aneurism. His wife had died four years earlier at the age of 52. Jackie was said to have had about $2 million lent around town when he died, debts which became null and void. His kids were Wendy, Jean, Joanne and Karen. Some of those kids might have been adopted.. Daughter Wendy married hockey enforcer Wally Weir and their son Wilder Weir is a local media figure. That pic of him as a small kid is the only one we could find. 

Mikey Johnston

3 Mikey Johnston One of several brothers who worked as elevator repairmen (an elevator shaft can be a handy place to store illegal goods) while not robbing banks and trucks in the 1960s. Mikey engineered a massive security box heist in British Colombia. The gang was only caught after guards noticed them carrying heavy bags at the Vancouver airport. The only one of the six brothers still alive is Eddie, who was a star goaltender for the Boston Bruins and GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins and had no connection to the underworld.Mike was the last of the five gangster brothers to die off at the age of 77 in April 2016.

Keith "Rocky" Pierson

4 Keith "Rocky" Pierson  The 5'6" Pierson grew up in the area behind Schwartz's Deli and was a boxer before he started fixing elections and robbing banks through clever methods. Acquitted on a murder rap in 1951. Lived in Outremont where he was friendly with cops. Shot some guy dead for threatening his family, felt traumatized by the episode. His family fell apart and his own crew killed him in a splashy affair in Longueuil in 1961.

See:

•  Keith Pierson - local anti hero killed by his own budsMontreal Murders from Keith Pierson to Donald Cote
• Montreal's Top 10 gangland murders: # 6 The hammer death of Rocky Pierson

Allan Ross

5 Allan Ross Became de facto leader of the West End Gang after Dunie Ryan was killed at Nittolos in 1984. His first business was to get revenge by delivering a massive bomb to the apartment where the killers were staying in a highrise on De Maisonneuve West of Guy. It was hidden in a VCR. He promised killers Michel Blass and Apache Trudeau $200k and to clear their debts. He didn't have the money so he granted them the right to collect $100k owed to him by the Halifax Hells. The attempt to collect started a war within the Hells that led to six Laval members being killed. Edward Phillips, 41, was also suspected in the murder of Dunie Ryan and was shot dead in a parking lot on Victoria in March 1985. Ross was nailed for drugs in the states and has since been doing diesel therapy, as inmates call the system of being transferred constantly as a means of keeping people from keeping in touch with him.

Gerry Matticks

6 Gerald "Gerry" Matticks Still alive, helped control, with his brothers, a vast drug importation empire at the port. Sentenced in 1992 along with brother Richard to 45 weekends in jail for a truck heist. Escaped a major rap due to police evidence tampering. Convicted of other importation misdeeds soon after. Likes country music and had his own bar for a while. Helped organize Christmas parades in the Point. Not known to be a huge fan of certain visible minorities. Was nailed for drug importation after associates rolled over on him. He felt particularly betrayed by his old friend John McLean. Declared bankruptcy. Grew up in a family of 14 with roots in Goose Village.

McLaughlin

7 Jackie McLaughlin Estimates vary on how many people McLaughlin killed in his role as Dunie Ryan's bodyguard. He was considered a suspect in the murder of biker Mike French, who was said to have committed an awful crime. Other accounts have McLaughlin gunning down a female friend, Cavalier barmaid Carole Monaghan, 28, after she witnessed him killing her boyfriend Raymond Ricciardi, 26, in a contract hit in their basement apartment at 2675 des Trinitaires apt. 5, on 6 July 1982.  Another time he shot a guy in the leg for mistreating his own girlfriend in a bar in the Point.  He and his German girlfriend were killed by Noel Winters in New Brunswick who killed himself in prison soon after. 1938-1984.
See: West End Gang assassin - how he was killed

• Did language issues create one of Mtl's worst mass murderers? 

Slawvey

8 John Slawvey Big, tall, strong, mean, cop-hating guy from Sebastopol Street in the Point. Subpar brawler. Likely killed cop Marcel Sabourin Dec. 11, 1971 robbery (52:55 of the NFB cop doc to see cops mourn). Probably killed John Calderwood. Cocaine, yup and lots of it. Shot through a police cruiser window outside of Pegs. Cops had enough and gunned him down in 1976 and likely planted a gun near his body, as he parked at the indoor lot on Sherbrooke and Benny. See: The life and death of the West End Gang's John Slawvey

