Brothers Cray: a brief biography, the way of becoming and personal life

The brothers Cray are gangsters who controlled the underworld in the middle of the last century in the London East End. Their actions were so bold and comprehensive that they even began to build legends. Over the long years of their reign, they tried everything from simple robbery to murder and drug trafficking.

It should be noted that several books have been written about the life of the brothers, and two feature films have been shot. Such popularity is quite obvious, because they were a thunderstorm of a whole generation of people. However, how true are the stories about their life? Where are the facts, and where is the fiction? And what were the twins of Kray really like?

Young tots

Twins Ronald and Reginald were born on October 24, 1933 in one of the poor families of the East End. Already in their early childhood they had to face the first severe test of fate. Both boys got diphtheria and only managed to get out by a miracle. Soon the whole district knew about who the brothers Kray were. Biography of twins is full of stories and tales that tell about the crazy adventures of young tomboy.

The thing is that Ron and Reggie were obsessed with boxing. They could pound a pear from morning till night, and then spin for a few hours in the ring in full sparring. Naturally, then they happily demonstrated their skills on the street, showing everyone else "who's in charge here."

When the army does not benefit

The day when the brothers Cray were in the army, for the whole district became a real holiday. The old men sighed with relief, hoping that the service would fix the crazy nature of the guys. Alas, their expectations were not destined to come true. Ron and Reggie constantly violated discipline and even managed to beat a police patrol.

For this misdemeanor they were put in a guardhouse, where they later organized a real riot. As a result, the management decided that they do not need such soldiers. In 1952 the Cray brothers were disgraced from the ranks of the British army. That's just for the time spent at the guardhouse, the guys managed to get a couple of useful acquaintances, which became the thread that brought them straight to the underworld.

Creating a "firm"

On arrival, the brothers Cray collected a gang of the most discouraged small, consonant for a coin to kill his own mother. They jokingly called the group "firm", but the name so strongly grew together with the reputation of the gang, which remained forever with it. As for their field of activity, they traded with small robberies, car thefts and racketeering.

But over the years the scope of their outrage has only increased. Therefore it is not surprising that the police soon followed them. Collected evidence was enough to in 1960 to put Ronald for three years behind bars. And while the brother was in prison, Reggie developed his own business. He even set up his own club, which later became their headquarters.

After the release of Ron from prison, the brothers Cray strengthened their influence on the criminal world of London. Thanks to this, in the middle of the 60's they already completely controlled the life in the East End, and even the police were afraid of their administration. And it was not until 1968 that investigators were able to gather the right amount of evidence to forever put the twins behind bars.

In 1969, the London court sentenced the brothers to life imprisonment. However, Ronald was found insane because of a mental disorder. He was put in a psychological hospital, where he died in 1995. As for Reggie, he was released in 2000, and a month and a half later he died of cancer.

Reginald Cray

Reggie was the brain of the whole "firm". He liked to carefully calculate every turn, which allowed the gang to achieve such a grandiose success. If we talk about his personality, then Reginald was a balanced and calm person. With him it was possible to conduct a dialogue without fear for the fact that every word can become the last.

Ronald Cray

Unlike his brother, Ron was an extremely cruel person, you can even say a psychopath. Everyone who knew him claimed that he was killing only to revel in the suffering of other people. He considered enemies absolutely everyone, except for his own brother. In addition, the doctors later discovered schizophrenia in the gangster, which partly explained his craving for violence.

Noteworthy is that the main among the brothers was still Ronald. It was his last word. And this is with the fact that the mind and sanity was much more at Reginald.

Brothers Cray: personal life

If you believe the official version, then Reggie was in love with a sixteen-year-old girl named Francis. They met for a long time, and eventually she became his wife. However, living with such a person led to the fact that her psyche broke down. She tried several times to commit suicide, after which she was shut up in a lunatic asylum.

But Ronald loved boys. He was not shy about this and boldly said that he was bisexual. Gangster often changed lovers and only once fell in love for real. His chosen one was Teddy Smith. They had a lot in common, which bribed Ronald. However, it happened that between them arose a serious quarrel, after which Teddy disappeared. It is rumored that the gangster simply killed his lover in a fit of anger.