Death Scene of Squizzy Taylor 1927

Crime photographs from the Inquest into the deaths of John ‘Snowy’ Cutmore and Leslie ‘Squizzy’ Taylor in October 1927. Squizzy died in a violent shootout against Sydney gangster John ‘Snowy’ Cutmore in Fitzroy in 1927.

Notorious 1920s gangster Squizzy Taylor modelled his criminal career on American bootleggers (illegal alcohol traders). His crimes escalated to armed robbery, drug trafficking, race fixing, prostitution and jury rigging. He was linked to several high profile and violent crimes including the murder of a police constable and robbery at Trades Hall, the murder and robbery of commercial traveller, Arthur Trotter, and the armed hold ups and murder of two bank managers in Bulleen and Glenferrie. In 1919, a dispute over gangland territory resulted in the ‘Fitzroy Vendetta’ shootings.