The Black Widow: 2. A Widow's Vow

Gangster

BBC

True Crime, Documentary, Society & Culture

4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 15 August 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Linda, Mickey and the kids are living the high life when he agrees to take on a job with a new gang - a raid on a cash collection at a London supermarket just before Christmas.

As Linda waits at home, armed police are lying in wait outside the supermarket. When the police rush towards them, the rest of Mickey's team flee, leaving him alone on the crowded street clutching his weapon. He is shot dead.

When Linda hears of her husband's death something inside her snaps and at his graveside she makes a vow to provide for their two young kids by carrying on his "work" as an armed robber. But before she can get started, another man comes on the scene - someone altogether more deadly and dangerous.

Credits Presenter: Livvy Haydock Series Producer: Kate West Producers: Patrick Kiteley and Matthew Bone Journalism Assistants: Tim Fernley and Ellie Dover Drama Writer: Paul Jones Sound Design: Richard Hannaford Assistant Commissioner: Lorraine Okuefuna Commissioning Editor: Richard Maddock Editors and Executive Producers: Carl Johnston and Clare Fordham

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:04.8	You're about to listen to Gangster, the story of the Black Widow.
0:09.7	Episodes will be released weekly wherever you get your podcasts.
0:13.8	But if you're in the UK, you can listen to the full series right now, first on BBC Sounds.
0:24.8	A quick warning. This episode contains strong language and some descriptions of violence. I'm running outside with my friends playing and
0:34.1	one of the neighbours come and knocked on the door and said to me my mum, look, Neil's that's outside,
0:36.8	he's got a gun. He said, she went look, Neil's that side is he's got a gun
0:37.5	and she went, oh that's all right, he's got loads of guns.
0:34.6	I had all toy guns, all was always running around playing bad boys in there, I suppose, in them days. You was three and a half. I think this is a real one. I found it. It was behind the sofa, I think. This is a sign or shotgun for God's sakes.
0:37.3	At home with the Calvys,
0:38.5	Dad Mickey,
0:39.6	Mum Linda,
0:56.1	daughter Melanie and the guy you just heard from there, son Neil. Just three and a half
1:03.6	when he picked up his first sawed-off shotgun. Tell me what was it like growing up? I suppose
1:10.8	a little bit different from the norm.
1:13.6	I mean my mum and dad used to be called Bonnie and Clyde, by my friends.
1:17.6	Some really, really good times.
1:19.6	When we was having it good, it was really, really good.
1:22.6	Lovely houses, nice clothes, nice cars, fantastic lives.
1:27.9	And then you had the flip side, which was the polar opposite.
1:31.5	As a kid growing up, it was either you either top of the tree or use it at the bottom.
1:35.3	There was no in between.
	...

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