Kray twins 210475 225601847 2008-07-14T14:33:33Z 84.12.53.3 /* External links */ {{Infobox Criminal | subject_name = Kray Twins:<BR>Ronald & Reginald Kray | image_name = krays.jpg | image_size = 250px | image_caption = The Kray twins, Reginald (left) and Ronald, photographed by [[David Bailey (photographer)|David Bailey]] | date_of_birth = [[24 October]], [[1933]] | place_of_birth = [[Hoxton]], [[East London, England|East London]], [[England]] | date_of_death = Ronnie:{{death date and age|1995|3|17|1933|10|23}} Wexham Park Hospital, England | place_of_death = Reggie:{{death date and age|2000|10|01|1933|10|23}} [[Norwich]], England | alias = Ronnie & Reggie | charge = Murders of [[George Cornell]] and [[Jack McVite|Jack "The Hat" McVitie]] | penalty = In 1968 both were sentenced to life imprisonment, with a non-parole period of thirty years. | status = | occupation = Club owners | spouse = Reggie married Frances Shea in 1965 | parents = Charles Kray and Violet Lee | children = }} '''Reginald "Reggie" Kray''' ([[24 October]] [[1933]] &ndash; [[1 October]] [[2000]]) and '''Ronald "Ronnie" Kray''' (October 24, 1933 &ndash; [[17 March]] [[1995]]) 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 [[bisexual]] and suffered from [[paranoid schizophrenia]].<ref> {{cite web | title = Ronald and Reginald Kray | publisher = The Biography Channel | url = http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/1385:1460/2/Ronald_and_Reginald_Kray.htm | accessdate = 2007-08-08 }}</ref> The Krays were involved in [[armed robbery|armed robberies]], [[arson]], [[protection racket|protection rackets]], violent assaults including [[torture]] and the [[murder]]s of [[Jack McVitie|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 (photographer)|David Bailey]] and appearing in interviews on television. 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]]. ==Early life== Ronnie and Reggie Kray were born on [[24 October]] [[1933]] in [[Hoxton]], [[East London, England|East London]], to Charles David "Charlie" Kray, Sr., (born 1906 - 1983), a scrap gold dealer, and Violet Lee (1910 - 1982).<ref>[http://www.wargs.com/other/kray.html Ancestry of the Kray twins<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Reggie was born 10 minutes before Ronnie. Charlie and Violet already had a six-year old son, also called Charlie, who was born [[9 July]] [[1927]]<ref>Charlie Kray's grave</ref>. A sister, Violet, born [[1929]], died in infancy. When the twins were three years old they were struck down with [[diphtheria]] and recovered. They were born of a combination of [[Irish people|Irish]], [[Jew]]ish and [[Romani people|Romani]] descent.<ref>[http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/mob_bosses/kray/up_2.html The Kray Twins: Brothers in Arms<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Until [[1939]], having previously lived in Stene Street, Hoxton, the Kray family moved to 178 Vallance Road, [[Bethnal Green]]. At the start of the [[World War II|Second World War]], Charlie Kray Senior was called up into the army, but deserted. The twins first attended Wood Close School in [[Brick Lane]] and then Daniel Street School.<ref> {{cite book | last = Kray | first = Reg | title = [[Born Fighter]] | pages = pp.8 }}</ref> There they were 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."<ref> {{cite web | title = Prisons on the Isle of Wight | publisher = isleofwighttouristguide.com | url = http://www.isleofwighttouristguide.com/Articles/Article_16.asphttp://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/1385:1460/2/Ronald_and_Reginald_Kray.htm | accessdate = 2007-08-08 }}</ref> The influence of their grandfather, Jimmy "Cannonball" Lee, led both boys into amateur [[boxing]], which was at that time a popular pursuit for [[working-class]] 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 19. ===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. While [[absent without leave]], the twins assaulted a police officer who had spotted them and was trying to arrest them. They were initially held at the [[Tower of London]] (they were among the very last prisoners ever kept there) before being sent to [[Shepton Mallet (HM Prison)|Shepton Mallet military prison]] in [[Somerset]] and jailed for a month awaiting [[court-martial]]. Their behaviour in prison was allegedly so bad that in the end they were given a [[military discharge|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. 