The infamous “Boyd Gang” two of the gang members are buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Toronto
On a late winter walk at Mount Hope Cemetery in midtown Toronto, I visited the graves of two members of the infamous Canadian bank-robbing gang: Leonard (“Lennie”) Jackson and Valent Lesso (also known as Stephen Suchan) of the legendary Boyd Gang.
Despite their crimes, the Boyd Gang gained a kind of Robin Hood–style reputation, admired for avoiding serious violence, their charisma, and the dramatic newspaper coverage of their exploits. Their leader, Edwin Alonzo Boyd, son of a Toronto police officer, added to their allure with his Hollywood good looks, enhancing the gang’s appeal despite their criminality.
The Boyd Gang carried out at least eight to ten documented bank robberies in Toronto between 1949 and 1952. Two of the core members were Valent Lesso (Steve Suchan) and Lennie Jackson.
Valent Lesso was born in Czechoslovakia on Valentine’s Day, which inspired his birth name, Valentine. Disliking the name, he later changed it to Valent. At age 18, after being raised in Northern Ontario, he moved to Toronto and adopted the tougher-sounding name Steve Suchan. In early 1951, Suchan met Lennie Jackson and became involved in plans to find riches through bank robberies.
Leonard “Lennie” Jackson, born and raised in Toronto, completed only Grade 8 before quitting school to work as a farm labourer. Seeking adventure, he hopped the rails and travelled across North America, often getting into trouble. Riding the rails eventually had tragic consequences: in 1946, he lost his grip and fell from a moving train, severing his foot.
I placed a red plastic bouquet on Jackson’s unmarked grave. Lesso monument in the background.
Suchan and Jackson, along with other gang members, were eventually captured and jailed at the Don Jail. However, after a short stay, they used smuggled makeshift tools and carefully timed their movements to avoid guards, executing a daring escape. Once free, they regrouped and resumed their crime spree, spreading fear across the city.
On March 6, 1952, Detective Sergeant Tong’s pursuit of the gang turned deadly. During a confrontation, Tong was shot by Steve Suchan. Though he initially survived, his condition worsened, and he died 17 days later at age 48. Tong’s death marked a turning point: police intensified their efforts and eventually captured Suchan and Lennie Jackson in Montreal.
I visited Detective Sergeant Edmund Tong’s grave at Pine Hills Cemetery.
Justice followed swiftly. Steve Suchan and Lennie Jackson were tried and convicted of Detective Sergeant Tong’s murder, and on December 15, 1952, they were hanged back-to-back at the Don Jail.
Funeral procession of Detective Sergeant Tong to his final resting place, Pine Hills Cemetery in Scarborough, Ontario.
Leonard Jackson died at Toronto Don Jail on December 15, 1952. He was 30. Jackson is buried in an unmarked grave.
Valentine (Valent) Lesso died at Toronto Don Jail on December 15, 1952. He was 24. A monument was placed by his family in his memory.
See my related site on the mobster, Al “Scarface” Capone.
