Guns were fired in Fitzroy vendettas, police were killed in armed robberies and gangs operated in hotels and brothels-Melbourne in the 1920s was a crime-ridden city in which no one was safe.
Through it all strode the notorious crook Leslie 'Squizzy' Taylor, artfully dodging conviction with his calculated plans and foolproof alibis. Daily newspapers eagerly reported his crimes to a public fascinated by his larrikin wit and blatant contempt for the law.
In this classic account of gangland murder and greed, author Hugh Anderson brings Australia's infamous criminal mastermind to life amid car chases, robberies and cold-blooded murders.
Who was Squizzy Taylor really? A heroic symbol of resistance and king of the Melbourne underworld who died a tragic death? Or a bloody-minded criminal who got what he deserved?