Richie Matticks

9 Richard "Ritchie"Matticks The Matticks brothers were street smart longshoremen who masterminded contraband at the port with a combination of discipline, hard work and craftiness. Worked closely with the Dubois brothers. The brothers were not known to visit bars at the same rate as others and if one went on a bender the others would make sure he was brought into line fast. Richie lent money around and would be insulted if someone tried to pay him interest. Wife Phyllis, son Barney went to India on a mission and OD'd in 1985. Ace, whose idea it was to send Barney, was later shot dead in a bar by Dougie Nimo. Richie enjoyed cooking and lived semi off the grid with no phones or devices around. One visitor to his place was asked to guess how much a hockey bag full of cash sitting on his floor contained. He guessed $150,000. It was 10 times that. Cigarette smugging was the big money-maker in his last decade. Mentored the ill-fated Larrammee brothers. Never left town for vacations. Went to the Haraiki Bar occasionally. Nothing he owned was listed in his name. Lived in a heritage house on the waterfront in Lachine but sold the house. Died in Jan 2015 at age 80. See:  Richard Matticks of the West End Gang: dead of cancer 

B. MacAllister

10  Billy MacAllister Now in his mid-70s, longtime bank robber lives in rural Quebec after spending almost all of his life in prison for bank robberies after his first arrests in the late 1960s. Shootout with cops alongside Paul April in a Drummondville bank heist left an officer paralyze in 1970. Was freed from 1980 to 1986 but then got in hot water for attempting to import guns and cocaine. Kept in prison until well after the year 2000. Was wealthy for a while but borrowers didn't always pay him back and it was hard for him to collect while in jail. Great looking head of hair, very strong in the hair department.

Hughie McGurnaghan

11 Hugh "Hughie" McGurnaghan Loanshark. Clashed with newly-released leader Dunie Ryan as he rebuffed demands to pay a debt. Jackie McLaughlin persuaded Ryan to hire biker bomb expert Yves "Apache" Trudeau to settle the case and McGurhaghan was blown up by a car bomb while driving near Westmount Park in October 1981. Had several brothers, one of whom was also killed.

Dickie Lavoie

12 Dickie Lavoie (1914-1994) Murder specialist who arrived from the USA in 1970 after serving 17 of his previous 18 years in prison where he was involved in highly-publicized prison escapes, in which he later claimed to have raped the male guard who he taken hostage. Had many devoted friends like former prison pals Freddie Smith and Peter White who held parties for him. Died Nov. 22, 1994. Friends rued his passing in a 1994 classified ad in the Gazette that thanked "The West End fraternity" another obit referred to him as a "a friend of many in Montreal's West End Community."

Shane Maloney

 13  Shane Maloney B. 972. Dunie Ryan's love child with the lovely Sandra Maloney who tended bar at the Cavalier hotel on St. James. Arrested Thursday Nov. 1, 2012 on a big drug sweep of Montreal. Paralyzed after crashing a snowmobile in British Columbia around 1997. Accused of getting friends to beat up a Montreal police officer for taking his photo in Mexico. Likes pit bulls. Said to be generous and polite.  See: Shane Maloney's West End Gang lineage 

Campbell Ashton

14 Campbell Ashton Prolific bank robber, who once robbed four in a single day. Finally shot dead by police on Jan. 4 1962 after robbing a bank on Beaubien. Ashton had $100,000 from his past robberies, so he wasn't doing it because he needed the money. He did it for the thrill and the greed. This collage pic is of his real head on another person's body.
See: Campbell Ashton - Montreal's epic bank robber

Livsey

15 Harry Livsey (Lepsky) Bank robber who owned the Fort du Nord strip club on Chabanel. Once acquitted after carrying a massive amount of TNT to crowded Expo '67. He claimed it was for landscaping purposes at his home although it was likely to create a explosive diversion for a bank robbery elsewhere. Shot dead at his club by a masked Paul April and Jackie Mclaughlin and Johnny Brady at the bar on 12 Feb. 1969. Livsey had kicked April out for fondling a dancer. See: Lest we forget Harry Livsey

Danny Pelansky

16 Danny Pelansky Gangster hustler survived many murder attempts. Word got out that he killed Mafioso Giacomo Pocetti. A few days later "One a Day" as he was known, was blown up by a remote bomb lodged in his 1968 Buick rolling down the Met in Montreal. He died at age 31 on 17 July 1970. Theodore Aboud told a crime commission that Pelansky was dishonourable, as he shortchanged people on debts.   See: The golden age of Montreal car bombings




17 Richard "Ricky" Griffin NDG resident sought to establish deeper ties with the Mafia, with whom he had dealings. Flashy dresser. Ambitious. One friend said he went "gangster crazy." Shot dead in 2006 due to a debt. Killed by the Mafia. Had been trying to import cocaine at the time.

