Is The Elephant Boys Based on a Real Gang?

In ‘A Thousand Blows,’ a spotlight is shone on the lives of three intriguing figures in London’s East End during the 1800s – Mary Carr, Hezekiah Moscow, and Henry Goodson, AKA Sugar. The historical drama series delves into their lives through a complex tale of intimacy, crime, power, greed, and perseverance. It primarily centers on the exploits of an all-female crime syndicate known as the Forty Elephants, a group of adept shoplifters who are led by Carr. As the narrative moves forward, Carr and her gang brush forces against a variety of influential figures, including the powerful Sugar, who offers protection to any who work under him. However, another critical figure that plays a pivotal role in conjunction with the Forty Elephants is the Elephant Boys gang, who make a notable impression as the story progresses.

The Elephant Boys are Inspired By a Real Gang

The Elephant Boys in ‘A Thousand Blows’ are based on a real gang. Like the Forty Elephants, they mainly operated around the Elephant and Castle area of South London, which was technically named after a local pub. A number of the gang’s members were either the boyfriend or a relative of the women involved with the Forty Elephants. The two groups had a unique partnership through the years, which is also captured quite succinctly in the series. The Elephant Boys were also known as the Elephant and Castle Mob. Their main criminal activities often ranged from thieving and smuggling to bookmaking and murder. They were a formidable force and had their tendrils in a large part of London’s underworld.

In the show, the Elephant Boys get involved in the inner dynamics of the Forty Elephants after Mary Carr botches an operation, which leads to trouble for her group. The show depicts the Boys as a ruthless gang who are willing to go to any means to ensure the hierarchy of the Forty Elephants is maintained, and the chain of power remains unbroken. The actual Elephant Boys were led by the McDonald brothers, Wag and Wal, during the early 1900s. Under their leadership, the group took on the Sabini gang, led by rival mobster Charles Sabini. In Brian McDonald’s book ‘Elephant Boys,’ the author details some of the incredible experiences of the McDonald family in the Elephant and Castle area, which include working as Charlie Chaplin’s bodyguard and fighting in the racecourse gang warfare.

The gang plays a particular role in the series, almost acting as a checks and balances for Mary Carr after she gets caught in a web of trouble. While the show is based on many historical figures, a large chunk of the events and exchanges portrayed are all fictional and drawn from the imagination of the creative team. To that end, the Elephant Boys depicted in the narrative can be seen as a dramatized or fictional version of the real-life gang. One significant discrepancy shown in the story is Alec Munroe’s murder. The show blames Alec’s death on a hit carried out by the Elephant Boys. However, in reality, Alec’s death was the result of a stabbing incident that took place at a lodging house. As such, it is evident that ‘A Thousand Blows’ tries to walk a thin line between reality and fiction, more often than not, preferring the latter.

Read More: Is Mary Carr Based on a Real Gang Leader?