Kray Twins: Ronald & Reginald Kray
The Kray twins, Reginald (left) and Ronald, photographed by David Bailey
Born	24 October 1933 London, England
Died	Ronnie:March 17, 1995 (aged 61) Slough, England Reggie:October 01, 2000 (aged 66) London, England
Alias(s)	Ronnie & Reggie
Conviction(s)	Murders of George Cornell and Jack "the Hat" McVitie
Penalty	In 1968 both were sentenced to life imprisonment, with a non-parole period of thirty years.
Occupation	Club owners
Spouse	Reggie married Frances Shea in 1965
Parents	Charles Kray and Violet Lee

Ronald "Ronnie" Kray (24 October 1933 – 17 March 1995) and Reginald "Reggie" Kray (24 October 1933 – 1 October 2000) were identical twin brothers, and the foremost organised crime leaders dominating London's East End during the 1950s and 1960s. Ronald, commonly referred to as Ron or Ronnie, was said to be bisexual and suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.^[1] The Krays were involved in armed robberies, arson, protection rackets, violent assaults including torture and the murders of Jack "the hat" McVitie and George Cornell. As West End nightclub owners they mixed with well-known names such as Diana Dors, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland as well as politicians. This gave them a perceived respectability and in the 1960s became celebrities in their own right being photographed by the likes of David Bailey and appearing in interviews on television. Image File history File links Krays. ... This article is about the English photographer. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Slough (pronounced ) is a town and unitary authority (Borough of Slough) in England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in Leap years). ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Jack The Hat McVite [Jack McVitie] was a London criminal, most notably as an enforcer and hitman for the Kray Twins criminal organization known as The Firm. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Fraternal twin boys in the tub The term twin most notably refers to two individuals (or one of two individuals) who have shared the same uterus (womb) and usually, but not necessarily, born on the same day. ... Organized crime is crime carried out systematically by formal criminal organizations. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The term East End is most commonly used to refer to the East End of London. ... “Bisexual” redirects here. ... Schizophrenia is a psychiatric diagnosis denoting a persistent, often chronic, mental illness variously affecting behavior, thinking, and emotion. ... Robbery is the crime of seizing property through violence or intimidation. ... The Skyline Parkway Motel in Afton, Virginia after an arson fire on July 9, 2004. ... A protection racket is an extortion scheme whereby a powerful organization coerces individuals or businesses to pay protection money which allegedly serves to purchase the organizations protection services against various external threats, whereas the actual threat comes from the organization itself. ... For other uses, see Torture (disambiguation). ... Ronald Kray (October 24, 1933 - March 17, 1995) and Reginald Kray (1933 - 2000) were twin brothers, and the foremost organised crime leaders in London in the 1960s. ... George Cornell (c. ... Diana Dors (October 23, 1931 – May 4, 1984) was an English actress and sex symbol. ... Sinatra redirects here. ... Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 - June 22, 1969) was an Academy Award-nominated American film actress and singer, best known for her role as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939). ... David Bailey CBE (born January 2, 1938 in Leytonstone, London) is a celebrated and famous English photographer. ...

They were eventually arrested on May 9, 1968 and convicted in 1969 by the efforts of a dedicated squad of detectives led by Detective Superintendent Leonard ("Nipper") Read, and were both sentenced to life imprisonment. is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime, nominally for the entire remaining life of the prisoner, but in fact for a period which varies between jurisdictions: many countries have a maximum possible period of time (usually 50 years) a prisoner may be incarcerated, or require the...

Early life

Ronnie and Reggie Kray were born on 24 October 1933 in Hoxton, in the East End of London, to Charles David "Charlie" Kray Senior (born 1906 - 1983), a wardrobe dealer, and Violet Lee (1910 - 1982).^[2] Reggie was born 10 minutes before Ronnie. Charlie and Violet already had a six-year old son, also called Charlie, who was born in 1926. A sister, Violet, born 1929, died in infancy. When the twins were three years old they were struck down with diphtheria and recovered. is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hoxton Square. ... The term East End is most commonly used to refer to the East End of London. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Until 1939, having previously lived in Stene Street, Hoxton, the Kray family moved to 178 Vallance Road, Bethnal Green. At the start of the Second World War, Charlie Kray Senior was called up into the army, but deserted and went on the run for 12 years. During this time he roamed the country, buying and selling silver, gold and clothing. He saw little of his sons, who grew close to their mother during his absence. Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