MacDonald

18 James MacDonald Truck hijacker. Once got into an argument at Bud Miller's Bud's Salon on Stanley (before it became a gay hangout until closure in 1984) and found a butcher's knife in the kitchen and chopped his opponents fingers off. Mafia Don Louis Greco ordered him out of town after that. Was irritated with truck heist partner Eric McNally for failing to fairly distribute loot from a heist of colour TVs from Prescott Ontario, so MacDonald killed McNally and his girlfriend Susan Clark at their Pierrefonds home according to Theodore Aboud's testimony. Tough guy. Truck heists. Sold guns. intimidated Canadian National Railways dispatcher John Hennessey into allowing him to steal shipments for years after beating him, putting a gun to his head and threatening to toss acid into his wife's face. Wiped out while sitting at the Cat's Den on Guy, now known as Andrew's Pub, in March 1969. See: Murder at Andrew's Pub - who did it?

McNall

19 Eric McNally Said to have killed a guy in Boston. Ripped off his truck theft friends and stayed inside his home to ensure his own safety. Had some legit business interests. Police suspected him of a bank robbery and an assault on a taxi driver. Was killed with his girlfriend Susan Clark at his home on Gouin in Pierrefonds on 22 April 1968.

20 James Ashton Born 1950. Busted for 17 hold ups when he was 19, just as he was going to announce his engagement to a beautiful young woman. Idolized his dad who was also a prolific bank robber. Sentenced to seven years. Released on parole in April was back inside fast after committing a dozen armed robberies in Montreal and Westmount. Shot at four people in one bank heist. Escaped prison August 1972 and captured in BC. A nice guy to those who know him.

Ricky McGurnaghan
murder

Richard McGurnaghan

21 Richard McGurnaghan Hughie's brother Ricky was shot in the head at the Olympic
Tavern on Wellington Point St. Charles on March 18, 1991 possibly as punishment for cutting Alan Ross in the face with a broken bottle. Ross had, according to a report, provoked him by telling him that he might end up dead like his brother if he didn't behave. Hitman Gerald Gallant confessed to the murder in 2009, along with 26 others. Ben Vaudry was also shot and injured in the affair. McGurnaghan owned the bar. Pakistani immigrants had purchased the bar as part of an immigration investor program but were overwhelmed by the unruliness so they sold it.

Frank Ward Sr

22 Frank Ward Sr. Pipefitter from the Point. Prolific bank robber. At the age of 26, was sentenced to death for murder after shooting grocery Jerome Paul, 40, dead in a robbery on Rose de Lima in St. Henry on 10 Jan. 1959. Sentenced to hang 17 July 1959 but the the hanging was put off at the last minute and eventually commuted to life. "It must be easier to go through the trap than to wait," he told jailers. His accomplice Emile "Roger" Latour was also sentenced to life for his part in the misdeed. Ward's son Frank Jr. also made this list.

Earl Poirier

23  Earl Poirier born around 1935. Accomplished safecracker for West End Gang member Billy MacAllister's crew since the 1960s. Poirier, 49, and his his girlfriend Diane Frechette, 35, were bludgeoned to death as they slept by two assailants wielding sledgehammers on March 13, 1984. One theory has it that he was killed by members of his own people for failing to execute properly in a botched robbery in St. Laurent. See: Who killed the West End Gang's top safecracker? 

24 Peter MacAllister Wrote a semi-autobiographical novel Dexter, which shed light on the various dealings of the West End Gang's attempts to bring drugs in from Asia as well as hilariously futile attempt to kill a very elusive rival. Brother of the oft-incarcerated Billy. None of his criminal transgressions appear to be on the grievous variety. Probably still alive. See: Peter MacAllister on his life in the Irish Mafia 

Billy Johnston

25 Billy Johnston Once casually described himself to a sports reporter as a "retired bank robber." Close to the Matticks clan. Knew many bikers. Was involved in a shootout with police near the port during a truck heist in 1969. Held court in a second-floor office near the bottom of Stanley. Worked for Otis elevator. Stories abound but few confirmed. Died aged 84 of cancer on June 4, 2015.

