Pierre Loutrel

Pierre Loutrel (March 5, 1916, Château-du-Loir, Sarthe - November 11, 1946), better known by his nickname of "Pierrot le fou" (Crazy Pete) was France's first "public enemy number one" and one of the leaders of the Gang des tractions.

Life

Born into a peasant family, he rapidly distinguished himself by petty thefts before profiting from the German occupation of France and using it to develop his criminal activities. From 1941 to 1944, he was a member of the Carlingue, forging a reputation as a cold-blooded murderer and carrying out more and more summary executions. He developed links with the underworld of the era, then set up his own network with Raymond Naudy, Abel Danos known as Le Mammouth, Pierre Giblaise, Fernand "Le Poulet" and Jo Attia.

However, little by little, his repeated crimes brought him to the Gestapo's attention. Sensing that the tide was changing, "Pierrot le fou" thus decided to join the French Resistance, getting them into talks with him by gunning down a German officer on the terrace of a café in Toulouse. Upon the Liberation, he renewed his acquaintance with organised crime, getting involved in racketeering and pimping and gaining a reputation as an unscrupulous crime lord. With his team, he formed the famous Gang des tractions, named after their favoured vehicle, the Citroën 11, the famous tractions avant (front-drive) cars.