That numpty Dave Courtney loved giving Mad Frank an earful, despite Frank being well into his 70s by then. Frank then got shot, at close range, in the flipping head (supposedly by 1 of the Adams lot) whilst he was in his 70s and he survived. Go on then Dave - Frank is not what he says he is? Is that right?
"Brown bread" is rhyming slang for "dead". The film, "Legend" was a whitewash of the Krays. Reggie's wife had a breakdown after she discovered he was as queer as his brother. The attempt to excuse the murder of Jack McVitie was atrocious. He was killed for no other reason than Ronnie wanted Reg to kill someone, anyone. "I done mine. You do yours", is what he was reported to have told Reg.
@@COIcultist QSG sent the twins packing, different game without the firm on hand for backup. Not that they couldn't do damage. But let's not fall into the trap of glamourising any of them, most of them are dead or in prison. The best gangsters have a short run and that's it.
John McVicar is an interesting one to look into. He was a career criminal and took part in armed robberies. At one time he was dubbed "public enemy number 1" by Scotland Yard. He also escaped from prison several times. Eventually, he gave all that up and became a writer. There is a great film with Roger Daltrey playing McVicar (the film is simply called "McVicar") and also a self-penned book about his life - called "McVicar by himself" - I would recommend both of these if this is a subject that interests you.
I have actually met McVicar when we appeared on a television programme together, me the former copper and him the legendary hard man, I was surprised at how small he was.
@@nickgov66 👍 That is interesting, Nick, can you recall which programme it was as I am pretty sure that I saw him on TV once or twice...perhaps reviewing his book.
@@kevinfroude8679 It was several years ago but, as I recall, it was a Sunday afternoon discussion programme, chaired by a Dimbleby, I can't remember which one.
What about Jimmy Boyle,Tam Mcgraw,Raoul Moat (not sure if I spelt his name correctly,don't really care to be honest)Dale Cregan,Christie 10 Rillington Place,Hindley and Brady(scum) they are.
My dad grew up in the Eastend and when he was in his late teens drank at a pub the Krays would visit. He said they were fine, never bothered anyone in there.
Another interesting fact, the Kray twins were the last ever prisoners to be imprisoned at The Tower of London. And Mad Frankie Fraser in later life earned wedge by giving tours around London's underworld scene. The Richardson's had a "business" in Camberwell South London. Both them and the Krays kept their respective area free of scum, no mugging or house breaking, if you did and got caught your knee caps would meet a hammer. Then you learned to behave.
Really enjoyed that reaction video, thank you. The Kray Twins, they were the ones who stopped the American Mafia getting into London. I've also visited several of the locations connected to The Krays including the cafe which is seen in the film 'Legend'. The cafe is named E Pellicci and they do have a photo from the film above the table that is used in the film.
I went on one of those tours and was told that a real gangland punishment beating could happen as follows. The enforcer would walk into the victim's local pub - who would then realise what was about to happen. A large piece of plastic would be spread over the floor, the enforcer would ask someone to hold his jacket and watch and would then proceed to beat the victim to a pulp. The enforcer would then leave and, somehow, nobody saw it happen. Such a victim was very lucky. A salt bath, electrodes and scissors was the next stage. Somewhere in the process the victim died.
I was in The Blind Beggar pub the night George Cornell got shot. one of the Krays, who I knew(but not well enough to speak to) looked at me and said Leave! 30 seconds later I was on Whitechapel station waiting for my tube home. At 18 or 19 I was just a "little" scared (yeah right) I never went back to the East End for many years
I lived 2 houses away from a former driver for the krays. He moved away from the business when they started getting serious. My dad was disabled & if he was working on his car this guy would come out with his overalls on & work on my dads car. He had a scar that went from above his eye down to his chin caused by a car crash trying to get away from the cops, but a genuinely nice guy.
Most of our famous gangsters were and are vicious monsters - often psychopaths - who gained their reputation from systematically terrorising people weaker than themselves. I would happily hang most of them myself. There are a few who were hard men who took on hard men and deserve respect - but not many. Through a combination of having lots of cash to spend, and having the right handshake, many of them were acceptable in the higher levels of society - but they bought their acceptability among the sort of people who were as immoral, parasitic and worthless as they were. The very occasional criminal who would have become a Prime Minister or a Field Marshal with better start in life should not blind anyone to how large and devoid of humanity the world of criminality is in some parts of the country. I suspect, despite also having the occasional star, American gangsters are pretty much the same: cheap, psychopathic hoodlums in expensive suits.
Well, if you go to the USA youd be talking of hanging almost 3 million people. 12% of the population are under ward of court. Well, theres a reason why criminals are there. There always is. You never find wealthy people exhorting to extortion for £40. And you,ll never find powerful people in jail for genocide ("Kill a man and the hang you. Kill a thousand and they call you King" ) They grew up in London during and after WW2, where kids had to give up the tires on their bikes and live on a starvation diet simply because Germany left an established economic system. And despite all the dead fathers, uncles and brothers, no one was better off for it. All those things which each family was required to give up (forks, knives, rubber, steel etc ) sat on a thrash heap until the 70s. Never even used, and never intended to be. It was simply to make the British people feel they sacrificing something (for nothing) Its no accident that the "teenager" phenomena started in the US and Britain in the 50s, because of millions of orphaned children. The USA has 25% of the globes prisoners. Does that mean theres a massively disproportionate amount of "psychos" in America ? Or is there something unbelievable screwed up with the system ?
I prefer too focus on the actually gangsters who were hard men and had some kind of code no matter the crime I mean when the Russians came too the UK a couple years ago they cleaned up the streets pretty good and teamed up with the more better gangs of London
There was a film I haven't seen in over 40 years made about a Glasgow gangster called Jimmy Boyle. I remember it as been a brilliant film and it appears somebody has uploaded it to TH-cam so I'll be watching that tonight. It's called A Sense Of Freedom. Another who had a film made about him was John McVicar, played in the film by Roger Daltrey from The Who. Another film I haven't seen in decades but remember as brilliant.
