August 22, 1888 - Du Yuesheng
Du Yuesheng built one of the most formidable criminal organizations in Republican-era China, leveraging Shanghai's position as a global port city to dominate the opium trade at massive scale. His particular sophistication lay in his ability to move fluidly between the underworld and legitimate power — cultivating relationships with warlords, Nationalist officials, and foreign concession authorities alike. The 1927 Shanghai massacre, in which his Green Gang played a central role in the violent suppression of labor unionists, illustrates how thoroughly his influence had penetrated political life.
From Wikipedia
Du Yuesheng (22 August 1888 – 16 August 1951), nicknamed "Big-Eared Du", was a Chinese mob boss who spent much of his life in Shanghai. He made his fortune in the opium trade before transforming into a financial tycoon. He supported Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang in their fight against the Communists and Japanese. In April 1949, on the eve of the fall of Shanghai, Du moved to Hong Kong, where he lived until his death in 1951.
- Last updated on .