Anyone remember Albert Dimes and Bill Roper

Did your Uncle Albert (obviously a gangster) ever get a criminal record as it seems incredible no one pointed the finger at him in the doping case or did he die without a stain on his character?

Indeed Billy the gangster not to be confused with William the bookie! From what i've read after Jack Spot bowed out Albert controlled the pitches at a considerable number of racecourses including Epsom. Hadn't realised that they thought they'd doped St Paddy. Must have been extremely dangerous/foolhardy to cross Dimes...a truly dangerous man

Great read i got it for xmas.

Skinto il let you have it when i see you, youl love it.

Hate what knuts done to the horses tho.

Good book, though tbh I'm a bit sceptical about their involvement with doping Pinturischio, which had a completely different MO. Fun that Reid points the finger at Ladbrokes for organising it though.

There used to be a punter (RIP now) in our local shop who'd known Italian Albert, and used to relate how he (Albert) would regularly be cleaned out playing poker against the Jewish villains (in those days crime in London was organised along ethnic lines).

Think Charlie Mitchell was contract killed...Jackie Dyer says Roper died just before he turned 90.

Francis Davidson Fraser, better known as "Mad" Frankie Fraser,

In response to an article entitled :-

'THE HIT MEN'

Ross Benson is a former high profile gossip columnist and society columnist, and I would be the first to admit that I am, gladly, no match for him in these areas.

However, when Mr. Benson elects to write about gangland and its characters he is playing on my home ground.

As a gossip and society columnist, and eventually a commentator on world affairs, I enjoyed Mr. Benson's columns. He wrote well and his comments were often amusing and sometimes interesting. However, his attempt at writing factually on gangland entitled 'The Hit Men' (Daily Mail, 10th December) is laughable - if it were not the cause of deep distress to the innocent relatives of those who are the victims of so many repeated fabrications on gangland.

I am able to state categorically that every part of the 'Hit Men' that deals with Albert Dimes is fiction and of a poor quality. Albert Dimes was one of life's gentlemen. He probably selflessly helped more people down on their luck or with personal problems than any other individual person known to many others and I. His generosity is legend.

There is absolutely no truth in the statement by Mr Benson that Albert attacked Jack Spot with a razor. The facts are a reverse of that statement. It was Jack Spot armed with a knife that attacked the unarmed Albert in Frith Street, Soho. Such was the character of Albert Dimes that despite being stabbed three times and losing a great deal of blood, he had a trial of strength with his attacker and forced Spot to release the knife. Spot was a heavily built and powerful man but he never had the character fibre of Albert Dimes.

There is ample evidence of these facts in the Old Bailey trial transcripts that resulted in the prosecution midway through the trial throwing in their hand against Albert and the case was thrown out.

The main business of Albert was that of a bookmaker and he was a fearless layer of the odds.

To suggest that Albert was a protection racketeer is as accurate as suggesting that the good people who freely give their time to support the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds are also gangsters.

Members of the reputable Tolaini family who owned the Latin Quarter restaurant/nightclub are alive and well. Ask them if they ever had a protection demand from Albert Dimes? Or for that matter any other? Tony Zomparelli the man alleged by Mr. Benson as being the top enforcer for Albert carried out mundane jobs of work for me. To suggest he was a gangland top enforcer is nonsense.

If Albert had need of a top enforcer, which he did not, then he would not have chosen Tony Zomparelli. Tony was likeable and genuine and it is best to leave it at that. The reason that he stabbed to death David Knight had nothing whatsoever to do with any protection racket.

Regretfully I have to remind Mr. Benson that to call an Italian an 'Ey*tie' is akin to calling a black person a n*gger. The only difference is that most Italians on the surface appear less concerned about the subject.

Alfie Gerrard never at any time worked for Charlie or Eddie Richardson.

Albert Dimes married a lovely and very respectable woman and their children do them credit. He moved his family to a very good area in the London suburbs where his wife still resides. It is these innocent people who have to suffer from the distortions and lies.

When one of the richest men in the world asked Albert to visit him at his home for the purpose of seeking counsel from Albert. Albert took with him as a visiting present a collection of opera records featuring the great tenor Enrico Caruso. The records were encased in a beautiful walnut wood box. It was a rare collector's item of quality but then Albert was always a man of quality. The fabulously rich man could not conceal his admiration for the class of a man who would think of such a high standard gift.

You may ask why would a man who could afford the finest of professional advice seek the counsel of Albert. The reason is because Albert was a man of vast practical experience and a
confidence with Albert was truly sealed. Even one of the world's richest men could not buy such loyalty.