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, which was where they started several [[protection racket]]s. By the end of the 1950s, the Krays were involved in [[wiktionary:Hijack|hijacking]], [[armed robbery]] and [[arson]], through which 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 while 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 Krays' 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 Krays' rivals, the [[The Richardsons|Richardsons]], who were based in [[South London]].<ref>[http://www.met.police.uk/history/krays.htm Metropolitan Police, The Krays], accessed 28/10/07</ref> ===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 (photographer)|David Bailey]] on more than one occasion; and socialised with [[lord|lords]], [[Members of Parliament|MPs]], [[socialites]] and [[show business]] characters such as the actors [[George Raft]], [[Judy Garland]], [[Diana Dors]], [[Barbara Windsor]] and singer [[Frank Sinatra]]. <blockquote>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''<ref>[http://gangland.net/krays.htm The Krays], accessed 28/10/07</ref> </blockquote> ===Lord Boothby=== The Krays also came into the public eye when Ron's alleged [[homosexuality|homosexual]] relationship with [[Lord Boothby]], a UK [[Conservative Party (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.<ref>BBC News Obituary of Reggie Kray [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/937275.stm]</ref> As a result, other newspapers were less willing to uncover the Krays' connections and misdeeds. 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 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 were again publicised and was proved true. It was equally not in the opposition Labour Party's interests to press for action on the Krays, because [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] [[Member of Parliament|MP]] [[Tom Driberg]] was also rumoured to have had a relationship with Ronnie.<ref>"Lords of The Underground", Channel 4 TV, Jun 23 1997 + The Spectator, Jun 28, 1997</ref> The result was that the police were under no pressure to arrest them. ===Frank Mitchell=== [[Image:The blind beggar 1.jpg|right|thumb|The once-notorious Blind Beggar pub in Whitechapel Road in quieter times. (November 2005)]] On [[December 12]], [[1966]] the Krays assisted Frank Mitchell (nicknamed "The Mad Axeman")<ref>[http://www.met.police.uk/history/krays.htm ''The Krays jailed in 1969'' Metropolitan Police, accessed 28/10/07</ref> in escaping from [[Dartmoor Prison]]. Ronnie Kray had befriended Mitchell when they served time together in Wandsworth 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 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, he was difficult to deal with and the only course of action was to get rid of him. His body has never been found and the Krays were acquitted of his murder.<ref>[http://www.met.police.uk/history/krays.htm ''The Krays jailed in 1969'' Metropolitan Police, accessed 28/10/07</ref> [[Freddie Foreman]], a former member of The Firm, in his 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. ===George Cornell=== Ronnie Kray shot and killed [[George Cornell]] in the [[Blind Beggar]] in [[Whitechapel]] on [[9 March]], [[1966]]. There had been a confrontation at Christmas [[1965]] between the Krays and [[The Richardson Gang|the Richardsons]] at the Astor Club when an associate of the Richardsons, 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 avenged Hart's death by shooting George Cornell in the Blind Beggar pub in Whitechapel Road. Due to intimidation, witnesses would not co-operate with the police.<ref>[http://www.met.police.uk/history/krays.htm Metropolitan Police, The Krays, accessed 28/10/07</ref> ===Jack "the Hat" McVitie=== Their criminal activities continued hidden behind their celebrity status and "legitimate" businesses. In October [[1967]], four months after the suicide of his wife Frances, Reg was alleged to have been encouraged by his brother to kill [[Jack McVitie|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. McVitie was lured to a basement flat in Evering Road, [[Hackney]] on the pretence of a party. 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.