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His greatest moment of national notoriety came during what was known as the 'torture trial' of the Richardson gang in 1967, which became . What officers didn't know then was that his crime spree would continue over a career spanning seven decades, and his offences only worsened. Queen of Thieves: The gangland women who made Peaky Blinders look like It has emerged that the former gangland enforcer, who has spent 42 years in prison for 26. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Once again, he was sent toprison, this timefor taking part in bank robberies. He was a rock.. Fraser spent practically half his life behind bars. The violent thugs, the Kray twins, held The Forty Thieves member Eva Fraser in high regard during the 1940s and 1950s. 'I felt it was time for their story to be told and it inspired my novel, which is the first in a planned trilogy for Orion about the gang, stretching from the 1920s to the 1950s.'. The Krays, according to Frank, were little more than thieves ponces.. Frankie Fraser | The Kray Twins Wiki | Fandom Harry Styles bares his impressively toned torso and body art at gig Getting them to relive their exploits had its own difficulties at the start the only time they had ever been interviewed was by the police and they were used to keeping their own counsel. MAD FRANK & SONS, by David Fraser, Patrick Fraser and Beezy Marsh is published by Sidgwick and Jackson on June 2. Photograph: Crime and Investigation network. When Frankie was in prison, Eva helped to run his protection rackets in Soho and even sent her daughters to collect payments, as the police would not stop a child. Fraser was the. He then worked for legendary Soho crime boss Billy Hill in the 1950s, earning the nickname razor Fraser for his attacks on those who crossed him, before becoming embroiled in protection rackets in the 1960s, rising to the position of the Boss of Soho. Author Beezy Marsh investigates criminal matriarchs of 1950s London Those who had incurred Richardsons displeasure were wired up to a sinister black box with a wind-up handle that administered severe electric shocks to the genitals. Always well turned out and ineffably polite and punctual, he had a large and appreciative audience, and one woman was so impressed she named her son after him. Theres one account of one of Peggys colleagues pretending to still be single so she could carry on working as a Post Office manager. Whereas for Eva it was about her earning her own money on her own terms. The violent thugs, the Kray twins, held Eva Fraser in high regard because of her role in the gang and during the 1940s and 1950s and the Soho gang boss Billy Hill - brother of the fiery Ms Hughes - was careful not to encroach too much on their territory because he respected their right to earn their own money, free from male interference. She helped him sell on his loot. Frankie Fraser was a south London gangster who knew no language but violence and spent half his life behind bars. Eric wasnt a bad fellow, Fraser later explained, but that particular night he was bang out of order.. From then on until the end of the 1980s, Fraser was more often in jail than not. They stole to put food on the table. Frankie Fraser was a notorious torturer and hitman, who worked as an enforcer for some of London's most feared gang leaders, including Billy Hill in the 1950s and the Richardson gang in the 1960s. Both Fraser and Warren were given seven years for their acts of violence. At the age of five, Fraser, running in the road to beg for cigarette cards, was knocked down, and from his injuries he developed meningitis. 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. But who were the gang's most brazen members? By the time of the Swinging Sixties, she was drinking champagne with the Krays. Who was 'Mad' Frankie Fraser? | The Irish Sun 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. Petite shoplifter Bertha Tappenden stood just over 5ft 2in tall, but was convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm on a man in Lambeth, after kicking down his front door and attacking him with razors and knives, to settle a score, aided by Diamond and another gang girl, Gertrude Scully. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Although his parents were not criminals, Fraser turned to crime aged 10 with his sister Eva, to whom he was close. [16], Fraser's 42 years served in over 20 different prisons in the UK were often coloured by violence. Eva was a chip off the old block and as well as being Franks first partner in crime, stealing sweets from the corner shop, she had a lucrative career in a daring gang of girl shoplifters, The Forty Thieves, which traced its roots back to Victorian London and cleared many a West End store for furs and luxury goods. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. 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. On this release, he determined to write his memoirs. A machine costing 400 could quickly recoup its cost if well-sited, and Frasers company offered club owners 40 per cent of the take rather than the standard 35 per cent as an inducement to install their machines. When he was 10, the pair stole a cigarette machine from a local pub, hauled it to some waste ground and jemmied it open. Fraser was part of Britain's Underworld between the 1940s-1960's. He was a known associate of gangster Billy Hill throughout the 1950s. He refused to discuss the shooting with the police. Many of the Forty Thieves were noted for their beauty as well as their shoplifting skills, such as Madeline Partridge and her sister Laura, whose mother was often used by Diamond to sell stolen goods. One such member was Lilian Goldstein, who was known as the Bob-Haired