Definitely! Tom Hardy in 'Legend' was awesome in portraying both Ronnie and Reggie Kray. Excellent film! And you can eat in that cafe (from the clip where the twins were eating breakfast) - Pellici's in Bethnal Green. One of the best, if not the best Full English in London 😋
Yeah, trust me Amanda, you really REALLY don't want to have met ANY of these psychopaths. A colleague of my Dad, a guy from Glasgow once told me a story of his as a very young man. He moved from Glasgow to London as a young man about 18. He said he was in a cafe, and one of the two guys at another table kept staring at him, and Archie, being a stroppy young Glaswegian, pulled the guy up for his staring and started really having a go at him. It was then that the other guy at the table, who had been quiet until then stepped straight up to Achie, almost nose to nose and told him, "Sonny you clearly have no idea who my brother REG and I are, and the only reason you are walking out of here is that you are a young lad, a tourist, and don't know how close to dying you are." So that is the story of how my Dad's mate Archie met the Kray twins.
My Dad gambled with them group of guys and some saliors which included my Dad,one of the Twins cheated and a big Australian salior chased him with a knife to which the barman said better get out of here before the heavies come My family were friendly with James Crosbie he was biggest bank robber in Glasgow at one time,and he was in jail with them and they conned him getting him to forge bank bonds And when he came out he got into his on firm in London worked with a ex Paratrooper was first guy to kill cops and went to hide in the woods Don't believe the stories about the Krays they took liberties they survived shaking down stall owners and all the East end saliors knew it as well at the time they wouldn't survived these days a 14 year old would put a bullet in them
Freddie Foreman's son is a fairly well known actor & been in the films : Layer Cake, Nil by Mouth, Sleepy Hollow, Elizabeth & played Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist (2005) also appeared in Doctor Who .... another great video Amanda ... never heard of some of them
I was born in Camberwell and lived next door to the Richardson scrap metal yard where they used to do the torture trials. I'd play in their scrap yard as a kid in new church road. Nice people
Never thought about it before but my favourite criminal has to be Howard Marks, otherwise known as 'Mr. Nice'. Rhys Ifans does a great portrayal of him in the movie of the same name.
Tom Hardy also plays the awesome Alfie Solomons in the Peaky Blinders, based on an other gang from Birmingham, Alfie Solomons is a fictional character played by Tom Hardy in the British period crime drama Peaky Blinders. He is the leader of a Jewish gang based in Camden Town and was introduced in Series 2. The character has had massive cultural impact and has received critical acclaim. 😎👍🏼
Brown bred.....dead! My dad had a 6 month sentence, while he was awaiting trial, he saw Richardson, even if you didn't know who he was, he had that aura you wouldn't want to mess with or be disrespectful to.
Great reaction video Amanda. I've always been interested in the Krays and so has my sister. I have Reggie Kray's autograph and my sister has Ronnie's. Also in my weird collection I have a prison issued stab vest, which belonged to Frankie Frazer which he signed.
Thats pretty cool gangster memorabilia is very collectable haven't been able to get my hands on items from the krays but I knew of an auction a couple of years ago that had letters from both of them had some of their suits classes that belonged to ronnie all soughts
Hi Amanda. About 10 years ago I was visiting friends in London and they took me to the blind beggar pub. It was a strange feeling standing at the bar having a drink in one of the kray sites. Bullet holes were still to be found but I think they had been plastered over when I was there
I first met the Krays on a visit to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels, where they were prisoners, even though i hadnt been born at the time. The Krays had dug through from their cell to the jewel room, emerging just as the guard was coming back from a toilet break. Luckily I managed to distract him long enough for the twins to make good their escape. That night they visited me in my dreams to thank me, and we remained good friends after that. Subsequently I was present at most of the salient Kray events and beatings as a child, I think they looked on me as a Son. I still have Jack Mcvities hat from the night Reggie done him. Anyway my mum put a stop to it all, by telling me I had to go to school, then the Kray's. Anyway it wasn't all wasted, I now make a very nice living dipping bins and selling genuine copies of Jack's hat for tourists. True story.
Lenny is the most scary imo. At his peak before age caught up as it does and the general physique starts to take a hit. Lenny was a monster even the size of those hands alone said don't mess! Roy Shaw should be on here as well in the list.
since you mentioned it i thought you mite find this linguistic tidbit interesting: "governor" was the common phrase used in the u.k. fer anybody in a position of authority until the american phrase "boss" got picked up from tv and movies and eventually became the more common term.
Dave Courtney lives just up the road from me. He's not on the list but he was on tv a lot in the 1990's as the go to celeb cockney gangster and has links to the Krays. His house is very 'interesting' he has a life sized soldier with a gun looking over his front wall and I think he's called the house Camelot Castle.
If you want to meet some, you could reach out to one or two and interview them. There are lots of videos with former American Mafia guys and other mobs on TH-cam so some would no doubt be up for it. Great video as always ;-)
20 years ago I use drink in an old now extinct bar in W11 and use have a drink with one of Richardson henchmen occasionally and he told me about the feud he would have with the krays brothers. A very violent world but fascinating tales. Completely different world and life to my world but very intriguing. In over 50 years of life I met many people from different walks of life from gangsters and members of the royal family. Life never boring 😃😃
It's been said the Richardsons were more successful business wise. They were also more violent in that they tortured people. The Krays were violent no doubt. One of the films made of the Krays was said to be pretty close to the truth (according so say to Reggie Kray) I'm assuming it was the film with the Kemp twins playing the Krays as both Krays died long before the film with Tom Hardy.
The Tom Hardy film was based on a book called the Profession of Violence. Who really knows exactly how accurate these accounts are. The film is accurate tongue book.
A lot of Italian prisoners of war were sent to Scotland - the place is infested with their grandchildren now - usually running fish and chip shops, down-market cafes, ice-cream vans - and they're very 'family oriented' - just like the Mafia.
@@LADYRAEUK seconded or should that be thirded....???...yep a quiet life has many pluses....been busy of late with supplies for overseas....for people not having a quiet life...
Amanda, brown bread is cockney rhyming slang for dead (since, bread and dead rhyme), i.e. he's brown bread. It's also been refined slightly and now the term 'hovis' or hovis'd is also used, since hovis is a very well known UK brand of brown bread!
There were two brothers in the Highbury area of North London known as the Dum Dum brothers who were reputedly enforcers for the Kray twins They shot up a Bus with a shotgun.
