#robbery gang

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“YOUTHFUL BANDITS APPEAR FOR SENTENCES,” Montreal Star. January 9, 1930. Page 3. ---- Montreal's bandit gang whose exploits were compared to those of the two Menard brothers by Judge Enright in sentencing them today. He said the law might be beaten for a the but would win in the long run. Left to right: Lillian Davis, 19, of Montreal, involved in 10 hold-ups, Robert Benson, 18, gang leader, who took part in 11 hold-ups. He asked the judge for permission to marry Miss Davis and exonerated her from all but three hold-ups. Alexander O'Conner, alias Clarke, 17 years, involved in seven hold-ups. Hobert Flaherty, 16, in seven hold-ups. Walter Cosgrove, 18, in three holds-ups the same night and Patrick Murphy, 19, involved in seven hold-ups.

“GIRL BANDIT WEEPS AS SENTENCE GIVEN,” Montreal Star. January 9, 1930. Page 3 & 31.  ---- Clings to Leader of Group Who Makes Offer to Marry Her ---- COURT IS POWERLESS --- Members of Youthful Gang Get Terms of Two to 10 Years ---- Sentences from two to 10 years in the penitentiary were meted out this morning by Judge Enright in the Police Court to a group of young men and one woman, who were found guilty of a series of hold-ups which took place recently in Montreal. With them was the now well-known 18-year-old girl bandit. Lillian Davis, who received a seven year prison sentence.

The sentences were: 

Robert Benson, 10 years, penitentiary.

Lillian Davis, 7 years in prison.

Patrick Murphy, 6 years, penitentiary

Robert Flaherty, 5 years. penitentiary.

Alex. O'Connor (alias Clarke), 5 years, penitentiary.

Walter Cograve, 2 years, penitentiary,

With the exception of Benson, reputed leader of the gang, and Lillian Davis, the woman he wants to marry, the parents of the accused were present. The influence of the girl on the others was emphasized by the parents, and even the magistrate described her as "hardboiled."

TENSE ATMOSPHERE. As is usual when a severe sentence is about to be pronounced, the atmosphere of the court room was tense, and a particularly sad aspect was the pleading by the parents for lighter sentences. The romance of Benson for the girl seemed little checked by the austere court atmosphere, but she lost her apathetic attitude after the seven year sentence and wept unrestrainedly on Benson's shoulder after the pronouncement.

Leniency was extended to Cograve because he had only become a member of the gang on the day of his arrest, but he had within that period carried out three hold-ups. He was under the influence of liquor continually, he declared.

Preceding the pronouncement of sentences, Judge Enright delivered a severe lecture, pointing out to the prisoners the futility of crime. They had adopted the plan, conceived since time immemorial, of living on "an easy system." They had tried to beat the law, and had failed, as invariably happens.

The most dramatic scene produced during the reading of sentences was that caused by Murphy's father, telling how he had endeavored to locate his son and had looked everywhere in Montreal for him during the past three weeks that he had been absent from home. He blamed Lillian Davis for his son's downfall. The son left his position with the Bell Telephone Company to follow his new found friends, the father said.

BLAMES GIRL. Pointing his finger in the direction of Lillian Davis and referring to her as "that thing there" he said his son had been dragged down by her. "I got wind of him being in a house on Sherbrooke street west and followed him there, but he evaded me," the father said in relating the constant search he had made for his son during the three weeks preceding his arrest.

Nobody defended the woman, except Benson, who interrupted the court, in the reading of his sentence, to such an extent that the court had to tell him to stop interrupting. "She is not guilty of all the crimes she admitted," he told the court, and then again: “She is not so bad as any of us or as they say she is."

He reiterated his statement of wanting to marry the woman standing beside him in the dock, but the court passed over this and proceeded to pronounce sentence against the other members of the gang. The magistrate characterized the woman as "hardboiled." 

She had met Benson five months ago. He came from Boston, Mass., he said, and had been working honestly in this city for almost a year when he met Lillian Davis. Although the woman was only 18 years and Benson 19, she was much more developed mentally, in the opinion of the court.

HAD FREEDOM. One of the prisoners, Murphy was arrested on November 1 for the theft of an automobile, and in view of his youth, freed on suspended sentence.  "You failed to profit by the leniency which the court had extended on that occasion," Judge Enright reminded him. "Had insistence been made upon you serving the minimum sentence of a year in jail, you undoubtedly would not be here today facing a much more serious accusation.