The twins first attended Wood Close School and then Daneford Street School. There they said to have shown none of their future criminal tendencies. A teacher said of them: "Salt of the earth, the twins; never the slightest trouble to anyone who knew how to handle them." "If there was anything to be done in school, they'd be utterly co-operative… they'd always be the first to help. Nothing was too much trouble."^[3]

The influence of their grandfather, Jimmy "Cannonball" Lee, led both boys into amateur boxing, which was at that time a popular working-class pursuit for boys in the East End. An element of rivalry between them spurred them on, and they achieved some success. They are said never to have lost a bout before turning professional at age 28. For other senses of these words, see boxing (disambiguation) or boxer (disambiguation). ... Statue of a coal miner in Charleston, WV, USA. Working class is a term used in academic sociology and in ordinary conversation. ...

National service

The Kray twins became famous locally for their gang and the mayhem they caused. They narrowly avoided prison several times and in early 1952 they were called up for National Service. They deserted several times, each time being recaptured. Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... National service is a common name for compulsory or voluntary military service programs. ...

While absent without leave, the twins assaulted a police officer who had spotted them and was trying to arrest them. They were jailed for a month and afterwards sent to Shepton Mallet military prison in Somerset awaiting court-martial. Their behaviour in prison was allegedly so bad that in the end they were given a dishonourable discharge from the service; for the last few weeks of their imprisonment, when their fate was a certainty anyway, they ruled the holding room they were in. They threw tantrums, upended their latrine bucket over a sergeant, handcuffed a guard to the prison bars with a pair of stolen cuffs, and burned their bedding. Eventually they were discharged, but not before escaping from the guardhouse and being recaptured by the army one last time. AWOL can also stand for: Alcohol Without Liquid AWOL is an acronym for the United States and other armed forces expression Absent WithOut Leave or Absence Without Official Leave. The United States Marine Corps uses the term Unauthorized Absence (UA) instead. ... Shepton Mallet Prison HMP Shepton Mallet, sometimes known as Cornhill, is a prison located in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England. ... This article is about the county of Somerset in England. ... A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. ... A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from his or her obligation to serve. ...

It was during this period that Ron started to show the first signs of mental illness. He would refuse to eat, shave only one side of his face and suffer wild mood swings, sitting still for hours before erupting into a violent frenzy. It is not clear whether at this stage it was another prank to annoy their guards, or if Ron had become unbalanced.

Criminal careers

Nightclub owners

Their criminal record and dishonourable discharge having ended their boxing careers, the twins turned to crime. They bought a local run-down snooker club in Bethnal Green, this was where they starting several protection rackets. By the end of the 1950s, the Krays were involved in hijacking, armed robbery and arson, through which means they acquired a small empire of clubs and other properties. In 1960 Reggie Kray was incarcerated for 18 months on charges of running a protection racket and related threats, and whilst he was in prison, Peter Rachman, the head of a violent landlord operation, gave Ronnie the Esmeralda's Barn a nightclub in Knightsbridge. This increased the Kray's influence in the West End of London, and with celebrities and famous people, rather than East End criminals. They were assisted by banker Alan Cooper who wanted protection from the Kray's rivals the Richardsons who were based in South London.^[4] Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a large baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. ... A protection racket is an extortion scheme whereby a powerful organization coerces individuals or businesses to pay protection money which allegedly serves to purchase the organizations protection services against various external threats, whereas the actual threat comes from the organization itself. ... Robbery is the crime of seizing property through violence or intimidation. ... The Skyline Parkway Motel in Afton, Virginia after an arson fire on July 9, 2004. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Knightsbridge is a street and district spanning the City of Westminster and theRoyal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London notable for its eclectic mix of rich, famous, and international residents including several billionaires Roman Abramovich, oligarchs from Russia, China and India, international businessman Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge, trend setters Charles... The Richardson Gang was a 1960s group of criminals in South London, England. ... South London area South London (known colloquially as South of the River) is the area of London south of the River Thames. ...

