author Darcy O’Connor came across some spectacular stories while he was
spectacular stories while he was
spectacular stories while he was researching his book Montreal’s Irish
researching his book Montreal’s Irish
researching his book Montreal’s Irish mafia the true story of the infamous
mafia the true story of the infamous
mafia the true story of the infamous West End gang hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and
West End gang hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and
West End gang hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking with O’Connor about his book
speaking with O’Connor about his book
speaking with O’Connor about his book and about some of the most remarkable
and about some of the most remarkable
and about some of the most remarkable crimes of the Irish mafia when I moved
crimes of the Irish mafia when I moved
crimes of the Irish mafia when I moved up here from New York late 79 and the
up here from New York late 79 and the
up here from New York late 79 and the first job I had up here was with Dawson
first job I had up here was with Dawson
first job I had up here was with Dawson College in a prison program as I was
College in a prison program as I was
College in a prison program as I was creating a teaching creative writing of
creating a teaching creative writing of
creating a teaching creative writing of course I told him you always write what
course I told him you always write what
course I told him you always write what you go about and so they would write
you go about and so they would write
you go about and so they would write short stories or even film scripts that
short stories or even film scripts that
short stories or even film scripts that always seemed to do with robbing banks
always seemed to do with robbing banks
always seemed to do with robbing banks tunneling under vaults things like that
tunneling under vaults things like that
tunneling under vaults things like that or making escapes and so on the most
or making escapes and so on the most
or making escapes and so on the most interesting student I had was a fella by
interesting student I had was a fella by
interesting student I had was a fella by the name of Rory Shayne and he would
the name of Rory Shayne and he would
the name of Rory Shayne and he would write these short scenarios and scripts
write these short scenarios and scripts
write these short scenarios and scripts and I remember one of them was about a
and I remember one of them was about a
and I remember one of them was about a bank robbery robber out on the west
bank robbery robber out on the west
bank robbery robber out on the west coast in Victoria who had made a getaway
coast in Victoria who had made a getaway
coast in Victoria who had made a getaway on a sailboat by a commandeering a
on a sailboat by a commandeering a
on a sailboat by a commandeering a sailboat so on I thought it was fiction
sailboat so on I thought it was fiction
sailboat so on I thought it was fiction but it turned out it wasn’t he was he
but it turned out it wasn’t he was he
but it turned out it wasn’t he was he was talking about one of his famous
was talking about one of his famous
was talking about one of his famous escapes and he was a very interesting
escapes and he was a very interesting
escapes and he was a very interesting person until the day I arrived when they
person until the day I arrived when they
person until the day I arrived when they prison at that the class and Rory wasn’t
prison at that the class and Rory wasn’t
prison at that the class and Rory wasn’t in class and I asked the the other
in class and I asked the the other
in class and I asked the the other inmates as a where’s Rory and they all
inmates as a where’s Rory and they all
inmates as a where’s Rory and they all greatly so he went over the wall and
greatly so he went over the wall and
greatly so he went over the wall and he’d escaped he then spent the next
he’d escaped he then spent the next
he’d escaped he then spent the next three months robbing banks which would
three months robbing banks which would
three months robbing banks which would he
he
he here in Montreal that he was good at and
here in Montreal that he was good at and
here in Montreal that he was good at and his robberies were quite spectacular one
his robberies were quite spectacular one
his robberies were quite spectacular one of the most spectacular getaways has
of the most spectacular getaways has
of the most spectacular getaways has ever been done in Montreal the police
ever been done in Montreal the police
ever been done in Montreal the police they’ll talk about it was Rory and his
they’ll talk about it was Rory and his
they’ll talk about it was Rory and his girlfriend he dressed all in black
girlfriend he dressed all in black
girlfriend he dressed all in black leather she dressed all in red leather
leather she dressed all in red leather
leather she dressed all in red leather hired a helicopter ostensibly to do a
hired a helicopter ostensibly to do a
hired a helicopter ostensibly to do a sightseeing tour out of Dorval Airport
