The real story
MobLand: the truthbehind London's crime families.
Is MobLand based on a true story? No. MobLand is a fictional drama. Its crime family is invented. But London has had real crime families for a century, and their stories are stranger than the show.
The real families
The Krays
Ronnie and Reggie Kray ran the East End in the 1960s, until murder convictions in 1969 put them away for life.
Watch the Krays films →The Richardsons
South London's rival firm, with Frankie Fraser as their enforcer, convicted in the "torture trial" of 1967.
The enforcers
Behind every family were the men who did the work. Lenny McLean, Roy Shaw and the doormen of London's clubs.
Watch Lenny McLean →
Read the full story
MobLand meets the real underworld fixer
Our magazine E20 sat the show next to the real thing. Download Issue 1 free.
Questions
Is MobLand based on real people?
No. The Harrigan family is fictional. The show borrows the feel of London's real crime families without telling any one family's story.
Who were London's real crime families?
The best known are the Krays in the East End and the Richardsons in South London, both convicted in the 1960s.
Where can I watch documentaries about London gangsters?
Our documentaries about the Krays, Lenny McLean, Roy Shaw and others are on Gangland & True Crime Docs.