Celebrity status

In the 1960s, they were widely seen as prosperous and charming celebrity nightclub owners and were part of the 'swinging' London scene. A large part of their fame was due to their non-criminal activities as popular figures on the celebrity circuit, being photographed by David Bailey on more than one occasion; and socialised with show business characters such as the actors George Raft, Judy Garland, Diana Dors, Barbara Windsor and singer Frank Sinatra. Laser lights illuminate the dance floor at a Gatecrasher dance music event in Sheffield, England A nightclub (or night club or club) is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. ... David Bailey CBE (born January 2, 1938 in Leytonstone, London) is a celebrated and famous English photographer. ... Show business is a vernacular term for the business of entertainment. ... Raft in They Drive by Night George Raft (September 26, 1895 - November 24, 1980) was an American film actor most closely identified with his portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. ... Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 - June 22, 1969) was an Academy Award-nominated American film actress and singer, best known for her role as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939). ... Diana Dors (October 23, 1931 – May 4, 1984) was an English actress and sex symbol. ... Barbara Ann Deeks MBE (born 6 August 1937), better known as Barbara Windsor, sometimes known as Babs Windsor, is an English actress. ... Sinatra redirects here. ...

Ronnie Kray: "They were the best years of our lives. They called them the swinging sixties. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones were rulers of pop music, Carnaby Street ruled the fashion world...and me and my brother ruled London. We were fucking untouchable". From Ronnie Kray's autobiographical book My Story^[5] The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... This article is about the rock band. ... For other uses, see Pop music (disambiguation). ... Londons Carnaby Street is in the district of Soho and just to the east of Regent Street. ...

Lord Boothby

The Krays also came into the public eye when Ron's homosexual relationship with Lord Boothby, a UK Conservative Party politician, was alluded to in an exposé in the tabloid newspaper Sunday Mirror. Although no names were printed, Boothby threatened to sue, the newspaper backed down, sacked its editor, apologised, and paid Boothby £40,000 in an out-of-court settlement. ^[6] As a result, other newspapers were less willing to uncover the Krays connections and mis-deeds. Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... Robert John Graham Boothby, Baron Boothby (also known as Bob Boothby), KBE (1900 - 16 July 1986) was a Scottish Unionist Party politician. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... A tabloid is a newspaper — especially in the United Kingdom — that uses the tabloid format, which is roughly 23½ by 14¾ inches per spread. ... Alternate newspaper: The Daily Mirror (Australia) The Daily Mirror is a popular British tabloid daily newspaper. ...

The criminal activities of the twins came to the attention of the police several times, but the Kray name had such a fearsome reputation for violence that witnesses were too scared to come forward to testify. There was also a political problem. It was not in the governing Conservative Party's interests to press the police to end the Krays' power lest the Boothby connection was again publicised and was proved to be true. It was equally not in the opposition Labour Party's interests to press for action on the Krays, because Labour Party MP Tom Driberg was also rumoured to have had a relationship with Ronnie. ^[7] The result was that the police were under no pressure to arrest them. The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Thomas Edward Neil Driberg, Baron Bradwell (May 22, 1905—August 12, 1976) was a British journalist and politician who was an influential member on the left of the UK Labour party from the 1940s to the 1970s. ...

Frank Mitchell

The once-notorious Blind Beggar pub in Whitechapel Road in quieter times. (November 2005)

On December 12, 1965 the Krays assisted Frank Mitchell (nicknamed "The Mad Axeman")^[8] in escaping from Dartmoor Prison. Ronnie Kray had befriended Mitchell when they served time together in another prison. Mitchell felt the authorities should review his case for parole, so Ronnie felt he would be doing him a favour by getting him out of Dartmoor, highlighting his case in the media and thereby forcing the authorities to act. Once Mitchell was out of Dartmoor, the Krays held him at a friend's flat in Barking Road. However as a large man with a mental disorder, they found him difficult to deal with and decided the only course of action was to get rid of him. His body has never been found and the Krays were eventually acquitted of his murder.^[9] Freddie Foreman, a former member of The Firm, in his published autobiography Respect claimed that Mitchell was shot and the body disposed of in the sea. Although it is said the Kray twins did not actually kill Mitchell, they were accessories. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (449x800, 217 KB) Summary The Blind Beggar, Whitechapel Road, Tower Hamlets, London. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (449x800, 217 KB) Summary The Blind Beggar, Whitechapel Road, Tower Hamlets, London. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Located in Princetown, England, high on Dartmoor, Dartmoor Prison presents a bleak and formidable sight. ... It has been suggested that Medical parole be merged into this article or section. ... Brown Bread Freddie Foreman (b. ...