sightseeing tour out of Dorval Airport
sightseeing tour out of Dorval Airport and they got into the helicopter in the
and they got into the helicopter in the
and they got into the helicopter in the back seat and right after it took off
back seat and right after it took off
back seat and right after it took off Rory pulls out a 45 revolver was the
Rory pulls out a 45 revolver was the
Rory pulls out a 45 revolver was the tent of pilots
tent of pilots
tent of pilots jaqen says and tells them to land Rory
jaqen says and tells them to land Rory
jaqen says and tells them to land Rory with a duffel bag runs into the bank
with a duffel bag runs into the bank
with a duffel bag runs into the bank fires his submachine gun in the air
fires his submachine gun in the air
fires his submachine gun in the air Rob’s the bank throws the money into the
Rob’s the bank throws the money into the
Rob’s the bank throws the money into the duffel bag and runs back to the
duffel bag and runs back to the
duffel bag and runs back to the helicopter meanwhile people in the in
helicopter meanwhile people in the in
helicopter meanwhile people in the in the shopping centre are watching this
the shopping centre are watching this
the shopping centre are watching this going on and they figure well this is
going on and they figure well this is
going on and they figure well this is neat they’re making a movie and it
neat they’re making a movie and it
neat they’re making a movie and it looked like an action movie in progress
looked like an action movie in progress
looked like an action movie in progress Rory climbs back in the helicopter and
Rory climbs back in the helicopter and
Rory climbs back in the helicopter and they take off and he has some land near
they take off and he has some land near
they take off and he has some land near a metro station Montreal East and right
a metro station Montreal East and right
a metro station Montreal East and right on the road and he and his girlfriend
on the road and he and his girlfriend
on the road and he and his girlfriend jumper the helicopter jump into the
jumper the helicopter jump into the
jumper the helicopter jump into the metro and disappear so this is what he
metro and disappear so this is what he
metro and disappear so this is what he was doing instead of being in my class
was doing instead of being in my class
was doing instead of being in my class and then he’s the last crime that he
and then he’s the last crime that he
and then he’s the last crime that he pulled was he was in court at the Palais
pulled was he was in court at the Palais
pulled was he was in court at the Palais de justice here for all these bank
de justice here for all these bank
de justice here for all these bank robberies and various things when all
robberies and various things when all
robberies and various things when all sudden he pulls a gun on the judge
sudden he pulls a gun on the judge
sudden he pulls a gun on the judge nobody had ever seen that before anyway
nobody had ever seen that before anyway
nobody had ever seen that before anyway the guards jump on him and so on it was
the guards jump on him and so on it was
the guards jump on him and so on it was a small starter’s pistol that he had
a small starter’s pistol that he had
a small starter’s pistol that he had somehow got in so he was given a lot of
somehow got in so he was given a lot of
somehow got in so he was given a lot of time for that last I heard he was
time for that last I heard he was
time for that last I heard he was deported back he was originally born in
deported back he was originally born in
deported back he was originally born in Germany and had been adopted here and
Germany and had been adopted here and
Germany and had been adopted here and that’s where he got the Irish name and
that’s where he got the Irish name and
that’s where he got the Irish name and he was deported back I’m still trying to
he was deported back I’m still trying to
he was deported back I’m still trying to track him down
track him down
track him down he be in his late 50s gentlemen
he be in his late 50s gentlemen
he be in his late 50s gentlemen maybe early 60s pretty interesting guy
maybe early 60s pretty interesting guy
maybe early 60s pretty interesting guy the Brinks robbery was it still is the
the Brinks robbery was it still is the
the Brinks robbery was it still is the largest robbery from a Brinks truck ever
largest robbery from a Brinks truck ever
largest robbery from a Brinks truck ever in North America and it was 2.8 million
in North America and it was 2.8 million
in North America and it was 2.8 million dollars and it happened in March the end
dollars and it happened in March the end
dollars and it happened in March the end of March of 1976 and it involved both
of March of 1976 and it involved both
of March of 1976 and it involved both the West End gang and the East End ganks
the West End gang and the East End ganks
the West End gang and the East End ganks are working together they got somebody
are working together they got somebody
are working together they got somebody from the inside was a driver for Brinks
