Kray twins

Ronnie and Reggie Kray
Reginald (left) and Ronald Kray, photographed by David Bailey in 1965
Born(1933-10-24)24 October 1933
Haggerston, London, England
Died
Occupation(s)Gangsters, nightclub owners
OrganizationThe Firm
Spouses
  • Reggie:
    Frances Shea
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1965; died 1967)​

    Roberta Jones
    ​
    (m. 1997)​
    [1][2]
  • Ronnie:
    Elaine Mildener
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1985; div. 1989)​
    [3]
    Kate Howard
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1989; div. 1994)​
    [3]
RelativesCharlie Kray (brother)

Ronald "Ronnie" Kray (24 October 1933 – 20 March 1995) and Reginald "Reggie" Kray (24 October 1933 – 1 October 2000) were English gangsters or organised crime figures and identical twin brothers from Haggerston who were prominent from the late 1950s until their arrest in 1968. Their gang, known as the Firm, was based in Bethnal Green, where the Kray twins lived. They 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.

The Krays were arrested on 8 May 1968 and convicted in 1969 as a result of the efforts of detectives led by Detective Superintendent Leonard "Nipper" Read. Each was sentenced to life imprisonment. Ronnie, upon being certified insane, was committed to Broadmoor Hospital in 1979 and remained there until his death on 17 March 1995 from a heart attack; Reggie was released from prison on compassionate grounds in August 2000, five weeks before he died of cancer.

  1. ^ Watson-Smyth, Kate (15 July 1997). "Flowers, but no champagne at Reggie Kray's wedding". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  2. ^ Clydesdale, Lindsay (13 October 2009). "Roberta Kray on her life as a gangster's widow". Daily Record. Scotland. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  3. ^ a b Hobbs, Dick (18 March 1995). "OBITUARY: Ron Kray". The Independent. London. Retrieved 6 December 2011.[dead link‍]