First King of The Cross: New Book Delves Into The History of Abe Saffron (Naked City)

Kings Cross and Darlinghurst were once ‘sin’ central in the city of Sydney but little remains these days of the infamous golden mile. The odd brothel still lingers but the strip clubs and night clubs are long gone,  leaving only a few physical reminders of its boisterous past. The names of the numerous dives and knock shops might be forgotten but one entity remains synonymous with the once glittering strip – enshrined in both legend and notoriety. It’s Abe Saffron, often referred to as the original king of Kings Cross.

There have been a number of biographies on Saffron, including one by his son Alan, and numerous newspaper profiles. ‘Saffron Incorporated’ is the latest offering from author Stuart Coupe and presents a brand new perspective, paralleling Abe’s criminal milieu with the dark side of the music and entertainment industries.

I caught up with Stuart recently and it was only fitting that we met for a coffee at the Tropicana, a café that has survived some 45 turbulent years in the KC/Darlinghurst area. It’s recently had a makeover, the old school laminex banished and replaced by a style of furniture reminiscent of a 70s cocktail lounge in the Borscht Belt of the Catskills. Nevertheless the coffee is still good.

Stuart of course needs no introduction as a highly respected music journo, author and radio broadcaster, not to mention a long time aficionado of true crime and crime fiction. ‘Saffron Incorporated’ is obviously a synthesis of all these interests.

Whilst he didn’t mix with the crims at the time, as a rock journalist, band manager and occasional promoter he brings extensive first-hand knowledge of the music biz at a time when corruption was rife, coke was aplenty and cash was king.

By no means an apologist for Saffron’s evil doings, Stuart is quick to point out that Abe was a convenient donkey at the time, on which to pin a plethora of crimes. He dismisses Saffron’s alleged involvement in the horrendous 1979 Luna Park ghost train fire – likewise the mysterious disappearance of Juanita Neilsen in 1975.

Saffron died in 2006 and his son Alan in 2020 and it’s perhaps a shame Stuart wasn’t afforded the opportunity to chat with many of their contemporaries from the golden days of the 60s, 70s and 80s. Most of course are now dead and were they still alive may well have adhered to a once enforced code of silence. Others such as the late singer Edwin Duff, who career was nurtured by Abe, were very much enamoured of their boss and delighted to say so.

Nevertheless Stuart has made excellent use of a wide variety of sources, which he documents extensively in the book. Duncan McNab’s bio of Abe, The Usual Suspect, was a great starting point and inspiration as was Louis Nowra’s Kings Cross: A biography.

Stuart has delivered a fast paced, highly entertaining book that will no doubt appeal to a wide range of readers. If you are a survivor of Sydney from the heady days of the late 60s onwards you may well wallow in its gritty nostalgia (as I did). If you’re of a more recent vintage and intrigued by tales of the Sydney underbelly that preceded, you are guaranteed to be enlightened. Or if you are simply a shameless lover of the true crime genre, it’s a book you won’t put down.

As we were leaving the Trop, a patron at a nearby table who had overheard our conversation, chimed in:

“I used to work for Abe Saffron – he was a good boss and a good man.”

It was a timely reminder, maybe a voice relayed from the grave, that not everything in the world is tabloid black and white. As Stuart writes in the book:

“…Abe Saffron, for better or worse, was one of the people who shaped a time and a place, and would set the stage for others to follow.”

You can catch Stuart in conversation with esteemed crime writer Mark Dapin for the launch of ‘Saffron Incorporated’ at Glee Books in Glebe on Wednesday 27 August from 6pm