George Cornell

They were also implicated in the death of George Cornell, he was shot in the notorious Blind Beggar in Whitechapel by Ronnie on 9 March 1966. There had been a confrontation Christmas 1965 between The Krays and Richardsons at the Astor Club when a known associate of the Richardson's, George Cornell, referred to Ronnie Kray as a "fat poof". The result was a gang war between the two, and Kray associate Richard Hart was murdered at Mr Smith's Club in Catford on March 8, 1966. Ronnie Kray revenged Hart's death by shooting George Cornell in The Blind Beggar public house situated in Whitechapel Road. Due to intimidation, witnesses would not co-operate with police inquiries.^[10] George Cornell (c. ... The Blind Beggar is a pub located at 337 Whitechapel Road, Whitechapel, London. ... Whitechapel is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, United Kingdom. ... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... , Catford is an area in the London Borough of Lewisham, England. ... is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ...

Jack "the hat" McVitie

Their criminal activities continued hidden behind their celebrity status and "legitimate" businesses. In October 1967, Reg was persuaded by his brother to kill Jack "the Hat" McVitie, a minor member of the Kray gang who had failed to fulfil a £1,500 contract paid to him in advance by the Krays to kill Leslie Payne, was said to have infuriated Ronnie. McVitie was lured to a basement flat in Evering Road, Hackney on the pretense of a "party". As soon as he entered, Reg Kray pointed a handgun at his head and pulled the trigger twice, but the gun failed to discharge. Ronnie Kray then held McVitie in a bearhug and Reg Kray was handed a carving knife. He stabbed McVitie in the face and stomach driving it deep into his neck, twisting the blade, continuing as McVitie lay on the floor dying.^[11] Several other members of The Firm including the Lambrianou brothers (Tony and Chris) were convicted of this. McVitie's body has never been found. Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Jack The Hat McVite [Jack McVitie] was a London criminal, most notably as an enforcer and hitman for the Kray Twins criminal organization known as The Firm. ... Hackney is the principal area of the London Borough of Hackney in East London. ...

Arrest and trial

When Inspector Leonard "Nipper" Read of Scotland Yard was promoted to the Murder Squad, his first assignment was to bring down the Kray twins. It was not his first involvement with Reg and Ron; during the first half of 1964 Read had been investigating their activities, but the publicity and official denials surrounding allegations of Ron's relationship with Boothby had made all the evidence he had collected useless. Read attacked the problem of convicting the twins with renewed activity in 1967, but frequently came up against the famed East End "wall of silence", which discouraged anyone from providing information to the police. New Scotland Yard, London New Scotland Yard, it blowwsssss often referred to simply as Scotland Yard or The Yard, is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service, responsible for policing Greater London (although not the City of London itself). ... Also known as a Major Investigation Team and abbreviated to MIT. Murder Investigation Teams are the specialised homicide squads of Londons Metropolitan Police Service. ...

Nevertheless, by the end of 1967 Read had built up a substantial body of evidence against the Krays. There were a number of witness statements incriminating them, as well as other evidence, but none of it added up to a convincing case on any one charge. Most of the statements were given on the condition that they were not used until the Krays were in detention, making a warrant almost impossible to obtain.

Early in 1968 the twins had sent a man named Elvey to Glasgow to buy explosives for rigging a car bomb. Police detained him in Scotland and he confessed he had been involved in three botched murder attempts. However, this evidence was seriously weakened by the heavy involvement of a man named Cooper, who claimed to be an agent for the United States Treasury Department investigating links between the American mafia and the Kray gang. The botched murder attempts were his work, in an attempt to pin something on the Krays. Read tried using Cooper as a trap for Ron and Reg, but they stayed away from him. Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... The United States Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department, a treasury, of the United States government established by an Act of U.S. Congress in 1789 to manage the revenue of the United States government. ... This article is about the criminal society. ...