George Harris

26 George Harris Born around 1953. Verdun drugs and stuff. A fidgety cocaine user who left people uneasy by pulling stunts like waving a gun around a party. Questioned about the death of his girlfriend Susan Lee, 27, in  August 1984. She was the mother of two of his kids, one named after Matthew Hilton. Her throat had been slashed and tossed into the dumpster behind the Miss Dollard Deli at 1713 Dollard. Some suggest that Frank "Chi Chi" Semenak helped toss the body into the container Harris, a onetime boxer, was convicted of robbing and murdering Sherbrooke-based clothing retailer Ubald Couture, 40, in the Falcon Motel on Taschereau. Jury took six days to find Harris guilty in 1992, even though the evidence was overwhelming.  A few hours after killing Couture, Harris also allegedly killed drug dealer Daniel Deveault, 27, shooting him twice in the head at Wellington near Melrose in Verdun. It was a drug den. He was charged with that murder but it did not go to court. A drug dealer, unhappy that Harris had robbed him several times, hired elderly Dickie Lavoie to kill Harris but the gun jammed and Harris survived.  Harris is still alive and now lives in British Columbia.

27 Gerry Fyfe Truck thief and master escape artist from the late 1960s who

Gerard Fyfe

slipped out of prison and managed to get into the USA, where he lived for several decades under a false name. Now in his 80s, living north of Montreal. On a vigorous crusade to clear his name from a sexual assault conviction he served nine years for in Florida.









28 Billy Morgan Top safecracker through the 1960s and 1970s. Spent his days at various west end bars like the Cavalier. Was interviewed by Darcy O'Connor for his book. Now suffers from Alzheimers.

Frank Ward Jr. 

29 Frank Ward Jr. Son of a killer. From the Point but raised in foster homes. Taunted by other kids because his dad was a convicted murderer once on death row. Suspected in a shooting at David Bernstein's bar on Mountain Street in December 1985. Later shot a giant bouncer named Tomlinson dead in a club on DeMaisonnevue near Crescent in 1992. The bouncer turfed him out for carrying a knife into the bar. Ward, drunk, shot him in the head. Now recently paroled from prison in B.C.. and elderly. While still an inmate, told student journalist that he regrets his crimes.

Calderwood

30 George Calderwood (1933-1971) Served time for robbing a bank in NDG. Worked at The Old Brewery Mission, then owned the Blue Top Restaurant on St. James along with principal owner Tommy Gavin. Was killed while walking a few blocks west of his establishment in March 1971. He was 38. The three shooters used .12 calibre weapons and did not did not take his cash. The crime was likely committed by John Slawvey wearing an afro wig. Calderwood had barred Slawvey from his establishment but there might have been deeper friction, as one theory has it that he backed out of an airport heist and the partners weren't happy with his decision.
See: The murder of George Calderwood

April

31 Paul April Vulgar thug who muscled in on businesses. Married into the WEG and ended up killing Dunie Ryan. Died with three others when a VCR bomb sent by Alan Ross exploded at 1645 De Maisonneuve W. apt 1645.

Cooney

32 Larry Cooney Bouncer at the Do Drop In on Wellington in the 1990s. Various episodes. Was targeted by a drive by shooting in the Point in 2005 that ended up killing an innocent young man. Runs an antique shop on Wellington. Solid beard action. Loan shark collector. Wellington street antique store owner. Born around 1970.






33 Peter White Dunie Ryan's cousin and close confidante Boston guy. Knew Whitey Bulger. Came to Montreal after doing time with Freddie Smith and Dickie Lavoie in the states. Sentenced to 22 years in Texas in 1984 after being nabbed in a large-scale marijuana import scheme. Jailed for Cock'n'Bull protection request. Grizzled Boston-connected guy whose girlfriend Rosalinda Comitini owned Maz bar for many years on Sherbrooke near NDG Park. Son Peter Jr. played 200 plus games in the NHL and married hockey legend Bobby Clarke's daughter. Lives in St. Therese. In recent years sometimes spotted at PJs on St. James (now closed) with the elderly Dave Lynn and Freddy Smith.

McLean

34 John McLean Close to Matticks clan and key figure in their operations until Gerry went to prison and said McLean owed him $150,000.  Authorities convinced McLean that his own crew was out for him over the debt, leading him to cooperate with authorities in their prosecution. Matticks circles said to vigorously discourage anybody from expressing support for McLean in any way. His sister is married into the Griffin family. Lived in Riguad. Early days story involved a night watchman who perished in a robbery that he might have had something to do with but he was neither arrested nor charged. No longer lives in Montreal, as he's in a sort of informal equivalent of the witness protection program.Occasionally one hears rumours of him being around town nonetheless.

