Moss Side was a hard place in the 1920s. Gangs dominated the streets, and the Bloods were the meanest gang in Moss Side streets. Ernest Roberts was their most feared enforcer, and whether it was in the boxing ring or on the street, Ernie reckoned he was the toughest, hardest son-of-a-bitch around. Then, suddenly, dire circumstances changed all that. He was forced to scarper without so much as a goodbye to his family, with his destination uncertain. But every journey must have a destination, and for better or worse, he chose a new life somewhere south of Capricorn.
His arrival wasn’t timely. ‘Getcha Sinny Mornin’ ’erald,’ a raucous newsboy shouted. ‘World financial system collapses! New York Stock Exchange loses half its value!’ It was October 24, 1929—Black Tuesday. At first, he wondered how events so far away could possibly impact him. New York is a long way from Sydney, and he failed to see what was getting everyone excited. Some wealthy American speculators had lost their dough. So what? Then, it got worse. For Ernie, that was just the beginning of his getting of wisdom.