The Krays. You’ve seen the movies. You’ve probably seen the black-and-white photos of two sharp-suited men looking like they owned every cobblestone in London.
But honestly? Most of the "legend" is just really good PR.
Reggie and Ronald Kray weren't just some Robin Hood figures of the East End. They were complex, violent, and—in many ways—failures as actual "career" criminals. They were obsessed with fame. They wanted to be seen. Real gangsters usually want the opposite.
If you think they were just "local boys done good," you’re missing the darker, weirder reality of what actually happened in 1960s London.
The Myth of the "Untouchable" East End Kings
They called themselves "The Firm."
It sounds professional. It wasn't. For most of the late 1950s and 60s, Reggie and Ronald Kray ran protection rackets, hijacked lorries, and dabbled in arson. They started with a rundown snooker club in Mile End.
They were bullies. Plain and simple.
The "legend" says they kept the streets safe. "You could leave your front door open," the old-timers love to say. Sure, if you didn't mind the Krays or their henchmen charging you for the privilege. They built their empire on fear, not some noble code of ethics.
Reggie was the "sensible" one. He was a gifted boxer—his "cigarette punch" was legendary. He’d offer you a smoke, and as you leaned in, he’d break your jaw. Brutal efficiency.
Ronnie was different.
Ronnie Kray and the Schizophrenia Reality
We need to talk about Ronnie.
He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. This wasn't just "moodiness." He was prone to extreme, irrational violence. He was also openly bisexual at a time when that could get you jailed.
"I'm homosexual, but I'm not a poof," he famously said.
In 1964, the Sunday Mirror almost outed him for a relationship with Lord Boothby, a Conservative politician. The Krays didn't just sue; they intimidated the entire British press. They walked away with £40,000 and a formal apology.
That was the peak of their power. They felt invincible.
But Ronnie’s mental health was a ticking time bomb. He saw himself as a modern-day warrior. He loved the idea of the American Mafia and even met with mob associates to discuss a "transatlantic alliance." It was mostly fantasy.
The Turning Point: Two Murders and a Lot of Blood
The Krays didn't get caught because of some mastermind investigation. They got caught because they got sloppy. And desperate.
George Cornell (1966)
Ronnie shot George Cornell in the Blind Beggar pub. Why? Because Cornell had called him a "fat poof." That’s it. Ronnie walked in, shot him in front of witnesses, and walked out while the jukebox played "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore."
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He didn't care who saw. He wanted them to see.
Jack "The Hat" McVitie (1967)
Reggie’s downfall was even messier. He killed Jack McVitie, a minor associate, because McVitie had failed to carry out a hit on Leslie Payne.
It wasn't a "clean" kill.
Reggie tried to shoot him, but the gun jammed. Twice. So he used a knife. He stabbed McVitie repeatedly in front of a room full of people at a flat in Evering Road. It was desperate, bloody, and totally unnecessary.
Even their own men—the "loyal" Firm—started to think the twins had lost the plot.
The Tragic Story of Frances Shea
People love the "romance" of Reggie and Frances Shea. Legend (the 2015 movie) makes it look like a tragic love story.
The facts are much grimmer.
Frances was just 21 when they married in 1965. She was 16 when he started "courting" her. The marriage lasted eight weeks before she moved back to her parents.
Her diaries tell a story of a woman trapped. She wrote about Reggie’s heavy drinking, his arsenal of weapons in the bedroom, and his total obsession with his brother. She tried to get the marriage annulled on the grounds of non-consummation.
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She died of a drug overdose in 1967.
Reggie was devastated, sure. But he also refused to let her family bury her under her maiden name. Even in death, he wanted to own her.
Life Behind Bars and the Business of Fame
When Detective Chief Superintendent Leonard "Nipper" Read finally arrested them in 1968, the East End didn't rise up in protest.
People were relieved.
In 1969, they were sentenced to life with a minimum of 30 years. It was the longest sentence ever handed out at the Old Bailey at the time.
But did they stop being the Krays? No.
They ran a security business from prison. They provided bodyguards for Frank Sinatra. They sold "Kray" merchandise. They became a brand.
- Ronnie Kray died in 1995 after a heart attack at Broadmoor. He’d been certified insane years earlier.
- Reggie Kray became a born-again Christian in prison. He was released on compassionate grounds in 2000 and died of bladder cancer weeks later.
Why the Krays Still Matter (According to the Experts)
Criminologists often point to the Krays as the first "celebrity" gangsters.
They weren't the most successful criminals in London—the Richardsons or the Great Train Robbers were arguably more "professional." But the Krays understood the media.
They were photographed by David Bailey. They hung out with Judy Garland and Barbara Windsor. They proved that if you look the part and act with enough terrifying confidence, people will mistake your violence for "legend."
It’s a cautionary tale about the intersection of crime and celebrity.
Actionable Insights: Digging Deeper Into the History
If you're fascinated by the Krays, don't just rely on Hollywood. Here is how you can actually understand the real East End history:
- Read the primary sources: Look for The Profession of Violence by John Pearson. He was their biographer while they were still active and saw the cracks in the facade before anyone else.
- Visit the sites, but skip the hype: Go to the Blind Beggar pub or Bethnal Green, but look at the local museum archives (like the Bishopsgate Institute) to see the actual police reports and community records from the time.
- Check the National Archives: Many Home Office files regarding the Krays' imprisonment and Frances Shea's death have been released in recent years. They offer a much more clinical, less "glamorous" view of the twins.
- Watch the David Bailey interviews: See how they performed for the camera. It tells you more about their psychology than any dramatization ever could.
The Krays weren't heroes. They were men who used violence to hide their insecurities and used fame to escape their reality. Understanding that is the only way to see the real London they left behind.