Krazy

While one brother rises… the other begins to fall apart.

In Episode 5 of The Krays Web, the Kray twins are separated — with Ronnie behind bars and Reggie building an empire on the outside.

But power takes different forms, and as Ronnie tightens his grip inside prison, his mental state begins to unravel in ways that will have devastating consequences.

In this episode:
• Ronnie’s prison influence and the “Cray pension” system
• How tobacco became currency behind bars
• Reggie’s expansion — clubs, gambling, and business growth
• The launch of the Double R club and new ventures
• Ronnie’s transfer to Camp Hill and growing paranoia
• Mental breakdown, diagnosis, and institutionalisation
• The early signs of a plan that will lead to murder

Why it matters:
This is a pivotal moment in the Kray story — where power, control, and mental health collide, setting the stage for the violence that will define their legacy.

Follow the show for more deep-dive episodes into the truth behind the Kray twins.

Next episode: Violence escalates and the actions that will seal the Krays’ fate begin to unfold – The Firm

Links to Resources

Check out my website for resources used and social media links : thekraysweb.com

Contact me : wendyceepods@gmail.com

Music by Captain Fat Hands captainfathands.com

Transcript

Wendy Cee 0:24

Welcome to the Krays Web, a podcast about the infamous Kray twins and those associated with them. I'm your host, Wendy Cee, and this is season one, The Krays. This is episode five, Krazy. Please note there is some swearing in this podcast and descriptions of violence. I'll be adding specific trigger warnings where needed. The voices that you hear throughout the podcast are all my family and friends who have rallied around to help me to make the podcast more enjoyable for you to listen to. I've used lots of sources when writing these episodes, far too many to list here, but details of which you will be able to find on my website, thecrazeweb.com. Being in prison didn't deter Ronnie. He had loads of friends in Wandsworth, and during the day when he was doing his work of making brushes, he would while away the hours with his old mate Dickie Morgan, who had escaped one time from the Tower of London with him. And in the exercise yard he met Checker Berry, the son of his first professional boxing coach. And then there was Frank Mitchell, a huge, very fit, good looking man with an ungodly strength and a gentle nature. Though there was no doubt that there was a psychopath locked inside. You'll remember Frank from episode one, and you will hear about him again later in this season. It was only when Ronnie was locked in his single cell that he was really alone. And of course, with the cray's reputation, Ronnie soon attracted new friends, as everyone needed someone on the outside that could help them out, both while they were inside and when they were released. Prison currency at the time was tobacco, but as there were lots of restrictions on what was allowed in, including cash. And of course, Reggie had an idea to give Ronnie the upper hand. Ronnie would befriend inmates who didn't smoke and had wives and families on the outside, and they would do a deal. The inmate would supply Ronnie with their tobacco allowance, and in return, their wives would be put onto the Kray 's pension scheme. An ounce of tobacco would result in one pound for their family, and their payments would be made each week without fail. It was a win win all round. Ronnie was rich in prison terms, and he would use it to his advantage. Instead of sitting making the brushes, which was piecemeal, he would just buy brushes from the other men for tobacco, and if he didn't fancy the food, he would send one of his underlings to buy him cakes and biscuits from the prison canteen. They would use their wages and receive tobacco in return. Ronnie was happy as a pig in shit. He had people running around after him, and he had enough currency to get what he wanted, and on the outside, Reggie soon got used to not being around Ronnie. In fact, he started to quite enjoy it. There was less drama, he wasn't having to cover Ronnie's back all the time, he knew exactly where Ronnie was and what he was doing, and he could concentrate on the business without Ronnie getting in the way. He had lots of ideas and had learnt a lot from running the Regal and the stragglers that they had taken over in the West End not long before Ronnie was put away. So he found a derelict shop on Bow Road in a perfect location, central and cheap. Reggie and a couple of the firm overhauled the building, adding a stage, red flopped wallpaper and the bar area, and redecorated throughout. It would be a West End style club in the East End, and it was all