The Incredible Rise of a Gorbals Gangster

by Colin MacFarlane

  For example, when Johnny asked Percy what he did after work he replied in his posh voice, “Oh, there’s nothing better than going home, sitting in front of the television, and having a good ham shank.”

  Johnny had asked him, “Do you have a ham shank every night?” Percy had replied, “Not every night but a good ham shank remains my favourite.” Percy of course, with his posh upbringing, had no idea that a ham shank was Gorbals slang, for a wank, or rather masturbation. The conversation, with its double entendres highly amused Johnny and the boys. Of course, Percy was a crook just like the rest of them. They were all birds of feather. Percy had robbed Bobby but what did the boss expect? He would have done the same if the roles had been reversed. Percy fiddling the books was just a case of a thief stealing from another thief. If Johnny had his way, he would have just got a slap on the wrist, a stern talking to, and let him carry on from there.

  But Bobby was a different kettle of fish. He had taken the fiddling personally and was out for vengeance. Percy was destined to suffer at his hands and Bobby did not have the common sense to see a beating could turn the accountant into a grass. Johnny continued running through the park and passed people, ordinary people, on their way to work. Mothers with babies in their prams, youngsters on their way to school. And how he envied them! There was something about being ordinary that attracted him. The bullshit of being a gangster was a travesty compared to the ordinary lives of these poor people. People who worked hard every day of their lives and ended up with fuck all at the end of it. But they did not know any other way, they were happy with their existences. Subconsciously, Johnny wished he could feel the same way. He had money, power and a family but real happiness was one thing that had evaded him. Oh, for the life of a working man! Not necessarily shovelling sawdust but a decent job with half decent pay. A job that did not involve violence and deception. But being a gangster meant he had to deal with violence and deception almost every minute of the day. He was fed up to the teeth with it.

  He jogged round to his flat, got dressed into his gangster gear and met up with Bobby and the boys. They were in a car waiting for him. When he jumped into the vehicle, he could feel the air of violence and intimidation straight away. Bobby sort of snarled and said, “Right we’re gonnae sort this Percy bastard out once and for all. Nobody gets away with ripping me off. Kenny has been up all night looking at the ledger again. Kenny, tell Johnny what you found at second glance.” Kenny looked tired with bloodshot eyes, “A second glance at Percy’s bullshit book shows he’s ripped of Bobby for a lot more than ten grand but the figures are still hard to decipher.”

  Archie sneered, “Dirty robbing wanker. I knew he was no good all along. What do you think Johnny?” He replied, “It seems to me that he saw his chance to make some real cash and took it.” Bobby raised a baseball bat, “Ah’ll show him no’ tae rob me ever again. This is gonnae go over his nut.” Johnny smiled but knew Bobby was making a big mistake. A baseball bat “over the nut” was not exactly the best solution to the problem. But he kept his counsel. Better to say nothing and go with the flow.

  To be a winner in the gangster game, you had to go with the flow or perish. They walked into his office and Percy was sitting at a table looking studious and was quite chirpy, “Good morning, boys. Have you brought my account book back? Kenny placed the ledger on the table. Percy said, “Everything to your satisfaction, boss?” He did not see that Bobby had a baseball bat behind his back. Bobby replied, “Not really, old chap. You’ve been fiddling the fuck out of me, haven’t you… old chap?”

  Percy’s face drained of blood, “What do you mean, boss? The accounts are in perfect order. The figures may seem complicated to a layman like you but in the accountancy game that’s how it is.” Suddenly, Bobby whacked Percy in the mouth with the baseball bat and most of his yellow teeth were shattered. He fell to the ground with blood gushing from his mouth.

  For a few moments, Johnny reflected that Bobby had done Percy a favour by knocking out all those dreadful teeth. Bobby began to batter into the accountant as he lay on the floor until his screams became unbearable. Johnny shouted to Bobby, “For fuck’s sake don’t kill the guy. We’ll try to get the money back.” By this time Percy was lying in a pool of blood groaning. Bobby shouted to him, “Where’s ma fucking ten grand, you stole ya bastard ye?” Percy groaned and mumbled, “In my house, I was just looking after it for you.” Johnny and Goo Goo were instructed to take Percy back to his house and recover the money. They bundled Percy into a car and Goo Goo handed him a towel to stem the flow of blood from his mouth. They drove to the leafy suburb of Milngavie and found Percy’s house, a small detached bungalow.

