By taking control of the , the West End Gang became a vital gateway for narcotics. They formed a "Consortium" with the Montreal Mafia and the Hells Angels to fix drug prices, establishing ties with the Cali Cartel in Colombia and brokers across Europe and Mexico. Key figures in this era included:
The gang’s story begins in the mid-20th century in neighborhoods like ("The Point"), Griffintown, and Goose Village. Emerging in the 1950s as a loose network of Irish-Canadian thieves, they were initially known simply as the "Irish Gang". Montreal's Irish Mafia: The True Story of the I...
: The "King of Coke" who transformed the gang into a multi-billion dollar enterprise before his 1984 assassination in a seedy motel. By taking control of the , the West
: A former union leader at the port who was treated as an equal by the city's most powerful mob bosses until his 2001 arrest. The Legacy Continues Emerging in the 1950s as a loose network
: Ryan's successor, known for ruthless revenge killings and expanding the gang’s reach into the "Golden Triangle" and "Golden Crescent" before his 1992 life sentence.
The gang’s most legendary feat occurred on March 30, 1976. Armed with a , they intercepted a Brinks armored car, making off with approximately $2.3 million in cash and gold coins—the largest bank robbery in Canadian history at the time.
They built their reputation on grit and precision, evolving from local muscle for other syndicates into the most successful bank robbers and truck hijackers in North America. In the 1960s, Montreal was the "Bank Robbery Capital of North America," and the West End Gang was a major reason why. The 1976 Brinks Heist: A Turning Point