Gangsters: Faces of The Underworld

When we think of Liverpool, the mind conjures up images of poor social housing, high unemployment and abject poverty, but in the 18th century, it was an extremely prosperous place to live because of the success of its port. The success, however, was built on a history of extreme human suffering.

Bernard O’Mahoney moves on to Birmingham in episode 2. One of the great cities of the Industrial Revolution, it became a breeding ground for violent young gangs of a kind never seen before. They were the product of overcrowded slums, where life was cheap and many died in infancy. The only way to survive was to band together.

In episode 3, we cross the Irish Sea where the stories take a more political and intense turn. The troubles between Britain and Ireland date back to the 12th Century, when the Catholics sought to sever all ties with Britain but the Protestants were keen to remain under British rule.

Welcome to Essex, the cradle of rave party culture in the UK. With a huge existing club scene and an entrepreneurial culture, it was the natural environment for the rave culture and new and old criminals could see that there was a fortune to made. In episode 4, Bernard O’Mahoney explores the consequences of crime in what went on to become one of Britain’s most notorious crime regions.

In episode 5, Bernard O’Mahoney explores the injustices suffered by those who have somewhat unwittingly surrounded themselves by criminals. Do these people deserve to become victims of a sometimes flawed judicial system because of an association with the wrong people and should society turn its back on them?

When innocent people are jailed for crimes they did not commit, what effect does it have on their lives and the lives of their loved ones? Can any amount of compensation be enough to make things right? Bernard O’Mahoney looks into the effects of major miscarriages of justice in episode 6, where he talks to a victim one of the most high-profile cases in UK crime history, The Birmingham Six.

Bernard O’Mahoney looks at the effect of time on gangs and their origins in episode 7. Whether it be organized motorcycle groups or Irish travelers, the roots are dying out with every new generation, but how does this affect the older and more traditional members?

In the final episode of the series, Bernard O’Mahoney explores the minefield that is the media and how its influence has been used to build celebrities out of men, without checking facts. Is it possible to create a gangland persona based purely on a false reputation built by the press?