Life sentence

Eventually, a high-level Scotland Yard conference decided to arrest the Krays on the evidence already collected, in the hope that other witnesses would be forthcoming once the Krays were in custody. Early on 9 May 1968, the Krays and a number of the senior members of their "firm" were arrested. Their reign of intimidation over, many witnesses came forward, and it was relatively easy to gain a conviction. The twins did not really have a defence, other than flat denials of all charges, and discrediting witnesses by pointing out their criminal pasts. Both were sentenced to life imprisonment, with a non-parole period of thirty years, for the murders of Cornell and McVitie. Their brother Charlie was jailed for 10 years for his part in the murders. New Scotland Yard, London New Scotland Yard, it blowwsssss often referred to simply as Scotland Yard or The Yard, is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service, responsible for policing Greater London (although not the City of London itself). ... is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime, nominally for the entire remaining life of the prisoner, but in fact for a period which varies between jurisdictions: many countries have a maximum possible period of time (usually 50 years) a prisoner may be incarcerated, or require the...

Imprisonment

On August 11, 1982 under tight security, Ronnie and Reggie Kray were allowed to attend the funeral of their mother Violet who died of cancer the week before. But they were not allowed to attend the graveside service which was held at Chingford Mount cemetery in Essex where their mother was interred in the Kray family burial plot. The service was attended by a number of celebrities including Diana Dors and underworld figures known to the Krays.^[12] Ronnie and Reggie did not request to attend their father's funeral when he died in March 1983. This was to avoid the publicity that surrounded their mother's funeral. is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Chingford is a town in London Borough of Waltham Forest. ... For other meanings of Essex, see Essex (disambiguation). ...

Ron was bisexual and generally preferred the company of other men. However, he married a woman while at Broadmoor. Before his marriage, Ron had frequently berated Reg for his relationships with women. In human sexuality, bisexuality describes a man or woman having a sexual orientation to persons of either or both sexes (a man or woman who sexually likes both sexes; people who are sexually and/or romantically attracted to both males and females). ...

Ronnie was eventually once more certified insane and lived out the remainder of his life detained in Broadmoor Hospital, Crowthorne, dying on 17 March 1995 of a massive heart attack aged 61. His funeral held on 29 March 1995 was a huge event with people lining the streets. Location of Broadmoor Hospital at grid reference SU8464 in the United Kingdom Broadmoor Hospital is a high security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in Berkshire, England. ... Crowthorne is also a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa Crowthorne is a small town and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI), more commonly known as a heart attack, is a disease state that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is interrupted. ... is the 88th day of the year (89th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

Reggie Kray was Category A prisoner, this means one who is denied almost all liberties, and cannot mix with other prisoners. He served over the recommended 30 years he was jailed for in 1969. He was freed from Norfolk's Wayland Prison on 26 August 2000 he was almost sixty-seven years of age. He was reluctantly released on compassionate grounds as a result of having inoperable cancer. He spent the final days of his life in a suite at the Townhouse Hotel at Norwich, having left Norwich Hospital on 22 September 2000. On 1 October 2000, Reggie Kray died in his sleep. Ten days later he was buried alongside his brother Ronnie. Norfolk (IPA: //) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... Wayland Prison is a prison in the county of Norfolk, England located near the village of Griston. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... Norwich (pronounced IPA: ) is a city in East Anglia, in Eastern England. ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ...

Elder brother Charlie Kray was released in 1975 after serving seven years, but returned to prison in 1997 for conspiracy to smuggle cocaine worth £39m in an undercover drugs sting. He died of natural causes on 4 April 2000, just six months before Reg's death.^[13] Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ...

Controversies

Many believe the Krays sentences were harsher than was deserved and that they were being made an example of.^[14] The Kray twins were tried as separate, responsible adults. Ronnie dominated his brother. He was also a paranoid schizophrenic.^[15] For other senses of this word, see paranoia (disambiguation). ... Schizophrenia (from the Greek word σχιζοφρένεια, or shjzofreneja, meaning split mind) is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a mental disorder characterized by impairments in the perception or expression of reality and by significant social or occupational dysfunction. ...

There was a highly publicised long-running campaign, with celebrity support, to have the twins released from prison, but successive Home Secretaries vetoed the idea. The Secretary of State for the Home Department (the Home Secretary) is the chief United Kingdom government minister responsible for law and order in England and Wales; his or her remit includes policing, the criminal justice system, the prison service, internal security, and matters of citizenship and immigration. ...

