The Krays and other criminals

[Groucho]

I’ve never understood the fascination with the Krays. They weren’t master criminals. They were caught early. Crap criminals I’d say.

Master criminals don’t get caught that easily. They spent their years in jail.

Yeah, great to look up to, what role models, eh?

 

[Rita_Poon]

exits quietly*

 

[Blue 1]

I’ve never understood the fascination with the Krays. They weren’t master criminals. They were caught early. Crap criminals I’d say.

Master criminals don’t get caught that easily. They spent their years in jail.

Yeah, great to look up to, what role models, eh?

I hate the romanticisation of the Krays and the like.

"Durrrr, they were honourable men, they only ever hurt their own sort and they loved their mums"

No, they were psychotically violent turdbags who terrorised communities. Bollox to 'em.

 

[Naisy'sCharitableLeanings]

I’ve never understood the fascination with the Krays. They weren’t master criminals. They were caught early. Crap criminals I’d say.

Master criminals don’t get caught that easily. They spent their years in jail.

Yeah, great to look up to, what role models, eh?

It’s a Cockney thing - loving yer old mum and looking after ‘your own’ go a long way. Slightly tarnished by outbursts of violence and murder, granted, but they DID love their old mum, Gawd bless ‘er.

 

[DavidH]

I worked in London for a while once. It's amazing how many family members they had. "Yeah well back in the day my old man..." just stop there mate, I only want a sausage roll.

 

[Groucho]

View attachment 228575
exits quietly*

Point remains

 

[Naisy'sCharitableLeanings]

Point remains

There’s a good BBC podcast series (‘Gangster’) which has a season dedicated to him. It’s a good listen, as are the other seasons. You can sort of see why some people romanticise the lifestyle - these fellas didn’t GAF and I think a lot of people wish they could be just as blasé - but personally, I’d find it stressful AF, and I’m way too pretty for prison…

 

[Rita_Poon]

Point remains

Some are highly successful, it's the gamble that draws so many to the flame of criminality.
Some even caught now have unimaginable reach.
The kray fruitcakes, 'mad' frankie frasier etc, all in it to be a name, a reputation, small time hoods, nothing more than bullies. such scum comes and goes. good riddance.

 

[widnesblue]

Had a former gangster in work this week talking to kids about the disadvantages of joining a gang. A lad from Manchester who started a crip gang in Manchester. His story was eye opening. Went into great detail about it. In the end he basically said it’s all a mugs game and the money and notoriety doesn’t last long when you end up on a high security prison. Very interesting stuff

 

[Groucho]

Some are highly successful, it's the gamble that draws so many to the flame of criminality.
Some even caught now have unimaginable reach.
The kray fruitcakes, 'mad' frankie frasier etc, all in it to be a name, a reputation, small time hoods, nothing more than bullies. such scum comes and goes. good riddance.

Some were, yeah. They weren’t.

 

[Groucho]

I’m way too pretty for prison

 

[Hackbread]

Its because the Krays loved the image and played up big time to the media and rubbed shoulders with celebs of the day.
They have just been normalised as part of that world as opposed to the violent bang average criminals that they were.

 

[DavidH]

Had a former gangster in work this week talking to kids about the disadvantages of joining a gang. A lad from Manchester who started a crip gang in Manchester. His story was eye opening. Went into great detail about it. In the end he basically said it’s all a mugs game and the money and notoriety doesn’t last long when you end up on a high security prison. Very interesting stuff

It's a choice if you can handle yourself and fancy yourself as sharper than the average Joe. Quick route to money, a few cars and birds who like beak. The flip side is you're waiting for your door to get kicked in (and you better hope it's plod) and eventually you'll end up inside with harder people who will eat you alive. If you manage to overcome those hurdles you spend your days watched and even worse, watching. No trust in anyone, justifying it to yourself until eventually you're either back inside or badly done in.

Mugs game. These little dweebs in balaclavas bouncing round town, flipping scramblers through the street etc.... if only they knew how pathetic they are.

 

[DavidH]

Its because the Krays loved the image and played up big time to the media and rubbed shoulders with celebs of the day.
They have just been normalised as part of that world as opposed to the violent bang average criminals that they were.

Nobody from that part of London back then had anything else to look up to other than Bobby Moore. It put the east-End on the map so to speak. The only other time it was on any map was when the Luftwaffe dropped bombs on it.

 

[arch stanton]

View attachment 228577

I bet that thumb could tel some stories...