I just saw "A Very British Gangster" , a documentary about the gangster Dominic Noonan in Manchester, England. Noonan is supposedly the head of a large criminal organization but claims to be a former armed robber gone straight. He says he makes his living as a armored car service owner.

The director doesn't do a very good job in explaining what Dominic's interests and business actually are. Dominic and his myriad brothers and nephews seem to be involved in banking/loansharking, and possibly narcotics and burglary.

Throughout the film Dominic is mostly seen settling neighborhood disputes or giving loans to people down on their luck. Since the film was made with Dominic's active participation I suppose it only makes sense that it would turn a blind or at least sympathetic eye to any of his less savory activities. Dominic is very careful to never say anything that can used in court against him though he can't resist boasting about how witnesses against him rarely seem to show up in court.

Dominic's older brother Dessie is a alleged enforcer for the gang who's allegedly done over twenty murders.

Throughout the film Dominic is mostly attended to and followed by young teen thugs or thugs in training even. By their own admission these people are only on the periphery of Dominic's affairs. It's only at a family funeral do we get a glimpse of the older adult hoodlums who presumably run most of Dominic's businesses. I guess they were wise enough not to put their name and face on camera.

It would be informative to find out from a UK native how important or powerful this Dominic Noonan really is. I'm afraid the director of this documentary was more interested in making a homage to Tarantino or Guy Ritchie than anything else.