"Here you are, all accused of serious offences, any one of which could cause you to be sent to the penitentiary for life and be given the lash," stated the judge. "You have evidently got the idea that money could be easily procured by surprising a person, placing a revolver at his head and ordering him to surrender all his possessions in the matter of value. “That was a dreamland, a make-believe world, you were living in and one which has existed from time immemorial. Some of its denizens have stood on the scaffold and forfeited their life for inhabiting that realm.

"You must have thought there was something heroic in the act of swaggering into a jewellery store or garage office and ordering the lone clerk there to surrender whatever you bid him. Three of you have been know and you admit the truth of it, to have entered establishments where a lone grocer was, or a garage office with a lone clerk, and ordered them to give up whatever money was available.”

COWARDLY ACTION. “In my opinion there is something cowardly in that. Nevertheless you must have believed that there was something of the bravado element in what you did. What is there heroic in hailing a taxi-driver, three of you. and ordering him to proceed to St. Antoine street and Lansdowne avenue where in front of a vacant lot you ordered the driver to give you a few dollars he possessed, and then trussed him and left him abandoned in his car In a dark lane off Guy street. While this was being done, Lillian Davis held a revolver pointed at the taxi-driver.

"You realized but a small sum yet for it you jeopardized your liberty for the remainder of your natural life. You took the same hazard as for robbing a bank, therefore you see how simple-minded you have been.

"When the Davis woman robbed the Chinese at his restaurant at 2502 Notre Dame street west on the night of November 16, the Chinese frightened her. It was the first time that she saw a frightened Chinese and when he uttered a squawk or squeak peculiar to frightened Chinese, it might have been sufficient to terrify her, yet she shot at him, Fortunately the bullet was r deflected and thus saved the woman from a charge of what would likely have been murder.

“Two young brothers had set out with the same ambitious plan to make money easily last spring and five days before Christmas they were hanged, one in the common jail here.

"Your youth entitles you to leniency but your crime is not to be condoned. Daily you stole motor cars. Even this morning I learned that another hold-up occurred last night. The bandit is living in the same dream-world in which you lived before your arrest, and like you he will be brought to Justice in time.”

FUTILE RACKET "I am told by old and hardened criminals, who have spent most of their lives in the penitentiary, that the racket that you had followed for such a short while is a futile one. They admit, and their statement is based on experience, that you can't 'beat the law." 

The girl stated that she was born in Montreal and had always lived ha here, but that she only had a sister in this city now.

Benson's arrest followed a decision by Captain Ennis to go to headquarters by way of Notre Dame street. The captain and Detective Francoeur were going to the office with Lillian Davis and two of the men prisoners. They had been found in a Dorchester street house two hours before. Passing the court house the captain recognized Benson on the sidewalk. Changing places with Detectives Prysky and Therrien, who were in another car, the captain ordered them to drive the prisoners to Headquarters. Taking Francoeur with him, Captain Ennir arrested Benson, and took from his pocket a loaded revolver. His two companions were held prisoners by Francoeur,

STOPPED HOLDUP The arrest of Benson and his gang frustrated a holdup at a restaurant near the Court House. It had been planned as the fourth one for that day.

Robert Benson, condemned bandit, who told Judge Enright that he would like to marry Lillian Davis, his girl companion in banditry before being sentenced, and was not answered, may have his wish gratified during his incarceration.

It was learned this morning that marriage is within the rights of the two persons provided a clergyman will come forward who can vouch for a special reason for the marriage ceremony.

Neither Lillian Davis nor Robert Benson will be removed to the St. Vincent de Paul Penitentiary or Kingston Penitentiary for the next 30 days, a rule in force regarding the removal of prisoners from the common jail to a penitentiary.

Judge Enright having no jurisdiction in the matter, Benson's request went unheeded this morning. With a full month to go before donning the garb of a penitentiary convict, the warden of the woman's jail and the governor of Montreal Jail have it within their power to accede to the request and have the marriage take place at the Montreal Jail.

