Description
Book SynopsisJohn Gilligan is one of the most notorious and hated criminal figures in Irish history. His name is indelibly etched in the national psyche a quarter of a century after he crossed the line to organise the execution of the fearless, high-profile journalist Veronica Guerin. Gilligan's motive for the assassination was, in the words of the prosecution at a subsequent murder trial, 'the necessity of having to protect an evil empire'. At the time Gilligan was one of the most powerful and feared godfathers in the country who controlled a colossal drugs empire and the underworld's most dangerous mob.
Gilligan tells the story of a young man's rise through the ranks of gangland following his journey from petty thief to public enemy number one. He was part of the generation of young criminals - like the General, the Cahills, the Hutches - who ushered in the phenomenon of organised crime in Ireland and became household names in the process.
This close-up look at a criminal mastermind contains new details including a graphic account of the planning of the Guerin murder, drawn from a sealed statement which was never used, and the prison time and criminal activity which have occupied Gilligan since, up to his recent arrest in Spain on drug trafficking charges.
Table of Contentsi: Prologue 1: The Making of a Mobster 2: Factory John 3: Heists 4: A Godfather of Crime 5: A Deadly Alliance 6: The Master Plan 7: Getting Started 8: The Soldier and the General 9: Victory Over the Law 10: Greed 11: The Gambler and the Mistress 12: The Inquisitive Crime Journalist 13: Paradise Lost 14: Unwanted Attention 15: Prelude to Murder 16: The Hit 17: Prime Suspect 18: The Investigation Begins 19: Blackmail and Dirty Tricks 20: Loose Ends 21: Gang Busters 22: Closing In 23: Battlelines 24: Supergrasses 25: Facing Justice 26: Gilligan's Last Stand 27: Back Inside 28: Freedom and Pain xxix: Acknowledgments xxx: Index
