Tivoli Gardens (West Kingston), the Mother of all Garrisons, and the Men who ran it....(The Presidential Click).

In the early 1970s the rival political parties of Jamaica created an environment that fueled hundreds of political assasinations, and set the trend for Garrison leaders to rule over their communities with poltical approval and aid. Two very feared men from different garrisons took advantage of their political ties and created a network of dangerous posses, who would enforce local laws in favor of the political parties they represented. These two men were known in the streets as "Bucky Marshall", and "Claudie Massop". Bucky was so nicknamed because of his consistent and fearsome handling of Sawn-Off Shotguns. Claudie Massop was a Don man, smooth with words and highly dangerous when angered. Claudie Massop grew up with Bob Marley, they went to the same schools and knew each other for years.


Bob and Claudie had a close relationship and everyone knew that they were bonafide bredrens. Bob Marley was very much involved in speaking out against the political system of Jamaica, as well as the corrupt poltical systems of the world. Claudie Massop was a garrison leader and he represented Tivoli Gardens. The political messages in Bob Marley`s songs incited some rival factions to make an attempt on his life. 3 days before Bob was scheduled to perform some very political lyrics at a concert, he was ambushed in his home and although he survived being shot a couple of times, some of his friends who were in his home died. 3 days later Bob still went on to perform at this concert, and when asked why did he continue to perform he replied saying, "The Wicked don't take days off from doing Wickedness, so how can I take a day off from doing righteousness".


Bob Marley later on was forced to go into exile in London (Uk) because of some future attempts on his life. While in London in exile, Bob called a secret meeting with Garrison leaders Bucky Marshall and Claudie Massop. The agenda of the meeting was to set up a political party of their own and protect and serve the people of Jamaica who were unjustly oppressed by their corrupt political parties and goverment officials. It was rumored that Claudie Massop was to head this party, his violent nature never over-shadowed his eloquence. But this plan was soon buried when upon returning one evening from a soccer match, Claudie was stopped by police, and was gunned down in cold blood, with dozens of eyewitnesses saying that Claudie was gunned down despite having both hands raised in the air, which is a universal gesture of surrender.....!!!


Soon thereafter Jim Brown became the Don and Garrison leader of Tivoli Gardens. Jim was a mild tempered man with great admiration and respect from his enemies as well as his friends. Jim was a close friend of Vivian Blake, the man thought to be the alleged leader of the notorious "Shower Posse Gang", which riddled New york, Miami, D.c. Conneticut, and Jamaica with thousands of bullets. Jim had traveled outside of Tivoli Gardens, but would always come back to take care of his home, where he was born and bred (Tivoli Gardens).


Jim Brown was a feared man throughout the Caribbean and the United States. But Jim Brown, like Claudie Massop, was responsible for the law and order in Tivoli, which few ever violated, out of fear of death or torture. During the era of Claudie Massop and Jim Brown, Tivoli Gardens was viewed as one of the safest places to be in all of Jamaica`s garrisons, and this was due in part to the respect and fear that Jim had over Tivoli Gardens. The leaders of the political parties abused their relationships with the Garrison leaders, which led to the garrison leaders forming new alliances and proclaiming themselves Dons of their garrisons and commiting harsh acts of defiance against these political parties that they used to represent. Jim Brown however became mixed up in the drug trade and faced some murder charges in Jamaica and the US. Jim was able to evade capture for years, but he was finally caught and sent to prison in Jamaica, where he would later die, due to a mysterious fire set in his cell. He was survived by two of his sons, one who tried to take over Tivoli, but was murdered shortly thereafter. Then Jim`s other son Duddas took control of Tivoli Gardens. Some say that he was even more powerful than his father. He formed an alliance with neighboring garrison leaders and created the Presidential Click and was named garrison leader and Don of Tivoli Gardens. He too would later die as he was murdered as well. The legacy and fame of Jim Brown was so well known that Buju Banton, in his song "Top ah Top", makes mention of Jim Brown, "Jim Brown was the man who was the real Top ah Top"....!!!


Tivoli Gardens (West Kingston), the mother of all garrisons, has long been the center of political power in the Island of Jamaica. Edward Seaga leader of the Jamaican Labor Party forged alliances with Tivoli Garden Dons that would only be breached through death. Tivoli Gardens shares a story which is as gruesome as it is boastful, the killings that took places consecutively over the decades, still did not over-shadow the glory of it`s Garrison leaders....!! As the Dance hall dee jay Alozade says, "Let me tell you bout garden".......Crazy...Crazy...!!