Lillian Davis who is charged with attempting to murder Charlie Mack, laundryman, 2402 Notre Dame street west, will appear in court tomorrow morning. It was stated this morning that the charge will be reduced to wounding. The Chinese was slightly wounded in the right arm when he was shot during an attempted hold-up.

"I never attempted to kill him," the accused girl told Judge Enright in court,

[yakourinka]

these illustrations continue to be the funniest shit ever

[kazuaru]

Donovan Deadheart for @acuar-io's simblr outlaws.

Donovan McConnell aka (Donovan Deadheart) was born from a one night stand his father had with a prostitute & raised by the (deadheart gang) after running away at the age of 16 from the brothel his mother worked at.

He was raised with tough "love" & was always call a "stupid drunk irish bastard" by everyone in the gang. One night when everyone was a sleep dovovan gave the deadhearts their name by murdering all of them in their sleep & stabbing all of them in the heart with their own knives. After the now known (deadheart massacre) donovon fled with all the gangs stolen money.

Now a the age of 34 he spends his days roaming from town to town killing any one who dare calls him or irish people "lazy drunk bastards"

(edit inspo) + (🔊)

bonus: edit, everyday, formal/laying low & sleep outfits.

[ephemerasnape]

Oswald Turpin?

So, what'll it be? Your galleons or your life?

Please, sir - I haven't any money!

Fortunately, there's a third option for a pretty witch such as yourself...

[tomatoluvr69]

obsessed with this fb memory literally all I wanted was to chill and listen to music and go on the computer fuck homework and fuck knowledge. so real for this

[beeapocalypse]

returning to an ancient payday guy idea. circus lion mask. cheery veneer over a lifetime of familial abuse + exploitation that ended in extreme violence

[itiswritteninthestarsabove]

It bothers me a bit when people defend Bill's character as not being that dumb by bringing up the fact that he planned the only successful heist in the game… As if that was not Karen's idea???

[clemsfilmdiary]

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969, George Roy Hill)

5/23/23

[awesometothe3rd]

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"FLEEING CONVICTS IN RAID," New York Daily News. August 3, 1929. Page 2 & 4. ---- LOOT BEDFORD PAYROLL AND FLEE IN AUTO ---- MINISTER rumblings of new deadly prison insurrections together with the echo of the Auburn battle in a holdup staged by four of the escaped convicts, kept the nationwide penitentiary revolution still aflame yesterday.

Arthur Barry, master mind of the Auburn reign of terror, and three who escaped with him, yesterday struck swiftly and escaped at Bedford, N. Y.

Flee With $1,521 Loot. They rolled up to the offices of the Adam Faber Construction company at Bedford, covered Pay master R. R. T. Erickson with gus and fled in an automobile with his wrist watch and $1,521.

Erickson later identified pictures of the fugitive Auburn convicts those of the gunmen who robbed him.

Upset by the reign of flame and bloodshed in prisons throughout the country, seven Sing Sing guards have resigned their posts, it was revealed. All were numbered among the twenty-five new guards Warden Lewis E. Lawes hired on July L

Sing Hing on Alert. Although tension among the prisoners at Sing Sing on the verge of rebellion Thursday morning-relaxed yesterday, the extra precautions taken to guard against revolt were not abandoned by officials.

The air was charged with apprehension at Raymond st. jail Brooklyn, last night, however Warden Harry Honeck, after a special round of inspection, immediately stationed an emergency squad of ten patrolman outside the walls of the old jail.

All visitors were given an extra thorough search and arrangements were made for a special riot squad to be called at the first hint of in- subordination.

U. S. Prison Riot Laid To Food, Heat and Crowd. Washington, D. C., Aug. 2 (U.P.). - Austin H. MacCormick, assistant superintendent of federal prisons, was ordered by the justice department today to proceed immediately to the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kas., scene of a riot yesterday in which one prisoner was killed and three wounder.

Overcrowding, lack of sufficient work to occupy the inmates, excessive heat, and word of riots in eastern penitentiaries, were ascribed today by Stanford Bates, federal superintendent of prisons, as the reason for the insurrection.

Making public a complete report of the incident Bates said it is evident Warden White and his guards forestalled what might have been a much more serious outbreak.

A checkup has shown, he said, that no men escaped, no guards were injured, no guns were found in possession of inmates, and the insurrection was entirely futile.

The prison was designed to accommodate 2,000 prisoners and the population today is 3,770.

