25:
449:
were introduced to the tables by
Aspinall; they could read whether a card was high, low or an unbent zero card (10 to king) thus gaining a 60–40 advantage. The final stage involved "skimming" the profits from the table to avoid attention. On the first night of the operation, the tax-free winnings for
290:. Following an arrest there for assault, he was extradited to England, where he was convicted for the warehouse robbery and served time in prison. This was his last jail term. After his release, he met Gypsy Riley (1925–2004), born Phyllis Blanche Riley but better known as "Gyp Hill", who became his
457:
The club's former financial director John Burke quit in late 1965, a year into the scam. He had been tipped off about an investigation but
Aspinall was determined to carry on. Aspinall no longer had someone to deal with "the dirty end" of the operation. After two years' operation the Big Edge was
589:
325:
I was always careful to draw my knife down on the face, never across or upwards. Always down. So that if the knife slips you don't cut an artery. After all, chivving is chivving, but cutting an artery is usually murder. Only mugs do
553:
571:
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to Amelia Jane (née
Sparling) and Septimus James Hill, who married in 1895. Growing up in an established criminal family, Hill committed his first stabbing at age fourteen. He began as a house
226:
in London from the 1920s through to the 1960s. His gang managed cash robberies and, in a scam, defrauded London's high society of millions at the
843:
502:
Hill's only child, Justin, republished his father's memoirs in
December 2008 with a modern introduction and previously unpublished photographs.
392:
979:
358:, Bobby Warren and at least half a dozen other men. Fraser and Warren were sentenced to seven years in prison for their acts of violence.
384:
pledged that it would not be a precedent and that he would consider withdrawing the evidence and asking the Bar
Council to disregard it.
373:, Permanent Secretary at the Home Office, allowed them access. When this use of tapping powers was revealed to Parliament in June 1957,
886:
435:. Some of the wealthiest people in Britain were swindled out of millions of pounds, thanks to a gambling con known as "the Big Edge".
374:
89:
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approached the police and requested the tapes to provide evidence for an investigation into the professional conduct of Hill's
42:
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in London where he met Hill and showed him around the set. When the prop department could not find
Spillane a real
922:
350:
of Hill's phone. At the time gang warfare had broken out in London between Hill and erstwhile partner in crime,
57:
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46:
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could be discovered too easily; instead the low cards were slightly bent across their width in a small
362:
969:
428:
231:
351:
765:
491:
467:
427:, the club's former financial director John Burke and Hill's associate Bobby McKew, claimed that
82:
35:
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netting £287,000 (equivalent to £10.43 million in 2023) and in 1954 he organised a £40,000
287:
959:
954:
883:
8:
711:
Bench Of The
Honourable Society Of Lincoln's Inn Charges Against Barrister In Re Marrinan
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291:
451:
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247:
150:
734:
533:
400:
347:
219:
590:"Search Results for England & Wales Marriages 1837-2005 | findmypast.co.uk"
572:"Search Results for England & Wales Marriages 1837-2005 | findmypast.co.uk"
442:
388:
267:
218:(13 December 1911 – 1 January 1984) was an English criminal, linked to smuggling,
909:
890:
554:"Search Results for England & Wales Births 1837-2006 | findmypast.co.uk"
486:
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the house were £14,000 (equivalent to £290,000 in 2023). According to McKew, the
278:. He also supplied forged documents for deserting servicemen and was involved in
223:
190:
317:, ghostwritten by the journalist Duncan Webb. In it he described his use of the
458:
closed. Hill respected
Aspinall's decision, and the partnership was dissolved.
377:
355:
255:
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474:, Churchills, for his wife, Gypsy, who ran it from 1966 until the mid-1970s.
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before being repackaged. High cards were slightly bent lengthwise. Hill's
286:. In the late 1940s, he was charged with burgling a warehouse and fled to
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331:
49: in this hatnote. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
499:, Hill brought the producers several real pistols to use in the film.
715:
420:
366:
283:
24:
768:, September 2004; online edn., January 2008; accessed 12 June 2009.
305:
heist. No one was ever convicted for these robberies. He also ran
660:"The man in the mac: a life in crime reporting | Duncan Campbell"
471:
354:. In 1956, Spot and wife Rita were attacked by Hill's bodyguard,
310:
306:
302:
251:
222:
and extreme violence. He was one of the foremost perpetrators of
923:"Once Upon a Time in London review – unconvincing gangland saga"
275:
902:
688:, theguardian.co.uk, 30 July 2008; retrieved 29 January 2012.
454:
lost £40,000 (equivalent to £830,000 in 2023) in one night.
844:"The Real Casino Royale: gangsters in a class of their own"
912:, Billy Hill Family Ltd., UK; accessed 9 December 2014.
258:
raids targeting furriers and jewellers in the 1930s.
