So did Frankie Fraser, whose father, "Mad Frankie", was gaoled with the Richardson brothers. Reggie was released from prison on compassionate grounds in August 2000, and died from bladder cancer nearly nine weeks later. Recalling his memories of the kings of the underworld, the Kray brothers, Dick tells the story of a man called Teddy, who ran a distillery scam that involved thieving drinks labels and sticking them on home-made moonshine. But, from about this time, Patsy Adams began spending more time in his Spanish villa. They passed Hoxton, where the twins were born over a shop in 1934, and Cazenove Road, where they killed Jack "the Hat" McVitie in 1967 because he called Ronnie "a fat poof". Jimmy is at home in the office where he worked his whole career. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. He recalls meeting Fraser for the first time in the early 90s for an interview with the underworld enforcer who would infamously pull peoples teeth out. And their operations spread to places like Lincolnshire and across to Spain.". Another prominent expert on the British gangland and author of several books on the subject was less forthcoming. It was just a way of life - I was an ordinary bloke doing ordinary things. Cases against them or their henchmen, like McCormack, either never got off the ground or somehow collapsed. They are believed to have carried out as many as 200 raids. [citation needed], Charlie Richardson died of peritonitis[7] in September 2012. Brian photographed him outside a jewellers shop, DAVE COURTNEY: He earned his hardman reputation as a knuckle duster-wielding debt collector. "I think Terry Adams will view this as something of a victory," said Wensley Clarkson, author of Gangland and an expert on Britain's criminal underworld. CHARLIE RICHARDSON: One of Britains most terrifying gangsters in the 1960s. The bullet passed right through him and he was taken to hospital where he died. Other fistfights had started when gun shots rang out. Ronald Kray was charged with his murder, The East End has changed beyond recognition over the decades, The Kray Twins were close friends of TV star Barbara Windsor, The Kray Twins pictured with American heavyweight boxer Sonny Liston, Charlie Richardson was one-half of the infamous Richardson brothers, who were rivals of the Kray Twins, Dick Hobbs claims Patsy Kensit broke down in tears after hearing about the alleged crimes her father committed, New book The Business documents Dick Hobbs' dalliances with the criminal underworld, Zeedan Nazir reveals he was kept as a SLAVE after marrying into gangster family, former London gang member Mad Frankie Fraser, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). In no particular order, we list 9 of most notorious gangsters to have ever walked London's streets. Hill retired from his life of crime in the 1970s and died in 1984. Prostitution, pornography and criminal rackets were Bernie Silver's speciality as a Dom in the London underworld between the 1950s and 1970s. Jimmy photographs the level of custom in the busy shop. Jimmy "The Dip" Kensit's involvement in crime was shocking, even to Hobbs. "He will consider that, after all the efforts that the police have made to get him over the years, he has done rather well out of this.". The 23-year-old was gunned down in his VW Golf outside his girlfriends house in nearby Greenwich. Earned millions from land deals and died in 2012, VIC DARK: Pictured in bling and shades, the former armed robber and Krays debt collector once took a whole nightclub hostage at gunpoint in Ilford, Essex, then kidnapped a policeman. Still, we have to remember they were still dangerous criminals and no one would have wanted to have been caught up in their webs of violence, intimidation, terror and murders, however much of a morbid fascination we might have with them. A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing 7. People were a bit wary of me at first and then they kind of accepted it and would come to me and ask about stolen goods," he says. The brutal story behind the name of the busiest London Underground station, London's Titanic: The tragic day 650 Londoners drowned in a river full of poo. The docks were buzzing - and so was crime. Charlie was the head of the notorious Richardson gang, the main criminal rivals to the Krays in the 1960s. Identical twin gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray terrorize London during the 1960s. His murder got the Kray twin sentenced to life in prison. Yesterday, Adams, 52, was in a rather different environment from his north London manor - across the Thames, inside the high-security Belmarsh Prison, awaiting sentencing next month for money laundering. An accountant, Terry Gooderham, said to have crossed the brothers by creaming off 250,000 of drug money, was found dead, alongside his girlfriend, in Epping Forest in 1989, a double "hit" attributed to the Adams empire. They were born to parents Charles David Kray and Violet Annie Lee and grew up in the East End with their brother Charles. That evening at about 8:30 Cornell was inside The Blind Beggar public house sited about 300m from the hospital entrance. He lavishes greater praise on leading south London gangster Charlie Richardson. He was a hitman, enforcer and drug trafficker with links to the Kray's gang, The Firm, which paid him to commit crimes on its behalf. The three brothers began their criminal careers by extorting money from traders and stallholders at street markets close to their home in the Clerkenwell area, before moving on to armed robberies. The violence that existed back in the day was between people of a similar ilk. He died in 2014 of complications from surgery. The Bradish brothers from North West London led Britains most ruthless and prolific gang of armed robbers in the late 90s and early 2000s. It took them 50 minutes. With Paul Anderson, Tom Hardy, Christopher Eccleston, Joshua Hill. By now, Terry Adams had emerged as the brains of the operation, chairing their meetings in a businesslike fashion, with financial matters dealt with by Tommy, and the "muscle" supplied by Patsy. Immersed in the underworld from a young age, the academics research took place in smoke-filled boozers rather than books. He is a well-mannered man of cultured tastes, with a liking for good wine and custom- built cars. