679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. The raids seem often to have been left to chance, and he was particularly unfortunate with cars. Another of Fraser's grandsons, James Fraser, also spent a short time with Bristol Rovers. Another grandson, Anthony Fraser, was being sought by police in February 2011 for his alleged involvement in an alleged 5 million cannabis smuggling ring. During World War 2 he was a deserter - escaping from his barracks on several occasions. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. What officers didn't know then was that his crime spree would continue over a career spanning seven decades, and his offences only worsened. He spent 42 years behind bars before achieving a certain cult status in later life as an author, after-dinner speaker, television pundit and tour guide. In 1938, she was sentenced for stabbing a policeman in the eye with a hatpin. Part of his mouth was shot away in the incident. The gang's ringleaders appeared in a secret register of criminals, that is now kept by the National Archives, which then existed to help police track down the most persistent offenders. Frankie Fraser, who has died aged 90, was a notorious torturer and hitman for the Richardson gang of south London criminals in the 1960s; he spent 42 years behind bars before achieving a. But Hill was already an admirer: a picture taken at a party to launch Hills ghosted autobiography in 1955 shows Fraser draped artistically over a piano. I dont think people realise how close we came to all-out battles in London between Communism and Fascism, before WW2 brought the country together, Beezy said. Then theres Frankie himself, who makes a brief appearance. The criminal, who has spent almost half his life in prison, passed away earlier at King's. Morton was relieved that, rather than remonstrating, Fraser wanted him to write his life story. [4] He was involved in riots and frequently fought with prison officers and fellow inmates. Harts killing was avenged within 24 hours when Ronnie Kray shot George Cornell, the Richardsons chief lieutenant, at the Blind Beggar pub deep in Kray territory on the Mile End Road, using a 9mm Mauser semi-automatic pistol at point-blank range. They worked department stores including Selfridges in teams of three or four during hoisting trips up to three times a week. The most famous 'queen', Alice Diamond (left), was the daughter of a docker and renowned for her row of diamond rings that doubled as a knuckle duster. At her kitchen table, Alice would teach her girls how to roll furs on the hanger and shove them down their drawers, which the gang called 'clouting'. Shortly afterwards, Fraser kidnapped Eric Mason, a Kray gang member, outside the Astor Club in Berkeley Square, with even direr consequences. '", Frankie Fraser's Last Stand will be broadcast on the Crime and Investigation network on 16 June at 9pm, New TV documentary shows ex-gangland enforcer is far from mellowing with age and has few regrets about his life of crime, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Frankie Fraser has no regrets over his life of crime, which involved him being jailed for a total of 42 years for 26 offences. It was a thief's paradise, Gor blimey! Fraser was the. Tue 11 Jun 2013 11.55 EDT He may be in his 90th year but "Mad" Frankie Fraser is still causing mayhem. Borstal was followed by prison, where in 1943 he met the influential London villain Billy Hill, for whom he worked on and off for more than a decade, culminating in his slashing of Hills rival Jack Spot in 1956 after the self-styled kings of the underworld had fallen out. After trying his hand at crime as a child, Fraser then continued into his later life. The years just after World War II were a boom time for the gang, as clothing was rationed until 1949. [26] On 21 November 2014, he fell critically ill during leg surgery at King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill[27] and was placed into an induced coma. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Frank's mother, Margaret, was a huge influence on him but his "best pal" and early partner in crime was his sister, Eva. Fraser was the youngest of five children and grew up in poverty. In 1969, Fraser was one of the ringleaders of the major Parkhurst Prison riot, which resulted in him spending the six weeks in the prison hospital due to his injuries. 'You name it, we nicked it,' he tells the . He was a deserter during the Second World War, escaping from his barracks . Fraser himself was accused of pulling out the teeth of victims with a pair of pliers. She liked to earn her own money and paid her own way quite something for a young woman in the 1930s and 1940s. The cells did not have a reforming effect on her character or on that of her gang leader Diamond, who was arrested on numerous occasions over the following decade. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Eva knew the Krays well and they treated her with reverence, although she saw them as little more than naughty boys. He was very skilled at manipulating people and he played a long game, letting people believe he was mad, with the intention of winning in the end. During his time behind bars he was involved in violence and was a major instigator in the Parkhurst Prison riots in 1969. The granddaughter of a member of the gang, who said she was taught how to steal in the 1970s, told Ms Marsh: 'My nan was always beautifully turned out. Although his parents were not criminals, Fraser turned to crime aged 10 with his sister Eva, to whom he was close. [24], Fraser's wife, by whom he had four sons, died in 1999. Born on Cornwall Road, Waterloo, Lambeth, South London, Fraser was the youngest of five children and grew up in poverty. At