The campaign gathered momentum after the release of a film based on their lives called The Krays in 1990 starring ex-members of Spandau Ballet brothers Martin Kemp who played the role of Ronnie and his brother Gary Kemp played the role of Reggie. The Krays is a 1990 film based on the lives and crimes of the British gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray, twins who are often referred to as The Krays. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Spandau Ballet was a popular English band in the 1980s. ... Martin Kemp in the role of Steve Owen, EastEnders Martin Kemp (born 10 October 1961), brother of Gary Kemp, is a British actor and former pop musician. ... Gary Kemp Gary Kemp (born 16 October 1959, in Islington, London) is an English pop artist who was the leader and chief songwriter for the 1980s New Romantic band Spandau Ballet. ...

Many times in his career, Reg Kray expressed a desire to leave crime and "go straight", but each time was prevented either by persuasion from Ron, or by the knowledge that Ron would not cope on his own. Reg's several attempted murders, and the murder of Jack McVitie, were all done at Ron's prompting, to show that he was equal to Ron's earlier murders. Reg was also regarded^{[citation needed]} as by far the quieter and less volatile of the twins, less likely to automatically react with violence or aggression, and perhaps steering the organisation away from additional trouble over the years. Reggie once wrote: "I seem to have walked a double path most of my life. Perhaps an extra step in one of those directions might have seen me celebrated rather than notorious."^[16] Ronald Kray (October 24, 1933 - March 17, 1995) and Reginald Kray (1933 - 2000) were twin brothers, and the foremost organised crime leaders in London in the 1960s. ...

Reg's marriage to Frances Shea in 1965 lasted only eight weeks, although the marriage was never formally ended. She committed suicide in 1967.^[17]

When Ron spent three years in prison, Reg is said to have turned the "firm" around, putting it on a sound financial footing, and removing many of the more violent and less appealing aspects, if not actually turning it legal. Some speculate that without Ron, Reg could have turned the "firm" into one of the largest and most successful criminal organisations in Europe; however, the Kray business was always built on their reputation for savage violence, and it was Ron who was principally responsible for orchestrating it. The twins were never able to cope well apart.^{[citation needed]}

In popular culture

In film

• The Krays (1990), written by the Bethnal Green-born artist and dramatist Philip Ridley, starred brothers Gary and Martin Kemp of the band Spandau Ballet as the Krays.

• The Long Good Friday (1980) used the Kray Twins as inspiration for the protagonist Harold Shand. Bob Hoskins, who played Shand, reportedly received a letter from the Krays in prison congratulating him on his presentation of a London Gangster in the film.

The Krays is a 1990 film based on the lives and crimes of the British gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray, twins who are often referred to as The Krays. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Philip Ridley is a multi-talented artist born in London, England. ... Gary Kemp Gary Kemp (born 16 October 1959, in Islington, London) is an English pop artist who was the leader and chief songwriter for the 1980s New Romantic band Spandau Ballet. ... Martin Kemp in the role of Steve Owen, EastEnders Martin Kemp (born 10 October 1961), brother of Gary Kemp, is a British actor and former pop musician. ... Spandau Ballet was a popular English band in the 1980s. ... The Long Good Friday (1980) is a British gangster film starring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... // Harold Shand is the protagonist of the 1980 British gangster film The Long Good Friday. He is portrayed by British actor Bob Hoskins. ... Robert William Bob Hoskins Jr. ... Ronald Kray (1933 - 1995) and Reginald Kray (1933 - 2000) were twin brothers, and the foremost organised crime leaders in London in the 1960s. ...

In video games

• In The Getaway, a gangster named Charlie Jolson says that he used to run London "with real men like Ronnie and Reggie".

• In the The Getaway: Black Monday Danny introduces Arthur, the cleaner of the operation, saying "He used to work for the Krays ya know."

The Getaway is a driving/shooting video game series, developed in the United Kingdom by London-based Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) subsidiary, Team SOHO, and released in December of 2002. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Getaway is a driving/shooting video game series, developed in the United Kingdom by London-based Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) subsidiary, Team SOHO, and released in December of 2002. ...

