Wag was a close friend of Birmingham racecourse gangster Billy Kimber, who had lived with the McDonald family in York Street, Lambeth, in the 1910s.
When racecourses re-opened after World War I, Kimber came into conflict with East London gangsters led by Dodger Mullins and central London gangs led by Darby Sabini, Alf Solomon and Alf White, who wanted a share of lucrative pickings gained by forcing race cards and unnecessary services on bookmakers, including the sale of pitches and stools to stand on.
When the Birmingham gang, on an occasion led by Wag McDonald, ambushed and battered a coach full of Leeds bookmakers, who had lent their support to Darby Sabini, resulted in the gaoling of many of Kimber’s gang, Wag fled to Canada to escape arrest, travelling to Los Angeles, where he set up an agency to protect and escort movie stars.
That story is recounted from his diaries in ‘Elephant Boys – Tales of London and Los Angeles Underworlds’, written by his nephew Brian McDonald.
According to Detective Superintendent George Cornish of Scotland Yard, she provided services for five major London gangs, including the Forty Elephants.
Jim McDonald was the father of author Brian McDonald, who uncovered the histories of the Elephant and Forty Elephants gangs and brought to public attention largely forgotten gangsters such as Billy Kimber, Darby Sabini, Alf Solomon, Alf White, Johnny Phillips, Freddie Gilbert, George (Brummie) Sage, Dodger Mullins and Tommy Benneworth.