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 later joined the notorious Richardson gang, formed by brothers Eddie and Charlie, and began carrying out more criminal activities. Frankie Fraser was a notorious torturer and hitman for the Richardson gang of south London criminals in the 1960s. The Krays, according to Frank, were little more than thieves ponces.. Who was 'Mad' Frankie Fraser? | The Sun 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. 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. She liked to earn her own money and paid her own way quite something for a young woman in the 1930s and 1940s. 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. The trial which became one of the longest in British criminal history. He was still touring clubs and pubs in 2011. 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. 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. The youngest of five children, he grew up in poverty in the Elephant and Castle and Borough, areas teeming with moneylenders, prostitutes and backstreet abortionists. 'Mad' Frankie Fraser handed an asbo aged 90 - the Guardian The police were cozzers and a burglary was a screwer, hitting someone was a clump, while jewellery was tom as in Tom Foolery, in rhyming slang. When police visited she showed them ledgers to demonstrate her honest buying. He was said to have pulled out the teeth of one of the victims with a pair of pliers. It was just what we knew and to be honest, we loved it.. Furs were rolled on the hanger and tucked into the women's undergarments when the store assistant was distracted, while jewellery and watches were swapped for fake versions and hidden under hats or in their hair. Last seen in public in October at the funeral of his former boss, Charlie Richardson, Fraser is one of the few remaining members of a generation of "celebrity criminals". Such were the criminal opportunities during the war, Fraser joked in a television interview years later, that he had never forgiven the Germans for surrendering. 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. Beezy said: "Frank's sister Eva was the one who led him into crime as a small boy. '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.'. After Frasers release from the Spot sentence, he was courted by the Kray Twins and the Richardson gang. Fraser, whose health has been deteriorating in recent years, turned to crime aged just nine when he and his sister, Eva, became petty thieves. The following year he was involved in a torture trial the Old Bailey, where members of the gang were charged with electrocuting, whipping and burning those disloyal to them. 'Mad Frankie' Fraser - a legend in his own gaol time What saved him I think was the branch; it was supple and it bent. Although Lawton survived, the dog died. 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 his criminal activities didn't stop when he was locked up. As a solicitor, I defended him in the trial following the Parkhurst riot and as a result wrote a number of books with him. We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. Frank Davidson "Frankie" Fraser, better known as "Mad" Frankie Fraser was born on Cornwall Road in Waterloo, London, he grew up in poverty and was the youngest of five children, Fraser and his sister Eva, whom he was close too, turned to crime at the age of 10, on several occasions during World War 2, Fraser would escape his barracks and deserting many a times. Franks mother, Margaret, was a huge influence on him but his best pal and early partner in crime was his sister, Eva. But few would perhaps know about the equally incredible lives led by his three sisters. Bought stolen goods and sold them on in a role known as 'the fence'. She was an alcoholic and onceran out of a jeweller with a tray of 34 diamond rings and bumped straight into a policeman. She got six months in jail, for stealing stockings from Bentalls in Kingston upon Thames. Though like Eva, she struggled to come to terms with the choice facing women to work or marry. Following a trial at the Old Bailey in 1967, he was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. 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. It sounds like the worst days of Prohibition in Chicago rather than London in 1956, complained Mr Justice Donovan, but words were wasted on Fraser. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Frank stole because he loved to have money yet when he had it, he gave it all away. ", The new documentary returns to this theme, suggesting he had a hard time in prison because there were no criminals in his family. It was almost as if the biggest thrill of all was the act of stealing itself. '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. Its clear she still had to feed her family by acting on the wrong side of the law Beezy said. Although his parents were not criminals, Fraser turned to crime aged 10 with his sister Eva, to whom he was close. There was no evidence that Fraser had fired the fatal shots, and although he claimed to have been fitted up for the killing, he was convicted of affray and sentenced to five years imprisonment. It was during the Second World War that he was branded 'Mad' Frankie, after he feigned a mental illness to avoid being called up to the front line. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. Comments have been closed on this article. Hughes was famed for her red hair, a love of drink and a violent temper. End-right girl on the back row is Eva.. VIEWS Every old-school south Londoner knows the folklore of cockney criminal Frankie Fraser, whose violent tendencies were infamous on the streets of Walworth. She operated out of Walworth, South East London and her home was called an 'Aladdin's cave of loot'. 