In television

Association with (or former association with) the Krays is also seen as a sign of prestige in many differing social circles, or an indication of cockney authenticity. This attitude was spoofed in the British television series The Young Ones with Robbie Coltrane as a bouncer claiming "...and I was at Violet's funeral", a reference to the twins' mother. St Mary-le-Bow The term cockney is often used to refer to working-class people of London, particularly east London, and the slang used by these people. ... The Young Ones was a popular British sitcom, first seen in 1982, which aired on BBC2. ... For the jazz saxophonist, see Ravi Coltrane. ...

• The long-running TV drama EastEnders has featured a gangland organisation called The Firm.
• EastEnders characters, Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell are modelled on The Krays, hence their names, Ronnie and Roxy. As Reggie is a male name, for the EastEnders role of The Mitchell sisters, the name was changed to Roxy.
• They were also the inspiration behind the Monty Python "Piranha Brothers" sketch. This sketch was rooted in fact; even the tale of nailing someone to the floor is based on the murder of Jack "the Hat" McVitie, who was pinned to the floor with a long knife.
• The British TV series Waking the Dead featured a two parter called Deathwatch in which the cold-case detectives investigate a murder related to a pair of East End gangster brothers from the early 60's called the Suttons who were clearly based on the Krays--One was described as a psychotic and the photos used to depict them in the episodes are very similar to those of the Krays.
• In 1991, a children's TV puppet show called The Winjin Pom featured two crow siblings called Ronnie and Reggie (the "Crows") who were always after the goodies to steal their magical campervan named after the show title, but always failed miserably.
• Kate Kray - the widow of Ronnie Kray, introduces us to the glamorous yet restricted lives of women who have married gangsters in the documentary Gangster's Wives.
• Comic Strip did their take on the Krays with Alexei Sayle in the roles of both twins, as the notorious Moss Brothers, Carl and Sterling, in Didn't You Kill My Brother?

EastEnders is a popular BBC television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985[4] and continuing to date. ... 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. ... EastEnders is a popular BBC television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985[4] and continuing to date. ... Veronica Ronnie Mitchell is a fictional character in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. ... Roxanne Roxy Mitchell is a fictional character in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. ... Monty Python, or The Pythons, is the collective name of the creators of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. ... Ethel the Frog is a Monty Python sketch. ... Jack The Hat McVite [Jack McVitie] was a London criminal, most notably as an enforcer and hitman for the Kray Twins criminal organization known as The Firm. ... Waking the Dead is a BBC TV programme following the work of a special police team who investigate cold cases; usually murders that took place a number of years ago that were never solved. ... The Winjin Pom is a television puppet series about a talking British caravan, renowned for his moaning, and five Australians who live and travel in him. ... This article is about the comic strip, the sequential art form as published in newspapers and on the Internet. ... Alexei David Sayle (b. ... Didnt You Kill My Brother? was an episode of the satirical Comic Strip TV comedy series in which Alexei Sayle plays both halves of a pair of gangster twins, not so loosely modelled on the Kray twins, the notorious Moss Brothers (also the name of a well known dress...

In literature

• There are many books about their reign of terror including several written by themselves: among the most critically acclaimed :
• A Way of Life: Over Thirty Years of Blood, Sweat and Tears by Reggie Kray - published 2001 ISBN 0330485-11-3
• My Story by Ron Kray - published 1994 ISBN 0330335-07-3
• Born Fighter by Reg Kray - published 1991 ISBN 0099878-10-0
• Our Story by Reg & Ron Kray - published 1989 ISBN 0330308-18-1
• Inside the Firm: The Untold Story of the Krays' Reign of Terror by Tony Lambrianou - published 2002 ISBN 0330490-14-1
• The Profession of Violence: Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins by John Pearson - published 1995 ISBN 000638-3-71-8
• The Cult of Violence: The Untold Story of the Krays by John Pearson - published 2002 ISBN 0752847-94-5
• In J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, the main villain, Lord Voldemort is so feared that most wizards and witches refer to him as 'You-Know-Who' or 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'. According to Rowling, this was inspired by the Kray twins' very names being taboo. ^[18]
• The Kray twins are mentioned frequently in the first novel by Jake Arnott, The Long Firm (1999), where the main character Harry Starks is a fictional homosexual East End gangster in the 1960s who has a criminal career similar to the Krays.
• The Kray twins are mentioned in the second part of Tu rostro mañana, a novel by Javier Marías. One of the characters refers to them in order to explain why he carries a sword in his overcoat.
• Carol Ann Duffy has written a poem entitled "The Kray Sisters", in which she changes the story of the Kray twins into a women's format. There are clear links to the original story, with characters in the poem such as "Cannonball Vi", a clear mix of the twins' grandfather and mother.

