Dan Shaw - The Krays: Their Life And Crimes (True Crime Book 1)

The Krays

Their Life and Crimes

By

Dan Shaw

They came from the tough streets of London's east end. They grew up together, they fought together, they ruled vast swathes of the city together, they murdered together, and together everyone considered them unstoppable. Ronnie and Reggie Krays reputation for violence preceded them wherever they went.

'The Krays' is the first in intended series of real life crime stories. Presented concisely, yet in detail, it tells the true story of the Krays, their murderous exploits and how they were finally brought to justice.

The copyright to this book is owned by the author. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, electronic, photocopying, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from the author.

This book uses UK spelling

'The Krays' is the first instalment of the

'True Crime' series

By Dan Shaw.

Other books available are:

The Great Train Robbery

The Real Bank Job

ONE...DEAD MEN CAN'T SPEAK.

The Blind Beggar pub stands on Whitechapel Road. In the 1960s it was a typical east-end hostelry, frequented by typical east-end characters. The district of Whitechapel itself had no claim to fame other than being the location of the notorious 'Jack the Ripper' slayings. Now, almost eighty years after those horrific events, the memory of the Ripper killings had long passed into obscurity among the residents of the borough. Little did anyone know that Whitechapel was once again about to be visited by murder....

The Blind Beggar pub was quiet that mid-week evening. Aside from the barmaid, there were only four other people present. The old man divided his time by reading his newspaper and glancing at the television, and didn't take any obvious interest in the three men at the other end of the bar. Taking advantage of the lull in that evenings trade, the barmaid busied herself washing the glasses. It is possible that both the old man and the barmaid recognised one of the other patrons. If so, their instincts told them to steer clear, for George Cornell was not a man to be trifled with. He was an eminent hard man and professional criminal who plied his talents as a member of the infamous Richardson gang.

Cornell had seated himself on a barstool and was chatting casually to his companions. Even though he was in enemy territory - the Kray twins turf - he had little regard for the possible consequences. He made no secret of the fact that he wasnt afraid of the twins and their associates, and often openly issued insults about them. Perhaps the most famous of all his mockery was the occasion when he described Ronnie Kray as a fat poof. No, George Cornell wasnt scared of the Krays; he wasnt scared of anyone and his presence was an unspoken statement of that fact.

When the door of the Blind Beggar opened, nobody took much notice. It would just be another punter in search of a drink. Unfortunately for the patrons, the new arrival wasnt just a punter looking for a drink. The figure in the doorway was another man whose notoriety preceded him. As Ronnie Kray and one of his henchmen strode into the pub, Cornell and his friends spotted them and, for Cornell at least, he still felt he had no reason to be apprehensive. After all, unlike many people who blustered from the sidelines, he meant everything he said.

A pistol suddenly appeared in the hand of Ronnie's henchman and he proceeded to fire two bullets into the ceiling. Within the confines of the bar the sudden noise was tremendous and while everyone else cleared the immediate area in sudden panic, Cornell stood his ground. After all, if Ronnie and his friend wanted a fight, then it would be churlish of him to refuse.....

Well. Cornell smirked, as he watched Ronnie Kray approach. Look whos here.

Ronnie made no reply; instead he halted only a few feet away and with his rival still staring him in the eyes, coolly pulled a 9mm pistol from his pocket, took aim then shot Cornell in the head.

Turning on his heel, Ronnie calmly left the pub. Meanwhile, Cornells drinking buddies attended to their wounded friend.

Cornell would die in hospital a few hours later. The news of his death was received with elation by Ronnie Kray. He had made his first kill and now would not be satisfied until his brother followed suit....

TWO...FORGED IN FIRE

Ronnie and Reggie Kray were born on the 24 th of October 1933. The Kray family already consisted of a four-year-old boy, Charlie. The birth of the twins meant that finances - already stretched - would be placed under even more pressure. Despite this their mother, Violet, was overjoyed by the arrival of her two newest sons.

Money was always an issue for Violet, and in that respect she was no different to every other mother who lived in the east-end. Her husband, Charlie senior, didnt have a regular job; instead he made money by persuading people to sell unwanted clothes, jewellery and gold or silver, which he would then re-sell for a profit. His unusual vocation took him away from home for extended periods of time, leaving the bringing up of the three boys to Violet.

Life was hard for everyone in those days, and the Kray family was no exception. Living in Hoxton did them no favours, indeed, the area was so deprived that it was even looked down upon by impoverished people from neighbouring working class boroughs. Life may have been hard, but Violet made sure that her children never went hungry.

Despite being identical twins, it was obvious to all within their immediate circle of family and friends that Ronnie and Reggie were possessed of different personalities. Their individual characters formed at an early age and marked them out from one another, eventually even to those who didn't know them well. Most people regarded Reggie as the brighter of the two, and possessed of an outgoing nature. Ronnie, on the other hand, was quieter. He seemed to have difficulty communicating with people and would often express himself and his frustrations through bouts of anger.

Both boys were fiercely competitive, but their emulous nature was most in evidence when competing against each other. This rivalry was to prove a driving force which lasted throughout much of their lives. During their childhood, a great deal of the mutual competition centred on their attempts to win favour with their mother. Despite Violet's strict approach that she show no partiality to any of her boys, Ronnie and Reggie would each go out of their way to attempt to influence her into favouring them just that little bit more than the other twin.

Paradoxically, whilst being the greatest of rivals, Ronnie and Reggie were always fiercely loyal to each other. If someone wished to cause trouble for Ronnie, then Reggie would be duty bound to step in and help. Conversely, if Reggie was ever threatened then he could absolutely rely on Ronnie to provide assistance. This underpinning bond of blood and east-end values was to later ensure that the Kray twins became unstoppable within the London underworld.

Shortly before the outbreak of World War Two, the Kray family escaped the deprivation of Hoxton, swapping it for another solidly working-class, yet better area. There were no pangs of sentiment as they packed up their belongings and made the move to Bethnal Green, taking up residence in a small terraced house among a row of identical properties on a street called Vallance Road.

Soon the horrors of war were visited upon the capital. The air force of Hitler's Nazi Germany began to make regular large scale bombing sorties over the east-end of London. Thus began the blitz. As well as concentrating their offensive upon the strategically important docks and industrial areas of the city, the Luftwaffe considered the civilian population as legitimate targets for attack. Many tens of thousands of people were killed, injured and rendered homeless as a result of the Luftwaffe's aerial offensive, while huge swathes of the capital were laid waste by high explosive and incendiary bombs.