his funeral, one of his old prison friends summed him up: Whether he has gone upstairs or downstairs, I cant say, but wherever he is, you can be sure of this: he will be protesting about the conditions.. She was sentenced to five months. [8] Although his parents were not criminals, Fraser turned to crime aged 10 with his sister Eva, to whom he was close. Fraser, whose health has been deteriorating in recent years, turned to crime aged just nine when he and his sister, Eva, became petty thieves. Bought stolen goods and sold them on in a role known as 'the fence'. Aged seven, Ms Pitts was stealing milk and bread to provide food for her five siblings. Fraser was the youngest of five children who were growing up in poverty - he first turned to crime at the tender age of 10, alongside his sister Eva. None of the gang were afraid to use razors on those who crossed them. Shegot her first criminal record aged just 14 and, in 1923, she was jailed after running out of a jeweller's with a tray of 34 diamond rings straight into the arms of a policeman. When the police arrived, they found Hart lying under a lilac tree in a nearby garden. Having chronicled the life of old mad Frank, author Beezy Marsh has turned her pen to Peggy, Kathleen and Eva; in her new book Keeping My Sisters Secrets. Here are some pictures of Eva Fraser of the Forty Thieves and her sister Kathleen. 'My gran liked to go for tea at the Ritz, especially if she could pinch someone's fur coat from the cloakroom on the way out. Updated November 28, 2014 2.43pmfirst published at 2.41pm Save Share After another, the car ran out of petrol in the Rotherhithe tunnel. One such member was Lilian Goldstein, who was known as the Bob-Haired Bandit. David had perfected the prison whisper talking very quietly, in case he was overheard by the guards. Descendants . To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. He also claimed to have been the first bandit to wear a stocking mask. While serving this sentence, Fraser received 10 years for his part in the so-called Richardson torture trial. The pair were the only ones of the children to embrace a life of crime. He shot, slashed, stabbed and axed. Photograph: Crime and Investigation network. Dubbed 'The Most Dangerous Man in Britain' by two Home Secretaries, Francis Davidson Fraser was born on the 13th of December 1923, and grew up in Waterloo, London.He and his sister, Eva started their life of crime at a young age, stealing from handbags and pickpocketing. On 21 November 2014, Fraser fell critically ill whilst undergoing leg surgery atKing's College Hospital,Denmark Hill. The following year, the British mobsterJack Spotand wife Rita were attacked on Billy Hill's say-so, by Fraser, Bobby Warren and at least half a dozen other men. She lived an unashamedly lavish lifestyle and splashed her money around. . Profile manager: Evelyn Wolff [send private message] ', The notorious gangster 'Mad' Frankie Fraser's sister Eva had risen through the ranks of the gang after joining in the 1930s. By the 1950s, the gang were facing ever-present store detectives and had to rely more on disguises. His greatest moment of national notoriety came during what was known as the 'torture trial' of the Richardson gang in 1967, which became . According to one of his sons, David, Fraser was unharmed but he did not inform on his assailant. The memoir KEEPING MY SISTER'S SECRETS, (Pan Macmillan 2017) tells the moving story of three sisters born into poverty in 1930s London and their fight for a survival through a decade of social upheaval. On his release, Fraser joined Richardsons brother Eddie in a company called Atlantic Machines, installing fruit machines at some of Sohos most profitable sites, with Sir Noel Dryden recruited as the respectable frontman. [9] After being sent to HM Prison Durham for taking part in bank robberies, he was again certified insane and this time was sent to Broadmoor Hospital. His funeral took place on December 18, 2014. He claimed to have no regrets about his criminal life, apart from being caught. Although he was acquitted, a further five years were added to his sentence. "Hill paid by the stitch if you put 50 stitches in a man's face, you could expect 50," says James Morton, Fraser's biographer. A famous Monty Python sketch featuring the Piranha brothers, Doug and Dinsdale, has often been associated with Fraser and the Kray twins and some aspects of the new documentary may add to this impression. 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She was an alcoholic and onceran out of a jeweller with a tray of 34 diamond rings and bumped straight into a policeman. He was given an asbo, one of his sons told film-makers, after getting into an argument with a fellow-resident and is unrepentant about his life of crime. It was not that he thought he was Napoleon. There was also kind of respect for them locally because people could get a nice dress or a pair of stockings cheaply. Frankie Fraser was born on Cornwall Road in Waterloo, London on December 13, 1923. Ms Marsh said it 'was time to reappraise London's gangland' when she wrote The Queen of Thieves. Reporters claimed she was 6ft tall - despite police records from 1919 putting her at 5ft9in. If you love GANGLAND and women in crime who rubbed shoulders with Frank and the Krays, you're going to QUEEN OF CLUBS my new book set in seedy 1950s Soho and inspired by the Forty Thieves hoisters gang including Frank's sister Eva Fraser and the notorious hoister Shirley Pitts from Walworth who grew up with his sons David and Patrick. contact the editor here. Frankie Fraser was a south London gangster who knew no language but violence and spent half his life behind bars. They also spoke, as Frank did, using the prison slang of a bygone era, which they had to translate for me. There were further language difficulties. The thieves' earnings allowed them to live like upper-class debutantes. The following year, the British mobster Jack Spot and wife Rita were attacked, on Hill's say-so, by Fraser, Bobby Warren and at least half a dozen other men. While the award-winning TV show Peaky Blinders was inspired by the all-male Brummagem Boys gang from the same period, the Forty Thieves make some of even their escapades seem tame by comparison. