Before drugs made every second street dealer strut around like Al Capone, gangsters were home-grown, white and local. And back then police produced a super-secret annual report, which was their Football Record on crooks.

It was the early 1970s, when police were expected to recognise major criminals on sight, with the freshly arrested paraded each morning before detectives like livestock at an agricultural show.

It was a time when a crook's nickname reflected characters such as: The Bear, The Arsey Punter, Wall Eye, Face-Ache, Evil George, Hoover Junior, Whako, Iron Bar George, Sexy Rexy, The Pom, The Boy, King Hit Louis, Saturday Afternoon Gangster, Batman, Mr Big, London John, English Johnny, The Creeper, Whiplash and Long Grass John.

Long before the BRW Rich List, the annual Australasian Criminal Register identified our top 100 crooks with insights from the police who arrested them. Here are extracts about 12 of the most notorious, taken directly from the registers of the 1970s (Naked City updates in italics).

1. Karl Frederick Bonnett.

Gunman, standover man, procurer of prostitutes.

A desperate criminal who is depraved and is strongly suspected of trafficking drugs.

One of Australia's first international criminals to see the future was drugs. Networked in Europe, Asia, the US and South America and brought senior NSW crooks together in 1972 to develop an organised crime business plan.

2. Arthur William Delaney.

Thief, shoplifter, pickpocket, car thief and housebreaker.

This offender has a total of 110 arrests in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and England.

He is Australia's, possibly the world's, most active thief. He has been an expert in forming gangs of thieves around him, to perpetrate large-scale robberies.

An international criminal well known overseas as the "Duke". He walks with a slight limp due to a bullet lodged in his spine.

A key member of the infamous Kangaroo Gang international shoplifting crew that became a finishing school for a generation of Australia's professional criminals.

3. Linus Patrick Driscoll: The Pom.

Assailant, thief, gunman, house, shop and safebreaker. Has a record in Queensland, Victoria, NSW and England.

One of the most violent criminals ever to arrive in this country. An extremely vicious human being who it is alleged has tortured other criminals to find out the whereabouts of stolen property.

He, with a group of criminals, formed a gang known as the "Toe-Cutters". It is alleged by members of the underworld that this gang sought out those who perpetrated the $250,000 Mayne Nickless robbery, they then attempted to gain information regarding the proceeds of the money by cutting off the toes of their victims with bolt cutters.

Jimmy "The Pom" was an underworld predator who provided modified automatic guns for some of Australia's biggest armed robberies. His use of bolt cutters made him a feared adversary.

4. Leslie Herbert Kane.

Thief, gunman, standover man. A Melbourne gunman, associates with the worst of the Melbourne Painters and Dockers gunmen. He is one of the Kane brothers of Melbourne and they form one of the most notorious and dangerous families in Australia. This offender is an extremely bad criminal and would commit any type of crime using all the viciousness or violence required to achieve his ends.

An underworld shark who bit off more than he could chew when he went after the Great Bookie Robbers, led by the brilliant Ray Bennett, who in April 1976 grabbed an estimated $2 million on settlement day at the Victorian Club.

Following a fight between Les' brother Brian and one of the Bookie Robbers, Bennett decided to launch a pre-emptive strike.

In October 1978, Bennett and two other gunmen burst into Les Kane's Wantirna home, shot him and disposed of the body.

The three were charged and acquitted but the murder ignited an underworld war.

5. Brian Kane. 

Thief, gunman and assailant. The offender has been arrested 38 times. He broke into a tennis pavilion at Carlton one evening and stole cigarettes and chocolates. In August he felled a man by hitting him with a crank handle.

Brian Kane was blood loyal to his family and was never going to let the murder of his brother go unanswered. In November 1979 he calmly waited for Bennett to be led by detectives to his armed robbery committal hearing in the City Court.

Kane then shot him dead, disappearing via a carefully prepared escape route. The killing signed his own death warrant, although it would take three years for it to be delivered.

In November 1982 he was shot dead by two gunmen in the Quarry Hotel, Brunswick. One became a feared contract killer now doing time for a double murder while the other lives the quiet life in Queensland.

