Frank Bilder

Biography

Growing up, Bilders had little contact with his father who was serving a life sentence for his involvement in a Belfast bombing only a month after Frank’s birth. Frank was recruited by IRA militants in his neighborhood while still in public school, and began his career as a courier. By 19, he had moved into intimidation and enforcement rackets, developing a fearsome reputation, and kept a steady income winning bare-knuckle boxing matches his fellow militants bet on in their free time. Bilders was arrested when he was 22 and sentenced to five years for ‘membership in a proscribed group’ (I.R.A). While in The Maze he was linked with at least 4 inmate deaths. His time behind bars ended after he was attacked and kneecapped in a machine shop. Frank was released after serving three years and spending six months in rehab, then abruptly disappeared from Ulster amid rumors that he’d turned informant. Between 1995 and 1999, he resurfaced in Spain, Morocco, the former Yugoslavia, Yemen and Chechnya, involved with narcotics, arms and human trafficking. Immediately following 9/11, Bilders attempted to retire and briefly settled down in South Africa.