his, there would be no riffruff and no trouble. Reggie wanted this to be the finest drinking club at the East Enders ever known, a place where men could bring their girlfriends and wives without fear of hooligans and fights ruining the night. He named it the double R, and it was a hit. It started to attract some famous faces. Reggie was making money, and he was loving this drama free life. It was time for him to bring brother Charlie into the business. Charlie was calm and charming with a good head on his shoulders, and Reggie thought he would be the perfect fit to help him grow the business empire. And once Charlie was on board there was no stopping them. They purchased another drinking club in Stratford. They set up a car lot on the car pot next to the Regal. And then with a nod to his hate of authority, Reggie rented the house next door to the local police station and set up an illegal gambling club and bookmaking business, which ended up being a real money spinner. In the meantime, Ronnie was around 15 months into his sentence. He was a model prisoner and would spend his days reading and socialising with his friends. And it was because of this behaviour that he was moved to the Isle of Wight to an easier prison at Camp Hill. The Isle of Wight is a small inhabited island off the south coast of England that is reached by a ferry which takes around an hour. It is 147 square miles, and around 140,000 people live there today. This move was supposed to reward Ronnie for being a good boy, but it had the opposite effect. He was now with first time offenders that had committed petty crimes. The people he knew and who respected him were back in Wandsworth. His tobacco currency didn't work here, and people generally avoided him because they could smell that he was trouble, and they just wanted to be released as soon as possible. Ronnie had too much time to think, and the paranoia that he had had at Valence Road that resulted in him sleeping with the light on and a gun under his pillow returned. But he didn't have a gun here. He convinced himself that he had been moved to that prison because people thought he was a grass and it was for his protection. He thought everyone was out to get him. He stopped sleeping as he thought he needed to stay alert at all times to stay safe. He stopped eating in case his food had been poisoned. He started to believe that maybe he had been a grass and had just forgotten. Reggie wasn't there to talk sense into him and calm him down. He was alone with just his thoughts. The warders noticed that Ronnie would stay in his cell as much as possible, huddled by the door watching what was going on. They were worried he might be suicidal, so started to watch him more, which only made Ronnie worse. Ronnie's mental health was spiraling, and his health was deteriorating. He would spend hours looking at his puffy eyes and thickening jawline in the mirror, trying to ground himself by looking at the only thing that was familiar to him. And then one evening, Ronnie had a breakdown. Guardedly watching everyone in the recreation room, suddenly he couldn't hold it in anymore. His breathing got harder and deeper, just like it used to before he had a boxing match. Ronnie was like a bull waiting to be let into the ring, and then the release, a scream before he charged into his fellow inmates, flailing his arms, upturning furniture, and punching anyone and everything that got in his path. Ronnie's evening ended in a straitjacket before being transferred to the psychiatric wing at Winchester Jail Hospital for observations with a diagnosis of prison psychosis. Ronnie started to recover. He began to eat and sleep again, probably helped a lot by the sedatives he was prescribed. He was starting to feel better, but then there was another setback. Aunt Rose, who all the boys adored and were very close to, passed away two years after her leukemia diagnosis, which Ronnie knew nothing about. Reggie wrote to Ronnie two days after Aunt Rose passed away, and when Ronnie read that letter, his mental health took a nosedive, and by that evening he was incoherent and back in a straitjacket for his own safety. The next day the twin's mother Violet received a telegram from Winchester Jail which simply read, quote, your son, Ronald Kray , certified insane. On the 20th of February 1958, Ronnie Kray was driven from Winchester Prison to Longgrove Hospital in Epsom, a journey that would have taken around an hour and a half. Longgrove Hospital, originally called Longrove Asylum, was a mental institution that opened in 1907 and closed in 1992. It was a large, imposing building made of red brick and was reached by a long sweeping driveway. I found this description of the hospital from when it was first built.