Not sure if it had anything to do with his name. But in the British army, I learned the use of the word 'brown' as extremely tired, or 'fucked'. And brown bread was used for someone who's dead. Not sure, could be related maybe 🤔
@@ramadaxl I was confused who Ronnie Pickering was?, but have just watched the ronnie pickering vid for the first time.....I am fucking crying!!! hahahaha, thanks for the laugh :-)
Ive had dealings with a daughter of a former member of the Krays gang, publicly they loved the Krays (even to this day) however he hated them both, neither (Krays) would admit to making errors and when he was called for a meeting with them he didnt know if he was going to survive.
My mother knew the Kray twins as she grew up in the same area as them, she told me the story that an old ladies house in the area had been burgled, the Kray twins heard about it and within a week everything had been returned along with a ten shilling note for the inconvenience.
@@weementaldavy5987 Even the best organised industries make criminal mistakes and refuse to admit guilt or make reparations. It was tough living as a poor person but the gangs protected residents of their 'parish'. There was "Honour amongst thieves". This was a reciprocal agreement. Anyone assisted by the mob knew that they were honor bound to render them every assistance. Ten bob in 1920 was a weeks wages!
Van Carter said. “He was charming, intelligent, loyal to his friends and as feared as he was respected.” Mr. Foreman's journey from “Brown Bread Fred,” (“brown bread” is Cockney rhyming slang for “dead”), to retired pensioner has been variously marked by hardship, opulence, menace and a canny instinct for survival
Turf wars between ice cream sellers is surprisingly common and often violent. Italian family feuds and even distant gangster/mafia links. I'm not even kidding!
Small mistake on the beginning ( Gangsters not ,,gansters,,), but overall pretty good list. Apart from Krays, Bronson and Richardsons I heard only about Frankie Fraser. Still I like movies and books about crime so I liked this video
The Krays came to mind as soon as I sore the Title. I seem to remember a couple of Jack Russell's being called Ronnie and Reggy 😂. if you've not seen it can I recommend you watch the Film the called The Krays. you will see how scary they were.
@Amanda - you ought to watch the three Guy Ritchie movies from the end of the nineties, beginning of the 00s. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Snatch (2000. and also Brad Pitt's best movie!), and RocknRolla (2008) - all classics. His recent movie The Gentlemen (2019) isn't bad, but doesn't reach the level of the three above.
I had the pleasure of meeting Frankie Fraser at a book signing he did many years ago. He was a very good storyteller and friendly but even in his later years I still wouldn't have liked to mess with him .
My dad was a senior Area manager for Whitbread pubs in London in the 1950s and 1960s. He was also responsible for arranging building works for Whitbreads. So he came into a fair bit of contact with both the Krays and The Richardsons, and kept his head down with both. He was also friends with Ruth Ellis (last woman in the UK to be hanged), and he knew (and intensely disliked) John Reginald Christie - one of the biggest serial killers in British history. Whenever he visited a certain pub in Notting Hill, Christie would be leaning on the bar and would say, loudly "I expect 'Brewery Man will be buying me a pint".
@@stu-j they had their fingers in many, many pies, so an awful lot of people would have found themselves in their orbit, but very few of them would have called them friends.
@@LADYRAEUK The 2019 film 'One upon a time in London' is about Hill and Comer as well as other real life gangsters like Mad Frankie Fraser, Alfie White, Albert Dimes and the Krays,
Hey Amanda legend is fantastic film on kray twins if you haven't seen first kray film give it a look Called the krays with Martin Kemp and Gary Kemp playing brothers
Kenny Noye is an interesting character to look into, as are the Adams family from North London. I met Colin Gunn in the mid 90’s and he was a ruthless bastard. The real scary gangsters don’t make the lists as they’re in the background.
The Richardson’s were my favourites. There’s a program fronted by Fred Dineage where. He interviews Charlie Richardson when he was old and probably shortly before his death. Fred Dineage questions him about his criminality and all Charlie says is Nah I was just a businessman. Hilarious response.
Good afternoon Miss Rae. Once again we have our old friend - the cockney rhyming slang, with brown bread meaning dead. Perhaps a reflection of his erstwhile social skills ... You should do a vlog on rhyming slang, I think you would enjoy it.
@@LADYRAEUK Good move. There are many of them. Originally used in the east end of London so the police would not understand ! One I guess you should most certainly be aware of is septic, meaning American; coming from septic tank = yank. As usual though, you only actually use the first word. I do hope you are not offended, not sure of it's origins, probably early post war, but I am quite sure it is not intended to be derogatory.
I agree they pulled off the biggest cash robbery, but they were really one hit wonders and on a local level. The same could be said of the great train robbery
Where I live in Birmingham we had a guy called Eddie fewtrell who ran many clubs around the city around the time of the krays they tried to muscle in his club business he wrote a book about it the accidental gangster mad frankie frasier was a mad axe man for the richardsons great content again amanda
I'm from Birmingham, known a few dodgy characters in my time who claimed to be mates with the Fewtrell's and told stories of them running the Kray's out of Brum.
I was a kid at the time of The Kray's, The Richardson's, 'Mad' Frankie, Freddie and Jack the hat. I lived in Surrey but have family in London, I don't know if they came across them so I only know about them from the documentaries especially The Krays with Fred Dineage my local tv news host who was asked Ronnie or Reggie to write their life story. I would have loved to met The Krays and the rest of 60s gangsters just to see if they were as bad as people say. The Krays got and served life because they never repented for their crimes, unlike now you get life you can be out in 15-20 years. Where as in the USA they have the 3 strike rule.
The peaky blinders is an interesting series to watch, I'm a relative of the original gilberts that the family was known as an I know that during ww1 excuses had to be made for shipments of weapons throughout the canal's as members of the public back then would ask what another's occupation was, my great grandfather would pass it off as important weapons shipments for the British army.
I believe the Shelbys should have featured on this list. You can see why Amanda by watching Peaky Blinders on BBC iPlayer, fantastic series and new one due out soon.
@@allenwood9967 Yeah, he was interviewed on local tv last week for the new series. I was born in Small Heath and now live 200yds from the Garrison Tavern (now closed).
@@chasfaulkner2548 I recall the day's of going into that tavern for a drink an not knowing it's history. It needs some TLC from the last time I saw it.
