Glasgows Godfather: The Astonishing Inside Story of Walter Norval, The Citys First Crime Boss by Robert Jeffrey (June 2011)

Godfather of the Scottish Mafia
Review by Kim Cantrell

As an American, when I think of organized crime, typically the first persons come to mind are the New York or Chicago families or the Italian mafia. And I know I’m not the only one.

We’re not so niave as to believe the mob isn’t established in other locales, these are just the groups Hollywood seems to focus on.

So it was interesting to read a book about Walter Norval, the first Godfather of Glasgow, Scotland’s organized crime family.

Author Robert Jeffrey takes readers into Glasgow’s underworld and the life of their leader, whose criminal methods are still revered and practiced today by mobsters.

Jeffrey outlines Norval’s childhood years, expertly describing the sleazy brothels and bars where Norval spent so much time; his home on a street seething with violence and homeless drug addicts; and his youthful days of thievery and illegal betting that earned him the nickname “Kid Millions.”

Norval wasn’t much beyond his days of a newly walking toddler when police learned to keep a watchful eye on the lad destined for a life of crime. And, needless to say, he didn’t disappoint.

Glasgow’s Godfather: The Astonishing Inside Story of Walter Norval, The City’s First Crime Boss is a richly detailed story that is very difficult to put down. One part of me was fascinated by the boy who was old well before his time due to his lifestyle, yet disgusted that he used it as a springboard to a position of authority wherein he issued orders that wrecked havoc on civilized society (but individuals never got hurt, Norval would protest).

Jeffrey does a splendid job of seeing Norval as the “average” man who lay beneath the surface of a criminal mastermind; of showing the likeable side of Norval, all the while not disguising the greedy brute within.

If you enjoy mob stories and want to branch out with one of the best books out of the United Kingdom this year, pick up Glasgow’s Godfather by Robert Jeffrey.

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