Kate 8:57

Built of red brick with courses of yellow brick banding, the asylum could accommodate 2,000 patients. The central section of the asylum contained service buildings, including the administration block, recreation hall, kitchen, main stores and staff quarters. The three-story administration building was flanked by eight male and eight female ward blocks. The female side contained the laundry, whilst on the male side there were boiler house and workshops. A large semicircular corridor open to one side linked all the wards, while spur corridors linked the wards to central blocks. The site also contained a water tower, a chapel, infirmary blocks, and an isolation hospital. The medical superintendent had his own residence, as did the other members of senior staff. Designed on the Ecolum plan, each ward block had its own grassed courtyard, planted with specimen trees and surrounded by hedges. A central bandstand shelter enabled patients to be outdoors during the poor weather. The extensive gardens were landscaped with grassland, shrubs, and trees, providing a sheltered, tranquil environment for patients. The asylum farm provided produce for the inmates who looked after the livestock and tended the fields.

Wendy Cee 10:20

Ironically, Ronnie's great grandfather, Crutcher Lee, had ended his days in the exact same hospital decades earlier when it was called Long Grove Lunatic Asylum. Ronnie was placed in Napier Ward, a locked ward where nurses kept an eye on patients day and night. Ronnie was terrified. His diagnosed schizophrenia was causing paranoia.

Ronnie Kray 10:41

I wouldn't move, but saddle day huddled around the radiator. I wasn't quite sure who I was. The radiator seemed the only friend I had because it was warned. I was completely on my own, and the funny things used to come and go in my mind. Thought the man opposite me was a dog, and if I got his name right, he'd come and jump in my lap. I'd have a friend then, but I never got his name. I didn't recognise anyone, although Reggie and my mother visited me. Sometimes I thought I'd kill myself to stop someone else doing it first.

Wendy Cee 11:10

Ronnie was very, very sick. His medical records at the time are a sad read. He put his hand through a glass window. He was unstable and in fear of bodily change. He believed people were plotting against him, tampering with his letters and censoring them. The doctors were of course extremely experienced in mental illness, but Ronnie's medical records do not seem to show any knowledge of his criminal history, nor do any intelligence tests appear to have been carried out. However, with what looks like very limited knowledge of Ronnie and his background, the doctor's assessment of Ronnie was a simple man of low intelligence, poorly in touch with the outside world. Ronnie was very unwell, and while there were some small improvements in his condition over the next few months, by May it was decided that he should remain in the hospital. Of course, Ronnie and Reggie, who hated authority and thought they knew best in every scenario, had other ideas, and they hatched a plan. A plan that would ultimately lead to death and a life sentence for murder for both of them. And who knows how the stories of the craze would have panned out had this not happened. Sundays were visiting days at Long Grove. The wards would be full of love, chatter, and laughter as family and friends got together. Each patient was allowed two visitors, and the hospital would provide tea and biscuits. Every week Ronnie had his two visitors, so that there was always someone for him to talk to and keep his spirits up. Ronnie's parents would often visit along with cousin Joe Lee. This quote is from Craology. Joe always felt it was a waste of time as Ronnie just looked at them blankly and said nothing. The twin's father, for one, was not convinced that Ronnie's behaviour was genuine, feeling like he was putting a fast one on the authorities, just as he tried to do with the army. They could not really decide for themselves if he was truly insane, and in all probability they just refused to believe it. Violet, in particular, again thought she knew her son better than anybody, but they were certainly concerned about the effect the medication seemed to have on him. Well, for Ronnie and Reggie Kray anyway. Because Reggie, with Charlie Jr.'s support, had made a decision, and today was the day that he would put his plan into action. That day a large electric blue Lincoln pulled up outside the hospital, and Reggie and a friend, George Osborne, stepped out. And then there was a second vehicle, a large black ford, which held four men from the double R, two Xboxers, a smash and grab raid driver, and a safe blower. The cars pulled up right near Ronnie's room and all of the men got out. The hospital porter stopped the six men, explaining that only two guests were allowed. They apologized and said they would hang around and see Ronnie later. Reggie slipped on a long fawn raincoat over his blue suit and maroon tie, and he and George went inside. Ronnie came out to greet his brother wearing a sharp blue suit and a maroon tie. The male nurse on duty saw nothing to be suspicious about. It felt just the same as any other visit. Ronnie seemed happy, in fact happier than the nurse had ever seen him. Reggie had brought holiday photos to show him and they were laughing away together. Three thirty PM came and the tea was ready. The patients were not allowed to leave the ward, so the twin in the raincoat went to collect the tea for their party and bring it back to the table where the others were sat. Ten minutes passed and they hadn't returned. Twenty minutes passed and they hadn't returned. The nurse started to get concerned. He could still see the twin who was being shown the photos going through them and laughing with his friend George. But why was it taking so long to bring back the tea? Of course, identical twins Ronnie and Reggie had played the old switcheroo trick on the nurse, and the patient now sat in front of him was of course Reggie. Ronnie had put on the fawn raincoat, nodded to the nurse on his way past to get the tea, jumped in the black ford that was waiting outside, and was gone. Long gone. In the meantime, in the ward, the nurse was asking, Where's your brother? Which brother? replied Reggie. Your brother Reggie, who went to get the tea. Reggie didn't go, replied Reggie. Of course he did, I saw him myself, said the nurse, getting increasingly frustrated.

