Head of the Green Gang triads was Fu Sheung-lo or Du Yeungsheng, who was first introduced in Chapter 21. A real-life character, whose actions in my novel are completely fictitious.

Du as young man

Some factual data about this amazing man can be found on Wikipedia but this is an interesting youtube video of this extraordinary man who laid down the trademark of the triad gang

The Green Gang is brought up in my novel in many chapters in both Shanghai and Hong Kong. One of the largest triads, information about them can be found in Streets of Shanghai and Brian Martin has written a book about them

When I wrote about the triad ceremonies, I leaned heavily on W. P. Morgan’s Triad Societies in Hong Kong (there are not many copies of this book now available) but Wikipedia has a useful diagram which shows a hierarchy and the Mountain Lord or Dragon Head, Vanguard and  Incense Master which are mentioned in Chapter 7 when Joseph is initiated into the Sung Triad Society.

I make mention of the 36 Oaths of the Society in Chapter 1. Leung is decapitated for breaking rule 24 in my novel. All 36 oaths of the Hung Triads are shown. They have Leung’s offence as number 34 but the crime and the punishment are the same!