Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also Vill, the) Pentonville prison, London.

1926		N. Lucas London and its Criminals 185: Between the two comes Pentonville, or the ‘Ville’ as it is known in the Underworld.
1938		J. Curtis They Drive by Night 13: The Scrubbs, Wandsworth and twice in the Ville.
1941		V. Davis Phenomena in Crime 113: He found the time [...] to be in attendance outside the walls of Wandsworth and the ’Ville.
1956		‘Charles Raven’ Und. Nights 41: As the trick-cyclist at the Ville would have said.
1958		F. Norman Bang To Rights 172: I was in the Vill at the time and there was a young geezer there who was waiting to get topped.
1962		R. Cook Crust on its Uppers 41: He nearly topped a screw up at the Ville.
1981		(con. 1900–30) A. Harding in Samuel East End Und. 284: The Ville – Pentonville prison. ‘Have you been away?’ (i.e. to a big convict establishment). ‘No, I’ve only been to the Ville.’.
1984		‘Derek Raymond’ He Died with His Eyes Open 112: He [...] looked older because of the bags under his eyes, which could have been sewn into his face up at the Ville.
2000		J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 159: The tenant is up the Cally, in the Ville, doing six months for being a nuisance to society.
2007		N. ‘Razor’ Smith Raiders 50: I had only been in ther ’Ville for a couple of days.

2. (US) Greenwich Village, NYC.

2000

P. Beatty Tuff 187: Spencer turned up the volume even louder and asked where to. ‘The Ville,’ Winston said. ‘The Ville.’.