<ref name"Read"> Read, Leonard. ''Nipper Read, The Man Who Nicked The Krays''. Time Warner Paperbacks 2001. p.291-292. ISBN 0-7515-3175-8</ref> Several other members of The Firm including the [[Lambrianou brothers]] (Tony and Chris) were convicted of this. McVitie's body has never been found. ===Arrest and trial=== When Inspector Leonard "Nipper" Read of [[Scotland Yard]] was promoted to the [[Murder Investigation Team|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 publicity and official denials surrounding allegations of Ron's relationship with Boothby had made the evidence he collected useless. Read attacked the problem of convicting the twins with renewed activity in 1967, but frequently came up against the East End "wall of silence", which discouraged anyone from providing information to the police. Nevertheless, by the end of 1967 Read had built up evidence against the Krays. There were witness statements incriminating them, as well as other evidence, but none 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 weakened by the 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 murders 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. ===Conviction and imprisonment=== Eventually, a [[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. On [[8 May]] [[1968]] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/8/newsid_2518000/2518695.stm], the Krays and 16 other 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 have a defence, other than flat denials of all charges and discrediting witnesses by pointing out their criminal past. Judge [[Aubrey Melford Steed Stevenson|Melford Stevenson]] said: "In my view, society has earned a rest from your activities."<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/88883.stm BBC News | UK | Kray decision attacked<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Both were sentenced to [[life imprisonment]], with a non-parole period of 30 years, for the murders of Cornell and McVitie. Their brother Charlie was jailed for 10 years for his part in the murders. ===Imprisonment=== On [[August 11]], [[1982]] under tight security, Ronnie and Reggie Kray were allowed to attend the funeral of their mother Violet, who had died of cancer the week before. But they were not allowed to attend the graveside service at [[Chingford]] Mount cemetery in East London where their mother was interred in the Kray family plot. The service was attended by celebrities including [[Diana Dors]] and underworld figures known to the Krays.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/11/newsid_2528000/2528969.stm 1982: Krays let out for mother's funeral] accessed 28/10/07</ref> 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. Ronnie was [[bisexual]]; however, he married a woman while at Broadmoor. Before his marriage, Ronnie had frequently berated Reggie for his relationships with women. Ronnie was eventually once more certified insane and lived the remainder of his life in [[Broadmoor Hospital]], [[Crowthorne]], dying on [[17 March]] [[1995]] of a massive [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]], aged 61. His funeral on [[29 March]] [[1995]] was a huge event with people lining the streets. Reggie Kray was a Category A prisoner, denied almost all liberties and not allowed to mix with other prisoners. During incarceration, he became a [[born again Christian]]. After serving more than the recommended 30 years he was sentenced to in 1969, he was freed from [[Norfolk]]'s [[Wayland (HM prison)|Wayland Prison]] on [[26 August]] [[2000]], almost 67. He was released on compassionate grounds as a result of having inoperable [[cancer]]. The final days of his life were spent with his wife Roberta, whom he had married while in [[Maidstone_%28HM_Prison%29| Maidstone prison]], 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. 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 Reggie's death.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/701959.stm Gangster Charlie Kray dies] BBC - accessed 28/10/07</ref> ==Controversies== Many believe the Krays' sentences were harsher than deserved and that they were being made an example.<ref name="Page 437"> Read. p437</ref> The Kray twins were tried as separate, responsible adults, although it was argued that Ronnie dominated his brother. He was also a [[Paranoia|paranoid]] [[Schizophrenia|schizophrenic]].