A ONE-TIME key associate of slain gangster Martin ‘The General’ Cahill has died, the Irish Sun has learned.
Brute Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Kavanagh, a relative of fallen Kinahan No2 Thomas ‘Bomber’ Kavanagh, passed away suddenly at his home in the capital on Wednesday.
Brute Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Kavanagh died at his home this week[/caption]
The thug, understood to have been aged in his late 60s, previously served seven years of a 12-year sentence for abducting former National Irish Bank director Jim Lacey and members of his family at their Blackrock home in November 1993.
Kavanagh was convicted of robbery, possession of a handgun with intent to commit an offence and demanding cash with menaces with intention to steal.
The brazen criminal claimed that he had himself been kidnapped by a gang who coerced him to bring Mr Lacey to the National Irish Bank on College Green.
Although £300,000 was taken, it was much less than the millions the Cahill gang had planned to steal.
As part of this ploy, sources explained how Kavanagh allowed Cahill shoot him in the leg two months after the kidnapping.
Kavanagh, who had only suffered a flesh wound, told gardai he was targeted because he had not carried out the instructions of the gang who orchestrated the kidnapping.
But the concocted story and move was rejected by the Special Criminal Court, and Kavanagh was locked up.
It was the Cahill gang’s last big job before its leader was shot dead in 1994.
Sources who dealt with Kavanagh say he was a “depraved” and “vile” character, who assaulted gardai while in custody multiple times.
He was part of Cahill’s inner circle, alongside Martin ‘The Viper’ Foley, John ‘The Coach’ Traynor, and Martin Cunningham, from the 70s into the 90s.
‘DANGEROUS CHARACTER’
One source told the Irish Sun: “Martin Cahill kept the likes of Kavanagh very close.
“Cahill had carried out a favour for Kavanagh previously. Cahill then held it over Kavanagh and used him.
“Kavanagh himself was a bad egg, a sleeveen and a highly dangerous character.”
NEPHEWS KILLED
Kavanagh’s nephews Gerard – nicknamed ‘Hatchet’ – and Paul worked for the Kinahan cartel.
But both were later whacked by the deadly mob in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Kavanagh is also related to ‘Bomber’, who was the second in command for the cartel before being locked up in the UK for two decades for drug trafficking.
Kavanagh’s funeral notice says his funeral is “private for family and close friends.”