@@allenwood9967 Clarification required: The Garrison Tavern I mentioned is not the original one depicted in PB, that went years ago. The one which currently stands on the corner of Garrison Lane and Witton St has been closed for about 5 years and as far as I know, it has been sold for other purposes than that of a pub.
Not really gangsters as such, but my two favourites are Ronnie Biggs and Howard Marks. The latter's autobiography "Mr Nice" is very good. I dare say he probably embroidered the truth here and there, but I'm sure the bulk of it is true. Or try out their interviews.
The amount of people that got shot slashed stabbed and had there house done in during ice cream wars was a joke Glasgows always been one of the hardest places to live
You mentioned Charles Bronsons art. He did an album cover for the Edinburgh punk band The Swellbellys. I did the next album cover for them. Apparently, Charlie like that me and my mate would help the band out.
There's an interview with Frankie fraser probably found on youtube he must be well into his 80's and the young interviewer asks him something he doesn't like. Fraser doesn't take it well lets say worth finding.
Hi Amanda, you are right that Bronson sold artwork so he could send his mum on holiday. The artwork in question was done by Reggie Kray (not Bronson). Think there more likely a need for psychiatric support than prison, though I doubt the former would change anything
A friend of mine was in HMP Sutton, that was a transit prison for Bronson, before being ghosted to another prison, the story goes that the whole wing got wind he was there and goaded him to smash up his cell, which he did, apparently it looked like a bomb had hit the cell.
Charles Bronson has charged his name to Charles Salvador after Sslvador Dali one of his favourite painters and has set up a foundation "the Charles Salvador foundation" to help younger people who haven't got the chance
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Laughed at you describing Mad Frankie Fraser as "a bit of a nutter". Understatement of the century 🤣🤣🤣
🤣🤣lol
That numpty Dave Courtney loved giving Mad Frank an earful, despite Frank being well into his 70s by then. Frank then got shot, at close range, in the flipping head (supposedly by 1 of the Adams lot) whilst he was in his 70s and he survived. Go on then Dave - Frank is not what he says he is? Is that right?
"Brown bread" is rhyming slang for "dead". The film, "Legend" was a whitewash of the Krays. Reggie's wife had a breakdown after she discovered he was as queer as his brother. The attempt to excuse the murder of Jack McVitie was atrocious. He was killed for no other reason than Ronnie wanted Reg to kill someone, anyone. "I done mine. You do yours", is what he was reported to have told Reg.
yeah to say "he's brown bread - or he's toast meens he's dead
What robert says is accurate, a lot of films and documentaries are really glorification films, sure legend was a good film, but it wasn't accurate.
Didn't the twins come up to Manchester and go home rather quickly?
@@COIcultist I remember they claimed to have sorted out Manc rivals but they never tried going back there.
@@COIcultist QSG sent the twins packing, different game without the firm on hand for backup. Not that they couldn't do damage. But let's not fall into the trap of glamourising any of them, most of them are dead or in prison. The best gangsters have a short run and that's it.
John McVicar is an interesting one to look into. He was a career criminal and took part in armed robberies. At one time he was dubbed "public enemy number 1" by Scotland Yard. He also escaped from prison several times. Eventually, he gave all that up and became a writer. There is a great film with Roger Daltrey playing McVicar (the film is simply called "McVicar") and also a self-penned book about his life - called "McVicar by himself" - I would recommend both of these if this is a subject that interests you.
I have actually met McVicar when we appeared on a television programme together, me the former copper and him the legendary hard man, I was surprised at how small he was.
@@nickgov66 👍 That is interesting, Nick, can you recall which programme it was as I am pretty sure that I saw him on TV once or twice...perhaps reviewing his book.
@@kevinfroude8679 It was several years ago but, as I recall, it was a Sunday afternoon discussion programme, chaired by a Dimbleby, I can't remember which one.
I always remember that film.
"You can't win McVicar!"
"No, but I'll be the best fucking second you've ever seen!".
What about Jimmy Boyle,Tam Mcgraw,Raoul Moat (not sure if I spelt his name correctly,don't really care to be honest)Dale Cregan,Christie 10 Rillington Place,Hindley and Brady(scum) they are.
My dad grew up in the Eastend and when he was in his late teens drank at a pub the Krays would visit. He said they were fine, never bothered anyone in there.
Hello lady, hope you're well, how about the peaky blinders from Birmingham
Another interesting fact, the Kray twins were the last ever prisoners to be imprisoned at The Tower of London. And
Mad Frankie Fraser in later life earned wedge by giving tours around London's underworld scene. The Richardson's had a "business" in Camberwell South London. Both them and the Krays kept their respective area free of scum, no mugging or house breaking, if you did and got caught your knee caps would meet a hammer. Then you learned to behave.
I bet a lot of people felt safe living in their neighbourhoods then
Really enjoyed that reaction video, thank you. The Kray Twins, they were the ones who stopped the American Mafia getting into London. I've also visited several of the locations connected to The Krays including the cafe which is seen in the film 'Legend'. The cafe is named E Pellicci and they do have a photo from the film above the table that is used in the film.
Ah that’s brilliant, I’d love to do that
@@nickgov66 Same thing happened when they visited Newcastle, The "Geordie Mafia" sent them packing!
I went on one of those tours and was told that a real gangland punishment beating could happen as follows. The enforcer would walk into the victim's local pub - who would then realise what was about to happen. A large piece of plastic would be spread over the floor, the enforcer would ask someone to hold his jacket and watch and would then proceed to beat the victim to a pulp. The enforcer would then leave and, somehow, nobody saw it happen. Such a victim was very lucky. A salt bath, electrodes and scissors was the next stage. Somewhere in the process the victim died.
I thought the IRA stopped the Mafia??
@@nickgov66 also in coventry no names mentioned
I was in The Blind Beggar pub the night George Cornell got shot. one of the Krays, who I knew(but not well enough to speak to) looked at me and said Leave! 30 seconds later I was on Whitechapel station waiting for my tube home. At 18 or 19 I was just a "little" scared (yeah right) I never went back to the East End for many years
sure
I lived 2 houses away from a former driver for the krays. He moved away from the business when they started getting serious. My dad was disabled & if he was working on his car this guy would come out with his overalls on & work on my dads car. He had a scar that went from above his eye down to his chin caused by a car crash trying to get away from the cops, but a genuinely nice guy.
