Unlike the mafia or other blood-bound gangs, Gilbert and his peers were unified by their similar interests, including a taste for fashion and crime alike.
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As such, they helped popularise both the concept and prevalence of Peaky Blinders, who wielded far less power than the show might suggest. Charge sheets from 100 years ago show that, despite the reputation of the gang for terrible crimes, these men and boys had been hauled up on relatively trivial offences. And that isn’t to say this was a purely juvenile enterprise.
But the Victorian boys and men, pictured in photos from a police archive, did much worse than pick a pocket or two. Despite his humble origins and the circumstances of his life, Tommy Shelby embodies mankind’s ability to overcome and achieve what would normally be considered beyond the realms of the possible.
He has style, passion, and a prominent skillset; we often wonder how to be like Thomas Shelby ourselves. His main domestic asset in the capital is his sister Ada's home, which he bought for her to keep her out of poverty. His rise begins when he is able to obtain a share of horse racing betting revenues from season one villain Billy Kimber, and from there the gangster goes on to obtain licences at racecourses around the country.
Tommy has an extensive portfolio of docking licenses in both England, Canada and the U.S. PeakyBroker assumes an average warehouse near a popular dock would go for £8,000 per warehouse. Tommy has an extensive portfolio of docking licenses in both England, Canada and the U.S. PeakyBroker assumes an average warehouse near a popular dock would go for £8,000 per warehouse. The fan, PeakyBroker, writes that Tommy has 225 streets of terraced housing in the Small Heath and wider Birmingham area. Accounting for inflation, this cost in 1920 would be £2,393 per house and when multiplied by an estimated number of houses in each street, Tommy is thought to have £2,692,395million worth of terraced properties, in 1920 money. Pictured are a group of young members in the early 1900s in Birmingham. Peaky Blinders gangster boss Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy, would be worth £450million in today's money, according to a Reddit super fan … (From left) Harry Fowler, Ernest Bayles, Stephen McHickie and Thomas Gilbert were all members of the real life Peaky Blinders gang that inspired the BBC show, The gang earned their name because they sewed razor blades into their flat caps, which they would use to headbutt rivals. In season four of the show his entire workforce goes on strike, putting pressure on his finances. Court reports from the time refer to the gang members as ‘foul mouthed young men who stalk the streets in drunken groups, insulting and mugging passers-by.’. Economically, politically and socially, the Peaky Blinders called the shots and dictated the decisions. When added together, Tommy makes around £13million a year in today’s money from his racing and betting revenues. And if you can’t bear the brunt of the weight, someone else will. Referring to public records from 1798, he explains that a house would have cost around £700. He estimates that each factory would be worth around £60,000, meaning a total value of £900,000 in 1920 money. Yes, this street gang engaged in your usual activities of robbery, hijacking, protection rackets, odd bouts of bribery, fraud, smuggling, and yes, bookmaking.
Tommy has an extensive portfolio of docking licenses in both England, Canada and the U.S. PeakyBroker assumes an average warehouse near a popular dock would go for £8,000 per warehouse. First as the leader of the Peaky Blinders and later through the Shelby Company and as a Member of Parliament, Tommy Shelby becomes an empire-builder of the highest order.
But theft and muggings was by no means the only illegal activity of the Peaky Blinders, who built a criminal empire on illegal betting, protection rackets and Birmingham's black market.
Like the gang in the show, the real Peaky Blinders roamed industrial-era Birmingham and stitched razor blades to the insides of their flat caps. It speaks volumes about the true extent of a gang, when the most notable crimes Tommy Shelby equivalents were arrested for included… bike theft and home invasion. With their flat caps and jackets, the crooks in these old mugshots might remind you of the Artful Dodger, the lovable rogue from Oliver Twist. But to say they were an organised crime syndicate would be giving them far too much credit. Culturally, they were dominating the scene.
The setting for the home is the real-life Arley Hall, in Cheshire, which was built in 1832.
Man of Character – The Joker DISCLAIMER
The new season is set in 1929, the year of the Wall Street Crash, and Tommy is set to lose a lot of money in the crash. In real life, respective rivals like the Birmingham Boys and ‘Derby’ Sabini drove the Peaky Blinders out of town. 2. Police had such trouble with the gang but were eventually only able to charge some members with relatively minor offences. With their flat caps and jackets, the crooks in these old mugshots might remind you of the Artful Dodger, the lovable rogue from Oliver Twist. The fan shared his calculations on Reddit, where he broke down Tommy’s personal and business assets in impressive detail, coming to a total worth for the gangster of £301million.
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