<ref> {{cite web | title = Ronald and Reginald Kray | publisher = The Biography Channel | url = http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/1385:1460/2/Ronald_and_Reginald_Kray.htm | accessdate = 2007-08-08 }}</ref> There was a long-running campaign, with celebrity support, to have the twins released from prison, but successive [[Secretary of State for the Home Department|Home Secretaries]] vetoed the idea. The campaign gathered momentum after the release of a film based on their lives called ''[[The Krays (film)|The Krays]]'' in [[1990]] starring ex-members of [[Spandau Ballet]] brothers [[Martin Kemp]], who played the role of Reggie, and [[Gary Kemp]], who played Ronnie. Many times, Reg Kray expressed a desire to "go straight", but each time was prevented by persuasion from Ron or by the knowledge that Ron could not cope on his own. Reg's several attempted murders, and the murder of [[Jack McVitie]], were done at Ron's prompting, to show he was equal to Ron's earlier murders. Reg was also regarded{{Fact|date=November 2007}} as the quieter and less volatile, less likely to react with violence or aggression, and perhaps steering the organisation away from additional trouble over the years. Reggie 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."<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/864752.stm Reggie Kray: Notorious gangster] BBC, accessed 05/11/07</ref> Reg's marriage to Frances Shea in 1965 lasted eight weeks, although the marriage was never formally ended. An inquest came to the conclusion that she committed suicide in 1967,<ref> {{cite web | title = Frances Kray (née Shea) (died 1967), Wife of Reginald ('Reggie') Kray | publisher = National Portrait Gallery | url = http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp68610 | accessdate = 2007-08-09 }}</ref> but in 2002 an ex-lover of Reggie Kray came forward to allege that Frances was actually murdered by a jealous Ronnie. Bradley Allardyce spent three years in Maidstone prison with Reggie and explained, "I was sitting in my cell with Reg and it was one of those nights where we turned the lights down low and put some nice music on and sometimes he would reminisce. He would get really deep and open up to me. He suddenly broke down and said 'I'm going to tell you something I've only ever told two people and something I've carried around with me' - something that had been a black hole since the day he found out. He put his head on my shoulder and told me Ron killed Frances. He told Reg what he had done two days after."<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1756592.stm BBC News | ENGLAND | Kray 'murdered brother's wife'<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 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. The twins were never able to cope well apart.{{Fact|date=November 2007}} ==In popular culture== ===In film=== *''[[Villain (1971 Film)|Villain]]'' ([[1971]]), a gangster film directed by Michael Tuchner and starring Richard Burton, Ian McShane, T.P. McKenna and Donald Sinden (What about it?). *''[[The Krays (film)|The Krays]]'' ([[1990]]), written by the [[Bethnal Green]]-born artist and dramatist [[Philip Ridley]], starred brothers [[Gary Kemp|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. *''[[In Bruges]]'' ([[2008]]), a film that is believed to be a comedic rip-off of The Krays film, features two main characters, Ray and Ken. These men are Irish hitmen with clothings and personalities that somewhat resembles that of the Kray twins. ===In video games=== *In ''[[The Getaway (video game)#The Getaway|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 (video game)#The Getaway|The Getaway: Black Monday]]'' Danny introduces Arthur, the cleaner of the operation, saying "He used to work for the Krays ya know." *''[[GTA_London#London.2C_1969|Grand Theft Auto Mission Pack #1: London, 1969]]'' features a pair of twin gangsters named Albert and Archie Crisp who are an obvious reference to the Kray twins. ===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 (TV series)|The Young Ones]]'' with [[Robbie Coltrane]] as a bouncer claiming "...and I was at Violet's funeral", a reference to the twins' mother. *The long-running TV drama ''[[EastEnders]]'' has featured a gangland organisation called [[The Firm (EastEnders)|The Firm]]. * ''[[EastEnders]]'' characters, [[Ronnie Mitchell|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 McVite|Jack "the Hat" McVitie]], who was pinned to the floor with a long knife. Inspector Leonard "Nipper" Read became "Superintendent Harry 'Snapper' Organs". *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 60s called the Suttons who were clearly based on the Krays: one was described as psychotic and the photos used to depict them are 