| Frank Peter "Dunie" Ryan |
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| Frank Peter Ryan is one of the most well known and colourful underworld figures in Montreal’s history. Dubbed “Dunie” by his friends, Ryan was born in Montreal on June 10, 1942. When Ryan was three years old, his father abandoned his family. Ryan’s mother was left to raise Dunie all by herself. By the time Ryan turned 18, he had dropped out of school and reportedly stealing merchandise from trucks and committing smash-and-grabs. Throughout the first half of the 60s, Ryan compiled a lengthy rap sheet, including convictions for robbery, theft, breaking and entering, possession of stolen goods, and possession of revenue papers. His longest sentence was two years in prison. |
| In 1966, when he was only 24, Ryan, along with four other Montrealers and a Boston gangster, were convicted of a Massachusetts bank robbery. Ryan was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was paroled in the early 70s and returned to Canada with about $100,000 in cash. The money, Ryan later admitted, came from a string of robberies. He invested the money into shylocking, loaning out the dough on the “six for five” principal, but claimed he lost every cent. Whatever the case, Ryan was reportedly dabbling in shylocking, stick ups, and fencing stolen goods. He then moved into the racket that would make him a multi-millionaire: the drug trade. He started importing large quantities of hashish and later expanded into cocaine. He soon sat a top a drug network that extended around Quebec, into northern Ontario, and the Maritimes. Ryan emerged with a near monopoly of incoming shipments of hashish, according to police. He supposedly often carried up to $500,000 with him in a briefcase, money he would then invest in various schemes. Allan “The Weasel” Ross was seen as Ryan’s right-hand man and would later go on to make headlines of his own. Peter White, Ryan’s cousin, allegedly also played a role, according to several news articles. He would be sentenced to over twenty years in prison in the U.S. for importing tons of marijuana. Other criminal groups in Montreal would eventually become angry with Ryan’s unwillingness to share control of the drug trade. Both the Montreal Mafia and the Hells Angels reportedly wanted to make partnerships with the West End Gang chieftain, but were told to take a hike. Ryan supposedly spoke of connections to the Irish Republican Army. “Mafia, pafia,” he was quoted as saying, “if there’s a war, we’ve got the IRA.” Ryan regularly contributed money to the IRA’s movement through the latter’s Boston branch, according to one news article. Ryan was also allegedly involved in laundering large amounts of cash for his criminal colleagues. When West End Gang member Maurice Villeneuve turned informant, he claimed Ryan had agreed to launder for him $180,000 in illicit profits for a ten per cent commission. Based on Villeneuve’s claims, Ryan and numerous others reputed to be part of the West End Gang, including the Matticks brothers, were called to testify before the Quebec Police Commission’s inquiry into organized crime (CECO). On the stand, Ryan denied having his laundered any money for Villeneuve. However, Ryan did admit to knowing or having known several people who police claim are members of the West End Gang, including Richard Matticks, Danny “One-a-Day” Pelansky, Mickey Johnston, and Charles Dillon. Asked where he kept his money, Ryan said he buried it in the ground. “I go and dig a hole and bury it,” he explained. You’re playing jokes, retorted the crime commission’s lawyer. “Not jokes. It is true,” Ryan explained. “I don’t believe in the banks. I know that the police can go to banks and see the safety deposit boxes and check them.” In October 1981, alleged West End Gang member Patrick Hugh McGurnaghan was killed when a bomb planted under his Mercedes-Benz exploded in Montreal’s wealthy Westmount sector. Hells Angels hitman Yves “Apache” Trudeau, responsible for over 40 slayings, later admitted to carrying out the murder. Trudeau claimed it was Ryan who hired him to kill McGurnaghan, who supposedly owed the West End Gang chief a lot of money and drugs. On November 13, 1984, Ryan was at Nittolo’s Garden Motel – his base of operations – when Paul April, another reputed West End Gang member, approached him. April wanted to discuss business, so the two walked off to one of the motel’s rooms. Inside the room, April, Robert Lelievre and perhaps others produced guns and attempted to tie Ryan up. They likely planned to find out where he kept his millions and then murder him. But the gangland kingpin, who was wearing a brown leather coat and brown driving gloves that night, fought back and was blasted in the chest by a shotgun-wielding goon. Ryan sunk to the floor and someone with a .45 calibre firearm shot him through his right cheek. Police arrived at the scene shortly thereafter and discovered Ryan’s body. Tape was found wrapped tightly around his right forearm and glove. A large sum of cash was also found in the room, leading police to believe that robbery wasn’t the motive. Ryan, who was 42 years old when he was gunned down, was estimated by police to be worth between $50-100 million. The West End Gang soon learned who was responsible for Ryan’s death and planned their revenge. Allan “The Weasel” Ross, who inherited all of Ryan’s business, allegedly hired Hells Angels hitmen Yves “Apache” Trudeau and Michel Blass to take care of business. He promised to pay them $200,000. On November 25, only 12 days after Dunie Ryan was killed, the two biker assassins delivered a television and VCR to the apartment where April and Lelievre were holed up with two of their associates. Minutes later, a thundering explosion ripped through the building. April and his three henchmen were torn to pieces, while eight others were injured, including a young woman who lost an eye. During a 2003 interview with Kristian Gravenor of the Montreal Mirror, Peter McAllister, the author of Dexter and brother of reputed West End Gang member William “Billy” McAllister, had nothing but kind words to say about Ryan: “Mother [Ryan] was a criminal genius and a nice person. He wasn’t ruthless, but you couldn’t put your hand in his pocket to steal from him. But that’s the law on the street. He was very kind-hearted and generous. He was a honourable man.” “Mother,” it apparently, was a term compassionately used by friends to describe Dunie, who supposedly looked after and cared for members of his crew. Twenty years after his murder, Ryan was still being remembered fondly. |