from the inside was a driver for Brinks
from the inside was a driver for Brinks in on it and he had actually been a
in on it and he had actually been a
in on it and he had actually been a french-canadian he had been in Korea and
french-canadian he had been in Korea and
french-canadian he had been in Korea and during the Korean War and a gunner and
during the Korean War and a gunner and
during the Korean War and a gunner and he pointed out to them that because
he pointed out to them that because
he pointed out to them that because their idea was well the Brinks was truck
their idea was well the Brinks was truck
their idea was well the Brinks was truck was stopped at the Royal Bank had office
was stopped at the Royal Bank had office
was stopped at the Royal Bank had office down in Old Montreal that he would you
down in Old Montreal that he would you
down in Old Montreal that he would you know open the door and let them take it
know open the door and let them take it
know open the door and let them take it he said no yeah it’s not gonna work that
he said no yeah it’s not gonna work that
he said no yeah it’s not gonna work that way
way
way they’ll know it was me he said you have
they’ll know it was me he said you have
they’ll know it was me he said you have to threaten the driver and he said you
to threaten the driver and he said you
to threaten the driver and he said you know only something that will penetrate
know only something that will penetrate
know only something that will penetrate steel and glass would frighten me so
steel and glass would frighten me so
steel and glass would frighten me so through the West End gang he managed to
through the West End gang he managed to
through the West End gang he managed to procure a 50 caliber and he anti-tank
procure a 50 caliber and he anti-tank
procure a 50 caliber and he anti-tank weapon and the idea was to have this in
weapon and the idea was to have this in
weapon and the idea was to have this in the back of a van and this Lane way up
the back of a van and this Lane way up
the back of a van and this Lane way up beside the row bank head office would
beside the row bank head office would
beside the row bank head office would was where the truck every Tuesday would
was where the truck every Tuesday would
was where the truck every Tuesday would pull in to pick up money and this is
pull in to pick up money and this is
pull in to pick up money and this is money that the head office was
money that the head office was
money that the head office was distributing to its other branches in
distributing to its other branches in
distributing to its other branches in the outskirts of the city or to stores
the outskirts of the city or to stores
the outskirts of the city or to stores when the three guards who were in the
when the three guards who were in the
when the three guards who were in the truck got out to pick up the money
truck got out to pick up the money
truck got out to pick up the money this van would back up the back doors
this van would back up the back doors
this van would back up the back doors would open and the driver was in on it
would open and the driver was in on it
would open and the driver was in on it would be faced with a 50 caliber machine
would be faced with a 50 caliber machine
would be faced with a 50 caliber machine gun and the aircraft gun and would open
gun and the aircraft gun and would open
gun and the aircraft gun and would open up would be forced to open up the truck
up would be forced to open up the truck
up would be forced to open up the truck so anyway that’s the way it was done
so anyway that’s the way it was done
so anyway that’s the way it was done then the
then the
then the one of the other bad guys who was in the
one of the other bad guys who was in the
one of the other bad guys who was in the van jumped in beside the driver and said
van jumped in beside the driver and said
van jumped in beside the driver and said let’s go and they followed the van and
let’s go and they followed the van and
let’s go and they followed the van and ended up in nun’s island where they then
ended up in nun’s island where they then
ended up in nun’s island where they then transferred the money to other cars and
transferred the money to other cars and
transferred the money to other cars and so on and that they got clean away and
so on and that they got clean away and
so on and that they got clean away and if that 2.8 million dollars only about
if that 2.8 million dollars only about
if that 2.8 million dollars only about four hundred thousand dollars was ever
four hundred thousand dollars was ever
four hundred thousand dollars was ever recovered
recovered
recovered it was you know as several killings that
it was you know as several killings that
it was you know as several killings that went on just to solve that one crime but
went on just to solve that one crime but
went on just to solve that one crime but in the end it was never really solved
in the end it was never really solved
in the end it was never really solved and most of the money disappeared
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