George Freeman | |
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Born | George David Freeman 22 January 1935[citation needed] |
Died | 20 March 1990 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | (aged 55)
Occupation(s) | Bookmaker, racing identity, casino operator[1] |
Spouse(s) | Marcia Bedford, formerly McDonald (1963-1977); Georgina McLaughlin (1981 - his death) |
Children | 6, 5 sons & 1 daughter |
Parent(s) | William David Freeman Rita Eileen Freeman nee Cooke. |
Conviction(s) | $5000 fine |
Criminal charge | SP bookmaking |
George David Freeman (22 January 1935 – 20 March 1990) was an Australian bookmaker, racing identity and illegal casino operator.[2][3] He was linked to the Sydney drug trade during the 1970s and 1980s, was named in several Royal Commissions into organised crime and had links with American crime figures. Freeman served several prison terms for theft between 1951 and 1968 but was never brought to trial for any of his later alleged crimes, receiving only monetary fines for SP bookmaking in the mid-1980s. Freeman survived a murder attempt in 1979, was married twice, published an autobiography and died in 1990 of heart failure related to asthma and pethidine addiction.