  They went inside and Johnny was almost apologetic, “Sorry about that, Percy, Bobby was gonnae kill you but luckily I stopped him in the nick of time. Now where’s the money? Show us and we’ll be on our way and your nightmare will be over.” Percy went into a back bedroom and mumbled, “It’s under the bed, in two suitcases.” Johnny pulled out the suitcases and they were full of banknotes. He placed all the notes on the bed and began to count them. It was quite easy to do because Percy had arranged them in £500 bundles all with rubber bands round them. As the counting was concluded Johnny declared, “Twelve thousand five hundred pounds.” He put ten grand into a bag and left £2,500 on the bed. Goo Goo took the bag to the car and Johnny was left alone with the bloodied and battered Percy. He said, “Bobby was out of order battering you like that. Ah’m leaving you two and a half grand so you can get yourself a new set of teeth. They’ll look a lot better than the ones you lost. Ah’ll tell Bobby we only found ten grand.”

  Percy nodded, still with the towel pressed against his bloody mouth. Johnny gave him a firm handshake, “Sorry it ended up like this. Ah still think you are a good guy and a great accountant. That’s why ah saved your life.” He left the bungalow and went into the car. He was aware that what he had said to Percy might just save his bacon if the accountant turned grass.

  As Goo Goo drove them away, Johnny said, “Poor bastard, at least we didnae kill him. Being an accountant, he probably thought his number was up!”

  Chapter 63

  STORM

  Things were quiet for a while, too quiet. Johnny felt uneasy about it all and had an inkling that this was the lull before the storm. His instinct was related to his past experiences as a gang leader. When he was the leader of the Cumbie gang, there had been occasions, months on end, when everything was quiet but this was usually followed by extreme gang violence and warfare with opposing teams. He speculated what Percy’s next move might be and was surprised he had not turned grass straight away. Meanwhile, he had to deal with business as usual. There were several incidents that required his immediate attention. (1) Moneylending. The loans were no problem, apart from a couple of so called “fly guys” who had refused to pay up. Johnny felt their behaviour was banal rather than overtly offensive. The first fellow, a guy in his 30s, had boasted to his pal in the pub that the enforcers “widnae get a penny” out of him

  But his attitude ended one night when he was hit on the head with a hammer while standing at a bus stop in Crown Street. The blow put him into a coma for several days and when he emerged, heavily bandaged, he paid the outstanding amount straight away. The second fellow, from Nicholson Street, had built up a reputation as being a bit of a hard-drinking hardman and avoided paying his debt on numerous occasions. But one night his front door was set on fire. The next day, he coughed up.

  (2) Insurance and protection. A Jewish wholesaler said he did not need cover but that changed when two masked men entered his store and made off with the contents of his till. He was quick to renew his subscription.

  (3) Betting. A group of Irishmen had placed a big bet on a horse running at Ayr. They had £100 on the horse at 10-1, winning £1,000. Johnny just shrugged his shoulders, he knew he’s get the money back after a while.

  (4) The supplies from Marbella were constant and demand often exceeded supply. Kenny had drawn up a fresh set of
account books which were far simpler to understand than Percy’s version. Bobby would often keep the new ledger in his safe at home overnight, to ensure he knew where every penny was going. Through it all, Johnny was increasingly stressed. He often felt frustrated that he had to get others to carry out violent acts. He was a violent guy and missed it. To appease his violent tendencies, he ran more and swam 100 lengths a day at the Gorbals baths. The exercise made him calmer and all “the wankers” who showed him disrespect were easily dealt with. Like a Roman emperor he passed orders down through his command and his enemies were quickly put to the sword... or even a razor.

  But it was not all deadly serious, he had his odd humorous moments. Hughie, an old guy in his 70s, came into the Mally Arms one afternoon and said he had a problem. He had won fifteen grand on the pools and asked Johnny to invest it for him, “Got the fucking jackpot, had six draws. All for ten bob!” He knew that Johnny would not rip him off as he was an old friend of the family. He also knew that if he invested in Johnny’s organisation there would be a better rate of interest than the banks.