Diamond

35 Roddy Diamond (1941-2015) Onetime boxer from the Point. Ran for mayor of Verdun in 1973 and got 1,400 votes against 12,000 for the winner. Gave an improvised English-rights speech at Magnans Tavern, leading him to be barred in 1983. Was quarreling with Gary Dalgleish, 34, at the Dauphin Tavern in LaSalle when Dalgleish was shot and killed in August 1983 but he was cleared of suspicion. One version has it that he was the target of the shooting. Once invited a strong-arm thug to sit with him at a tavern and then attempted to strongarm the owner by pointing to his friend, who was not even involved in the shakedown. By mid-70s had a criminal record for breaking and entering, possession of stolen goods and keeping a bawdy house.





36- George Neill (c. 1945-  ) Sometimes described, along with Allan Ross, as Dunie Ryan's right-hand man. One analyst described him in 1990 as the "head of the West End Gang." Had close ties to Calgary where he would ship product until 1991 when he was sent up for a lengthy bid following what was then Alberta's longest and most-expensive court case. Got into similar-type trouble several times after his release out West. Now spending his dotage in Vancouver.

Dickie Lavoie, Ray England, John McLean)

Others:

Donald Matticks

Donald Matticks  (1963- ) Gerry Matticks' son. Had worked as a checker at the port of Montreal in 2002 where he strategically directed containers coming into Canada whgere much hashish and cocaine rolled in. Declared $14,000 in annual earnings from the Miss St. Hubert bar, run by his father. Sentenced to eight years for cocaine and hashish importation in 2005.

Johnny McGuire

Johnny McGuire (1929-1984) Shylock. Rosemount. Brothers Gerry, Paddy, Richard et al. Boxer. Grew up battling in the streets with the Bouchard clan, who went on to become cops. Did a heist at a Coca Cola plant. Once threatened a guy with a chainsaw he had rigged not to work. Owned action in many bars, mainly PJ's on Peel, run by his sister. Married a relative of Harry Ship. Said to have given Charlie Chase a good beating with a baseball bat at Chez Paree for trying to pimp out dancers. Did lots of cocaine. Feuded with mainstream WEG, and McNally McDonald and a man named White shot up his West End Bar in an attempt to kill him. Never socialized with Dunie Ryan or the main gang and several hard a burning hatred for him throughout. Heard of a robbery at a soda pop plant and demanded robbers Gilles and Johnny Asselin give him a cut. Instead they shot up his house. Said to be handsome and stylish, like a movie star. Sports columnist Tim Burke saluted his generosity and kindness upon his death.
See: The life and times of Montreal Irish mobster Johnny McGuire

Raymond Desfosses 

Raymond Desfosses Alan Ross's right hand man. Lived in Three Rivers. Accused of murdering David Singer in Florida.

Driver

Donald Driver Born around 1942, good friend of Gerry Matticks. Sentenced to eight years for importing drugs in 2005

John Griffin Convicted of killing debtor Denis Poirier in 2003. Currently in prison.



David "Abie" Johnston Little is known about him other than that he recently died and liked to golf and was friends with Bobby Orr. Not all of these people are bad people folks, so get over your prejudices.

Nimmo

Dougie Nimmo  Highly intelligent. Looked like a school boy. Shot a guy in the leg at the Palomino on Wellington, the guy survived. The victim was one of a trio of guys from the Point who stole a major hashish shipment from another cluster of fellows with considerable sway in the port. Another time Nimmo, who was racist, hit a black man named Russell over the head with a baseball bat. Ricky McGurnaghan then dragged the man out of the bar. Russell survived and recovered. George Neil's attractive young girlfriend left him for Nimmo, causing some friction between the two. Nimmo had some wealth, owned a Rolls Royce but lost his money and health and died of a massive heart attack at about the age of 50. Close to Gerry Matticks. Son died in a car crash about a year after he died.

Davie "Abie" Johnston

David Singer, believed to have killed Edward Phillips in 1985. He was found two months later dead in Florida, perhaps because he knew too much.

John Griffin

Rory Shayne German-born copter bank heist introvert oddball, not WEG but was best pals with Peter Fryer in prison.Sentenced to life in prison for pulling a 100 mm long .22 calibre Italian made gun on a judge in 1981. An expert said it could kill someone within 20 feet. For a while lived at 6255 de Bellefueille St. Leonard.

Shayne

Cody Larramee (1988-2013) Friends with Richard Matticks. Killed in a LaSalle bar in 2013 at age 25. With his brother Jamie said to be part of the Irish Boys group.

Jamie Larrammee (1976-2013). Shen shot dead with his little brother in the Nite Lite bar on Newman in LaSalle in 2013. They tough-guy foot soldiers for the Matticks brothers who had a large influence at the port. Sentenced to 6 and a half years in 2009 and convicted of manslaughter along with Mafioso Pietro D'Adamo in 1999, who was close friends with Richard Griffin, killed in 2006.

