[3] Their heyday was in the interwar period when the gang raided on a large scale not only in the West End of London, but also other major shopping centres across the country.

They also forced smaller gangs to pay tribute on what they had stolen and would punish criminals who did not obey their rules.

Alice Diamond ruled with absolute authority with the co-operation of Maggie Hill, Gertrude Scully, the Partridge sisters, and many others.

[3] They were said to be able to meet numbers of men in street fights, though preferring to stick to their specialty of sneak thieving, and were admired by their male counterparts in the Elephant Gang for their organisation and expertise.

The earliest mention of the gang in newspapers dates to 1873, but police records from London indicate that female shoplifters had been active in the area since the late 18th century.

[1] The original gang members wore women's clothing which was modified to include hidden pockets.

[1] By the 1920s, the gang members started imitating the so-called bright young things group whose exploits appeared in the popular press.

The gang members led extravagant and decadent lifestyles, by imitating the exploits of the era's movie stars and flappers.

Part of their earnings were used to finance party events and to "spend lavishly" at the clubs, pubs, and restaurants which the gang members frequented.

If the intruders refused to pay, the gang arranged beatings and kidnappings of the offenders until the payment was received.

She used ledgers of suspect authenticity to convince the authorities that the goods in her possession were the products of legitimate financial transactions.