Stern Measures Check Unrest at Leavenworth. Leavenworth, Kas., Aug. 2 (AP). Unrest among prisoners smouldered today, but was held in check by stern measures. Leaders of yesterday's convict uprising were singled out and placed in close confinement.

[morbid-dreamzz]

Vera was more dedicated to theft during her teens. She's pretty much retired now (the biggest thing she will steal nowadays is probably just one single cereal bar and nothing else. Unless you provoke her, maybe...)

But yes Vera was way more hardcore when she was younger & now she regrets everything <33

[hoperays-song]

The Gang’s Jail Sentences

I should preface this with my favourite lovely warning: I AM NOT A BOARD CERTIFIED ATTORNEY OF LAW. I do NOT have a degree in this. I have done research, yes, and come up with somewhat of a defense and timeline but still, I AM NOT A LAWYER. I’m just a hyperfixated idiot. Enjoy!

----------------------

During the events of Sing One we see Johnny’s family/the Gang commit several crimes. However, they are only caught after one failed heist. So, I will be calculating the charges they faced as well as providing possible defenses and my version of sentencing. Everyone ready for a ton of legal mumbo jumbo? Great! Let’s dive in.

Ps. I’m so sorry for the delay y’all, I know I promised this a long time ago but I really wanted to do it right. I hope y’all enjoy!

----------------------

Definitions:

I wasn’t kidding when I said their would be actual legal vocabulary here so let’s go over what it all means.

Wobbler: a special class of crimes involving conduct that varies widely in its level of seriousness.

Misdemeanor: a non-indictable offense, regarded in the US (and formerly in the UK) as less serious than a felony.

Felony: a crime, typically one involving violence, regarded as more serious than a misdemeanor, and usually punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or by death.

Parole: the release of a prisoner temporarily (for a special purpose) or permanently before the completion of a sentence, on the promise of good behavior.

County Jail: a facility operated by or for a county for the confinement of persons accused or convicted of an offense.

Sate Prison: is for inmates serving lengthier sentences on crimes that are more severe in nature.

Sentencing: declare the punishment decided for an offender.

----------------------

Crimes and Their Sentences:

Grand Theft Larceny - Wobbler (anywhere from less than a year in County Jail to 3 years in State Prison)

Wearing a Mask - Misdemeanor (up to 6 months in County Jail and a $1,000.00 fine)

Gang Involvement - Wobbler (anywhere from less than a year in County Jail to 3 years in State Prison)

Marcus Exclusively: 

Escape from Custody - Wobbler (anywhere from less than a year in County Jail to 3 years in State Prison with no parole)

----------------------

Maximum Sentencing vs. My Sentencing:

Max: 6 months in County Jail, $1000.00 each, 6 years in State Prison (plus 3 years in State Prison and no chance of parole for anything for Marcus).

My Sentencing: 7.5 months in County Jail, $1000.00 each, 2 years of formal parole, 400 hours of community service for Stan and Barry, and 490 hours of community service for Marcus. All of them also were ordered into court mandated counseling/therapy due to the results found by the court appointed psychologist for the enterity of their incarceration and parole.

----------------------

Explanation and Defenses Used:

Now, you all might notice that my sentencing was much, much, much lighter than the maximum sentence. However, that is because I believe they were not prosecuted for some of the potential charges and they also were allowed parole in change of some of their sentence.

Firstly, I do not think they would be prosecuted for Gang Involvement, mainly due to they barely qualifying as a gang by California State Law. By their definition, a gang is:

“a criminal street gang is any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal: 1. That has a common name or common identifying sign or symbol; 2. That has, as one or more of its primary activities, the commission of [a crime listed in Pen. Code §186.22(e)(1)-(25), (31)-(33)]; AND, 3. Whose members, whether acting alone or together, engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal gang activity.””.

Now why wouldn’t they be prosecuted for this? We see them fitting those descriptions after all. And while we saw those defining actions, the prosecutors definitely didn’t. 

We see how criminally smart the gang actually is multiple times in the movie. For one, we never see them try to physically confront anyone that tried to stop them, they just ran. That allows them to avoid all the potential aggravated assault on peace officers charges. 

Secondly, when they are captured, they immediately surrendered, no fighting, no running, they immediately surrendered. This allows them to escape literally all evading the police charges as well as them instantly being marked as cooperative, which is extremely useful in their case. 

