Finks' rise inspired by mafia, Carlton Crew

TELEPHONE intercepts reveal the Finks' rise to power was inspired by the Mafia and the so-called Carlton Crew.

The Carlton Crew, which included Alphonse Gangitano, Mick Gatto and Jason Moran, were exposed in TV series Underbelly.

Documents also show that infamous Myspace bikie Tama Lewis has emerged as a key player in the outlaw gang's iron grip of the Glitter Strip.

Court documents reveal Lewis, real name Darren James Watson, had a meteoric rise through the ranks of the Surfers Paradise chapter as the right hand of Finks sergeant-at-arms Greg Keating, aka 25.

Keating rose to power in 2006, becoming one of the club's youngest sergeant-at-arms -- and with him rose a young crew including Tama Lewis, who became a full member in 2006.

In 2007, police found a set of knuckledusters, a set of nunchaku, a stun gun and flick knife at his Oxenford home.

Lewis claimed to earn $250,000 as a standover man and officers fear the web page could entice younger Gold Coasters to join the motorcycle gang.

Telephone intercepts reveal another side of Lewis, as a man who brazenly sold thousands of dollars in drugs in public carparks and in broad daylight.

His operation grew so quickly that Lewis soon moved much of the product from his home at Coombabah.

As his clients' debts grew, Lewis turned the debt into more money.

"That's what the Mafia used to do and that's why they were around so long. Same with the Carlton Crew down in Melbourne, the Underbelly Crew," Lewis said on police intercepts.

"That's how the (expletive) Melbourne crew (expletive), that's how they (expletive) they call all their money from doing heaps of them (pills) and (expletive) this shit (drugs) and then they turn it into loans and (expletive), you're allowed to do loans legally, so you can turn that shit and pretty much clean it (money)."

Lewis claimed to make "massive interest" and cites one client who paid $90 a week -- every week.

"A bit over a year and half and he's paid $90 a week, that's 52 weeks a year, so what's that?

"(expletive) like, 76 weeks, times that by 90 what's that ... 42 (expletive) hundred, just in interest when he paid me back the (expletive) loan back, plus some.

"He still owes the principal ... $6840, so he's paid back double, twice, and he still owes."

The evidence reveals tens of thousands of dollars raised through drugs.

Lewis was heard boasting of owning a pill press and making "thousands" of tablets.

On February, Lewis was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The dossier also details how Lewis became part of the feared "Terror Team" that headed the gang's extortion network and was tasked with "policing" the Glitter Strip.

Video footage shows team members in full colours entering various nightclubs in the party precinct.

Dealers were also given "special batches" of product, designed to lure people to the club.

When the dealers fell into debt, it was the Terror Team that dealt with the debt.

One dealer who could only pay a $500 partial payment was attacked by the gang and left with massive facial injuries.

The victim lost three teeth, suffered permanent nerve damage and needed reconstructive surgery to have metal plates inserted in his jaw.

Other young players also soon rose to prominence, with Kris Spizzeri soon earning his place on the Terror Team and became a brazen dealer, allegedly caught hiding methamphetamines in his shoes to push drugs in the nightclub strip.

Spizzeri also hit the headlines last month when his "nude assault' on a prisoner in the Southport Watchhouse was caught on police surveillance.

The footage shows Spizzeri wearing only a towel attacking an inmate with a flurry of 40 punches to the head and several kicks to the man's body.

After the assault, Spizzeri calmly dresses in shorts and walks away.

Gang insiders say Keating is one of the few who can keep the wild crew in line, with the sergeant-at-arms tasked with keeping internal discipline "by any means possible".