The £525,000 security van raid which sowed the seeds of White Tony's downfall

Anthony ‘White Tony’ Johnson and his crew pulled off a meticulously planned £525,000 heist—a record for security van robberies in Greater Manchester—in just over two minutes. Raised by his grandmother in Fallowfield, Johnson became notorious for his violent ways after joining the Cheetham Hill Gang. Known for his fearless attitude and physical prowess, he gained a fearsome reputation in the Manchester underworld.

However, his criminal career took a deadly turn. The Oldham heist in 1990, which involved meticulous timing and left behind £700,000, was likely a factor in his eventual demise. Just weeks later, Johnson was involved in a violent payroll robbery in Sheffield, but his luck ran out shortly after. He was murdered outside the Penny Black pub in Cheetham Hill in February 1991, shot multiple times. His funeral drew a large crowd, attesting to his presence in the community. Although several gangsters faced trial for his murder, justice remained elusive. As for his grandmother, she passed away without knowing who killed her grandson, leaving a tragic legacy intertwined with crime and loss in Manchester.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News