Third, they seem to move fast. In the first heist we see them pull off, the alarm does not start ringing until they break the window. Now, why would that mean they move fast? Banks and jewelry stores both have something called silent alarms that can be subtly triggered by staff in case of a robbery. Judging by the obliviousness of the nearby officers, that alarm was not triggered. Meaning, no one knew that the gang was there until they were escaping. In fact, it’s hinted that the main heist we see is the longest one yet. Judging by how down to the second everything is planned, they were a bit more nervous about this heist than the other ones. And most of that time is traveling discretely so they aren’t caught. Not only do they see to move fast, they seem to be non-violent offenders.

Finally, the fact that there were only three of them (they clearly covered for Johnny, he wasn’t even shown to be questioned so they definitely denied his involvement) and they view each other like brothers, they definitely denied being a gang and instead identified themselves as brothers who committed a crime together. Also, Johnny wasn’t recognized by the Bear Gang (to be fair they were busy, but still) and you would think he would if have been if he was viewed by other gangs as the son of a rival gang leader. Therefore, I believe their actually identity as a gang was not that solid and they weren’t seen as one in a court of law. And that lightened their sentence considerably.

In the case of the other crimes, I think that Marcus’s escape and the Grand Theft Larceny were both demoted to misdemeanors. Why? Because in the eyes of the court, they are first time offenders. From what we can tell, they were not linked back to their previous crimes, and therefore I will not be calculating that into my sentencing. Sentences for first time offenders (in some cases) are considerably lighter and I think that was part of the case here. 

The rest of the case here is public opinion. Your court sentence is largely based on what the judge deems appropriate. And public opinion can definitely influence that by swaying the judge’s view on the case. The thing is, the public of Calatonia would definitely be on the gang’s side. Why? Because Johnny, that’s why.

Johnny would have just appeared on tv as a performer at New Moon Theatre and as we saw, he drew in a bit of a crowd during his performance during the ending scene. Those fans would definitely want Johnny to be reunited with his dad sooner and could petition the court for a lighter sentence. Not only would his fans potentially influence the sentencing, but Johnny’s mere existence would too.

From what we can tell, Marcus is a single parent. And while Stan and Barry might lend a hand here and there with helping him with Johnny, Marcus is clearly doing majority of the parenting work. Whether his other parent is dead or just divorced, it’s clear that Johnny doesn’t see living with them as an option (he chose to stay in the garage alone). Why is this important? Because Johnny’s primary caregiver (Marcus) and his two other caregivers who he’d probably be sent to in an emergency (Stan and Barry) are now all incarcerated. That means that Johnny (he is implied to be around 17 in Sing 1 so that’s what I’m going with) would be sent to foster care. And if Johnny had happened to recently gone through a traumatic event, like for instance, just throwing it out there, being trapped in a flooding building, or having all of his family be sent to jail, he would more than likely be evaluated by a psychologist to see what the potential effects of sentencing could have on him.

I don’t think it would surprise anyone if I said that I believe that the psychologist would more than likely decide that Johnny would be negatively affected mentally and emotionally if he was kept from his family the full maximum sentence. What kid wouldn’t be? That, along with the gang being non-violent, first time offenders who had (in the court’s eye) been just every day citizens til then, they would have more than likely been given lighter sentences that would have resulted in their release a few weeks before the events of Sing 2, around only a year later.

[autonomoustweekazoid]

Bang Bang Bonnot Gang

[thecrimecrypt]

Blockbuster Crimes (Bonnie & Clyde)

The story behind one of history’s most infamous criminal couples.

On 5 January 1930, in West Dallas, Texas, Bonnie Parker, 19, met Clyde Barrow, 21. Bonnie was a bored waitress, estranged from her jailed husband, while Clyde was a petty criminal. 

They fell head over heels in love. Soon after, when Clyde was jailed for burglary, Bonnie smuggled in a gun to help him escape.  He was recaptured, sent back to jail. But when he was released in February 1932, Clyde rejoined Bonnie and they stole a car, committed a string of robberies. That April, Bonnie was caught and jailed for two months. 

