Joe Hanlon’s Brother Revisits the Glasgow Gangland Figure’s Unsolved Murder

Joe Hanlon was only 23 when he was murdered, but he had already become a familiar name in Glasgow’s underworld. His brother Paul has now spoken about Joe’s life and the killing in an interview with photographer Brian Anderson for the Naked City YouTube channel, according to the article. Joe had worked as a doorman at the Caravel, a pub in Barlanark owned by crime boss Tam McGraw. Locals reportedly called the venue the El Paso. Paul recalled that his brother could handle himself and said the pub attracted people from the neighbourhood, with plenty going on there. The family’s earlier life was far removed from that reputation. Joe grew up in Maryhill, where his parents ran a fruit shop. Paul said he, Joe and their sister Lorraine had a good upbringing and did not go without. He remembered Joe as a loving, funny brother and described their father as strict. Before his death, Joe had worked with McGraw and later teamed up with Paul Ferris and Bobby Glover. The three reportedly met at the Cottage Bar in Glasgow’s east end. Ferris, who had previously been associated with crime boss Arthur Thompson Snr, had called Hanlon and Glover his closest friends, the report says. The article also recounts a claim made by reformed criminal Billy McKay in a recent interview. McKay alleged that Hanlon put a gun in his mouth during a dispute over the price of temazepam capsules. McKay said he had been selling the drug in large quantities and that the disagreement was eventually settled at a higher price than Hanlon had demanded. This account is attributed to McKay; it is not presented as a court finding. Paul has named the man he believes lured his brother to his death, according to the article, while acknowledging that he has never sought justice for Joe. The murder remains unsolved, leaving the family with unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding the young man’s killing.