I bet he had some stories to tell
What about the downing street mob into money laundering etc.
Most of our famous gangsters were and are vicious monsters - often psychopaths - who gained their reputation from systematically terrorising people weaker than themselves. I would happily hang most of them myself. There are a few who were hard men who took on hard men and deserve respect - but not many. Through a combination of having lots of cash to spend, and having the right handshake, many of them were acceptable in the higher levels of society - but they bought their acceptability among the sort of people who were as immoral, parasitic and worthless as they were. The very occasional criminal who would have become a Prime Minister or a Field Marshal with better start in life should not blind anyone to how large and devoid of humanity the world of criminality is in some parts of the country. I suspect, despite also having the occasional star, American gangsters are pretty much the same: cheap, psychopathic hoodlums in expensive suits.
Absolutely agree Peter. 👍
ronnie kray got accepted into the elite by providing young boys for the gentry to abuse, not exactly a secret that one!
Well, if you go to the USA youd be talking of hanging almost 3 million people.
12% of the population are under ward of court.
Well, theres a reason why criminals are there.
There always is.
You never find wealthy people exhorting to extortion for £40.
And you,ll never find powerful people in jail for genocide
("Kill a man and the hang you. Kill a thousand and they call you King" )
They grew up in London during and after WW2, where kids had to give up the tires on their bikes and live on a starvation diet simply because Germany left an established economic system.
And despite all the dead fathers, uncles and brothers, no one was better off for it.
All those things which each family was required to give up (forks, knives, rubber, steel etc ) sat on a thrash heap until the 70s.
Never even used, and never intended to be.
It was simply to make the British people feel they sacrificing something (for nothing)
Its no accident that the "teenager" phenomena started in the US and Britain in the 50s, because of millions of orphaned children.
The USA has 25% of the globes prisoners.
Does that mean theres a massively disproportionate amount of "psychos" in America ?
Or is there something unbelievable screwed up with the system ?
@Anonymous One
That was also true of the P. IRA.
Ireland was drug free and Republican areas in N.I had the lowest crime rate in Europe
I prefer too focus on the actually gangsters who were hard men and had some kind of code no matter the crime I mean when the Russians came too the UK a couple years ago they cleaned up the streets pretty good and teamed up with the more better gangs of London
There was a film I haven't seen in over 40 years made about a Glasgow gangster called Jimmy Boyle. I remember it as been a brilliant film and it appears somebody has uploaded it to TH-cam so I'll be watching that tonight. It's called A Sense Of Freedom.
Another who had a film made about him was John McVicar, played in the film by Roger Daltrey from The Who. Another film I haven't seen in decades but remember as brilliant.
I’ll check it out 😊
Definitely! Tom Hardy in 'Legend' was awesome in portraying both Ronnie and Reggie Kray. Excellent film! And you can eat in that cafe (from the clip where the twins were eating breakfast) - Pellici's in Bethnal Green. One of the best, if not the best Full English in London 😋
Wasn't "Brown Bread" cockney rhyming slang for "dead" as in you'll end up dead if you cross him? It's probably been answered loads by this point.
Yeah, trust me Amanda, you really REALLY don't want to have met ANY of these psychopaths. A colleague of my Dad, a guy from Glasgow once told me a story of his as a very young man. He moved from Glasgow to London as a young man about 18. He said he was in a cafe, and one of the two guys at another table kept staring at him, and Archie, being a stroppy young Glaswegian, pulled the guy up for his staring and started really having a go at him. It was then that the other guy at the table, who had been quiet until then stepped straight up to Achie, almost nose to nose and told him, "Sonny you clearly have no idea who my brother REG and I are, and the only reason you are walking out of here is that you are a young lad, a tourist, and don't know how close to dying you are." So that is the story of how my Dad's mate Archie met the Kray twins.
Oh wow, I bet that was terrifying !
Was nothing to do with drugs
Hell of a story Paul. Obviously Ronnie had taken his medication that day !
My Dad gambled with them group of guys and some saliors which included my Dad,one of the Twins cheated and a big Australian salior chased him with a knife to which the barman said better get out of here before the heavies come
My family were friendly with James Crosbie he was biggest bank robber in Glasgow at one time,and he was in jail with them and they conned him getting him to forge bank bonds
And when he came out he got into his on firm in London worked with a ex Paratrooper was first guy to kill cops and went to hide in the woods
Don't believe the stories about the Krays they took liberties they survived shaking down stall owners and all the East end saliors knew it as well at the time they wouldn't survived these days a 14 year old would put a bullet in them
@@LADYRAEUK Has anyone told you that every now and then you slip into a British accent ?
Jimmy Boyle, good film about him called A sense of freedom, brilliant, and we got to watch it at school !!! Bloody school lol
Freddie Foreman's son is a fairly well known actor & been in the films : Layer Cake, Nil by Mouth, Sleepy Hollow, Elizabeth & played Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist (2005) also appeared in Doctor Who .... another great video Amanda ... never heard of some of them
I found it really interesting
Jamie Foreman has acted in loads. He knew all the gangsters growing up.
Jamie Foreman was also in EastEnders
As ever, a great Video Amanda ❤️ 🇬🇧🇺🇸❤️
Thank you!
I was born in Camberwell and lived next door to the Richardson scrap metal yard where they used to do the torture trials. I'd play in their scrap yard as a kid in new church road.
Nice people
Never thought about it before but my favourite criminal has to be Howard Marks, otherwise known as 'Mr. Nice'. Rhys Ifans does a great portrayal of him in the movie of the same name.
I’ll have to look him up
Yeah Howard Marks was one of the "nicer" criminals because he mostly dealt with Cannabis smuggling, he died a few years ago from Cancer if I recall.
Always wondered if it was a deliberate use of his name that popped out of the crime prediction machine at the start of Minority Report
Always look forward to your vids Amanda l . absolutel y adorable lady with great uploads 👍
Thank you 😊
Tom Hardy also plays the awesome Alfie Solomons in the Peaky Blinders, based on an other gang from Birmingham,
Alfie Solomons is a fictional character played by Tom Hardy in the British period crime drama Peaky Blinders.
He is the leader of a Jewish gang based in Camden Town and was introduced in Series 2.
