A single-step gateway synthesis of glochidine and its congeners that possess the rare uncommon tetrahydroimidazo[1,5-c]pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrimidine core was developed employing histamine and readily available γ-ketoesters. Key features of the developed reaction involve tandem three C–N bonds formation and concomitant annulation of two rings in one pot to access this unique and complex tricyclic structure. Exploration of the unknown bioactivity of these compounds revealed that they elicit antiproliferative activity comparable to the anticancer drug imatinib against 6 cancer cell lines.