Goldfinger's Gang

Lore & Background

In the novel, Goldfinger's network was built on his role as treasurer for SMERSH, a Soviet counterintelligence agency. He secured the participation of major American criminal groups by bribing their leaders with $15,000 in gold each and promising them at least $1 billion upon success. These allies included the real-life Purple Gang, the fictional Spangled Mob from Diamonds Are Forever, and the Cement Mixers, an all-female gang led by Pussy Galore. Goldfinger's own wealth was dispersed as gold bullion across many countries rather than held in English banks. His operation was based out of 'Enterprises Auric A.G.' in Switzerland, a front company making metal furniture for airlines like Air India. The plan involved Goldfinger driving his vintage Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost from England to Switzerland every six months, using the car's 18-carat white gold bodywork to transport bullion for SMERSH before melting it down into airplane seats.

In Their Own Story

The novel details a specific sequence where Bond is captured and tortured by Oddjob using pressure points. Goldfinger initially threatened to cut him in half with a circular saw but later forced Bond to work as his secretary. During this time, Bond discovered the plot to contaminate Fort Knox's water supply with the nerve agent GB (Sarin) before detonating an atomic bomb purchased for $1 million in Germany. Bond managed to send word of the plan by taping a note to the underside of an airplane toilet seat, which reached his colleague Felix Leiter. In the novel's climax, after the theft was foiled, Goldfinger attempted to defect to the Soviet Union with his three-ton personal hoard. Oddjob met his end when he was sucked through an airliner window after Bond pierced it with a knife. The final struggle saw Bond strangle Goldfinger to death with his bare hands in a rare fit of rage before forcing the hijacked plane to ditch in the ocean, where the weight of the gold sank them all.

Reader's Guide

To understand Goldfinger's Gang, one must distinguish between the novel and film versions of their primary objective. In the book, the goal was to steal $15 billion in gold bullion from Fort Knox and escape to the Soviet Union via cargo boat, aided by various criminal syndicates. Critics noted logistical flaws, such as the impossibility of removing that much gold quickly without intervention. The filmed version altered this significantly: Bond realizes Goldfinger intends to set off a Chinese-supplied dirty bomb inside the vault. This explosion would irradiate the gold, rendering it unusable for decades and crippling the gold standard-based economy, thereby increasing the value of Goldfinger's personal holdings. The gang's key members included Oddjob, who eliminated threats ruthlessly, and Pussy Galore, whose 'Cement Mixers' were hired as part of the operation but ultimately defected to help Bond in the film.

Did You Know?

• In the novel, Goldfinger claims to be agoraphobic as a ploy to cheat at Canasta against Junius Du Pont.
• Oddjob is described in the source as a 'monstrously strong Korean' who eliminates threats for his employer.
• Goldfinger's car bodywork was made of 18-carat (75%) solid white gold under the guise of armor plating.
• The all-female gang assisting Goldfinger, led by Pussy Galore, is called the 'Cement Mixers' in the novel.
• In the novel's ending, Oddjob dies after being sucked through an airliner window when Bond pierces it with a knife.