In the 1950s and 1960s, a lot of organized crime was committed in London’s East End in its vicinity, and the lynchpin of these crimes was the notorious criminal Reggie Kray, who, together with his identical twin brother Ronnie Kray, made the people of London tremble on their heels for fear of provoking the anger or resentment of one of the Kray twins.
The Kray twins, who were nightclub owners in the West End, went undercover to commit all kinds of organized crime, from arson and robbery to racketeering, raids, and a range of other serious crimes. During their reign in London, they were associated with the crème de la crème of London, which included famous entertainers and politicians such as Judy Garland, Diana Dors, and Frank Sinatra. In the 1960s, they even achieved celebrity status, as they were photographed by the veteran photographer David Bailey and constantly interviewed on television.
Reggie Kray Biography
The identical brothers – Reggie Kray and Ronnie Kray – were born on 24 October 1933 in Hoxton, East London, Ronnie 10 minutes after Reggie. Their parents were Charles David Kray, who worked as a clothes dealer, and Violet Annie Lee. Her parents had a six-year-old son before the twins and a daughter, Violet, who died in infancy.
Family – Wife, Daughter & Relationship with Ronnie Kray
Half of the infamous Kray twins – Reggie Kray – were married twice in his life, his first marriage was inevitable when he saw the eyes of the beautiful and vivacious Frances Shea. It was like the proverbial lightning bolt and just like that, Reggie’s bachelor days were suddenly over. In 1965, the dreaded gangster from London’s East End married Frances Shea in a window-shopping tabloid that turned out to be one of the most extravagant weddings of its time. Unfortunately, the marriage did not last very long and the young bride Frances committed suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping pills. Rumor has it that it was Reggie’s twin, Ronnie, who forced Frances to take the excess pills and stand over her until she gave in.
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Reggie’s second marriage was to Roberta Jones, whom he met while in prison when she released a film about Ronnie. The couple closed the wedding knot in 1997 despite Reggie’s coercion in prison, and finally, when the gangster was released out of compassion in 2000, Roberta waited. Sources say that Roberta was the best thing that happened to the gangster, she was described as an absolute diamond for her devotion to her husband until his death.
Among the mourners who gathered at Chingford Mount Cemetery to pay their last respects to the deceased reincarnated gangster were Sandra Ireson, a 42-year-old mother, and grandmother who had emerged from the brief relationship between the notorious main character and Greta Harper, who worked as a cabaret dancer, in 1958. The identity of her real father was only revealed to Sandra after the death of his twin brother Ronnie in 1955. She tried her best to get to know her biological father but was only able to see him once, and Reggie for his part rejected his daughter’s attempt to establish a lasting relationship with him for fear of upsetting his young wife Roberta.
Reggie Kray: Cause of Death
As the saying goes, the only constant in life changes, even the real terror of London’s East End, Reggie Kray, changed his habits and gave his life to Christ during his imprisonment. Reggie was released from prison on 26 August 2000 at the age of 66, his release was on compassionate grounds as his health deteriorated due to the devastating effects of bladder cancer.
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After leaving Norfolk and Norwich Hospital on 22 September 2000, he spent the last days of his life in a suite at the Townhouse Hotel in Norwich, where his wife Roberta kept guard at his bed. The hotel was chosen for its proximity to the river, in the belief that the couple might like to go for a walk, but this never happened because of the severity of Reggie’s illness, he spent most of his time listening to music. The penitent Reggie died in his sleep on 1 October 2000, and his funeral took place ten days later. His final resting place was Chingford Mount Cemetery next to his twin brother Ronnie Kray.
