??/??/?? - The Krays
BBC Crime Case Closed Infamous Criminals

Legend has it that the East End of London in the 1950s and 1960s was one of the safest places to live in the UK - somewhere you could leave your door unlocked at night, and the elderly got the respect they deserved. It was also known as the home of some of the most violent and dangerous criminals that ever existed in the UK, and mainly because of two twin brothers who shot a man in the Blind Beggar pub.

The first thing that stands out about the Blind Beggar pub on the Mile End Road is the colour red. The ceiling is thickly coated with a deep red paint, the walls are red and even the light bulbs are red. This décor might sound a bit garish to look at, but it's not the real reason that the pubs is now a tourist attraction - the real reason for that is the Krays.

Born early morning on October 24th 1933, Ronald and Reginald Kray were separated by just ten minutes. Their early years were spent in Shoreditch in London until 1939 when they moved to 178 Vallance Road, Bethnal Green. Their father was around every now and again, but the main core of the family consisted of the twins, their mother Violet, and their elder brother Charlie.

By all accounts, Violet was a good mother who did her best to bring up her children well. A host of aunts, uncles and grandparents all lived very nearby, but World War II caused the family to be evacuated to Hadeleigh, a small village in the Suffolk countryside.

Like most children, the idyllic countryside around Hadeleigh was a world that the twins and Charlie loved, but their mother missed her friends and family in the East End, and much to the dismay of the boys, they moved back to the war-torn East End after a year.

In order to stay out of trouble, all three boys took up boxing. Charlie turned out to be a fair fighter, but it was Ronnie and Reggie who got local press attention for their exploits in the ring - and soon they would be getting attention for very different reasons.

Eastenders

Despite the myths, the East End of London in the post-war era was a rough place to live in, and gangs of boys roamed the street without fear. It was not unusual for weapons to be carried, and the twins soon earned the violent reputations that have endured to this day. Their most distinct trademark was to not consider the fight finished until the opponent was completely vanquished.

Throughout this time, the Kray twins had constant run-ins with the police, but an underground network kept them away from any serious prison time. And although they were feared and probably respected, the Krays kept their activities within the boundaries of their community.

They ran protection rackets in the local area until 1960 when they branched out and opened a gambling club in Knightsbridge. The rest of the country, indeed, even the rest of London, remained unaware of the Kray family activities until 1964, when a newspaper reported a story that Scotland Yard was investigating a homosexual relationship between an underground criminal and a distinguished Peer.

In typical tabloid style, no names were mentioned, but identities were obvious. Ronnie Kray had no say in the matter, but Lord Boothby, a former Conservative Minister was paid £40,000 in an out of court settlement, a huge amount for the time. Their reign of violence continued more or less unchecked for another four years and the police seemed helpless.

The local community kept silent if questioned, and the East End kept a closed mouth for the law. Ronnie was especially concerned with a celebrity lifestyle. His homosexuality was an open secret in the underground world, but it was his psychopathic nature that gave most cause for concern. Fellow criminals were far too scared of him to consider teasing him for what was at that time a criminal activity and social stigma.

The Kray twins were not physically large men, but there is no record of them ever losing a fight or brawl. Ronnie was the most feared due to his unpredictability, but Reggie was not to be underestimated. Known for being the quieter of the two, Reggie aimed to have what he referred to as "the good life", with a wife, material possessions and respect.

Evading the law

The veil of silence that met the police from any victims of the Krays meant that they were allowed to go about their illegal business largely unchecked. Scotland Yard knew exactly what they had been getting up to, but without witnesses, they were helpless to convict them.

In 1956, Ronnie shot a man, and the police attempted to arrest him, but Ronnie pretended to be Reggie and had a convincing alibi for the time of the shooting. This was one incident in a long string of embarrassments for the police, in their attempts to curb the twin's activities. And they eventually had to release whichever of the Kray twins they had in custody.

This escape bolstered Ronnie's confidence, but caused a rift between the twin's previously incredibly close bonds. Ronnie felt invincible against the law whilst Reggie preferred to keep their heads down and concentrate on the money-making side of things rather than just violence for violence's sake.

Ronnie eventually fell foul of the law and was sentenced to three years for a beating that both the twins had taken part in. Ronnie had nothing to fear from prison life and he ran his business in much the same way as he did on the outside.

Meanwhile, Reggie seemed to find some sort of relief out of the shadow of his brother, and started showing his ability as a leader rather than second-in-command; he even started some legitimate businesses. It wasn't long before Ronnie was moved to a prison on the Isle of Wight.

Where without any of his previous contacts, he began to withdraw into himself, and the mental disorder that was always beneath the surface, began to become more apparent. Just after Christmas 1957, Ronnie learnt that his beloved Aunt Rose had died, and his psychosis became so severe that two days later he was certified insane.

Changing identities

Ronnie was transferred to a hospital, and it was here that he and Reggie hatched an escape plan - once again it was done using the swapping of identities. After his escape, Ronnie's mental health deteriorated further, and he became more and more paranoid.

