The Krays: Moving On Up

Soon, the twins were picking up cash by extorting a share of illegal profits from thieving and robbery committed in what they came to consider their personal territory. Their first real connection with organized crime was with the Sabini Gang. They had formed an alliance with Sabini mob and took their first steps into the world of real gangsters. When a rival gang attacked the leader of the mob, he called on the twins to back him against Billy Hill and his gang. The twins accepted the invitation and made it known they were supporting him. The opportunity to move up quickly in this world disappeared when the leaders of both the rival gangs chose to retire rather than engage in gang warfare. They did continue to control an expanding area from which they demanded tribute and respect. The Kays were developing a reputation for quickly turning to violence to enforce their will. The name was becoming more well known and for the first time they were viewed as a threat to other gangs.

In 1956, Ronnie shot someone for the first time. A car dealer in was under the protection of the twins. He sold a car to a man and had some major auto problems. When the man returned the car, complaining it burned oil, the dealer refused to refund the purchase price. The buyer threatened to return the next day with his friends to deal with the problem. The dealer contacted the twins who agreed to deal with the matter. The next day the man did return, but he came alone. He was talking to the car dealer when Ronnie stormed into the office and in a brief struggle, fired his pistol shooting the man in the leg. The man identified Ronnie as the man who had shot him. The next day, a man was brought to the hospital and the victim identified his attacker. Except when the police charged Ronald Kray with the crime the man swore he was not Ronnie but Reggie, and produced identification to prove it. The victim was rewarded with a substantial cash payment for his silence and his pain and suffering.

By the middle of the same year, the twins at last had moved into the West End of London. A friend had a club that was having some problems. The twins were called in to deal with the problem and did such a

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