The Forty Elephants

The Forty Elephants might not appear like the worst gang on this list in comparison to other groups. They mainly resorted to theft from upscale stores and were very infrequently aggressive. But because of this, they were able to maintain a low profile and survive much longer than any other gang on our list. Records indicate that the organization may have been around for as long as 200 years, or at least 80 years, between 1870 and 1950. There was one more thing: all of the forty elephants were female.

They took their moniker after their base in London's Elephant and Castle neighborhood. The Elephant and Castle Mob originated from the same region, and members of the two groups frequently collaborated together and even got married to one another on occasion.

The Forty Elephants profited from the prevailing morals. They knew that, more often than not, the personnel and even the police would be too polite to check them, so they entered establishments donning bulky jackets, bloomers, crinolines, and skirts with hidden pockets sewed within. Those who were discovered frequently just served a few months in prison.

The majority of them were cautious to never wear the items they had stolen, choosing instead to fence the goods and purchase their own apparel and jewelry legally. Their prime was the interwar years, particularly the hedonistic 1920s when they rose to fame for hosting extravagant parties and embracing the new flapper lifestyle. Following World War II, their activities gradually decreased, however it is still unknown exactly what put an end to the Forty Elephants for good.