Legends from London in the 60s. The real story of the Kray twin gangsters (7 photos)

Twins Reggie and Ronnie Kray are violent British gangsters who dominated London for more than 10 years, starting from the 60s. Story their lives are so incredible and interesting that for many years inspires creators to create films, theatrical productions and even musicals about the Kray brothers.





The most famous of them is the film "Legend" with Tom Hardy in the title role.

Let's see how the life of some of the most popular representatives of the underworld in history turned out.

early years

October 24, 1933 in one of the disadvantaged areas London, the twins Reginald and Ronald Cray were born. their father ran away from the family, hiding from the draft, so the brothers grew up with mother and older brother Charles.



The real Kray brothers

Influenced by maternal grandfather, Jimmy "Cannonball core" Lee, the brothers took up boxing. Both brothers were quite successful in sports and by the age of 19 even began to think about a professional career, but fate decreed otherwise.

The twins were called into service, leading to their first problems with the law - several times they ran away from work, attacked on the military authorities and the police, who tried to return them to the military Part. The brothers were eventually sent to prison, where their behavior was no better - they doused the prison guards with boiling water and slops, fought and escaped from custody.

Beginning of criminal activity

After a shameful discharge from military service and prison, dreams of careers in professional sports have been abandoned. Finding no place in life, the brothers devoted themselves entirely to crime.



Starting with racketeering, the twins, along with their older brother, created criminal gang “Firma”. "Firm" was engaged in robberies, arson, money laundering and even hijackings.

In the late 50s, Ronnie Cray was arrested for inflicting severe bodily injury. During his time in prison, he was diagnosed paranoid schizophrenia, which, of course, did not prevent him from continuing criminal career after release.

By the early 1960s, their influence had spread to the London the fashionable West End, where they opened Esmerelda's nightclub barn. Thanks to the opening of a fashion club, the brothers gained an incredible popularity and communicated with government officials and show business.



For example, Frank Sinatra sang in the brothers' club and even used the services of their security company.

A 1964 Sunday Mirror investigation hinted at Ronnie Kray's sexual relationship with conservative politician Lord Boothby. At that time, homosexual relations were criminalized, therefore, despite the fact that specific names are not indicated in the investigation was, the publication was threatened with a court order, after which the author of the investigation was fired, and Lord Boothby was paid £40,000 in compensation. After of this incident, journalists did not take up articles in any way related to the Kray twins.

Arrest

In 1966, Ronnie Kray shot and killed a rival gang member in pub Blind Beggar, which set off a chain of events that eventually eventually led to the twins' imprisonment. And although immediately after of the crime committed, not a single witness dared to testify against Cray, this murder led to a series of investigations against the brothers.



However, this did not stop them from making another horrific crime. The brothers invited one of the minor members of their gang to a party where, in front of witnesses, Reggie stabbed him for unfulfilled obligations.

By the end of 1968, Scotland Yard detectives managed to collect enough evidence to arrest the brothers. In 1969 they and 15 members "Firms" were arrested. The detective hoped that at least after When the brothers are arrested, there will be people ready to testify against them. So and happened - the barmaid from the pub Blind Beggar admitted that she had become a witness to Ronnie's crime.



The rest of the evidence was obtained from the detainees. group members who testified against each other. After the trial both brothers were sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility parole for 30 years. Their older brother Charlie Cray got seven yearsstudies. But as soon as the term has served, immediately again returned to prison after being caught smuggling cocaine.

Imprisonment and death



In the center is the elder brother Charles Cray.

Even while in prison, the brothers continued to study criminal activity through the elder brother, up to his repeated conclusions.

For all the time of their imprisonment, the brothers were released from prison only once - they let her go to her mother's funeral. Released in 1990 the film "The Krays" based on the biography of the brothers. Charlie Cray performed in as a senior consultant during the film's production, and the brothers received £255,000 for the film.

Ronald Cray served almost the entire prison term in the hospital. Broadmoor in Berkshire diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He died in aged 61 after a heart attack on March 17, 1995.

The elder brother, Charles, passed away at the age of 73 in 2000 - his heart could not stand such a lifestyle.

Reginald Cray was in Maidstone Prison in Kent, and then in 1997 he was transferred to Wayland Prison in Norfolk. After you have he was diagnosed with bladder cancer Reggie was released from compassion in August 2000. He died at the age of 66, six years weeks after release.