No doubt the FBI agents who, who according to Ross Benson, named Albert as the Mafia liaison man are the same agents who told us that Lee Oswald alone-assassinated President Kennedy and Earl Ray was solely to blame for the murder of Martin Luther King. You have to remember that I was in Brixton prison with Earl Ray.

There is no doubt that Albert was the confidante of people from all walks of life. He judged people as he found them. Their material assets or reputations meant nothing to this very special man. His only prerequisite was that you had to be genuine and he was a shrewd judge of character.

For many, many years he implored me to go into legitimate business and eventually I did. With his unstinting help the venture was very successful until unforeseen circumstances took over and sinister Establishment figures took advantage of these circumstances and forced the venture out of business.

Through Albert I met lawyers who acted for Presidents of the United States, a top CIA agent,
leading international union officials, MP's, captains of industry, icons from the sporting world, stars of film and other entertainment categories, outstanding authors, journalists, publishers, great artists, the list is almost endless. These people were all pleased to call Albert Dimes their friend.

I have encountered a number of misfortunes during my lifetime but they all pale into insignificance when compared to the privilege that I enjoyed through the friendship of Albert Dimes. They broke the mould when that man died.

His family requested a private funeral and details were kept private. Despite this hundreds of people from all parts of the world, including those mentioned above that were available, were in attendance. Unfortunately, I was in prison and could not be present but I am reliably advised that many powerful 'Hard Men' unashamedly had tears streaming down their faces as they watched the cortege pass by them.

This could only happen at the passing of a man of rare quality.

I am delighted that after rejecting a number of film scripts based on my life some of which came from top film producers and movie companies, I was beginning to despair that I would read a script that I could endorse. It is well known that British cinema has a poor record for producing films based on the gangster culture.

Then a longstanding friend of mine who really knows the inside story presented a script that is based on my life. This original screenplay has the working title of 'The Good Life'. It is an exceptional movie text that I am delighted to endorse. It is very, very good and will make a powerful movie.

Many of the myths associated with gangland are dealt with by facts in the script. The script will prove an eye-opener for people like Mr. Benson and when the movie is made I will invite him to see it as my guest.

In the meantime I suggest that the 'fountain of knowledge' from where Mr. Benson gleaned the information to write 'Hit Men' is thoroughly cleaned because it is heavily polluted and does him no credit. If he paid any money for the fictional data then he should get his money back.

Ross Benson is too good a journalist to write trash and I hope he returns to the subjects he knows well.

Agree with you posy regarding Fraser. I would take most of what he says with a pinch of salt.

I thought it was great reading, the best book I've read in a long time

Have just discovered that Albert has a brief wiki biography which whilst ignoring that he's the kind of man that helps old ladies cross the road records some of his brushes with the law.

Great story about the gang getting into Ryan Price's yard at Findon.....and nobbling one of his runners which he'd laid out for the race. Have to say I never believed the story of Hill House manufacturing his own cortisone and the story of the annual plot between Price and the owners at the Imperial hotel rather hints at the Captain juicing up some of his runners when the money was down

Ramruma • May 19, 2014 8:09 PM BST
He worked for Darby Sabini before the war iirc.

I knew Dominic Sabini who was Darbys cousin, very well. When I first started working at Yarmouth racecourse in 1979, Dominic fronted the Jack Remo joint in the now defunct, East Ring. I would get there early and Dominic and I would sit on an old park bench and he would relate fabulous stories about the times when the gangsters ruled the roost on British racecourses!

Great book. I'd recommend anyone keen on racing to read. The Swiss bird seemed pretty horny.

Alberts brother Victor was known as Scotch Jock their father was a Scotch Italian who had one leg a right roughhouse.
Norfolk,did Dominic ever tell you how he came to bet in the name of Jack Remo? When he started making a book one day he was standing on the street corner and said whatever name is on the next horse and cart that comes round the corner he will trade in the name of that man.It was Jack Remo the block ice man before fridges was invented.

I used to clerk for albert at the points and the races,wonderful times with albert ,bobby,and tommy absolute gentlemen to me

things you do on a rainy afternoon.p.s. dom told me it got the name off a bakers van

blimey - nasty five footer

You (having posted just 7 times in 10 years) not only finding - but bringing back - this thread from FOUR years ago ... is as exciting as the read that the thread is.

Now, everybody will want to know who you are.

Oi skinto send my book back

I understand the reason that Albert and Jack the spot had that run in was because Albert was making a book at the races and one of Jack the spot mens asked him for what in effect was protection money

Albert said no so jack the sport went to sort him out.

I am only going on what I was told so maybe someone wiser than me will be able to tell if that was the truth of it.

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