Who was Peter ‘Wildman’ Mahoney?
PETER Mahoney - dubbed the "Wildman" - earned legions of fans after turning his back on crime.
The drug ring "enforcer" died in 2020 at the age of 49 - but who was the man behind the myth?
Who was Peter Mahoney?
Mahoney became known to the public through his life-long friendship with criminal-turned-crime author Shaun Attwood.
The duo grew up together in Cheshire, England, before moving to Arizona to pursue a life of crime in 1996.
Shaun detailed their meteoric rise through the criminal underworld in his book trilogy Hard Time.
Their drug ring took off through a combination of Shaun's "entrepreneurial flair" and Wildman's role as a violent enforcer.
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Later, he became known through his appearances on Shaun's True Crime podcast.
Why was Peter Mahoney known as Wildman?
Peter earned the nickname Wildman at the age of 17, according to Attwood's books.
He was given the label by an uncle, and it soon became an iconic name in the US criminal underworld.
How long did Peter Mahoney spend in prison?
After years of massive profits through selling ecstasy, the duo were eventually snared in 2002.
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A joint-force takedown saw Shaun's house raided by a SWAT team, leading both Attwood and Mahoney to be locked up.
They were imprisoned in the notorious Maricopa County Jail system under controversial Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Following his release from prison, Shaun wrote in his 2013 book Party Time: "Wild Man married and has only had three fights since his release from prison, none of which he started - all of which he won."
When did Peter Mahoney die?
Mahoney passed away in November, 2020 at the age of 49.
Although his cause of death appears to be unconfirmed, Shaun issued an urgent appeal in March 2020 for medical attention for his lifelong friend after he began showing symptoms of Covid-19.
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Tributes poured in for the former-enforcer following his sudden death.
Writing on social media, Shaun said Mahoney will be remembered as "the bravest; biggest; baddest; realest person I ever met”.