Daniel Neeson (1947 - ) Sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in an attempted $1 billion importation of cocaine on the Marine Transport ship. Police started an investigation, using mainly wiretaps in 1989. The ship sunk off the coast of Newfoundland in 1991 with somewhere between 800 and 1,500 kilos of cocaine, worth in the ballpark of $1 billion. Only 35 kilos were recovered. The trial was one of the longest in the history of Canada and resulted in Danny and four accomplices being hit with heavy sentences.

Cody and Jamie Larramee

George MacAllister (1939 - ) Eldest of the MacAllister brothers. Involved in bank robberies. Pleaded guilty of using a stolen credit card in Ottawa in 1960. Busted for being in possession of a SQ police officers uniform in 1967, presumably to imitate an officer. Acquitted. Arrested in Plattsburgh in 1970 for conspiring to rob banks.

Ken McPolland 

Ken McPolland (1954-2021) brother of Edward "Crazy Eddie" McPolland Family of Scottish descent. Ken was an affable character who was liked by many and whose capers were successful enough to leave him comfortable in later years. Kenny became stepfather of Shane Maloney after marrying Dunie Ryan's onetime mistress.

Kato McGuire

Tommy O'Neill b. 1944, brother Eddy O'Neill, b. 1941, and Danny Sullivan b. 1942 were accused of taking part in an attack on a police officer Kevin McGarr at Molly McGuire's bar at Closse and St. Catherine in early May 1976. Someone had tried to run McGarr down outside of Nittolo's and also rigged a gun to shoot his partner Ross Trudel at a bar called Little Club on Bishop. One year later Sullivan, along with David Morrisson, (three years older) was held criminally responsible for a ballroom brawl at the Bali Hai bar in Alexis Nihon Plaza that left George Seivwright, 39, dead. Sievwright was brought to hospital after being beaten in the bathroom Sept. 15, 1977. Sievright had apparently spat in the face of somebody in the bar. The Sullivans were a larger clan that included a priest whose brothers, according to legend, forced him to eat a magazine article in which he commented on the gang. Another Sullivan, Tommy Sullivan, is not necessarily a family relation. Tommy Sullivan was known for barroom brawls as well until he moved to Green Valley, Ontario where his 16-year-old son shot him dead after seeing him beat his mother in 1975.

Frank Bonneville (1940-2006)  One of the WEG's earlier importers of cocaine, brought in 10 kilos a month back when nobody else had it. From a broken family, deemed an incorrigible at the age of 16 when he was busted stealing from couriers while living downtown with a gang of boys living with a 38-year-old criminal. In 1968 he was busted robbing a bank in LaSalle. Later became a top henchman for Dunie Ryan. Various cocaine smuggling and possession busts and convictions in his later years, including one involving Richie Matticks.

James Fryer

Brian "Kato" McGuire Serving time for his involvement in the McDonald's double murder in 2010, even though he was not directly involved in the affair. Has a brother known as "Brother" who is also serving time.

 James Alexander Fryer From LaSalle. Found dead at 28, shot in the head, along with Russel Howie Oct. 1, 1968 in a trunk of a torched car outside of 9200 Meilleur.

Snor

Gary Snor Robber who came up from the States.  Robbed a CIBC bank in Victoria in  August 1963. He agreed to return from Los Angeles to face charges after meeting a woman who aimed him towards respectability. He asked for psychiatric attention after arrest. He was sentenced to two years. Found dead in a ditch in May 1968. His body had been there for about a month and a half.  He was 27.

Pretula

Frank Pretula Big rolling mob boss seen by some as 1950s progenitor of the WEG but only because he employed black boxers from Little Burgundy as thugs. Disappeared in a dead way after blowing his temper against a rival, leading police to launch an investigation that got his wife to reveal much of his secrets.

Ernie Nittolo Best buds with Dunie Ryan. They'd chase young ladies together. Still alive. Many criminal convictions.

Carl "Porky" McGurnaghan diabetic. Brothers Patrick, Ricky, Hugh, Shaun, were among the nine kids raised by single mother Mary. Friendly with Slawvey but not much of a gangster of any significance.

George Groom Found dead 29 Sept. 1968 near Ormstown. Jackie McLaughlin, also of Verdun, was suspected in the killing.

