Criminal. He was the eldest of the three Kray Brothers. He had seven-year-younger twin brothers, Reggie and Ronnie, who had a reputation of being on the wrong side of the law. Prior to World War II, the family moved to Bethnal Green, and he was made the head of the household after his father was on the run from the law. In 1943 he boxed as a welterweight for the Royal Navy against the Army and the Air Force. In 1948 he married a lady named Dolly, with whom he had a son, and later a daughter but they later divorced. He had the furniture business. The twins were the head of the gang called "The Firm." Over time, he became drawn into the activities of his twin brothers; and, in March of 1969, this culminated in his receiving a ten-year sentence for helping to dispose of the corpse of Jack "The Hat" McVitie, although he always denied any involvement. After his release in 1975, he tried various ventures, including property development, managing a pop group, demonstrating cutlery at the Ideal Home Exhibition, and acting as Technical Adviser for the film "The Krays". In 1997 he was arrested for attempting to smuggle £39m worth of cocaine into the country, of offering the drug to an undercover policeman, and of supplying 2 kilos at £63,500. He denied this, and his barrister, Jonathan Goldberg, Q.C., described him as "an old fool, a pathetic old has-been, an utterly washed-up figure made to appear something he is not at all." Nonetheless, he was found guilty, and sentenced to twelve years at Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight, which made him the oldest prisoner in Great Britain in maximum security. In March of 2000, he collapsed and was moved to St. Mary's Hospital in Newport, dying one month later. In 1976 he authored the book, "Me and My Brothers."
Criminal. He was the eldest of the three Kray Brothers. He had seven-year-younger twin brothers, Reggie and Ronnie, who had a reputation of being on the wrong side of the law. Prior to World War II, the family moved to Bethnal Green, and he was made the head of the household after his father was on the run from the law. In 1943 he boxed as a welterweight for the Royal Navy against the Army and the Air Force. In 1948 he married a lady named Dolly, with whom he had a son, and later a daughter but they later divorced. He had the furniture business. The twins were the head of the gang called "The Firm." Over time, he became drawn into the activities of his twin brothers; and, in March of 1969, this culminated in his receiving a ten-year sentence for helping to dispose of the corpse of Jack "The Hat" McVitie, although he always denied any involvement. After his release in 1975, he tried various ventures, including property development, managing a pop group, demonstrating cutlery at the Ideal Home Exhibition, and acting as Technical Adviser for the film "The Krays". In 1997 he was arrested for attempting to smuggle £39m worth of cocaine into the country, of offering the drug to an undercover policeman, and of supplying 2 kilos at £63,500. He denied this, and his barrister, Jonathan Goldberg, Q.C., described him as "an old fool, a pathetic old has-been, an utterly washed-up figure made to appear something he is not at all." Nonetheless, he was found guilty, and sentenced to twelve years at Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight, which made him the oldest prisoner in Great Britain in maximum security. In March of 2000, he collapsed and was moved to St. Mary's Hospital in Newport, dying one month later. In 1976 he authored the book, "Me and My Brothers."
Bio by: Iain MacFarlaine
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