  Johnny took the money gladly and told Hughie to tell no-one about the deal or about his pools win. Hughie would receive regular interest payments and of course have the backing of the organisation’s enforcers if need be. The more money Johnny dealt with, the more throbbing headaches he got. His first instinct was to have a bevvy and get drunk, but common sense prevailed so pounding the pavements and going for a splash were good alternatives.

  Swimming in the pool at the Gorbals baths seemed to disintegrate all of his tensions. The water not only cleansed his body but his soul as well. As he swam up and down the pool, he could feel his heart pumping the blood through his system. On his fifty second length he got to the deep end when a young man in his early 20s said, “Hello, Johnny boy!” At first, Johnny did not recognise the young man as he was wearing goggles. When he took them off, he recognised him straight away. It was Willie McKenzie from Thistle Street. A few year’s back, Willie’s mother had approached Johnny saying her son had been bullied at school and could he do something about it? She even offered him money, but he turned it down. In the event, he and his pals beat up the bullies so badly they even changed school.

  The boy’s mother said at the time, “Thanks for saving ma son, we owe you a big favour, which we hope to repay one day.” Since then Johnny had heard Willie had done well at school and joined the police force hoping to be a detective. He had been a big fan of Kojak and Columbo on the telly. Johnny had to be careful. Why the fuck did a young copper want to talk to him, in all places, a swimming pool?

  The young man said, “Glad ah bumped into you in the swimming pool. Now its ma turn to do you a favour.” Johnny spat some swimming pool water out of his mouth and said, “And what would that be, Willie?” He was quick to the point, “A guy you used to employ called Percy has been singing like a canary up at police headquarters.” Johnny felt a wave of shock go through his body, “What’s he been saying? Has he been spilling the beans on me?” Willie shook his head, “All’s ah know is he‘s implicated your boss Bobby involving a lot of things like drug deals. But as far I know, you are in the clear. Glad ah met you swimming, nobody will suspect ah gave you this information. Just tell Bobby tae be careful and cover his tracks.” He then swam off, a favour repaid.

  Johnny left the pool and quickly got dressed. He walked back to the high flats to warn Bobby. But when he got there, Bobby’s wife told him he had gone out to meet a couple of his pals. He said that when Bobby did come back, he had to contact him straight away. Johnny got back to his own flat and had tea with Cathy and his son.

  He waited all night for a knock on the door, but no knock came. He went to bed thinking he would alert Bobby in the morning. He fell soundly asleep with Cathy by his side. Everything would be sorted in the morning, or so he thought.

  Chapter 64

  HEAT

  He was having terrible dreams. The giant machines were after him again, getting closer and closer, until he heard Cathy’s voice saying, “Johnny, wake up! Wake up! She was looking out of the window and shouted, “The polis are raiding ma da’s flat.” He leapt from his bed and ran towards the front door, opened it, and looked outside the corridor. The place was swarming with police. His instinct was to go outside and head into Bobby’s flat. But his head told him to keep well clear as any appearance could alert the police to his involvement with Bobby.

  It was a Pandora’s Box that he did not want to open. A Pandora’s Box that had the potential to destroy them all. Then he heard Bobby’s voice shouting from inside the flat, “Fuck off, ya bastards, get me ma lawyer.” The police handcuffed Bobby and took him away. More worryingly, they had hired a safeblower to blow open his safe. Johnny heard a small explosion and also heard one of the CID guys inside shout, “Perfect, drugs and money. The bastard will no’ be seeing the light of day for years.”

  Johnny looked out of his window onto the street and saw policemen loading bags containing bundles of money, cocaine and hash into their van. He also saw one carrying a black ledger, the new drug accounts book. Bobby had been stupid. He had stored the money and some drugs (from his addiction days) in the safe, believing no-one would find his cache. He had made the classic mistake of underestimating the police. Sure, the jails were full of people who had made the same error. Storing the drugs together with the money and having the accounts ledger beside them was utter insanity. The police would have no problem convicting him

  Suddenly, Johnny had a revelation? Why had the police not raided his flat? He put it down to the fact that he had saved Percy’s life and given him a few grand to fix his teeth and survive. His kindness had been repaid. Not only had Bobby underestimated the police, but Percy as well.