And when she was released, she and Clyde embarked on their infamous crime spree, rampaging through Depression-era America with an ever-changing team of accomplices.  They robbed banks and convenience stores, murdering anyone who got in their way. 

In the summer of 1932, the couple travelled with Clyde’s boyhood friend Raymond Hamilton, although he was later jailed.  That August, while Bonnie was visiting her mother, Clyde and Raymond were drinking at a country dance. Sheriff Maxwell and his deputy Eugene Moore approached them in the car park. 

Clyde opened fire, killing the deputy.  As their crime spree continued, they became known as the Barrow Gang. In March 1933, Clyde’s brother, Buck Barrow, was released from prison. He and his wife Blanche joined Bonnie, Clyde and their gang. 

The Barrow Gang committed a string of daring robberies and made headlines across the country, particularly Bonnie - an unlikely criminal.  Bonnie and Clyde even posed for playful photos, brandishing guns. However, the notorious lovers were almost caught in April 1933, when police raided their hideout. 

Bonnie provided cover with a hail of bullets from her automatic rifle as the gang shot their way out.  Two police officers were shot dead as the gang escaped. But the criminal couple had to leave behind most of their possessions in the hideout - including a roll of undeveloped film, containing photos subsequently released to the media. 

They included the now-infamous snap of Bonnie beside a car, cigar clenched between her teeth, and pistol in her hand.  Photos of the outlaws were front-page news. In June 1933, Bonnie suffered terrible burns to her right leg during a high-speed car crash. 

Clyde had missed a detour sign, flipping the car into a ravine, and acid from the crushed battery melted Bonnie’s flesh to the bone.  Her burns were so severe that, from then on, she limped, hopped or was carried by Clyde. 

The following month, they were almost caught during a second raid on a hideout in Missouri.  Buck was killed during the shootout, Blanche arrested and later jailed. But Bonnie and Clyde continued their life of crime. 

In January 1934, they attacked Eastham Prison Farm in Texas, freeing five prisoners, including Raymond Hamilton.  Several guards were shot, one killed by the escaping prisoners - using automatic pistols Clyde had hidden in a ditch. 

As the prisoners ran, Clyde covered their retreat with bursts of machine-gun fire.  After this, Texan prison officials hired special investigator Captain Frank Hamer to track down the couple. 

Hamer soon traced the duo, set up an ambush. Before dawn, on 23 May 1934, Hamer and four police officers hid in bushes along a country road near Sailes, Louisiana. 

When Bonnie and Clyde appeared and attempted to drive away in their stolen car, the officers opened fire - killing Bonnie and Clyde instantly.  Clyde Barrow, Bonnie Parker and the Barrow Gang were responsible for at least 13 murders, including those of nine police officers. 

And while their violent story has been romanticized - their bullet-riddled car is still on display at a hotel and casino in Primm, Nevada - they take their place as one of history’s most dangerous criminal couples. 

The Movie Take

The 1967 double-Oscar-winning film Bonnie and Clyde starred Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Some criticize it as romanticized, glorifying the couple’s cold-blooded crimes. 

In the film, they meet when Bonnie thwarts Clyde’s attempt to steal her mother’s car. But Bonnie’s mom said they met over a mug of hot chocolate at a friend’s.  Clyde was portrayed as impotent, but was actively heterosexual. 

Beatty invented this to give his film character more depth. However, Clyde really did chop off two toes in prison!  In the film, the gang are ‘Robin Hood’ types, stealing from rich banks, soft on ‘regular folk’. Yet, in truth, the gang’s main targets were small-town stores and saving banks. 

And, unlike real life - with the pair imprisoned for stints - the film takes place over one long, murderous spree.  But, like all retellings of this infamous due - their story ends the same. The couple die in a hail of bullets. 

[ppg-villains-defense-lawyer]

How did Ace, Snake, and Arturo meet Billy and Grubber (And how did Billy and Grubber manage to leave Monster Isle)?

I still need to work on that part of the Gang's backstory because I don't have it 100% figured out yet, but I imagine Ace and the others just kind of found them chilling one day, maybe after they decided to take an impromptu trip to Townsville to see what it was like and got lost.

If I had to guess, when they met, Billy and Grubber (though especially Billy) were like "Hey, you guys are green like us!! That's so cool! :D" and Ace took one look at very large, very easy to manipulate Billy and immediately wanted him in the gang.