Norman Bruhn

Norman Bruhn (1894-1927) was a notorious Australian thief, standover man and pimp who was probably best known as a key member of Tilly Devine's Sydney razor gang. After receiving death threats from Joseph Theodore Leslie “Squizzy” Taylor because of a backstab from Bruhn in his notorious Fitzroy Gang, Bruhn and his family then moved on from Melbourne, Victoria and the Fitzroy Gang to part ways up north to Darlinghurst, New South Wales. But little did Bruhn know he had a short stint left in his life going from South to North away from Taylor, Cutmore and his beloved Fitzroy Gang. Bruhn after moving north ran into a we’ll known face. That face being they crazy thug criminal known as John “Snowy” Cutmore. Cutmore who then joined gangs with Bruhn as they went on rampage against Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine.

His life and times were portrayed in the television series on the Nine television network in Australia, Underbelly: Razor.

Life and Death

On orders from Squizzy Taylor, after the two fought for control of Melbourne's sly grog trade, Bruhn moved from Melbourne to Sydney in November 1926^[1] and within months was the number-one criminal in the Kings Cross - Darlinghurst area. His razor gang comprised John "Snowy" Cutmore, George "The Midnight" Raper" Wallace, and Frank 'Razor' Jack Hayes.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

Bruhn was shot and killed in 1927 during a hit ordered by former associate Snowy Cutmore, who himself died with Squizzy Taylor in a Melbourne shoot-out some four months later.^[7]

References