Description
Twin brothers Ronald “Ronnie” Kray (October 24, 1933 – March 17, 1995) and Reginald “Reggie” Kray (October 24. 1933 – October 1, 2000) were English gangsters who were the foremost perpetrators of organized crime in the East End of London during the 1950s and 1960s. With their gang, the Firm, the Krays were involved in armed robberies, arson, protection rackets, assaults and the murders of Jack “the Hat” McVitie and George Cornell.
As West End nightclub owners, they mixed with politicians and prominent entertainers such as Diana Dors, Frank Sinatra, and Judy Garland. The Krays were much feared within their social environment; in the 1960s they became celebrities, even being photographed by David Bailey and interviewed on television.
They were arrested on May 8, 1968 and convicted in 1969, by the efforts of detectives led by Detective Superintendent Leonard “Nipper” Read. Both were sentenced to life imprisonment. Ronnie remained in Broadmoor hospital until his death on March 17, 1995; Reggie was released from prison on compassion grounds in August 2000, eight weeks before his death from cancer.