Murray Jones in 1965 and later

Murray Jones Thief. Born 1940. Armed robber. Particularly active in 1965 when he killed a longshoreman John Fitzgerald, 43, at the Seigneurs Tavern at 1489 St. James W., also nearly killing Robet Lavigne on Dec. 10 at 8:30 pm. Three accomplices were suspected, including two women. He was arrested at the Belair Tavern drinking a beer a week later. Did 15 years in prison. Robbed and killed cabbie Gerard Matteau, 39, at St. Lawrence and Villeneuve. Married to Susan McGurnaghan of the 10-kid clan from the Point. At age 40 chose to kill himself rather than get re-arrested for theft at his friend Emitt Killen's place at 01126 Richmond on 28 Jan. 1981.

Connerney

John Connearney aka John David Skylar Sentenced to life in prison in the United States for murdering a fellow inmate. Fled prison and came to live in Montreal in 1972 at the age of 25. Lived under the radar in NDG until he killed police officer Richard Larente at a routine traffic stop on June 14, 1973 in LaSalle. Death sentence commuted. Killed in Laval prison riot a few years later.

Peter McManus Worked with John Slawvey in the early days. Pulled off a heist at a soft drink bottling plant. Liked guns. Drank. Single father of Mike McManus, noted boxer, bar brawler and stand-up guy who survived a seven bullet shooting at the Palomino on Wellington. Mike is now religious.

Richardson

Bryce Richardson Drug dealer. Killed boxer Robert Crowen, 31, at 4311 Old Orchard in 1968 and dumped the body in a river. Girlfriend Aline Giguere Brochu, 30, was a witness in court. Shot Elwood Marsman at the Hawaiian Lounge two years earlier. Richardson managed the Lune Rousse at 1432 Stanley. Had a brother named James. One of the Dubois clan shot Bryce at Harlem Paradise at 772 Mountain in April 1967. He was either confined to a wheelchair or walked with a cane after that, depending which version you prefer.


Steve Johnston Lots of sports betting. Arrested in 1976 for illegal sports gambling with Peter Skylar and Fred McCarthy back when Johnston lived in the tower at Claremont and St. Catherine. The scam? They'd exploit the different odds given out in different cities. Gamblers tend to bet on the teams from their own cities. This ring exploited those variations.

Brian Melvin

Richard Mertick, (1945-1967) and Brian Melvin, (1945-1970). Members of George MacAllister's bank robbery crew. They were cut off at the Country Palace bar at 400 Sherbrooke W. by owner Peter Dimascos over a $17 debt on Oct. 20, 1967. They jumped him but he grabbed a knife. They vowed to return with violence in an hour. A pair of undercover cops Michel Brousseau and Henri Bertrand were waiting when the heavily-armed duo returned at 2:20 a.m.. Mertick got shot dead. Melvin survived a bullet wound but was later shot dead by Toronto cops after a bank robbery in 1970. (Several newspaper articles incorrectly named the men as Richard Murdock and Merville Brian).

Ron Fewtrell

Ronald Fewtrell Former Montreal cop turned gentleman-farmer in Huntingdon, known as the master of drug importations at Dorval Airport. Sentenced to 10-years in prison in 1975 after being busted for a shipment of hashish from Europe, a plan supposedly funded by Alan Ross. A Spanish cop tipped Fewtrell off to an informant in his gang but the ship had already sailed. To determine the identity of his rat, Fewtrell told each member of his crew separately that they were headed off to a different country. When the cop returned to Fewtrell to tell him which country he was told they were headed to, Fewtrell knew that the informant was William "Billy" Browne, later killed at Mayfair and De Maisonneuve. Fewtrell told a double agent, "we got him that piece of shit, bang, bang bang."

Billy Brown

William Billy Brown (or Browne) was ambushed by snipers hiding in a ditch near the train tracks at Mayfair and De Maisonneuve, on 29 Aug. 1974, while walking his way home from the nearby Cavalier Motel where he was drinking with Ronald Fewtrell. Brown had been part of Fewtrell's crew but informed on the gang, leading cops to nab a hashish shipment from Europe and getting the gang tossed into prison. Brown was close friends with stunt rider Ken Carter and the duo organized shows together.
See: Smuggling hashish into Dorval Airport

Ray England

Roy England and his younger brother Ray England (whose birth name is London England) were close to Dunie Ryan and briefly served as his bodyguard. Both still alive but in the twilights. Their brother William "Billy" England was connected to Danny Neeson's Newfounald cocaine shipwreck in 1991.

George Reed Bank robber. Shot and killed by police downtown near St. Catherine and St. Urbain.

  Melvin Mingo, with brothers Robert Mingo, Nelson Mingo and Miles Mingo pulled off the largest-ever Canadian bank heist. Alas they didn't make much money from it, as you we mention in another story.

