The Krays: Moving On Up© Ron Lombard
Nov 9, 2000
The twins seemed to attract trouble and from an early age, loved to fight with anybody. It was customary for gang differences to be settled with fists, boots, knives and various other weapons. They were the toughest of the local teenage gangs and reached the age of seventeen before they had a serious problem with the law. They beat up a boy in a gang fight and he at first testified against them. But the trail was dismissed for lack of evidence. For some reason the boy was no longer sure who was involved in his beating. By this time, they were boxing professionally and were doing quite well. Their reputation as people to avoid preceded them. But then they were called up for National Service. They reported to Waterloo Barracks at the Tower of London and were assigned to the Royal Fusiliers, not bad duty. But the twins did not take kindly to the military and after a fight with one of their training sergeants, they went AWOL. Like their father before them military did not agree with them. The police arrested them the next day and they were sent back for punishment. Most of their tour of duty consisted of serving time in military prisons. After they were dishonorably discharged from the Army, the twins went into their first business. They open up a billiard hall, which soon became a regular meeting place for a group of low level criminals. Many right out of prison were old friends the twins had known in the Army. Ronnie started to dress gangster-style; double-breasted, wide shouldered suits, large rings and heavy bracelet watches. He copied most of the style from the movies. He also started to act out the role and soon had picked up the manner and style of his movie heroes. Ronnie understood the importance of collecting information and keeping a close eye on the community. He collected a group of young boys and dubbed them his little information service and used them to watch houses, clubs or to follow someone and then report back. He came to view himself as another Fagan. He began to become socially close to his little workers in both a friendly and sexual manner. He had accepted his role as a homosexual. This allowed him to make use of the boys in more ways then simply gathering information. Even through Ronnie like to play the gangster role they were outsiders in the real criminal underworld and viewed as any type of threat by local crime lords. But as their reputation grew the twins received an invitation for drinks with some local hoods that felt it was time to put them in their place. Instead the twins cleaned the floor with the local gang members.
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