The character has had massive cultural impact and has received critical acclaim.
😎👍🏼
Sounds brilliant!
Alfie Soloman was most certainly a real character. Nothing fictional about him.
Brown bred.....dead!
My dad had a 6 month sentence, while he was awaiting trial, he saw Richardson, even if you didn't know who he was, he had that aura you wouldn't want to mess with or be disrespectful to.
I bet!
Great reaction video Amanda. I've always been interested in the Krays and so has my sister. I have Reggie Kray's autograph and my sister has Ronnie's. Also in my weird collection I have a prison issued stab vest, which belonged to Frankie Frazer which he signed.
That’s brilliant! I’d love that
Thats pretty cool gangster memorabilia is very collectable haven't been able to get my hands on items from the krays but I knew of an auction a couple of years ago that had letters from both of them had some of their suits classes that belonged to ronnie all soughts
Brown bread is cockney rhyming slang for 'dead' As in "that man is brown bread" ie a dead man walking.
Hi Amanda. About 10 years ago I was visiting friends in London and they took me to the blind beggar pub. It was a strange feeling standing at the bar having a drink in one of the kray sites. Bullet holes were still to be found but I think they had been plastered over when I was there
I’d love to visit there sometime
@@LADYRAEUK It's actually a really decent pub tbf. They do an amazing sunday roast!
I first met the Krays on a visit to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels, where they were prisoners, even though i hadnt been born at the time. The Krays had dug through from their cell to the jewel room, emerging just as the guard was coming back from a toilet break. Luckily I managed to distract him long enough for the twins to make good their escape. That night they visited me in my dreams to thank me, and we remained good friends after that.
Subsequently I was present at most of the salient Kray events and beatings as a child, I think they looked on me as a Son. I still have Jack Mcvities hat from the night Reggie done him. Anyway my mum put a stop to it all, by telling me I had to go to school, then the Kray's. Anyway it wasn't all wasted, I now make a very nice living dipping bins and selling genuine copies of Jack's hat for tourists.
True story.
@@ghostdancer444 Whatever your day job is...stick with it. That was just cringe.
Lenny is the most scary imo. At his peak before age caught up as it does and the general physique starts to take a hit. Lenny was a monster even the size of those hands alone said don't mess!
Roy Shaw should be on here as well in the list.
You should definitely watch the krays movie from the 90's starring the Kemp brothers ❤️
Great film but Legend is more accurate
I’ll check it out 😊
"Gawd blimey guvnor,me goldfish is brown bread " = dead in cockney rhyming slang🤣🤣👍 Great video.
Ahh that makes sense 🤣🤣🤣
since you mentioned it i thought you mite find this linguistic tidbit interesting: "governor" was the common phrase used in the u.k. fer anybody in a position of authority until the american phrase "boss" got picked up from tv and movies and eventually became the more common term.
thank you so much for sharing that :) i really appreaciate it
Look into the Gunn brother...or the Gunnies very interesting also a book called the Hoods
Great video Amanda.
Thank you!
Brown Bread is cockney rhyming slang for Dead. Pretty cool nickname really.
Dave Courtney lives just up the road from me.
He's not on the list but he was on tv a lot in the 1990's as the go to celeb cockney gangster and has links to the Krays.
His house is very 'interesting' he has a life sized soldier with a gun looking over his front wall and I think he's called the house Camelot Castle.
Steve "The Devil" French from Liverpool, AKA The Taxman was a nasty piece of work, I think he has reformed since.
I’ll check him out 👍🏻
theres quite a few documentaries on the tax man
I thought that the "taxman" was Brian Cockerill?
@@volvos70t51 It's a common nickname given the fact one of their main rackets is extortion.
@@volvos70t51 brian cockrill is one but theres others taxman is just a tearm
Mr Blobby was a pretty scary character in the early 90's. The stuff of nightmares
Brown Bread = Cockney rhyming slang for “Dead” . PS watch every Sunday night keep it coming
Thanks so much! 😊
Freddie Forman's son Jamie Foreman played Bill Sykes in the movie Oliver Twist and he was in the TV soap EastEnders
Arthur Thompson is another. One of the very few people the Krays respected and feared in equal measure by most accounts.
You had the krays from the east end and the Richardsons from south London in the 60s
If you want to meet some, you could reach out to one or two and interview them. There are lots of videos with former American Mafia guys and other mobs on TH-cam so some would no doubt be up for it. Great video as always ;-)
That’d be great!
@@LADYRAEUK Don't be silly.
20 years ago I use drink in an old now extinct bar in W11 and use have a drink with one of Richardson henchmen occasionally and he told me about the feud he would have with the krays brothers. A very violent world but fascinating tales. Completely different world and life to my world but very intriguing. In over 50 years of life I met many people from different walks of life from gangsters and members of the royal family. Life never boring 😃😃
If you like Bronson you'd love Chopper
The biggest Gangsters are currently sitting in the UK Government Cabinet
Always was.
Correct mate 😊.
It's been said the Richardsons were more successful business wise. They were also more violent in that they tortured people. The Krays were violent no doubt. One of the films made of the Krays was said to be pretty close to the truth (according so say to Reggie Kray) I'm assuming it was the film with the Kemp twins playing the Krays as both Krays died long before the film with Tom Hardy.
I’ll check it out 😊
The Tom Hardy film was based on a book called the Profession of Violence. Who really knows exactly how accurate these accounts are. The film is accurate tongue book.
Brown Bread is Rhyming slang for dead you also may here the slang shortened sometimes to just Brown.
The Ice-Cream Vans make sense, I've never once seen one being pulled over by the police and he does turn up in winter while it's raining...
A lot of Italian prisoners of war were sent to Scotland - the place is infested with their grandchildren now - usually running fish and chip shops, down-market cafes, ice-cream vans - and they're very 'family oriented' - just like the Mafia.
@@geoffchalcraft9432 What? I've only been to Scottland as a kid! I've never heard of the Italian Fruit-Shop Owners there?
Someone's already mentioned the meaning of brown bread. 'Brown bread' is pronounced "Brarn bread' in Cockney rhyming slang.
👍🏻👍🏻
Am I the only onewho likes the film 'the Krays' with Gary and Martin Kemp?
You’re not alone. It’s a great film.
