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Ronald James and Reginald Kray were born on 24 October 1933 in Haggerston, East London, to Charles David Kray (1907–1983) and Violet Annie Lee (1909–1982).The Krays were thorough Eastenders – Charles from Shoreditch and Violet from Bethnal Green – and were apparently of mixed Irish, Austrian Jewish and Romanichal descent, [4] [5] [6] although this has been disputed. [7]
In a 1989 interview, Morrissey joked " 'The Last of the Famous International Playboys' are Bowie, Bolan, Devoto and me." [2] Lyrically, however, "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" largely mythologizes the notorious pair of vicious London gangsters known as the Kray twins Ronnie and Reggie, who held a tight rein on the East End of London during the 1950s and 1960s. [3]
The Richardson gang and the Kray twins were engaged in a turf war in the mid-to-late 1960s. Charlie Richardson and George Cornell had first met the Krays while in Shepton Mallet Prison. [7] Tensions came to a head in 1965–66. During a Christmas party at the Astor Club in December 1965, Cornell called Ronnie Kray a "fat poof" and a fight ensued.
Legend is a 2015 biographical drama film written and directed by Brian Helgeland, adapted from John Pearson's book The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins. [ 6 ] [ 7 ] The film follows the Kray twins ' career and relationship together through their convictions for murder and sentencing to life imprisonment in 1969.
Charles James Kray was born at 26 Gorsuch Street, Hoxton on 9 July 1927, to Charles David Kray (1907–1983), a wardrobe dealer, [6] and Violet Annie Lee (1909–1982). His father was of Irish descent and his mother was Romani. [7] When Kray was six, his mother had two identical twins, Ronnie and Reggie Kray, with Reggie born 10 minutes before ...
It details the life of the twins from their births, childhood, criminal careers, and eventual arrest. It was nominated for the 1974 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Fact Crime. It was followed by The Cult of Violence: The Untold Story of the Krays in 2001 and Notorious: The Immortal Legend of the Kray Twins in 2010.
Both wrote best-selling books about their lives and, in 1990, a full-length biographical film entitled The Krays was released (featuring real-life brothers Martin and Gary Kemp as the Kray twins). Jack McVitie was portrayed by actor Tom Bell in this film before also featuring in the 2004 film Charlie , this time depicted by Marius Swift.
With their gang, known as the Firm, the Kray twins were involved in murder, armed robbery, arson, protection rackets, gambling and assaults. At their peak in the 1960s, they gained a certain measure of celebrity status by mixing with prominent members of London society, being photographed by David Bailey and interviewed on television.