Bandit. He has been part of the most infamous criminal gangs of the past 100 years, while maintaining his South London roots and deep devotion to his family. [3][4], Frankie Fraser was born on Cornwall Road in Waterloo, London. He received a further five years when, in 1970, he was acquitted of incitement to murder but convicted of grievous bodily harm after he had led the Parkhurst prison riot the previous year. During the 1950s, Fraser's main occupation was as bodyguard to well-known gangster Billy Hill. Both Fraser and Warren received seven-year sentences. None of the gang were afraid to use razors on those who crossed them, Some of London's The Forty Thieves' antics made the Peaky Blinders look like choirboys. Francis Davidson Fraser, criminal, born 13 December 1923; died 26 November 2014, Gangland criminal and in later life a minor media celebrity, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Frankie Fraser in 2002. The women were completely faithful to their leader, known as the queen, who doled out harsh punishments and carried strict rules including not helping police officers by informing. Police reveal more details, as man remains at large after brutal attack outside school, Interview with MP Neil Coyle after Commons suspension: Why the drinking has stopped having started in childhood, but the swearing wont, plus deliberately avoiding Labour leader Keir Starmer, Read our print products (Digital Editions). The family was hard-working and kept themselves clean [out of crime].. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. She is thought to have killed herself in the 1970s. A Gannett Company. AS is the case with so many crime families, the key to understanding the men came through getting to know the women who cared for them. Although he was acquitted, a further five years were added to his sentence. And involvement in such activities often led to his sentences being extended. After one snatch, he and his companion were arrested when their car would not start. Aged seven, Ms Pitts was stealing milk and bread to provide food for her five siblings. There were car chases and bank raids which would not have looked out of place in The Sweeney. Somehow Eva found herself in the opposite company of her eldest sister Peggy, whose boyfriend was heavily involved in the Communist Party, whom the Blackshirts fought in the famous Battle of Bermondsey, and the even more famous Battle of Cable Street. Eva (Fraser) Brindle. Mother of [private daughter (1940s - unknown)] Died 2000s. It will only make me a worse villain! 'It was incredibly subversive to go against the class system and steal furs and luxury items and swan about like they were rich - but that is exactly what they did. Together they set up the Atlantic Machines fruit-machine enterprise, which acted as a front for the criminal activities of the gang. He was so attired when, in 1951, he attacked the governor of Wandsworth prison, William Lawton, as he walked his pet terrier on Wandsworth Common. It will only make me a worse villain!'. Fraser was just 13 when he was sent to an approved school for stealing 40 cigarettes. But little by little, over weeks and months of interviews, cups of tea and chats, their life stories emerged and with that came a fascinating insight into the Fraser family history and what really made Frank tick. Charles Richardson was a criminal businessman who reputedly specialised in various tortures administered at secret courts at which he presided, sometimes robed like a judge, a knife or a gun to hand. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? He claimed to have no regrets about his criminal life, apart from being caught. His mother was of Irish and Norwegian descent, while his father was half Native-American. 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. Frankie Fraser Profiles | Facebook But after shoving their stolen goods into waiting cars the women would head back to the grotty slums of Waterloo and Elephant and Castle - where their 'queen' exchanged the expensive items for a generous weekly wage. His life of crime started aged nine when he worked for the notorious Sabini gang, which ran protection rackets at the racecourses at a time when off-course betting was illegal. The trial which became one of the longest in British criminal history. Fraser has complained in the past that "I had no help from my family; my mother and father were dead straight so I had to make my own way. We'll never send you spam or share your email address. In 1969 Fraser led the Parkhurst prison riot on the Isle of Wight and found himself back in court charged with incitement to murder. 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. of James Fraser and Margaret Alice (Anderson) Fraser. Fraser became a minor celebrity of sorts, appearing on television shows such as Operation Good Guys,[18] Shooting Stars,[19] and the satirical show Brass Eye,[20] where he said Noel Edmonds should be shot for killing Clive Anderson (an incident invented by the show's producers), and writing an autobiography. As an adult she was beaten by one of her boyfriends and the father of five of her seven children, Chris Hawkins, who was a fruit and vegetable seller in Hoxton. Mad' Frankie Fraser and London's Most Notorious Gangsters The Guardian, October 12 1980 Frank Fraser is a thorn in the Prison Department's side - a thorn so big that he is possibly the only British criminal who has become a legend simply by serving time. Frankie Fraser was known anotorious torturer and hitman, who worked as an enforcer for some of London's most feared gang leaders. 'In fact, she was one of the people who spotted his talent for stealing after he pinched a cigarette machine from a hotel as a small boy. When the heat from the cops in London got too much, they headed off to the Costa del Crime to seek their fortunes there. 