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, 'Mad' Frankie Fraser was a notorious English gangster, Funeral of South London enforcer, FRANKIE FRASER at Honour Oak Crematorium, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). They would go through Selfridges department store in the West End and steal furs and expensive clothes. Once again, he was sent toprison, this timefor taking part in bank robberies. I just waited, caught up with him, knocked him about and strung him up with his dog, Fraser remembered. Mad Frank (1994), which went on to sell around 100,000 copies, was the first in a successful series. Ronald 'Ronnie' Kray and Reginald 'Reggie' Kray, were identical twin brothers who led an organised crime ring in East London from the late 1950s to 1967. [11] In 1942, while serving a prison sentence in HM Prison Chelmsford, he came to the attention of the British Army. She was taught by Alice Diamond in the 1930s and a very senior member throughout the. Their alleged specialities included pulling teeth out using pliers, cutting off toes using bolt cutters and nailing victims to floors using 6-inch nails. [23] In 1991, Fraser was shot in the head from close range in an apparent murder attempt outside the Turnmills Club in Clerkenwell, London. He also attacked various governors. But Beezy said: [Kathleen] experienced the slums of Waterloo as a place buzzing with excitement and the tight-knit community, with its Catholic Church parades, which gave her the chance to shine, though she instead works at the old Hartleys jam factory in Bermondsey. A keen Arsenal supporter, Fraser had four sons, the first three of whom, Frank Jr, David and Patrick, followed to an extent in his footsteps. Frank Davidson Fraser (13 December 1923 - 26 November 2014), better known as 'Mad' Frankie Fraser, was an English gangster who spent 42 years in prison for numerous violent offences. We'll never send you spam or share your email address. When she married the father of five of her seven children, Chris Hawkins, he subjected her to cruel beatings - but quickly stopped following a warning from the Kray Twins. If you weren't actually stealing, you were outranked by The Forty Thieves. With the help of Hill and mafia interests, Fraser and Eddie Richardson established Atlantic Machines, a successful business placing one-armed bandits in clubs throughout Britain. Swathed in luxurious fur coats, wearing diamond rings as a knuckledusters and hats to hide their stolen wares, Britain's most notorious all-female gang ruledthe tenements of Waterloo and Elephant and Castle and earned the respect of Soho's most feared underworld bosses. Tallymen, who sold goods door-to-door, would shift them across London. There were car chases and bank raids which would not have looked out of place in The Sweeney. She was still hoisting well into her 70s.'. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription you will not receive any updates until your subscription is confirmed. [12], After the war, Fraser was involved in a smash-and-grab raid on a jeweller, for which he received a two-year prison sentence, mostly served at HM Prison Pentonville. It was during this sentence that he was first certified insane and was sent to Cane Hill Hospital before being released in 1949. When Frank Sinatra came to London in the early 1970s, he made a special visit in his limo to Eva in her little terrace house in South London to pay his respects. Prior to that he was a bodyguard to notorious gangland leader Billy Hill, where he took part in bank robberies and and carried out razor blade attacks - which earned him 50 a time. Joining the Forty Thieves was something of a right of passage for Eva Fraser. 'Any girl worth her salt in South London in those days was a. Beezy, from Ealing, explained that it was in prison that Eva met Diana Mosley, wife of Oswald leader of fascist Blackshirts who were a fearsome presence in London in the 1920s and 30s. pre order Queen of Thieves now for just 2.99. Fraser earned his mad nickname during the second world war, when he managed to get himself out of military service by pretending to be mentally ill. To prove his unsuitability to the force, he assaulted a doctor before jumping out of the window at the Bradford assessment centre where he had been sent. He chose the latter because they had taken sides on behalf of his sisters husband, Tommy Brindle, who had received a heavy beating by the Rosa brothers from the Elephant and Castle. "At the races, I'd be bucket boy," says Fraser in the documentary, Frankie Fraser's Last Stand, which will be broadcast on the Crime and Investigation network on 16 June at 9pm. The singer, 29, bared his chest and showed off his . Even the gangster 'Mad' Frankie Fraser, whose sister Eva was a leading light in the gang in the thirties and forties, spoke with great reverence about Alice Diamond. The two Richardson brothers were convicted, and the elder, Charles, sentenced to 25 years. He was full of contradictions: He hated authority but at the same time he understood the need for society to have rules and was against anarchy. He had been shot in the face. As a reward, he was shown his examination answers, and thats how I come top, he later boasted.