The legacy of three gangster brothers who built a criminal empire and used violence to control their territory by "any means necessary" continues to haunt their home city.
The notorious Noonan family held a fearsome grip on the local underworld for almost two decades as they went from security work to armed robbery, to selling drugs. Damien, Dessie and Dominic Noonan grew up in Whalley Range, Manchester, in a family of 14 siblings, with the trio specialising in armed robbery.
Dessie and Damien worked in security for clubs including the Hacienda in their native Manchester, but turned to drug dealing as a means of making more money. They were said to be making £50,000 a night from the Hacienda at its peak.