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. *Kate Kray - widow of Ronnie Kray - showed the glamorous yet restricted lives of women who married gangsters in the documentary ''Gangster's Wives''. *[[Comic Strip]] did their take on the Krays with [[Alexei Sayle]] in the role of both twins, as the Moss Brothers, Carl and Sterling, in [[Didn't You Kill My Brother?]] *The comedy duo [[Hale and Pace]] portrayed two characters like the Krays. They wore smart suits and walked on stage with the line "We are da management." Both their characters' names were Ron. *In episode Episode 3 of Series 2 of the [[BBC]] series [[Monkey Dust]], a minor character who frequently marries criminals has her surnames read out in a marriage ceremony to Ivan Dobsky. Two of thee surnames are "Kray" (amongst the surnames of other infamous criminals). ===In literature=== *There are many books about their reign of terror including several 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 (Ronnie Kray)|My Story]]'' by Ron Kray - published 1994 ISBN 0330335-07-3 *''[[Born Fighter]]'' by Reg Kray - published 1991 ISBN 0099878-10-0 *''[[Our Story (book)|Our Story]]'' by Reg & Ron Kray - published 1989 ISBN 0330308-18-1 *''The Profession of Violence: Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins'' by [[John Pearson (author)|John Pearson]] - First published 1972, Weidenfeld and Nicolson *''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.<ref>Anelli, Melissa and Emerson Spartz. ''[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/0705-tlc_mugglenet-anelli-2.htm The Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling: Part Two]''. The Leaky Cauldron, 16 July 2005.</ref> *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. *Peter Straughan's play 'Bones' has a character who claims to be Reggie Kray and begins to heavily influence the actions of the other characters. *The Balvak Twins, who, like the Krays, run organized crime in the West End, are recurring antagonists for [[Detective]] [[Sergeant]] Suzie Mountford in a series of [[police procedural]] novels by [[John Gardner (thriller writer)|John Gardner]]. However, the Balvaks' activities take place during [[World War II]] rather than the 1960's. ===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 (band)|Blur]] mention Ronnie in their single "[[Charmless Man]]" from the album ''[[The Great Escape (album)|The Great Escape]]'', 1995. * Ronnie and Reggie feature on the cover of the unofficial [[Oasis (band)|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.<ref>''Kray, Reggie. Born Fighter''. London: Arrow, 1991. ISBN 0099878100 </ref> * [[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''. *[[UFO (band)]] - ''[[The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent]]'' (1981) - one song on this album, "Profession of Violence", was inspired by a book about the life of the Kray twins, portrayed in a movie, a decade later, by Kemp brothers (of UFO's labelmates, Spandau Ballet). * [[Netherlands|Dutch]] band [[Nits]] released a song called 'The Twins' on their [[2008]] album [[Doing The Dishes]]. The song tells the story of the Kray Twins gun fight in a bar, where they hit the jukebox with a bullet, stopping the song ([[The Sun ain't gonna Shine Anymore]]). ==References== '''Notes''': {{reflist|2}} '''References''': {{Refbegin}} * Reg Kray (1990) ''[[Born Fighter]]'' [[Random House]] ISBN 0-099878-10-0 {{Refend}} ==External links== *[http://www.thekrays.co.uk/ The Krays.co.uk official website] *[http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters/krays/index.htm ''The Kray Twins: Brothers In Arms''] at the [[Crime Library]] * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/7/newsid_3325000/3325399.stm Krays BBC TV interview (1965)] * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/4/newsid_2515000/2515103.stm BBC: On this day...1969: Kray twins guilty of McVitie murder, Richard Whitmore's BBC report on the Kray murder trial] * {{boxrec|id=76838}} * {{boxrec|id=76841}} *[http://eastlondonhistory.com/?s=krays/ Krays-related stories on www.eastlondonhistory.com] {{DEFAULTSORT:Kray twins}} [[Category:1933 births]] [[Category:Identical twins]] [[Category:British mobsters]] [[Category:Organized crime gangs of London]] [[Category:English murderers]] [[Category:20th century in London]] [[Category:People from Bethnal Green]] [[Category:1995 deaths|Ronnie Kray]] [[Category:2000 deaths|Reggie Kray]] [[no:Kraybrødrene]]