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Songs, books, and movies frequently mention the twins. 34. Their legacy is controversial. While some view them as folk heroes, others see them as brutal criminals. 35. Their influence extends beyond the UK. The Kray Twins are known worldwide, making them one of the most infamous criminal duos in history.
- Reggie Was The Oldest Twin
- Reggie Kray Almost Became A Professional Boxer
- Reggie Had A Deadly Signature Punch
- The Kray Twins Were Held in The Tower of London
- Ronnie Shot George Cornell Dead in The Blind Beggar Pub
- Judy Garland Sang A Song For The Kray Twins’ Mother, Violet
- Reggie Had A Fling with Actress Barbara Windsor
- Ronnie Kray Was Openly Bisexual
- The Kray Twins Were Sentenced For Murder in 1969
- When Reggie Died, Celebrities Sent Their Condolences
The Kray twins were born in Hoxton, London, in 1933. Their parents were Charles Kray and Violet Lee, who were London Eastenders of Irish and Romani heritage respectively. Reggie was born 10 minutes before Ronnie, narrowly making him the older twin. While still very young, both of the twins developed diphtheria with Ronnie suffering terribly. Scepti...
Both boys were strong boxers during their teenage years. The sport was popular in the East End amongst working-class men, and the Krays were encouraged to take it up by their grandfather, Jimmy ‘Cannonball’ Lee. Reggie discovered that he had a natural talent for boxing, even receiving an opportunity to go professional. Ultimately, he was rejected b...
Reggie made use of his boxing abilities in the criminal world, and he apparently developed a tried and tested method for breaking someone’s jaw with a single punch. He would offer his target a cigarette, and as it neared their mouth, Reggie would strike. Their open, relaxed jaw would take the brunt of the impact, supposedly breaking every time.
In 1952, not yet at the height of their power, the Kray twins had been enrolled for National Service with the Royal Fusiliers. They refused, apparently punching a corporal in the process, and were arrested for their actions. The Krays were held in the Tower of London, making them some of the iconic structure’s last ever prisoners. The brothers were...
The Kray twins swiftly transformed from teenage boxers into notorious criminals. Their gang, The Firm, operated across East London in the 1950s and ‘60s, running protection rackets, committing robberies and managing seedy clubs. With this criminal enterprise came violence. One particularly infamous bout of violence occurred at East London’s Blind B...
As the owners of various London clubs and establishments, the Krays met and mingled with some of the era’s biggest names. Actors Joan Collins and George Raft are known to have frequented the Kray twins’ clubs. Even Judy Garland ran into the twins on one occasion. The Krays invited her back to their family home, and Garland sang Somewhere over the R...
The Krays twins’ celebrity escapades also involved Barbara Windsor, the famed British actress behind EastEnders character Peggy Mitchell. Reggie supposedly spent a night with Windsor, though it didn’t turn into a relationship. Windsor went on to marry the gangster Ronnie Knight, who was a friend of the Krays.
In 1964, rumours began to swirl around Ronnie’s sexuality. The Sunday Mirror published a story claiming that Ronnie and Conservative MP Robert Boothby were under investigation by the Met for being in a homosexual relationship, which was deemed a crime until 1967. Later in life, Ronnie opened up about his sexuality, confessing in the late 1980s and ...
The Kray twins’ reign of terror caught up with them in March 1969, when they were sentenced for the murders of rival gangsters George Cornell and Jack McVitie. Jack McVitie was killed in 1967. Reggie had found McVitie at a party and attempted to shoot him, but his gun jammed. Instead, Reggie repeatedly stabbed McVitie in the chest, stomach and face...
The Krays continued to run a protection racket from prison. Their bodyguard business, Krayleigh Enterprises, supplied Frank Sinatra with 18 bodyguards in 1985. Ronnie Kray died in Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital in 1995, from a heart attack. Reggie passed away from cancer in 2000. He had been released from prison on compassionate groun...
- Nicky Morris
- 2 min
- They were among the last prisoners of the Tower of London. The twins were among the last prisoners to be held at the Tower of London in 1952 after they failed to report for national service.
- They were fans of poetry. It may come as a surprise to learn that two of the UK's most notorious gangsters were fans of poetry. According to childhood friend Laurie O'Leary, the twins enjoyed writing their own poems.
- The brothers were rumoured to be bisexual. Ronnie discussed his homosexuality with very few people, according to Laurie O'Leary. However, in his 1993 book My Story he stated: "I'm bisexual, not homosexual.
- Frank Sinatra hired bodyguards from the Krays. In 1985, Frank Sinatra is said to have hired 18 bodyguards from the Krays' lucrative bodyguard and 'protection' business, Krayleigh Enterprises.
Sep 21, 2017 · 14 amazing facts about the Kray twins. Kray twins Ronnie and Reggie were the most feared gangsters of the East End's criminal underworld, chilling the spines of even their most hardened ...
Jan 2, 2021 · The infamous Kray twins, Reggie and Ronnie, are known all over the world as being two of the most feared and ruthless gangsters in London during the 1950s and 1960s.
Kray twins. Ronald " Ronnie " Kray (24 October 1933 – 20 March 1995) and Reginald " Reggie " Kray (24 October 1933 – 1 October 2000) were English gangsters or organised crime figures and identical twin brothers from Haggerston who were prominent from the late 1950s until their arrest in 1968. Their gang, known as the Firm, was based in ...
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Oct 9, 2020 · 1. Tower of London. Both Ronnie and Reggie were imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1952 for failing to report for National Service. They were some of the last prisoners to be held in the iconic landmark. 2. Boxing. The Kray twins, pictured here with their mother Violet, loved boxing (Image: Getty Images)