My Story is an autobiographical book written by Ronnie Kray. ... Born Fighter is an autobiographical book written by Reginald Kray. ... Our Story is an autobiographical book by Ronnie and Reggie Kray with Fred Dinenage. ... John Pearson (born May 10, 1930) is a writer best associated with James Bond creator Ian Fleming. ... Joanne Rowling OBE (born July 31, 1965 in Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire), commonly known as J.K. Rowling (pronunciation: roll-ing; her former students used to joke with her name calling her the Rolling Stone), is a British fiction writer. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... Lord Voldemort (IPA: [1][2]) is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the Harry Potter novel series written by British author J. K. Rowling. ... Jake Arnott is a British novelist who was born in Buckinghamshire in 1961 and now lives in North London. ... Javier Marías (born September 20, 1951) is a Spanish novelist, translator and columnist. ... Carol Ann Duffy Carol Ann Duffy (born December 23, 1955) is a British poet, playwright and freelance writer born in Glasgow, Scotland. ...

In music

A number of artists mention the Kray twins in songs:

• The Libertines mention they "saw two shadow men on the Vallance Road" in their song "Up the Bracket".
• The first single by the electronic band Renegade Soundwave in 1986 was "Kray Twins" and featured Ronnie and Reggie Kray on the record sleeve.
• Morrissey sings about the twins in "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" (1989).
• Blur mention Ronnie in their single "Charmless Man" from the album The Great Escape, 1995.
• Ronnie and Reggie feature on the cover of the unofficial Oasis interview CD, Wibbling Rivalry released by Fierce Panda.
• James Kensit, the brother of singer and actress Patsy Kensit, is the god-son of Reggie Kray ^[19].
• Ray Davies has the line "and don't forget the Kray Twins" in his song "London Town" on the album The Storyteller and EP Thanksgiving Day.

This article is about the band The Libertines. ... Up the Bracket is the debut album from The Libertines, released on the 14th of October, 2002, reaching #35 in the UK Albums chart. ... Renegade Soundwave (shortened to RSW) was a London based electronic music group formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1995. ... For other uses, see Morrissey (disambiguation). ... The Last of the Famous International Playboys was the third single released by Morrissey. ... Blur are an English rock band formed in Colchester in 1989. ... Charmless Man is a song by British band Blur and is the opening track to their fourth studio album, The Great Escape. ... The Great Escape is the fourth album by Blur. ... Oasis is World-famous English rock band, formed in Manchester in 1991, led by lead guitarist and primary songwriter Noel Gallagher and his younger brother, lead vocalist and songwriter Liam Gallagher. ... Wibbling Rivalry is the title of a bootleg single that is purely an arguement between Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher, the guitarist and vocalist for Oasis, respecitively. ... Fierce Panda Records is a London, England based independent record label. ... Patricia Jude Frances Kensit (born 4 March 1968 in Hounslow, Middlesex) is an English actress and singer, and is also well-known for her three celebrity marriages. ... Raymond Douglas Davies, CBE (born June 21, 1944 at Fortis Green, London) is an influential English rock musician, best known as lead singer-songwriter for The Kinks - one of the most influential, prolific and long-lived British Invasion bands - which he led with his younger brother, Dave. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• The Krays.co.uk official website
• The Kray Twins: Brothers In Arms at the Crime Library
• Krays BBC TV interview (1965)
• BBC: On this day...1969: Kray twins guilty of McVitie murder, Richard Whitmore's BBC report on the Kray murder trial
• Autobiography of Freddie Foreman Respect ISBN-10: 0099699516
• youtube: Ronnie & Reggie Kray in an interview on British TV
• Youtube: BBC news 1968 - Kray twins arrested
• youtube: BBC news 1969 - Kray twins sentenced
• youtube: Ronnie Krays funeral, London Tonight