promises of marriage followed by being induced into prostitution. Attilio Messina reportedly stated to the press: "We Messinas are more powerful than the British Government. We do as we like in England." Downfall In the late 1940s, Duncan Webb, a crime reporter on the tabloid newspaper The People, began writing articles claiming that information was being leaked from Scotland Yard to Alfred Messina and on 3 September 1950 the paper published a front-page article, “Arrest These Four Men”, by Webb describing prostitution in the West End, including interviews with more than 100 prostitutes, and revealing names, dates, photographs and other information crucial to any police investigation. The activities of the Messinas soon gained the attention of Scotland Yard, which formed a special investigative task force under Superintendent Guy Mahon to engage in an aggressive campaign against them. By the end of the 1950s the Messinas had been forced to flee the country. Eugenio, Carmelo, Salvatore and Attilio left England on 19 March 1951. Alfredo Messina was arrested and charged with living off the immoral earnings of his girlfriend, Hermione Hinden, and for attempting to bribe the policeman Superintendent Guy Mahon – who arrested him. He was sent down for two years in prison on bribery and prostitution charges. Attilio Messina was sentenced to four years imprisonment after being caught attempting to illegally re-enter the country in April 1959). On his release he went to live in Italy. Eugenio and Carmelo Messina eventually resurfaced in Belgium living in a 10-bedroom flat at Avenue Louise in Brussels. On 31 August 1955 Eugenio and Carmelo were arrested as they were closing a deal with two Belgian girls. They were taken to court on 23 June 1956 on charges of procuring women, illegal possession of firearms, possessing fake passports, entering Belgium illegally. Eugenio received a six-year sentence. Carmelo was acquitted because of lack of evidence. Conviction and imprisonment of Eugenio was partly because of testimony of detectives from Scotland Yard. The Police forces of Italy, France, Belgium and UK were involved in the investigations and evidence collection for the prosecution of the brothers. Carmelo was banned from re-entering England but he did and was arrested on 3 October 1958 for being an illegal immigrant. He was found sitting in a car in Knightsbridge. He received a six-month prison sentence. After completing his prison sentence he was deported to Italy. He went to live in