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. For the cricketer, see, Under MacArthur's leadership, the Hertfordshire force was investigating the Richardsons because the, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Hard as nails: Kray Twins gangster rival Charlie Richardson dies", "Gangland enforcer sets the record straight about 'the bad old days': Rhys Williams meets 'Mad' Frankie Fraser, once known as Britain's most violent man", "Eddie Richardson and gangland 1960s London", "Charlie Richardson: Feared 1960s 'torture' gangster dies", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richardson_Gang&oldid=1139692944, Organizations disestablished in the 1960s, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2012, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from September 2012, All articles needing additional references, Pages using infobox criminal organization with ethnicity or ethnic makeup parameters, Pages using infobox criminal organization with rivals parameter, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 11:54. Daniel Lewis cardigan still hangs in the back office. (I Wonder) Where Our Love Has Gone 4. Yet in 2001, after his fathers death, David renamed it Daniel Lewis & Son in honour of his father and, today, Daniel Lewis cardigan still hangs upon a wire coathanger in the office as if he might also return, like Jimmy, for a last look around the old place. If I look at whats there now - has it improved in the last 30/40 years? He has had a film character based on him - Lew Vogel in the film The Bank Job. The guy just waited until we were finished. On Friday his three killers, like the 54-year-old Adams, found their futures were behind bars as they were sentenced to life with a minimum of 19 years. As the drug trafficking continued, they built up links with Yardie groups and the Colombian cocaine cartels, with Tommy reportedly negotiating an $80m credit agreement from his Latin American associates. Also known as the "Torture Gang", they had a reputation as some of London's most sadistic gangsters. I remember Roy picking me up in a Rolls-Royce, suited and booted, says Brian. The vast profits generated by drug trafficking also required new ways of laundering the money. In 1983, Charlie was able to go on day release to help the handicapped and was allowed to spend a weekend with his family. No one was killed, but the incident, with echoes of 1930s Chicago, sent out a message - both to the Reillys and anyone else who needed to know - that the Adams gang was prepared to go all the way to preserve its territory. Starting off with one strip club in Bower Street, by the late 60s they controlled 19 of the 24 strip clubs in Soho. For other inquiries, Contact Us. He also once made model Patsy Kensit, 53, cry when researching her father's criminal links for BBC One's Who Do You Think You Are. There were boxes going into pubs and clubs - someone could always get you a sweater or a leg of lamb.. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Unauthorized use or duplication of these words and pictures without written permission is strictly prohibited. It has been suggested though that Fraser acquired his "Mad Frankie" sobriquet from this incident. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Most people would stay at that low level but some - those that were good at it - would think about it as a future career.. Terry was the eldest of 11 children born to truck driver George Adams and his wife, Florence, but it was his younger brothers, Patrick, otherwise known as Patsy, born in 1955, and Sean, otherwise known as Tommy, born in 1958, with whom he became most closely associated. He eventually "retired" from a life of crime and died in 1996. Then in 1973, Silver was again arrested and charged for living off immoral earnings after renting out a room above a strip club to dancers who also worked as prostitutes. Jimmy remembered how Ernie from the coach works came with a cart barrow and they would load it up, and then tie a string to the wheel so he would walk in a circle. Other members of the gang included the hitman Jimmy Moody, Roy Hall (who operated the electric generator), Bartholomew (Barry) Harris (who was the getaway driver for the gang), Albert Longman, Ron Lawrence (was a getaway driver and enforcer for the gang) Harry Rawlins, Alan Morse/Rigby, Frank Bailey, Harry Banks, Tommy Clark, Ron Large (Ronnie), Tommy Quinlan, James Kemmery and Mick O'Brien. Jimmy remembered what a gentleman Stan Buckmaster, who started the SAS, was while he worked at the shop. Possibly the first names to spring to mind are the Kray twins who ruled the street of South East London during the 50s and 60s. Then they went back to prison. Buzzing the entry phone, Fraser introduced himself over the telecom as the then-Prime Minister John Major. "A formidable and feared organisation steeped in the highest levels of criminal activity,'' one Old Bailey trial was told. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Mad Frank. Dick admits that his moral compass may be a bit warped and in many instances levels no judgement on the criminals he studied. The brothers came from a poor family, and they took up boxing before eventually becoming two of Londons most notorious gangsters in the 1950s and 60s. Friends and underworld faces attended the service, before a wake where Courtney and Co drowned their sorrows and smoked as they honoured his stepsons memory, Photographer Brian Anderson spent ten years convincing gangland villains to pose for him. At 15, he got a job as a runner for a bookies and a year later the teenager started working the protection rackets on Petticoat Lane. 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