Melissa Wu

Russell Street
Bombing
Stanley Taylor and Craig
Minogue

On 27 march 1986, an explosion arose in the Russell
Street Police Headquarters, affecting buildings from a
block away. During this attack, one person died and
twenty one were reported to be injured. This
destructive event was described to be a revenge attack
on Melbourne Police.
What happened?

The first of the explosions erupted from a parked car, which
had been loaded with sixty sticks of gelignite, enough to
wipe out all the glass windows in e front building, as well as
set off a series of Petrol tank explosions in nearby cars.
The loud eruption could be heard all throughout the city and
the smoke was visible several blocks away. The two
criminals, Stanley Taylor and Craig Minogue, who plotted
this revenge attack on the police force were eventually
caught and tried for offence. In addition they were convicted
of the murder of Angela Taylor and related crimes and
sentenced to life imprisonment.

Squizzy Taylor
Who was Squizzy
Taylor?

Squizzy Taylor was a self styled gangster in Melbourne
CBD during the early twentieth century he was not
only a gangster, he was also a blackmailer, thief and if
necessary, a killer.
He became famous by leading a violent gang war
against a rival criminal faction in 1919, he then
successfully hid from the police from the years 1991-92.
Who was Squizzy
Taylor?

Squizzy Taylor enjoyed a fearsome reputation in
Melbourne during the 1920s. His crimes ranged from
pickpocketing, shop breaking to murders and killings.
He was wounded during a gun fight with a long time
rival gangster John Daniel 'Snowy' Cutmore and died in
St Vincent's Hospital in Fitzroy On 27th October 1927.

The Fitzroy Vendetta
What was the Fitzroy
Vendetta?

Taylor was one of the central figures in the 'Fitzroy
Vendetta', a violent battle between opposing criminal
gangs that lasted for several months during the year
1919. One gang, from Richmond, was led by Taylor
along with Henry Stokes, while the other gang was
based in Fitzroy and was led by Edward Whiting,
Henry Slater and Frederick Thorpe.
What was the Fitzroy
Vendetta?

The battle was based on a planned robbery of £1,435 worth
of diamond rings from Kilpatrick & Co, a Collins Street
jewellers, in June 1918. The robbery, was carried out by
members of the Richmond and Fitzroy gangs. However,
the Fitzroy gangs had suspected that someone from the
Richmond gang had tipped off the police and this began
unease between the two gangs. To add to the tension,
members of the Fitzroy gang were not satisfied with the
division amount from the robbery.
What was the Fitzroy
Vendetta?

Taylor was arrested over a shooting in Fitzroy in
August 1919. The police reported to have seen him
jumping into a moving car right after shots were fired
into a shop in Fleet Street, Fitzroy. Taylor was
sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. However, the
conviction was abolished, due to the insufficient
amount of evidence provided.
By the late 1919, the feud had died down. Whiting was
in prison, and had to serve a 9 month sentence.

Chopper Read
Who was Chopper
Read?

Mark Brandon Chopper Read was a former Australian
criminal who does not have the typical criminal profile.
Having been convicted of crimes such as assault, robbery
and kidnapping, he has recreated himself and restarted a
career as an author based on experiences as a gangland
criminal. Raised in the Melbourne suburbs of Collingwood,
Thomastown, Preston and , he was a victim of bullies at
school since a young age.
Who was Chopper
Read?

Influenced by all the brutal violence taken out upon
him, Read was already an accomplished street fighter at
a young age, as well as the leader of the Surrey Road
gang. He began his criminal career by robbing drug
dealers, which later evolved to kidnapping and torture.
His gang was dubbed "The Overcoat Gang" because
they wore long coats all year round, in order to hide
their weapons.
Life as an author

Read was secretly released from Pentridge Prison in
November 1991 and from then on, ended his criminal
offences and started a brand new life as an author of
crime novels, selling over 500,000 copies of his works.
Read’s first book, “Chopper: From The Inside”, was
collected during the period he spent in Melbourne’s
Pentridge Prison and was published in 1991.