Forty Elephants

For the New York street gang, see Forty Thieves (New York gang).

The Forty Elephants or Forty Thieves were a 19th-century all-female London crime syndicate who specialised in shoplifting.[1] This gang was notable for its longevity and skill in avoiding police detection.[2]

The Forty Thieves gang operated from the Elephant and Castle district. They were allied to the Elephant and Castle Mob, led by the McDonald brothers. They raided quality stores in the West End of London and ranged all over the country in the biggest operation of organised shoplifting the country has seen. Their history has been revealed in Gangs of London, by Brian McDonald, published in December 2010. They were in existence from at least 1873 to the 1950s with some indications that they may have been in existence since the late 18th century.[1] During the early 20th century the gang was led by Alice Diamond, known variously as the Queen of the Forty Thieves and as Diamond Annie.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Amelia Hill (27 December 2010). "Girl gang's grip on London underworld revealed". The Guardian.
  2. ↑ Capstick, J., Given in Evidence, (London, 1960), chapter 9.
  3. ↑ Duncan Campbell (March 1995), The luck of the drawers, The Guardian