The Road To War: Ex-Brothers For Life hardman speaks out

He’s an imposing figure who is covered in tattoos and joined his first gang at just 14. But this is what brought this ex-Brothers For Life hardman to tears.

A former hardman of the notorious Brothers for Life gang has spoken out in the middle of a fresh gang war, warning the next generation of crooks that a life in the underworld “is not a life to glorify”.

Fred Nagi is a relative of the Hamzy family and a former BFL member, who has been shot multiple times across the years. But, over the past decade, Nagi has turned his life around.

Watch episode two of The Road To War: Brothers In Strife in the video player above

In a rare move for any former member of the feared BFL gang, Nagi opened up in an interview for The Daily Telegraph’s new docu-series The Road To War about his own experiences, in an effort to deter the next generation of crooks from joining a gang.

“It’s a dark life man, it’s not something that you want to get involved in. Especially from a young age,” Nagi said.

Fred Nagi joined his first gang at just 14. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Now he’s speaking out. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“It’s not always glitz and glamour you know, things always turn ugly. That’s the deceptive part you see … you think it’s all cars, women, watches. But you can do something that can put you away for 25 years (in jail), or you can do something that can put your family in a big drama and a big mess. You might be locked up, you might be sweet, no one can get to you – but some people want collateral damage, so they might go for one of your family members.”

Nagi cuts an imposing figure. He is solidly built and has a history of professional fighting. He is also covered in tattoos. Among the highlights of his body art are the phrase “MEOC” (Middle Eastern Organised Crime), a piece on his forearm that reads “The Crime Family”, a pair of boxing gloves and the names of a number of relatives – some of them who have since been killed in gang conflict.

At one point during his interview for The Road To War, as Nagi speaks of an awakening when his wife pleaded with him to leave gang life behind, he is reduced to tears.

“Boys were getting killed, and a lot of boys got shot, passed away, I buried them with my own hands,” a tearful Nagi said.

“You lose yourself, and you can lose your family.

“There was dark moments … trying to protect myself from gunshots, here and then, other boys getting knocked (killed), it’s just a mess bro.

“It’s not something that you want to get involved in.

The tattoos on Fred Nagi, who used to be in Brothers for Life. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

The tattoo on his leg. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“If I could turn back time, I definitely wouldn’t have joined a gang, or any gangs.”

Nagi began doing drugs when he was only 12 and joined his first gang at 14.

After several decades of being an enforcer on the streets, he aligned with his relatives in BFL at its peak in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

NSW Police have rarely had to deal with as much violence as they did during the days of BFL, with countless drive-by shootings and then several murders.

At the centre of the violence was a feud between two Brothers for Life chapters – the Bankstown chapter, led by Mohammed “Little Crazy” Hamzy and the Blacktown chapter, led by Farhad Qaumi.

Despite no longer being in the underworld, Nagi continues to follow the code of silence that controls that world and makes it clear from the outset he will not talk about any individuals.

He is, however, happy to talk about his own life and ­experiences.

While Nagi was never involved in killing anyone, he was shot twice. Once by accident, another in a deliberate attack on him in 2012.

Asked what it’s like to be shot, he is understated in his reply: “It’s not good!”

“It’s scary, you know, someone trying to kill you. But you know, I’m still here,” he said.

Nagi has developed a social media following in recent years, which he uses to speak out about the reality of a life in a gang.

Catch up on episode 1 of The Road To War: ‘Til Death Do Us Part

He believes that if his efforts or this interview can deter one young person away from a life in the underworld, he will have succeeded.

“If I just save one kid, or change one kid’s mind and one kid listens … because one life that goes, is one life too many, and one life that saved is very valuable,” he said. “Look, crime don’t pay. You and your family are going to pay.

“Your mum and dad are going to be paying the lawyers.

“Your mum and dad are going to be doing the drives to the jail and back every weekend. Your mum and dad are going to be the ones up all night crying.

“Your mum and dad are going to be the ones who are ducking and weaving when the house gets sprayed (with bullets) … some people are ruthless, they don’t care, they’ll go for your mum and dad.”

Episode 3 of The Road To War: Murders on TV is out on Monday, June 30

Originally published as The Road To War: Ex-Brothers For Life hardman speaks out