Joseph “Squizzy” Taylor was a Melbourne based criminal and gangster who was born in Brighton, Victoria in June 1888 and had moved with his family to Richmond where he was educated. Joseph became a jockey apprentice in the inner city pony circuit. While mingling with some suspicious characters of the pony circuit he realised money was easily made in crime. His life of crime began when he was convicted of assault at the age of 18. Minor petty thefts and crimes followed. Between 1913 and 1916 Squizzy was suspected of more violent crimes. These included the murder of commercial traveller Arthur Trotter, the Melbourne Trades Hall burglary where a police constable was killed as well as the murder of taxi driver William Haines. Even though he was rarely convicted of his crimes after 1917 he still remained a key figure in the violent underworld. In 1919 rival racketeers caused a gangland shooting known as the “Fitzroy Vendetta” which he was involved in. Taylor’s income had come from prostitution, selling illegal drugs and grog, race fixing and armed robbery. Taylor wasn’t convicted of most of his crime because he was a protected police informer and was associated with Paddy Boardman who rigged juries. Squizzy was convicted for harbouring a wanted accomplice named Murray. Because of his involvement in selling cocaine he came into conflict with Sydney gangsters after his release. During a gunfight with the gangsters he was fatally wounded and his life of crime ended when he died in St Vincent’s hospital in 1927.