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. When he was 10, the pair stole a cigarette machine from a local pub, hauled it to some waste ground and jemmied it open. The singer, 29, bared his chest and showed off his . ", 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. 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. He emerged from jail in 1989 and has not been back since. On 26 November, Fraser died after his family made the decision to turn off his life-support machine. His parents never knew about his illegal activities, and if they ever suspected him apparently turned a blind eye, a habit . Here are some pictures of Eva Fraser of the Forty Thieves and her sister Kathleen. 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. He had an ungovernable temper and an inability to think through the undoubted consequences of his proposed actions. 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. Fraser was placed into an induced coma, but just five days later, on November 26, 2014, Fraser passed away after his family made the decision to turn off his life-support machine. He was also tried in court in the so-called 'Torture trial', in which members of the Richardson Gang were charged with burning, electrocuting, and whipping those found guilty of disloyalty. 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. 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. Ms Marsh said it 'was time to reappraise London's gangland' when she wrote The Queen of Thieves. He was frequently punished for breaking prison rules or fighting prison officers: "I've done more bread and water than any man alive. 'It gave them a life they could never have afforded. After trying his hand at crime as a. 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. Prisoners and ex-prisoners all over Britain speak about him with undisguised admiration. If you weren't actually stealing, you were outranked by The Forty Thieves. 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. The big question everyone has about Frank is Was he really mad? He was certified insane three times once by the Army, twice in prison and he was diagnosed as a psychopath but his family argue, and I tend to agree, that he played the system to suit himself. Fraser was acquitted but received five years for affray. It spent six weeks in the Sunday Times top ten and held the coveted #1 Globe and Mail chart slot in Canada for three months. There was American Indian blood in him; his grandfather had emigrated to Canada in the late 19th century and married a full-blooded American Indian woman. Fraser spent a lot of time in solitary confinement, tormented by prison officers who would spit in his food. 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. Afraid of being heavily medicated for bad behaviour, Fraser stayed out of trouble and was released in 1955. 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. I saved myself from Royal life, Harry says & insists 'sharing's an act of service', Love Island's Olivia Hawkins breaks silence as she returns to the UK, Loose Women star lined up to be Strictly's first contestant in wheelchair, Coronation Street fans horrified as Amy Barlow is raped in disturbing scenes, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. The gang passed on their secrets from mother to daughter, aunt to niece, so whole generations of families saw crime as a way of life. Both Fraser and Warren were given seven years for their acts of violence. He refused to discuss the shooting with the police. By the time of the Swinging Sixties, she was drinking champagne with the Krays. 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 atHMP Pentonville. 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. Eva knew the Krays well and they treated her with reverence, although she saw them as little more than naughty boys. 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. [10], In 1941, Fraser was sent to borstal for breaking into a Waterloo hosiery store, then given a 15-month prison sentence at HM Prison Wandsworth for shop-breaking. Notorious 1930s West End girl gang who hid stolen jewellery in The notorious English gangster turned to a life of a crime and before he knew it, he was behind bars. Fraser was just 13 when he was sent to an approved school for stealing 40 cigarettes. '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. Fraser was one of the ringleaders of the major Parkhurst Prison riot in 1969, spending the following six weeks in the prison hospital because of his injuries. Her brother was the notorious gangster 'Mad' Frankie Fraser, who joined turf wars between London gangs in the sixties. During his time behind bars he was involved in violence and was a major instigator in the Parkhurst Prison riots in 1969. On 21 November 2014, Fraser fell critically ill whilst undergoing leg surgery atKing's College Hospital,Denmark Hill. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription you will not receive any updates until your subscription is confirmed. It will only make me a worse villain! Over the last decade or so he was on the cabaret circuit and ran gangland tours of the East End, taking in such sights as the Blind Beggar pub, where Ronnie Kray shot dead George Cornell, one of the Richardson gang, in 1966. A Gannett Company. Aged 17 she was convicted for stealing from a hat shop in Oxford Street. However, it was in the early 1960s that Fraser began to take on even bigger crimes, when he first met Charlie and Eddie Richardson of the Richardson Gang - rivals to the Kray twins. 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. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Born inLambeth, south London, Frankie committed his first crime at the age of 13, when he stole a packet of cigarettes and was sent to an approved school. And I felt the same way,' she said. Fraser had no problem dealing with rival operators whose business was dented as a result. According to one of his sons, David, Fraser was unharmed but he did not inform on his assailant. One such member was Lilian Goldstein, who was known as the Bob-Haired Bandit. 'MAD' Frankie Fraser, was one of the most feared and respected West End crime lords of the 1960s. 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. Notorious for high-speed getaways, she was eventually caught stealing lingerie and sentenced to hard labour in prison. Fraser, tried separately, was jailed for 10. [13], It was in the early 1960s that Fraser first met Charlie and Eddie Richardson of the Richardson Gang, rivals to the Kray twins. Frankie Fraser - Wikipedia In 1966 he was charged with the murder of Richard Hart, who was shot at a club in Catford, but the charges were dropped when a witness changed their testimony. The comments below have not been moderated. Underneath glamorous ensembles the women wore specially-adapted petticoats with hidden pockets or baggy bloomers with elastic at the knee. After another, the car ran out of petrol in the Rotherhithe tunnel. She was one of the top thieves during the war. Descendants . 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. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. The thieves' earnings allowed them to live like upper-class debutantes. He undoubtedly had a wicked temper and a lack of empathy as seen in his capability for violence but he described that to me in terms of a soldier doing his job. 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. According to Fraser, it was they who helped him avoid arrest for theGreat Train Robberyby bribing a policeman. He was moved from prison to prison more than 100 times because he was virtually impossible to control. Author Beezy Marsh said: 'These women fought harder than the men and were feared by men and women in their communities. There were further language difficulties. Beezy reveals how the girls father would beat their mother a big influence on their outlook. Both Fraser and Warren received seven-year sentences. [9] He was a deserter during the Second World War, escaping from his barracks on several occasions. Facebook gives people the power. [4] He was involved in riots and frequently fought with prison officers and fellow inmates. Mason was found, barely alive, wearing only his underpants and wrapped in a blanket, on the steps of the London Hospital in Whitechapel. The Soho gang boss Billy Hill - brother of the fiery Maggie Hughes - was also careful not to encroach too much on their territory because he respected their right to earn their own money, free from male interference. [5][6][7][8] His mother was of Irish and Norwegian descent, while his father was half Native-American. At signing sessions of his books he was always willing to be photographed pretending to extract a tooth with pliers brought by the fan. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. For a time he was engaged to Marilyn Wisbey, daughter of the Great Train Robber Tommy Wisbey, with whom he briefly ran a massage parlour in Islington, in which Fraser made the tea. But who were the gang's most brazen members? It was during the war that he first became involved in serious crime. Whatever you nicked you could sell, they'd be queuing up to buy it off you.". 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. Indeed, his criminality was closely bound up with what one criminologist described as an overt almost Samurai vindication of violent action in pursuit of inverted honour. From then on until the end of the 1980s, Fraser was more often in jail than not. Fraser himself was charged with pulling out people's teeth with pliers and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Frankie Fraser | The Kray Twins Wiki | Fandom "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Members of The Forty Thieves worked department stores including Selfridges in teams of three or four during hoisting trips up to three times a week. Their alleged specialities included pulling teeth out using pliers, cutting off toes using bolt cutters and nailing victims to floors using 6-inch nails. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Frasers partner in this endeavour was Bobby Warren, an uncle of the boxing promoter Frank Warren. 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. An early nickname Razor Fraser reflected his penchant for shivving his enemies faces with a cut-throat blade. Mad Frankie Fraser - Everything2.com Photograph: Alex Segre/Rex. He spent 42 years almost half his life in prison for 26 offences. She would send her girls out in teams of three or four at least three days a week, to stores all over London and as far afield as Birmingham and Brighton. At 17 he was sent to Borstal for breaking and entering a hosiery shop in Waterloo and was then given a 15-month prison sentence for shopbreaking. Her wartime experience was spent on the switchboards during the Blitz. But when her brother Frankie was in prison, she helped to run his protection rackets in Soho and even sent her daughters to collect payments, as the police would not stop a child. On this release, he determined to write his memoirs. Frankie Fraser's Last Stand: Directed by Matt Blyth. He built a reputation as an enforcer and strongman for various gang leaders, including Billy Hill, self-styled King of Britains Underworld in the 1940s and 1950s and, in the 1960s, the Richardson brothers. He may be in his 90th year but "Mad" Frankie Fraser is still causing mayhem. To evade discovery they posted the stolen items back to London or depositing a suitcase of loot at the railway station's left luggage office, to be collected later.