  Cathy and her mother were crying and almost hysterical. How would Bobby get out of this? Worryingly, in recent years, High Court judges had been handing out stiff jail sentences of between ten to fifteen years to drug dealers like Bobby. It sent a shiver down his spine. Bobby’s wife wiped away the tears and said to Johnny, “What do you think he’ll get son?” He put on a brave façade, “It’s no’ easy to say but Bobby’s usually a lucky guy and can talk his way out of anything. Maybe he’s got a good alibi up his sleeve.”

  But, in reality, Johnny was unconvinced. As sure as eggs is eggs, Bobby was definitely going down for a long time. He consoled the two women for a while and then went out for a walk. It was the usual Gorbals cast. Old women with their shopping, guys in their bunnets standing at street corners, a few jakes staggering about and the odd scabby dog roaming the streets for morsels. He heard a voice coming from a nearby tenement close, “Hey man, over here.” It was Goo Goo being all secretive. Johnny walked into the close and Goo Goo said “Fuck’s sake, what happened? Ah heard Bobby got lifted big time.” Johnny shrugged his shoulders in a dismissive, way. “The silly fucker had drugs, money and even the account book in his safe. He’ll have to be a bigger magician than Harry Houdini tae get off wi’ this one.“ Goo Goo replied, “The boys want tae see you. They’re in a motor round the corner.”

  He walked round the block and climbed into the car. Both Archie and Kenny had worried looks on their faces. “What’s the score, boss?” Archie asked.

  “The score is Bobby has been done big time but as far as ah know the grass accountant left us out of the plotline. So, until ah know more we’ll lie low for a while then business as usual.”

  Kenny looked nervous and said, “How long do we lie low for?”

  “Until after the verdict but we’ll still be doing business in a quiet way, more low profile than before,” Johnny said.

  Later that night they were taken aback when they saw the headline in the Daily Record: GLASGOW BUSINESSMAN IN MAJOR DRUG BUST. The report said, “Police arrested Gorbals businessman Bobby McGee at his south side flat after a tip off he had drugs in a safe at his home. A police spokesman said, ‘We received significant information that the arrested man was a major drug dealer. We found a substantial amou
nt of drugs and money in a safe in his flat. He has been charged with numerous serious offences and will be appearing in court in the morning.’ Beside the article there was a large picture of Bobby smiling. Archie said, “Look at that fucking picture. Ah’ll bet he’s no’ smiling now.” Kenny agreed, “If he gets found guilty, he’ll no’ be smiling for years.”

  Johnny felt depressed but did not show it, “We’ll see what happens, boys. Meanwhile, I’m in charge while that silly fucker languishes in Barlinnie.” He walked in the direction of his house but he had only gone a couple of yards when a car pulled up beside him, “Jump in,” an Irish voice shouted. It was the IRA guy, big John. When he got into the car John said to him, “How could Bobby be so stupid? The polis will make mincemeat of him. Ah’ve got a bit of advice for you.”

  “What’s that? Johnny said. The Irishman was straight to the point, “We know Bobby will never talk but make no mistake about it they’ll be aiming for you next. My advice is to get the hell out of here for a while.”

  Although Johnny was sure Percy would not grass him up, he was aware that when the police compiled their evidence his name would be sure to crop up.

  He lay in bed that night and contemplated his future. He had to get away from the Gorbals and formulated a plan. He would phone Pat in Marbella and tell him to obtain a property for him, preferably a villa with a swimming pool. He had enough hidden money to choke a dozen donkeys.

  He would go to the Asian bank to see the manager and have the money transferred to Pat in Marbella. As for the organisation, Archie would be promoted to boss in Glasgow and Kenny his number two. But nothing could be done until Bobby’s trial was over. A few weeks later he received a letter from Barlinnie prison with a visitor’s pass to see Bobby. When he got to Barlinnie and walked into the visitors’ room, it had a dozen or so inmates sitting at tables. He looked round and could not see Bobby. But when he glanced around the room again he saw an old looking man sitting at a corner table. The old man shouted, “Johnny boy, over here!” Johnny was shocked at his appearance. The arrest and incarceration had put years on his boss. He seemed to have turned grey and wrinkled overnight. He put on a brave face, “So how’s it going, Bobby?” His boss sighed, “No’ too good. Ah was a daft bastard and now ah’m paying for it. No’ slept a wink since the arrest and the food here isnae helping, it’s fucking terrible. It’s not exactly the Rogano.”