The Quality Street Gang. If for no other reason than being the inspiration for Thin Lizzie's " the boys are back in town."
Will do! 😊
YIKES!!! I am so pleased that I live a nice quite life.
Me too! Lol
@@LADYRAEUK seconded or should that be thirded....???...yep a quiet life has many pluses....been busy of late with supplies for overseas....for people not having a quiet life...
Amanda, brown bread is cockney rhyming slang for dead (since, bread and dead rhyme), i.e. he's brown bread. It's also been refined slightly and now the term 'hovis' or hovis'd is also used, since hovis is a very well known UK brand of brown bread!
There were two brothers in the Highbury area of North London known as the Dum Dum brothers who were reputedly enforcers for the Kray twins They shot up a Bus with a shotgun.
They missed Jack “Spot” Comer, who pre-dated The Twins. The Krays were only ever known as “The Twins” not “The Kray Twins”.
Not sure if it had anything to do with his name. But in the British army, I learned the use of the word 'brown' as extremely tired, or 'fucked'. And brown bread was used for someone who's dead. Not sure, could be related maybe 🤔
That would make sense! Haha
WHAT? No Ronnie Pickering? You HAVE to be kidding me !
who?
@@monkee1969 Exactly !!!
@@ramadaxl I was confused who Ronnie Pickering was?, but have just watched the ronnie pickering vid for the first time.....I am fucking crying!!! hahahaha, thanks for the laugh :-)
@@monkee1969 RONNIE PICKERING !!!!!!
@@volvos70t51 So was Ronnie Pickering !
Ive had dealings with a daughter of a former member of the Krays gang, publicly they loved the Krays (even to this day) however he hated them both, neither (Krays) would admit to making errors and when he was called for a meeting with them he didnt know if he was going to survive.
My mother knew the Kray twins as she grew up in the same area as them, she told me the story that an old ladies house in the area had been burgled, the Kray twins heard about it and within a week everything had been returned along with a ten shilling note for the inconvenience.
Cos they friggin did it. 😁
@@weementaldavy5987 Even the best organised industries make criminal mistakes and refuse to admit guilt or make reparations. It was tough living as a poor person but the gangs protected residents of their 'parish'. There was "Honour amongst thieves". This was a reciprocal agreement. Anyone assisted by the mob knew that they were honor bound to render them every assistance. Ten bob in 1920 was a weeks wages!
Ice cream wars were brutal, lots of people went missing and still haven't been found!
That’s crazy!
Van Carter said. “He was charming, intelligent, loyal to his friends and as feared as he was respected.” Mr. Foreman's journey from “Brown Bread Fred,” (“brown bread” is Cockney rhyming slang for “dead”), to retired pensioner has been variously marked by hardship, opulence, menace and a canny instinct for survival
Turf wars between ice cream sellers is surprisingly common and often violent. Italian family feuds and even distant gangster/mafia links. I'm not even kidding!
Small mistake on the beginning ( Gangsters not ,,gansters,,), but overall pretty good list. Apart from Krays, Bronson and Richardsons I heard only about Frankie Fraser. Still I like movies and books about crime so I liked this video
The Krays came to mind as soon as I sore the Title. I seem to remember a couple of Jack Russell's being called Ronnie and Reggy 😂. if you've not seen it can I recommend you watch the Film the called The Krays. you will see how scary they were.
Brown Bread is slang for Dead ...Foreman son is a well know English actor
Legend is an amazing movie, and Hardy does a phenomenal job in it.
🙌🙌
@Amanda - you ought to watch the three Guy Ritchie movies from the end of the nineties, beginning of the 00s. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Snatch (2000. and also Brad Pitt's best movie!), and RocknRolla (2008) - all classics. His recent movie The Gentlemen (2019) isn't bad, but doesn't reach the level of the three above.
I’ll have to check them out, thanks 😊
@@LADYRAEUK Real Gangster movies!
Albert Reading is one to look out for aswell
I had the pleasure of meeting Frankie Fraser at a book signing he did many years ago. He was a very good storyteller and friendly but even in his later years I still wouldn't have liked to mess with him .
I wouldn’t either lol
My dad was a senior Area manager for Whitbread pubs in London in the 1950s and 1960s. He was also responsible for arranging building works for Whitbreads. So he came into a fair bit of contact with both the Krays and The Richardsons, and kept his head down with both.
He was also friends with Ruth Ellis (last woman in the UK to be hanged), and he knew (and intensely disliked) John Reginald Christie - one of the biggest serial killers in British history.
Whenever he visited a certain pub in Notting Hill, Christie would be leaning on the bar and would say, loudly "I expect 'Brewery Man will be buying me a pint".
Didn’t happen
@@robs715 you have no possible basis to say this. So shove it - you're just yet another tedious troll.
@@robs715 every person ive ever met from London always have a story of knowing the Krays....they must have loads of friends lol 😆 😂 🤣
@@stu-j they had their fingers in many, many pies, so an awful lot of people would have found themselves in their orbit, but very few of them would have called them friends.
@@stu-j lol agreed. There’s so many people that are just full of shit 😂
'Brown Bread Fred' =
"Brown Bread" is cockney rhyming slang, meaning 'Dead'.
Brown bread is cockney rhyming slang for dead, so brown bread Fred is actually a pretty gangster name!
Carlton Leach. Watch his film Rise of the Foot Soldier.
Better still Bill Gardener , not a gangster just a proper hard bastard .
Have you seen the krays movie with the Kemp brothers playing the part of reg n Ron 👍🏻
I haven’t but I’ll check it oit
They used to be in the band Spandau ballet 👍🏻but they play a great part I like it better than the Tom Hardy version although they both good
Maybe check out Curtis Warren, he ended up as No1 on interpols most wanted
Missing are Billy Hill and Jack Comer two London gangsters from the 40s and 50s. Billy Hill was mentor to the Kray twins
I’ll have to look him up 😊
@@LADYRAEUK The 2019 film 'One upon a time in London' is about Hill and Comer as well as other real life gangsters like Mad Frankie Fraser, Alfie White, Albert Dimes and the Krays,
Hey Amanda legend is fantastic film on kray twins if you haven't seen first kray film give it a look
Called the krays with Martin Kemp and Gary Kemp playing brothers
👍🏻I need to watch it
It's good film aswell. Incase you didn't know Martin Gary Kemp were in band Spandau ballet
Have a look at the ballad of Barry and Freda by Victoria Wood, it’s comic genius.
