‘The real Gangs of London’ revealed as mind-blowing new episodes finally drop

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Gangs of London follows the crumbling Wallace empire as they fend off rival mobsters to take control of the capital’s criminal underbelly.

The first season, which saw Sean Wallace (Joe Cole) set out to avenge his father’s murder, broke records for being the most violent programme on TV, beating the likes of Game of Thrones.

Now the third season has been released, and the body count just keeps piling up after a spiked shipment of cocaine kills hundreds in the capital, as the gangs fight to the death to smoke out the culprit.

Even Andrew Koji, who plays new character Zeek, was shocked by a scene in the latest Gangs of London involving an umbilical cord that he described as ‘graphic and brutal’ to Metro.

But what may surprise viewers more is that Gangs of London may not be entirely fiction as many believe a real-life crime family was the inspiration behind the ultraviolent TV series.

Who is the real-life inspiration behind Gangs of London? Tommy Adams is part of the alleged crime family (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

There is a crime family that could have been a source of inspiration for Gangs of London’s creative team,as they share many similarities with the Wallace clan.

The Adams Family, also known as The Clerkenwell Crime Syndicate and the A-Team, are allegedly one of the most powerful criminal organisations in the UK.

It was first formed by brothers Terry, Tommy and Patsy in the 1980s and, much like the Wallaces, have kept the gang strictly family and close friends.

The Clerkenwell Crime Syndicate were allegedly involved in drug trafficking, which is how the Wallaces make much of their wealth, extortion and murders, with their empire once being worth £200million according to reports.

Terry Adams being led to a prison van (Picture: REX/Shutterstock) Patsy Adams was sentenced for shooting an associate (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

The gang were reportedly linked to various hitmen, including the Jigsaw killer Stephen Marshall, who was sentenced to life behind bars for killing his landlord.

However, in 2007, Terry Adams, then 52, pleaded guilty to money laundering and was handed a prison sentence by the judge.

After being released in 2010, Adams had further financial legal woes and was reported to be living in social housing in Bloomsbury with his wife.

His brother Tommy Adams was convicted of money laundering and sentenced to seven years in jail in 2017, while Patsy Adams was put behind bars for nine years in 2016 for shooting an associate.

What has been the reaction to Gangs of London? New characters have been introduced in Gangs of London season 3 (Picture: Susie Allnutt)

On Google, the violent crime drama has been recommended by dozens of viewers, who have hailed the TV show as ‘mind-blowing.’

Among them is Michael Amaning, who enthused: ‘This is one of the best TV series I have EVER watched and for me is an example of how great writing, great cinematography and acting all come together to create a rival of …. The Wire. The levels of suspense, action, meaningful character motivations make each hour a standalone movie leaving my mouth open at least 3 times per episode.’

Mike Ty raved: ‘THE BEST CRIME/GANG WORLD SHOW U’D EVER WATCH. sorry about the caps but I had to empathise with some authority. Just go and watch it and you wouldn’t be disappointed if you’re a fan of crime/gang world.’

Echoing their sentiment, Vivienne Murphy said: ‘Absolutely mind-blowing.’

Tonya D added: ‘Absolutely loved this series. I have watched it no less than 8Xs- yes, all episodes every single time. It’s an action-packed, yet violent and graphic series. From the opening scene in S1 to the closing scene in S2, you will be sitting on the edge of your seat. Just be sure to turn on closed captioning as there are times when you may miss a line or two because of the actors’ accents. I can’t wait for S3 to be released.’

A version of this article was published on October 27, 2022.

Gangs of London is available to stream on Now

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