6. Raymond John Kane: Muscles.

Thief, gunman, standover man, assailant. He has become rather notorious as a gunman and standover man. He can be most aggravating when he drinks.

Ray "Muscles" Kane survived his more notorious brothers but continued the family tradition, eventually being convicted of murder. He graduated to armed run-throughs on drug dealers, stealing their product and any cash he could find.

Made the mistake of threatening an armed robbery squad detective who was with his pregnant wife in their private car.

As a result, detectives raided Muscles' house and "found" a stick of gelignite wrapped in Christmas paper. Ray learnt two valuable lessons – don't keep explosives at home and don't threaten armed robbery detectives. Muscles died earlier this year of natural causes.

7. Billy Longley: The Texan.

Murderer, gunman, assailant, receiver and thief. He is one of Melbourne's most dangerous and vicious gunmen and has been charged with murder on several occasions only to be acquitted.

Convicted of the 1973 murder of Painters and Dockers secretary Pat Shannon. Much later, The Texan's revelations on waterfront corruption resulted in the Costigan Royal Commission. In his later years teamed up with former Victorian detective Brian Murphy in a mediation business with the motto, "Everything can be negotiated".

8. Stanley Smith: Stan the Man, Stately Stan and Stoner.

Assailant, gunman, shoplifter, sexual offender and drug pusher. Became actively involved in a shop-stealing organisation committing numerous thefts. The offender has the reputation of being one of Sydney's most dangerous gunmen.

Made the mistake of trying to expand into Melbourne, allegedly as a rock concert promoter. In 1973, detectives grabbed him at Melbourne Airport and found a small bag of hashish in his pocket. He claimed it was planted but was subsequently convicted and jailed. Many years later I asked the detective involved if the drugs were planted. He just smiled and said, "Any port in a storm", which was ironic as we were drinking port at the time. 

9. Ronald Albert Feeney.

Armed assailant, false pretender, forger, utterer, house, office, shop and storeroom breaker, car and motorcycle thief, stripper and sexual offender. A violent and dangerous offender.

Feeney ended up the part-owner of the notorious Mickey's Disco in St Kilda, where he employed the unhinged hitman Christopher Dale Flannery. How someone with Feeney's underworld reputation and criminal record was allowed to have a stake in a licensed premise remains a mystery.

Legend has it that when police learnt he had accepted a contract killing they decided the only way to stop him was to plant a gun on him. He was later jailed for being a felon in possession and the murder plot was thwarted.

10. Michael John Sayers: Melbourne Mick

Thief, gunman, safeblower, housebreaker.

When this offender is released he will continue to commit violent crimes – he is a man to be treated with caution.

One of those Melbourne crooks who moved to Sydney for easier pickings. He became a contract killer with two confirmed hits and was involved in the Fine Cotton ring-in affair. Ultimately the interstate move proved a poor career choice, as "Melbourne Mick" was shot dead outside his home in February 1985.

11. John Stewart Regan: The Magician.

Assailant, gunman, sexual offender, forger and false pretender.

A standover man amongst Sydney criminals and prostitutes. Known to use knuckle dusters and iron bars to commit assaults.

Dubbed The Magician for making rivals disappear. On September 22, 1974 he left home without his bulletproof vest and was shot dead by George Freeman and two gunmen.

12. George David Freeman.

Shop stealer, clubhouse, hotel, safe and shop breaker, gunman and thief. A plausible offender, travels extensively and can invariably be found in the company of others of the criminal element.

A murderer, race-fixer, illegal casino owner with links to US organised crime. Prodigious corrupter of police, lawyers and the judiciary. Survived being shot in the head only to die from an asthma attack in 1990.

THE QUIZ

Can you recognise these criminals from their mugshots?

Photo: The Australasian Criminal Register 1973

Quiz - how you scored

1-2: Do not leave home. You have the survival skills of an albino dugong. 3-4: You are a modern-day Pollyanna who would give a would-be carjacker a lift to the ATM. 5-6: You watch CSI but are always surprised by who did it. 7-8: You would lock the back door if you could remember where you hid the key. 9-10: You are a former consorting squad detective. 11-12: Do not leave home. You are a psychopath.

ANSWERS

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