The Firm

Because of its two leaders, brothers Ronnie and Reggie Kray, popularly known as the Kray Twins, the criminal organization known as "The Firm" controlled the majority of illegal activities in London's East End throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

Ronnie and Reggie, who were both born in 1933, started out as street fighters and eventually got good enough to start boxing. A dishonorable discharge from the army put a stop to any prospects for a respectable profession, and the pair turned to organized crime.

They began modestly, providing some muscle for larger, more established organizations or engaging in a little amount of fencing, hijacking, and protection extortion. The absence of two major gangsters, Billy Hill and Jack Comer, eventually led to a power vacuum, and the Krays were in the right position at the right time to take over as the dominating group in the East End.

Ronnie and Reggie turned from gangsters to celebrities by using their money to operate nightclubs in London's more upscale West End. They became an essential component of England's Swinging Sixties culture and were frequently spotted with well-known actors, singers, and socialites.

In 1968, their rise to fame abruptly came to an end. Each brother had previously served time in prison, but The Firm always managed to stay afloat since the other brother was always on the outside. Scotland Yard was aware that in order to stop the gang, they would need to put both Krays in jail. They did this in 1968. Ronnie and Reggie were each found guilty of murder, and 15 other important gang members were detained on separate accusations. The Krays were both sentenced to life in jail, ending The Firm abruptly, but its influence on London is still felt 50 years later. You can see the movie we made on the Kray Twins on our sister channel, Biographics, which is included at the top of this page, if you're interested in learning the complete story.