Crime Bosses. John Kerr

brothels and illegal casinos provided cash flow, and race-fixing and betting stings cream, allegedly over $500,000 in one sting on the TAB, while he was protected by police and hired ‘heavies’. If police had not illegally taped phones, we would never have had these snapshots from the Days of the Life of George Freeman:

      ‘send Murray 280… living over Pagewood, in the phone book’ to Lyn Black, assistant working at his SP [illegal bookmaking] office

      ‘If he wants to hold, he can have a thousand. If I back a winner, there’s a bonus,’ proposition to be put to a trotting driver [race-fixing]

      ‘… oxygen masks… cortisone…’ to top trainers [horse doping]

      ‘Put the phones under Grant Construction Co…’ [false account, telecommunication fraud perhaps, but for an SP phone bank anyway]

      Receives a warning made to Joe Taylor, two-up king and Kellet Club owner, to ‘watch phones’ to be passed on to Freeman [possible corrupt police or public official involved]

      Tell Bruce Hardin his casino, The Palace, can keep operating as things are ‘sweet in town’ but a ‘new regime’ will come in and Bruce will be further advised then [illegal casino, possibly bribe public official]

      ‘When that fellow comes in at 10.30 tomorrow he is not to take any of [Freeman’s] money if he is going to employ any of those Japanese, Chinese or girls from Manila that Lennie brings in’ [illegal immigration? Prostitution?]

      ‘…gave him a BIG ONE at Christmas…’ [bribe presumably]

      Whatever the political headaches he caused, the limits of the influence he wielded, the media fusses that he raised, the civic corruption he symbolized, 90 cents of his dollars came from Australia’s mug punters.

      Recommended Sources

      Freeman, George: George Freeman: an autobiography

      Reeves, Tony: George Freeman: thief, race-fixer, standover man and underworld crim