Sitting in the National Archives at Kew is a fascinating reference to Billy Hill - 'The Boss of Britain's Underworld', the only record of an East End gangster who used the Second World War to build a criminal empire.
Incredibly elusive for much of his criminal career, the London mob boss died old and wealthy, after mentoring two of Britain's most well-known underworld figures.
Now, the proverbial 'King of Soho' has been brought back to life in new film Once Upon a Time in London.
Born in 1911, Hill was born to a poor Irish mother but was soon to realise his family's wider lay among the criminal fraternity.
Gangster William 'Billy' Hill (pictured on his return from Australia where he was refused entry) went from being a teenage thief to one of the largest players in London's criminal underworld
Moscow Road in Bayswater, West London where gangster Billy Hill lived
He started adult life as a burglar, but soon graduated to robbery and smash-and-grab raids.
The chaos of the Second World War allowed him to prosper, but the success of his activities caused consternation within the Scotland Yard.
Hill went on to mentor the Kray twins, Ronnie and Reggie, eventually handing over his criminal empire to them as he moved abroad.
He established himself as a serious criminal figure during the war, profiteering from the black market.
This involved supplying forged IDs to deserters, providing black products such as petrol and food. He even moved in on the West End along with his rival Jack 'Spot' Comer.
Jack 'Spot' Comer (pictured with his wife Rita Comer) was a rival to Hill before they began working together. When Comer's racket in the East End began to wane in power, Hill took advantage and usurped his rival
In the late 1940s he served his final prison sentence, and with Spot's power in the East End racketeering business waning following a failed raid on Heathrow Airport, he took control of much of London.
Instead of actively participating in criminal raids from then on, he would plan them and demand a share of the proceeds.
In 1952, he masterminded a post van robbery which made £10million in modern money. This raid was later used as the template for the Great Train Robbery.
It is believed Hill was receiving information from a large number of serving Metropolitan Police officers which led to Home Secretary Gwilym Lloyd George to authorise a wire tap on his phone.
The phone tapping led to Hill's barrister Patrick Marrinan being disbarred