Kenny Noye is an interesting character to look into, as are the Adams family from North London. I met Colin Gunn in the mid 90’s and he was a ruthless bastard. The real scary gangsters don’t make the lists as they’re in the background.
I was going to say what about the A Team
Brown Bread is rhyming slang for "dead."
The Richardson’s were my favourites. There’s a program fronted by Fred Dineage where. He interviews Charlie Richardson when he was old and probably shortly before his death. Fred Dineage questions him about his criminality and all Charlie says is Nah I was just a businessman. Hilarious response.
Good afternoon Miss Rae. Once again we have our old friend - the cockney rhyming slang, with brown bread meaning dead. Perhaps a reflection of his erstwhile social skills ...
You should do a vlog on rhyming slang, I think you would enjoy it.
I plan to 😊
@@LADYRAEUK Good move. There are many of them. Originally used in the east end of London so the police would not understand ! One I guess you should most certainly be aware of is septic, meaning American; coming from septic tank = yank. As usual though, you only actually use the first word. I do hope you are not offended, not sure of it's origins, probably early post war, but I am quite sure it is not intended to be derogatory.
Brown bread can be short for "Dead" or killer?
I'm surprised Lee Murray wasn't on the list he pulled off one of the biggest heists in history but was eventually arrested in Morroco.
I agree they pulled off the biggest cash robbery, but they were really one hit wonders and on a local level. The same could be said of the great train robbery
Hello Amanda Rae I have been watching The Peaky Blinders recently if you haven't seen this TV show it is worth a watch it currently has six seasons. 🙂
Where I live in Birmingham we had a guy called Eddie fewtrell who ran many clubs around the city around the time of the krays they tried to muscle in his club business he wrote a book about it the accidental gangster mad frankie frasier was a mad axe man for the richardsons great content again amanda
Thank you! I’ll check it out
I'm from Birmingham, known a few dodgy characters in my time who claimed to be mates with the Fewtrell's and told stories of them running the Kray's out of Brum.
@paul hanson a friend of mine was a manager at Edwards number 8 mid 80's he met Eddie a few times but he just said he was a nice bloke
Hi Amanda read the book about the governor it's called I am what I look a hard Bastard
Thanks for the suggestion!
I was a kid at the time of The Kray's, The Richardson's, 'Mad' Frankie, Freddie and Jack the hat. I lived in Surrey but have family in London, I don't know if they came across them so I only know about them from the documentaries especially The Krays with Fred Dineage my local tv news host who was asked Ronnie or Reggie to write their life story. I would have loved to met The Krays and the rest of 60s gangsters just to see if they were as bad as people say. The Krays got and served life because they never repented for their crimes, unlike now you get life you can be out in 15-20 years. Where as in the USA they have the 3 strike rule.
Thanks for sharing!
You need to read the Guvnor's book. Its amazing!
The peaky blinders is an interesting series to watch, I'm a relative of the original gilberts that the family was known as an I know that during ww1 excuses had to be made for shipments of weapons throughout the canal's as members of the public back then would ask what another's occupation was, my great grandfather would pass it off as important weapons shipments for the British army.
I believe the Shelbys should have featured on this list. You can see why Amanda by watching Peaky Blinders on BBC iPlayer, fantastic series and new one due out soon.
@@chasfaulkner2548 it's definitely a great series an the story writer has done well to convey the era's throughout the seasons.
@@allenwood9967 Yeah, he was interviewed on local tv last week for the new series. I was born in Small Heath and now live 200yds from the Garrison Tavern (now closed).
@@chasfaulkner2548 I recall the day's of going into that tavern for a drink an not knowing it's history. It needs some TLC from the last time I saw it.
@@allenwood9967 Clarification required: The Garrison Tavern I mentioned is not the original one depicted in PB, that went years ago. The one which currently stands on the corner of Garrison Lane and Witton St has been closed for about 5 years and as far as I know, it has been sold for other purposes than that of a pub.
I lived in Bermondsey in the 1950 and early 60s and gangsters were around
Brown bread is cockney rhyming slang for dead.good vid amanda .charles salvador is my fav .gangster .read his book a littke while back 😘😘
I’ll check him out! Thank you 😊
@@LADYRAEUK that is bronson he has changed his name 👍👍
Roy shaw was the first governor good one too look up
Not really gangsters as such, but my two favourites are Ronnie Biggs and Howard Marks. The latter's autobiography "Mr Nice" is very good. I dare say he probably embroidered the truth here and there, but I'm sure the bulk of it is true. Or try out their interviews.
I’ll check it out 👍🏻
Hi Amanda - If you want a really ruthless gangster try Googling Terry Adams
Ok 👍🏻
The amount of people that got shot slashed stabbed and had there house done in during ice cream wars was a joke Glasgows always been one of the hardest places to live
You mentioned Charles Bronsons art. He did an album cover for the Edinburgh punk band The Swellbellys. I did the next album cover for them. Apparently, Charlie like that me and my mate would help the band out.
That’s cool 👍🏻👍🏻
There's an interview with Frankie fraser probably found on youtube he must be well into his 80's and the young interviewer asks him something he doesn't like. Fraser doesn't take it well lets say worth finding.
I’ll look it up 😊
I'd imagine the 'brown bread' Fred reference, could be the good old Cockney rhyming slang. Brown bread - dead.
Freddie Forman was born and brought up in South West London in Battersea. But such is the love affair East End gangsters, they all come from there....
Hi Amanda, you are right that Bronson sold artwork so he could send his mum on holiday. The artwork in question was done by Reggie Kray (not Bronson). Think there more likely a need for psychiatric support than prison, though I doubt the former would change anything
Ah I didn’t know that, thank you 😊
A friend of mine was in HMP Sutton, that was a transit prison for Bronson, before being ghosted to another prison, the story goes that the whole wing got wind he was there and goaded him to smash up his cell, which he did, apparently it looked like a bomb had hit the cell.
Charles Bronson has charged his name to Charles Salvador after Sslvador Dali one of his favourite painters and has set up a foundation "the Charles Salvador foundation" to help younger people who haven't got the chance