The Firm (EastEnders)

The Firm is a fictional gangland organisation in the popular BBC soap opera "EastEnders," probably inspired by the notorious real-life criminal gang run by the Krays.

The Firm, aka "Walford Investments", was first introduced to the show in 1988, and was represented by the sharp-suited Gregory Mantel, the lackeys Brad Williams and Joanne Francis, and the elusive boss Mr. Vinnicombe.

The Firm owned Strokes wine bar, a front for illegal gambling, which was reluctantly managed by Den Watts. It was thought by Mantel that Den, a well-known local publican, would not attract any suspicion to the illegal goings-on at the bar.

The Firm was also responsible for a protection racket involving the bar's rival, The Dagmar, which they financially ruined when the bar's owner James Willmott-Brown refused to let them buy into the place.

When Den wanted revenge on Willmot-Brown for raping his best friend's wife, he persuaded The Firm's Brad Williams to burn the place to the ground. This enraged The Firm's bosses, as it drew attention to the illegal gambling going on at Strokes.

Den was forced to take the blame for the fire at The Dagmar, and was remanded in custody, awaiting trial. The Firm mistakenly believed that Den had grassed them up to the police while in prison, and so wanted him out of the way permanently. They captured him on the way to his trial with the intention of killing him. Den, with Brad's help, managed to escape, but was tracked down to the Walford canal by Mantel. A Firm hitman shot Den with a gun hidden in a bunch of daffodils, however he survived and went on the run to Spain.

The Firm later discovered this, and Vinnicombe was killed and his body was dumped in the canal to look like Den's (his teeth were bricked out to prevent identification). Vinnicombe's body was later recovered and, owing to some lazy police work (and false evidence planted by The Firm in order to save face), buried as Den's. This would be the last storyline involving The Firm for 13 years.

The Firm was re-introduced in 2003, and was represented by Andy Hunter, Dennis Rickman, and the evil, sociopathic boss, Jack Dalton, who was said to have usurped control of The Firm from Vinnicombe and ordered Den's death. When Den survived the attempt on his life (which was initially thought to have been successful), Dalton had Vinnicombe murdered.

Dalton had taken a young Dennis Rickman under his wing, unaware that Dennis was the son Den Watts never knew he had. Dennis became a professional "hardman", and it was in this capacity that he landed himself a prison sentence for GBH.

Dalton wanted Dennis dead, and so ordered Phil Mitchell to kill him. Dennis turned the tables on Phil, and persuaded him to let him kill Dalton. Phil agreed, and Dennis confronted Dalton, who admitted that it was he who had ordered for Den Watts to be killed. Dennis revealed the truth about his parentage to Dalton, before shooting him. Dalton's last act was to reveal the fact that Den had survived the attempt on his life.

News reached Den Watts in Spain that Dalton was dead, and he returned to Walford on 29 September 2003. Andy Hunter replaced Dalton as the leader of The Firm. This was until Andy lost his position for being a "soft touch", and was thrown out of a moving car onto the doorstep of the Queen Vic. Andy was subsequently killed by rival Johnny Allen when Andy tried to double-cross him on a deal. Ironically, Den Watts was finally murdered that same night - though at the hands of his wife Chrissie, in a totally unconnected incident.

It is unknown what is going to happen to The Firm because its leaders have died and there are no members present in Walford at the moment.