Gang life in Liverpool is nothing new - but while we are shocked by crimes in our modern city, we can't help but be fascinated by those from the past.
Operating in the late nineteenth century there were mobs that are believed to have been responsible for the first 'gang related murders' in the city.
These notorious gangsters would often be found stalking the dockyards looking for their next victim or drinking at backstreet pubs throughout the city wreaking havoc.
Here we take a look back on some of the most notorious old school gangsters who walked the streets of Liverpool and the heinous crime they committed.
The High Rip gang
Active in the 1880s, the High Rip gang was one of Liverpool's most feared gangs .
Armed with belt buckles and knives, the gang's crimes were typified by brutal beatings and abuse.
They were infamous for carrying out random violence, revenge attacks and robberies and the gangs members made them the most feared of their time, because of their tendency to engage in indiscriminate acts of violence.
The High Rip mainly operated around the docks and would often target dock workers wandering the streets of Liverpool alone.
One of the most infamous crimes committed by members of the High Rip gang was the Blackstone Street murder.
In January 1884, five members of the gang attacked two Spanish sailors aged 18 and 20 and beat them with belts.
The two sailors were badly beaten and tried to escape the men from the High Rip.
One of the sailors was caught by the gang as he tried to escape and was slashed in the neck and died.
Two men from the gang, Michael M'Lean and Patrick Duggan, were found guilty of wilful murder and were sentenced to death by hanging at Kirkdale jail.
The Cornermen
The Cornermen were known for attacking anyone who crossed their path and this led to their notoriety growing quickly.
The city's first gang related murder is thought to have occurred in 1874 and was the work of the Cornermen.
Robert Morgan, a 26-year-old dock worker, was kicked to death by three members of the gang in front of his wife and brother.
The three had been walking home when they were accosted by a 17 year old John McCrave, a member of the Cornermen, who asked Robert for ale money.
When he refused and suggested that McCrave should work for the money instead of begging he was set upon by members of the gang and kicked to death.
The brutal murder took place outside a pub on the corner of Lower Mil Street and Tithebarn Street.
The infamous Tithebarn Street Outrage - as it became known - brought the mobs who plagued the streets of Liverpool into sharp focus.
The Logwood Gang
The Logwood Gang were a group of dockers who were the arch rivals of the High Rip.
The gang took their name from their weapon of choice, large heavy sticks or logs that they would use to attack their victims.
Around in the 1880s, the group of dockers clubbed together and fought back against the High Rip using wooden batons.
They encouraged others to walk around in large gangs to counteract the High Rip.
The Logwoood Gang clashed with the High Rip and ultimately played a big part in the down fall of the of the latter.
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