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'. People shook his hand in the street, others kissed him or asked for his autograph and taxi drivers honked their horns. During the 1950s, Fraser's main criminal occupation was as bodyguard to well-known gangsterBilly Hill. Frankie Fraser Biography | HowOld.co He was moved from prison to prison more than 100 times because he was virtually impossible to control. 'MAD' Frankie Fraser, was one of the most feared and respected West End crime lords of the 1960s. Eva knew the Krays well and they treated her with reverence, although she saw them as little more than naughty boys. She was sentenced to five months. "As I was growing up, I never had to buy a shirt Eva made sure she nicked them for me. The Forty Thieves posed as wealthy housewives innocently browsing the rails of the UK's most luxurious clothing stores before shoving stolen items down their undergarments. This resulted in Fraser returning to prison once again - this time to serve a seven-year sentence. Involvement in such activities often led to his sentences being extended. [23] In 1991, Fraser was shot in the head from close range in an apparent murder attempt outside the Turnmills Club in Clerkenwell, London. 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. Editors' Code of Practice. Facebook gives people the power. Aged seven, Ms Pitts was stealing milk and bread to provide food for her five siblings. He saw himself as an innovator, claiming to have invented the Friday gang, robbing wages clerks carrying money from banks; he would use a starting handle to beat his victims and to deter any watching have-a-go heroes in the street. 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. When Mason demurred, Fraser buried a hatchet in his skull, pinning his hand to his head. '", 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. Mad Frank: Memoirs of a Life of Crime appeared in 1994, with two further volumes following in 1998 and 2001. 'Any girl worth her salt in South London in those days was a. He also ran a coach tour pointing out to a spectrum of customers the old criminal London. Their loot would be stuffed into these 'hoister's drawers', allowing the women to leave the stores undetected. But the victory was pyrrhic in many senses, because by the time he finally left prison the in mid 1980s, the world had changed and gangland had moved on. 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.. 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. ", A deserter during the war he pretended to be mad to avoid the call-up Fraser was certified insane three times and spent time in Broadmoor secure hospital. What Fraser invariably threatened was violence. Throughout his life he denied the justice of this conviction, but he was happy to trade off it. His first conviction was for stealing cigarettes, and with the second he was sent to an approved school. Please report any comments that break our rules. The Krays held Eva Fraser in high regard because of her role in the gang and during the 1940s and 1950s, and the Soho gang boss Billy Hill - brother of the fiery Maggie Hughes - was careful not to encroach too much on their territory because he respected their right to earn their own money, free from male interference. You understand the choices that lay ahead of you if you were a working-class girl. [9] He was a resident at a sheltered accommodation home in Peckham. In the summer of 2013 it emerged that, at the age of 89, Fraser had been served with an Antisocial Behaviour Order (Asbo) after another incident, this time at his care home in Peckham, south London. He was then then given a 15-month prison sentence atHMP Wandsworthfor shop-breaking - this was just the first of 20 prisons Fraser would be sent to. From the time of Frankie Fraser's - MAD FRANK and SONS | Facebook End-right girl on the back row is Eva.. Every old-school south Londoner knows the folklore of cockney criminal Frankie Fraser, whose violent tendencies were infamous on the streets of Walworth. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. They worked department stores including Selfridges in teams of three or four during hoisting trips up to three times a week. Some became pals with young actresses as they partied in Soho nightclubs and stole dresses to order for them to wear on the red carpet. There were further language difficulties. 'Mad' Frankie Fraser: Sweet dapper. Many started as child lookouts. Jack 'Spot' Comer showing the scar on his face left by Frankie Fraser and Alf Warren (GETTY), By 1956, Fraser had racked up 15 convictions and had twice been certified insane. His mother was of Irish and Norwegian descent, while his father was halfNative-American. They also spoke, as Frank did, using the prison slang of a bygone era, which they had to translate for me. 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. Shortly afterwards, Fraser kidnapped Eric Mason, a Kray gang member, outside the Astor Club in Berkeley Square, with even direr consequences. [5][6][7][8] His mother was of Irish and Norwegian descent, while his father was half Native-American. Former Northern Echo journalist Beezy Marsh has written a book about London gangster Mad Frankie Fraser. [9], Fraser was an Arsenal fan, and his grandson Tommy Fraser is a professional footballer. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription you will not receive any updates until your subscription is confirmed. Frankie Fraser belonged to a bygone era of crime and was cut from a different cloth than so many other gangsters of his generation. The middle sister was Kathleen, who constantly aspired to make it as an actress, and make use of her striking good looks.