387:
Marrinan was subsequently disbarred and expelled by
313:during this period. In 1955, Hill wrote his memoir
784:
867:"Billy Hill and Gypsy Hill – my gangland parents"
797:
697:Richard Hobbs, "Kray brothers (act. 1926–2000)",
334:, advising them in their early criminal careers.
946:
771:
403:power of intercepting telephone communications.
391:but Butler was forced to appoint a committee of
777:"Mr. Butler's Promise On Telephone Tapping",
621:, 21 February 2009; accessed 9 December 2014.
431:worked with Hill to cheat the players at the
893:, crimetime.co.uk; accessed 9 December 2014.
477:Billy Hill died on 1 January 1984, aged 72.
858:
821:High-society sting to get a Hollywood twist
505:Hill is a major character in the 2019 film
415:at card tables. In Douglas Thompson's book
803:"'Tapping' Inquiry By Privy Councillors",
747:
701:, Oxford University Press, September 2004.
254:in the late 1920s and then specialised in
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
864:
837:
835:
829:, 18 May 2008; accessed 9 December 2014.
633:, theguardian.com. Accessed 5 July 2023.
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282:protection rackets with fellow gangster
841:
815:
813:
762:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
699:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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647:Final curtain for robber who got away
636:
613:Gangsters in a class of their own ...
530:Billy Hill : godfather of London
470:. He bought the biggest nightclub in
411:In the 1960s, Hill was busy fleecing
810:
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
980:British people convicted of robbery
865:Campbell, Duncan (9 October 2009).
600:
13:
842:Hiscock, John (24 February 2009).
261:
14:
1001:
299:Eastcastle St. postal van robbery
686:When crime grabbed the limelight
337:
23:
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34:needs additional citations for
990:People from St Pancras, London
965:20th-century English criminals
903:"Boss of Britain's Underworld"
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193:in London from the 1920s–1960s
1:
846:. London, UK: Daily Telegraph
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380:demanded a full explanation.
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342:In late 1956 Home Secretary
315:Boss of Britain's Underworld
274:, specialising in foods and
216:William Charles "Billy" Hill
7:
489:was playing Mike Hammer in
10:
1006:
790:"Mr. Marrinan Disbarred",
528:Clarkson, Wensley (2008).
508:Once Upon A Time In London
466:Hill was also involved in
58:"Billy Hill" gangster
908:December 5, 2008, at the
330:Hill was mentor to twins
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758:Newsam, Sir Frank Aubrey
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375:Leader of the Opposition
369:, Patrick Marrinan. Sir
297:In 1952, he planned the
766:Oxford University Press
419:and the documentary on
729:Morton, James (2008).
425:The Real Casino Royale
332:Ronnie and Reggie Kray
328:
270:, Hill moved into the
985:Criminals from London
807:, 29 June 1957, p. 6.
794:, 4 July 1957, p. 10.
323:
781:, 8 June 1957, p. 6.
594:www.findmypast.co.uk
576:www.findmypast.co.uk
558:www.findmypast.co.uk
468:property development
137:William Charles Hill
43:improve this article
733:. London: Piatkus.
645:; 26 January 1995;
631:Gypsy Riley profile
618:The Daily Telegraph
344:Gwilym Lloyd George
889:2009-04-16 at the
884:Billy Hill profile
754:Allen of Abbeydale
666:. 4 September 2009
452:18th Earl of Derby
397:Sir Norman Birkett
248:St Pancras, London
220:protection rackets
151:St Pancras, London
975:English gangsters
684:Duncan Campbell,
532:. Hove: Pennant.
399:to look into the
393:Privy Counsellors
246:Hill was born in
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166:(aged 72)
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931:. Retrieved
927:the Guardian
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848:. Retrieved
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819:Lyons, Tom.
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417:The Hustlers
416:
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371:Frank Newsam
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288:South Africa
272:black market
265:
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164:(1984-01-01)
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
960:1984 deaths
955:1911 births
933:11 November
670:11 November
447:card sharks
413:aristocrats
401:prerogative
363:Bar Council
266:During the
228:card tables
201:Gypsy Riley
171:Nationality
949:Categories
515:References
462:Later life
407:"Big Edge"
382:Rab Butler
242:Early life
179:Occupation
143:1911-12-13
127:Billy Hill
69:newspapers
805:The Times
792:The Times
779:The Times
716:The Times
485:In 1963,
421:Channel 4
367:barrister
352:Jack Spot
307:smuggling
284:Jack Spot
153:, England
99:July 2023
906:Archived
887:Archived
280:West End
206:Children
182:Criminal
472:Tangier
348:tapping
326:murder.
311:Morocco
303:bullion
252:burglar
198:Partner
174:English
83:scholar
737:
536:
443:mangle
395:under
276:petrol
85:
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850:2 May
481:Other
90:JSTOR
76:books
935:2021
852:2009
735:ISBN
672:2021
534:ISBN
361:The
319:shiv
159:Died
133:Born
62:news
756:, "
234:'s
230:of
45:by
951::
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834:^
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812:^
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