Harrison Murdered

Freddie "The Frog" Harrison was known as a standover king and a member of the notorious Painters and Docker Union.

He ran an inner-suburbs protection racket in the 50's and demanded money from sellers of sly grog and SP bookies.

Freddie was killed as he uncoupled a trailer at 13 South Wharf on the Melbourne water front. 

'Green lighted' robbery - Neil O'Loughlin implicated

A robbery occurred on a Thornbury business, perpetrated by police informer Eric Grant and an accomplice.

Barry Beach, head of the Beach Inquiry into corruption in the Victoria Police, said that he believed three detectives including Neil O'Loughlin had 'Green Lighted' the robbery and assisted in fabricating evidence to frame another man.

Ray Watson joined the Victorian Police Force.

Painters and Dockers Union organiser Pat Shannon was shot dead at Druids Hotel in South Melbourne. Union rival Bill Longley was jailed for the killing.

Denis Tanner graduates from the Police Academy 22nd out of 24 in his class. He began active service at Russell Street.

Following the collapse of his group of companies, the former British MP, John Stonehouse, faked his death by leaving his clothes on a Miami beach. He fled to Melbourne under an assumed name and was arrested on Christmas Eve. He was extradited back to England and eventually jailed for seven years on 18 charges of theft, fraud and deception.

The Beach Inquiry into corruption in the Victoria Police commenced. The head of the inquiry, Barry Beach, later said that he believed three detectives including Neil O'Loughlin had 'Green Lighted' the robbery and assisted in fabricating evidence to frame another man.

Juanita Neilson, heiress to the Foy retail empire and a journalist who used her position in as a publisher at a King's Cross newspaper to oppose the construction of a major local building development, went to a meeting at a nightclub and disappeared. It had also been rumoured that Neilson was blackmailing Darlinghurst crime figure Abe Saffron.

No inquest was held until more than eight years later, climaxing in November 1983, with an open finding. A jury found that, although she died, it was not possible to say, when or where she had died. But the jury added a rider to its verdict: 'There is evidence to show that the police inquiries were inhibited by an atmosphere of corruption, real or imagined, that existed at the time.' NSW policeman Frederick Krahe was named as a suspect.

James Bazely, the Painter and Docker convicted of the 1977 killing of another crusader, Donald Mackay, implicated Krahe in that case.

The day of the 'Great Bookie Robbery' at the Victoria Club in Queen Street Melbourne. Alleged perpetrators were a gang of armed robbers led by Raymond 'Chuck' Bennett

Arena convicted of manslaughter

Giuseppe 'Joe' Arena, the 'Friendly Godfather' was convicted of manslaughter after he killed his wife's lover. He served two years. While in jail he met Laurence Joseph Sumner.

In 1982 Arena used his family home as surety to get bail for Sumner who had been charged over a $2 million heroin deal. Sumner was later acquitted and seen drinking with members of the jury in a hotel near the court that night.

Sumner became an associate of several Italian crime figures and a close friend of Arena's. He was suspected of attempting to blow up Godfather Liborio Benvenuto's car in 1983.

The Beach Inquiry was wound up with Barry Beach QC making recommendations that several serving officers should face charges and disciplinary action.
Neil O'Loughlin was found by Beach to have obstructed the course of justice by protecting a criminal and to have conspired to give false evidence. The charges were dismissed when a magistrate said there was insufficient evidence to send him to trial. O'Loughlin later became Deputy Commissioner and in charge of investigating police as head of the Ethical Standards Department. The other officer who's prospered despite having faced charges is John McCoy who later became a Chief Inspector and was head of the Drug Squad from 1995-1999.
Brian Frances Murphy was another officer who was named by Beach. Murphy was acquitted in 1971 of manslaughter following the death of a man in police custody. Beach recommend a charge of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice was bought against Murphy.

Notorious bank robber Edward "Jockey" Smith shot Constable Jerry Ambrose in Sydney to avoid arrest.

Smith had escaped from jail and was working as a racehorse trainer at the time.

Police alleged escapee Edward "Jockey" Smith broke into Sydney bookmaker Lloyd Tidmarsh's home and, during the robbery, shot him dead.

Anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay was murdered in Griffith, NSW. Painter and Docker James Bazely is later convicted and jailed.

Ray Denning escaped from Maitland Jail. He was later recaptured and received a total of six years jail for his abscondment.

Triple shooting in city office

A bandit shot dead jewellers Paul Pace, Robert Wartman and Keith Hyman in the Manchester Unity Building on St Patrick's Day.

The jewellers were executed for $3,000 worth of diamonds.

All were shot in the back of the head at close range with a small calibre weapon.

According to underworld celebrity Mark 'Chopper' Read, in an article published in the Herald Sun in 1991, career criminal Alex Tsakmakis confessed to the Manchester Unity triple murder as well as the slaying of a prostitute named Margaret Clayton and then National Gallery curator Brian Finemore.

Denis Tanner arrests transvestite Adele Bailey for loitering for prostitution and homosexual purposes. She fails to turn  up to court on Sept 15 and on October 22, Tanner issues a warrant for her arrest.

Les Kane is bundled into a distinctive pink Ford Futura. His wife Judy was pushed away by three masked men with machine guns. Kane was never seen again. 

Bailed armed robber strikes again

Armed robber Alex Tsakmakis - out on bail for murder - was apprehended by the Armed Robbery Squad after casually leaning over the counter and shooting two Tattslotto agents five times in their heads during a heist.

His victims survived and he went to jail where he was bashed to death by Russell St bomber, Craig "Fatty" Minogue, after burning to death Jika Jika inmate Barry Quinn.

The Victoria Police Association executive passed a resolution of no confidence in then commissioner Mick Miller, but the motion was never voted on.

Delanis says heroin has led to jump in armed robberies

Former squad head Paul Delanis said armed robberies were a rare crime until drugs like heroin hit the scene in the late '70s.

"In 1962 you would have been lucky to have had 10 armed robberies but in the late '60s drugs started to come into the picture and crazed addicts started robbing banks," he said.

Mr Delianis said his fondest memories from his time with the "Robbers" were of "catching the desperadoes who terrorised citizens".

Summing up the archetypal Armed Robbery Squad detective, Mr Delianis said: "Dedicated is probably the best word to describe them. They have to be articulate and forceful in their duties to catch armed robbers who are in fact desperate, hardened and violent urban terrorists."

There is a general consensus that the Armed Robbery Squad earned its tough man image during the 1975 Beach Inquiry when 32 officers were charged with conspiracy, assault and unlawful arrest.

None was convicted.

Drug couriers Douglas and Isabel Wilson were murdered at Rye, south-east of Melbourne. Painter and Docker James Bazely is later convicted and jailed.

Raymond 'Chuck' Bennett was shot dead at Melbourne Magistrates court.

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