Sir, In his article “From the garotte to the flick knife: a brief history of juvenile crime” (Comment, July 21) Mick Hume suggests that razor gangs of the 1920 and 1930s were youth gangs.

In fact the Italians were led by Darby Sabini, aged 31 in 1920. His elder brother Joseph had fought in the Great War. Nor was the principal opposition a Jewish gang led by Edward Emmanuel any younger. He had been prominent since the early 1900s. “The Battle of Brighton” was in fact the racecourse fight at Lewes. I think he will also find that many of the garotters of the 1860s were former soldiers who had fallen on hard times.

James Morton
(Author, Gangland)
Barnet, Herts

Explore Letters

• Feedback