Gang des Tractions Avant
Encyclopedia
In France, the Gang des Tractions Avant was a criminal gang in the Pigalle quarter of Paris
, made up of surviving members of the Carlingue
militia, lapsed police officers and criminals from the French Resistance
. Most of them had moved from collaboration with the German occupiers to Resistance, and then moved into organised crime - though even if their milieu changed, their behaviour and methods remained the same. The gang was known after its preferred vehicle of the Citroën 11
, hence the name, from which it carried out hold-ups as violent as they were audacious.
Its methods were largely derived from those of the Bonnot gang
, and were mostly continued by a number of other gangs, notably the gang des postiches
. The Gang des Tractions Avant gave rise to the writings of Alphonse Boudard
, Roger Borniche
, the films of Jean-Luc Godard
(in which the character was played by Jean-Paul Belmondo
), of Jacques Deray
(Le Gang with Alain Delon
) and Claude Lelouch (Le Bon et les méchants with Jacques Dutronc
), a TV series by Josée Dayan and a board game
by Serge Laget and Alain Munoz.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, made up of surviving members of the Carlingue
Carlingue
The French Gestapo or Carlingue was the name given to French auxiliaries of the Gestapo, based at 93, rue Lauriston in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, and active between 1941 and 1944...
militia, lapsed police officers and criminals from the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
. Most of them had moved from collaboration with the German occupiers to Resistance, and then moved into organised crime - though even if their milieu changed, their behaviour and methods remained the same. The gang was known after its preferred vehicle of the Citroën 11
Citroën Traction Avant
The Citroën Traction Avant is an automobile which was produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1934 to 1957. About 760,000 units were produced.-Impact on the world:...
, hence the name, from which it carried out hold-ups as violent as they were audacious.
Its methods were largely derived from those of the Bonnot gang
Bonnot gang
The Bonnot Gang was a French criminal anarchist group that operated in France and Belgium during the Belle Époque, from 1911 to 1912...
, and were mostly continued by a number of other gangs, notably the gang des postiches
Gang des postiches
The Gang des postiches was a famous team of bank robbers that operated in Paris between 1981 and 1986. With a rare boldness, they attacked about thirty banks....
. The Gang des Tractions Avant gave rise to the writings of Alphonse Boudard
Alphonse Boudard
Alphonse Boudard is a French novelist and playwright. He won the 1977 Prix Renaudot for Les Combattants du petit bonheur....
, Roger Borniche
Roger Borniche
Roger Borniche was a French detective of the Sûreté nationale and author of a number of works. He started as a Singer, but his fledgling musical career was interrupted by the German invasion of 1940. To make a living, he took a job as a store detective...
, the films of Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard is a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is often identified with the 1960s French film movement, French Nouvelle Vague, or "New Wave"....
(in which the character was played by Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo is a French actor initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s.-Career:Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, west of Paris, Belmondo did not perform well in school, but developed a passion for boxing and football."Did you box professionally very long?" "Not very long...
), of Jacques Deray
Jacques Deray
Jacques Deray was a French film director and screenwriter. Deray is prominently known for directing many crime and thriller films.-Biography:...
(Le Gang with Alain Delon
Alain Delon
Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon is a French actor. He rose quickly to stardom, and by the age of 23 was already being compared to French actors such as Gérard Philipe and Jean Marais, as well as American actor James Dean. He was even called the male Brigitte Bardot...
) and Claude Lelouch (Le Bon et les méchants with Jacques Dutronc
Jacques Dutronc
Jacques Dutronc is a French singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer, and actor. He has been married to singer Françoise Hardy since 30 March 1981 and the two have a son . He also has been a longtime songwriting collaborator with Jacques Lanzmann...
), a TV series by Josée Dayan and a board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
by Serge Laget and Alain Munoz.
Members
Its most famous members were- Pierre LoutrelPierre LoutrelPierre Loutrel , better known by his nickname of "Pierrot le fou" was France's first "public enemy number one" and one of the leaders of the Gang des tractions.-Life:...
(1916-1946), known as "Pierrot le Fou", France's first "public enemy number one" ; - Émile BuissonÉmile BuissonÉmile "Mimile" Buisson was a French gangster, and French public enemy No. 1 for 1950. A member of the French Gang des Traction Avant, Buisson was responsible for over thirty murders and a hundred robberies. Buisson was pursued and caught by French detective of the Sûreté Nationale Roger Borniche,...
, or "Mimile" (1902-1956 guillotineGuillotineThe guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
d), Loutrel's lieutenant, and his successor as "public enemy number one". He was finally arrested by Roger BornicheRoger BornicheRoger Borniche was a French detective of the Sûreté nationale and author of a number of works. He started as a Singer, but his fledgling musical career was interrupted by the German invasion of 1940. To make a living, he took a job as a store detective...
; - René la Canne, or René Girier (1919-2000) nicknamed "the king of évasion" ;
- Abel Danos known as "le Mammouth" (the Mammoth) ;
- Georges Boucheseiche, later became embroiled in the Ben BarkaMehdi Ben BarkaMehdi Ben Barka was a Moroccan politician, head of the left-wing National Union of Popular Forces and secretary of the Tricontinental Conference...
affair ; - Jo Attia, also became embroiled in that affair.