Melvin Mingo

See: I pulled off Canada's largest-ever bank heist: a Coolopolis exclusive on the $68.5 million Merrill Lynch robbery

Kenny Fisher

Kenny Fisher born 1947, busted in 2002, described as the mastermind behind an importation ring bringing cocaine to Montreal from Mexico.



Brian Forget Owned Shenanigans Bar on Monk, scene of a few bad events before it closed. In an out of prison. Described by La Presse in 2013 as being heir to the Matticks' control of drugs coming into the port, a job shared with the Larramee brothers and Shane Maloney. Claude Forget, who shot and almost killed cops Filipas and Krasowski, is believed to be his cousin.

Paul Bryntwick

Paul Bryntwick Lifelong armed robber whose thefts started in the mid- 1970s and ended in 2015. Frequently caught and now in prison. Worked closely with Kenny Fisher and Edward Alvarez as well as Fred Griffith, Ken Fraser and Gerry Matticks.
See:  Montreal's grey-haired armoured truck pirates: What fueled Paul Bryntwick to keep on going?

Serge Charron b. 1950. Accomplished sculptor and friend of the Matticks brothers. Involved in a scheme to get 2.6 tonnes of hash into town in 1998. Similar affair in 1985 put him 40 months in prison. Brother Alain, b. 1946, was a hit man for the Dubois clan and friends with Donald Lavoie.

Francois Leboeuf, pleaded guilty to being part of a criminal gang by testifying in Florida in 1996, against co-accused Allan Strong, top assistant to Allan Ross. Strong was charged with killing Montreal drug dealer David Singer in Dania Florida in 1985 and was reputedly behind an explosion in a Dutch prison meant to get him freed.

Yanovitch

Teddy Yanovitch found dead in the parking lot of Rockland Shopping Centre on June 24, 1971. Traveled back and forth from Toronto often. Thought to be involved in the May 1958 theft in Brockville.

David Stern (c. 1912-1987) Father of five, sold aluminum windows until he was blown up in his Buick on Legare near Van Horne in April 1987. Suspected of bludgeoning his former partner, the safecracker Earl Poirier and his girlfriend to death in 1984. His son Ronnie Stern played 682 NHL games.

Eddie Durocher Father was a tough guy, he was a tough guy too. Earned the ire of the Matticks family after dating Skipper Matticks' daughter Muriel and beating on her. His punishment was to suffer a knife attack to the head, which left a scar. He was shunned and later hanged himself. Muriel followed suit in 2010.

Charles Lorne "Chuckie" Mitchell Bullied as a child got his revenge by becoming a big terror for others. Was so enraged at being kicked out of Maz bar Tuesday 15 Sept 1992 that he and fellow expulsee Danny Cosgrove returned for a shootout with the owner, who also happened to be armed. Francis Glover, 32, who was playing peacemaker, was shot and killed in the exchange. Mitchell survived gun wounds and later survived a shooting in Costa Rica. At least once played Santa in a special Santa Claus Parade funded by the Matticks family.

George Baldo

Martin Rowlands (1947- ) Busted in April 1969 along with Jackie McLaughlin for running a protection racket trying to shake down Thelma Pike of The Golden Arms bar at 2112 St. Catherine W. Shot in a bar a few weeks later but survived. Then on 7 Sept. 1984 he stabbed taxi driver Sharan Khastar, 29, to death on Mackay Street.

George Baldo  (1938-1986) Good-looking athlete with flashy clothes. Police record included assault, burglary tool ownership and dangerous driving (ironic considered he told a man-in-the-street newspaper interview that women should only be allowed to drive camels in the desert.) Named along with Roddy Diamond and Ken Mcguire as part of a crew intimidating seafarer union members.

Kevin O'Brien (1950- ) Grew up poor in Little Burgundy after his mom hauled him and his older sister and brothers away from an abusive father in Ontario. Started scavenging the nearby train-yards, then advancing to home invasions, targeting valuable art. Believed to know a thing or two about the $2 million through-the-skylight theft at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art in September 1972. Went on to become conversant in importation and distribution and managing a team of several dozen. Busted at Ma's on Sherbrooke later on. Still alive, now said to be living in Nuns Island with a childhood friend with whom he only hit it off later in life. His brother James brought shame to the family by being one of three to set a blaze at the Bluebird Cafe that killed 37 in 1972.

Jimmy Collins In a crew with McNally and MacDonald. Shot dead at Forum Tavern March 25 1969.

Charlie Gallinger Trucker turned McAllister crew henchman in the 1960s. Good stories but saving them for my book.