This resulted in Reggie, Charlie and the rest of the family doing what was previously unthinkable, and turning Ronnie over to the police. Ronnie went without a word of complaint, and completed his sentence in Wandsworth Prison. On his release Ronnie seemed to have come through the other side of his madness, but his illness and prison life changed him physically.

He was no longer identical to Reggie. He looked much worse. Ronnie tried to get back into the business, but his normal behaviour did not last long and he became a violent embarrassment and a liability to his twin, who seemed to be getting more involved in the legitimate side of things.

Reggie just wanted a quiet life, whilst Ronnie was more concerned with gangland respect and pure violence that was not always needed. The Krays had convinced people that they had policemen, politicians and other high-ranking officials in their pockets, and their name was enough to invoke fear with no need to enforce any violence.

Club owners even approached them first for "protection" and a large part of their income came from elaborate, clever and non-violent fraud schemes.

The family comes first

The Krays and their men were by no means the only gang in London, and this led to infighting and rivalry that eventually would spill over into violence - particularly with associates of the Richardson brothers. One member of the Richardson gang who came into contact with the Krays was 'Mad' Frankie Fraser.

An extremely violent and remorseless criminal, Fraser attempted to take over a chain of gambling machines that had belonged to the Krays. In return for Fraser's infringement, the Krays tried to bully the Richardson's into sharing the percentages from another of their rackets.

This in turn annoyed another associate of the Richardsons - George Cornell. Cornell was a huge well-built man - known to be a bully - and he had worked with the Krays before moving over the join the Richardson gang. During a gun battle in a Catford club called "Mr Smith's", a man called Richard Hart was shot dead.

The rumour on the street was that Cornell had been there that night, and it was he who had shot Hart. This might not seem unusual for a man as violent as Cornell, but the man he shot was not just some lowlife nobody.

Richard Hart was a cousin of Ronnie and Reggie Kray, and as 'the family' was the most important thing to the twins, a personal slight had to be avenged. The incident at Mr Smith's had already brought down the Richardson gang, but that was not enough for the Krays to justify the murder of one of their cousins.

Revenge served cold

On March 9th 1966, Ronnie, Reggie and other members of their firm were drinking in The Lion pub when they were informed that Cornell was drinking in the Blind Beggar pub just down the road. At 8.30 that night, Ronnie and one of his associates walked into the Blind Beggar, only to be met by a sarcastic greeting from big George Cornell.

Ronnie didn't hesitate as he pulled out a pistol and shot Cornell three times in the head. It was never proven that Cornell was responsible for Hart's death, but unfortunately for him, any other member of the Richardson gang was either in hospital or in prison at the time, and Cornell was the only one available to bear the brunt of the Kray's revenge.

Soon after, Ronnie sank into another depression, and he was not alone, as his brother reeled under guilt about his wife's suicide. Reggie's dream of a nice, quiet life was slowly ebbing away. It all came crashing down around the twins when they tried to get even with Jack "The Hat" McVitie.

One wrong move

McVitie had been an associate of the twins for some time, and although he never actually belonged to the Firm, he was used regularly employed by the twins to commit various jobs for them. Ronnie had paid McVitie in advance to kill Leslie Payne, whom he believed was going to inform on him to the police. McVitie never carried out the execution, but stupidly kept the money.

And if that wasn't dangerous enough, McVitie had the cheek to threaten several bar owners who were under the protection of the Krays. McVitie was riding for a fall, and on October 29th 1967, he was invited to a party with some of his underworld associates and their families.

What McVitie didn't know was that the twins had arrived at the party first and had spent an hour clearing away guests. When McVitie walked in, Reggie put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Fortunately for McVitie, the gun jammed, which caused Ronnie to lose his temper in a most violent manner.

A brief scuffle ensued, and encouraged by more violent twin, Reggie threw down the gun and turned on McVitie with a knife, eventually stabbing him multiple times in the face, chest and stomach.

Brought to justice

The Krays were finally arrested by the same Scotland Yard officials who had been trailing their exploits for years, and along with other members of their gang, including Charlie Kray, they appeared at the Old Bailey in 1969.

Charlie received seven years for various offences, whilst his brothers received life sentences with a minimum of 30 years recommended. Despite the obvious restriction on their freedom, prison seemed to do more to encourage the myth and legend surrounding the Krays. Both twins wrote best selling books about their lives, and in 1990, a full-length film was made chronicling the brothers' exploits including the murder of Jack The Hat.

Campaigners for their release, have always felt their sentences were harsh due to the fact that their victims were never members of the general public - rather they were fellow criminals who each had a hefty life of violent crime behind them. Ronnie Kray died in prison in 1996, and Reggie was allowed out for one day to attend the funeral.

In August 2000, the Home Secretary decided Reggie could be released on compassionate grounds - he had served 31 years in prison. Six weeks later Reggie Kray died of cancer, ending a legacy of crime that mixed elements of extreme violence with the myth of criminals that only killed their own.