Reggie Kray 15:47

He didn't, I'm Regg Kray . I'll prove it if you don't believe me. Here's my driving license.

Wendy Cee 15:52

Then that was Ronnie who went out for the tea, the nurse said, now panicking. Reggie enjoyed the game replied, Who do you think it was? I thought you'd know him by now. And with that the nurse raised the alarm. The hospital went into lockdown and the police were called. After questioning Reggie and George for over an hour, they were released. After all, as Reggie said to one of the police, It's not as if we actually done anything.

Reggie Kray 16:18

We'd just been sitting here waiting for a cup of tea that never came. From Craology.

Wendy Cee 16:23

Brother Charlie, who had spent several nail biting hours by the phone at the Double R Club, was relieved to hear that it had all gone according to plan. It had been a unique deception, clever and certainly daring in his execution, and it had gone faultlessly. Ronnie was hiding out in Walthamstow with some friends, and Reggie went back to work at the double R as normal. The police continued their investigations, and then a week after Ronnie's escape, Reggie arrived in the middle of the night to move him to his favourite place, Suffolk, where a couple of weeks earlier, Reggie had taken a four berth caravan and left it on some land owned by an acquaintance of theirs. The caravan was like a home from home for Ronnie, kitted out with supplies, beer, books, a radio, and a gramophone along with some of his favourite records. Ronnie just needed to stay under the radar for a couple of months before he gave himself up. At this time, as long as he stayed out of hospital more than six weeks, he would have to be recertified, and Ronnie and Reggie were sure that Ronnie would pass the test at this point and be allowed to carry out the remainder of his sentence in a normal prison. And to make sure Ronnie stayed there, Reggie had employed a minder for him, a young man by the name of Teddy Smith, who both twins knew, trusted, and could handle Ronnie. He would be paid fifteen pounds a week to stay with Ronnie and keep him in check. Ronnie was happy, he was free, he had a little oasis in Suffolk, and he had great company. Ronnie and Teddy would play games, go for walks, exercise and spar together. Ronnie's favourite game was the hunting game, where they used loaded air rifles to hunt each other because Ronnie didn't want any animals to get hurt. Teddy was a great shot and hit Ronnie more times than he got hit himself, but Ronnie caught Teddy in the eye with a pellet during one game and had to go to the local hospital to get it removed. The pair started to venture further afield. They borrowed a car and went to the cinema to see Dracula, and at weekends it was time to party. Reggie would arrive with beer, food, and a few trusted friends, and they would drink and share news until the early hours of the morning. The plan was to make Ronnie feel like he hadn't been forgotten and that he was still part of the action. Unfortunately it backfired because it actually made Ronnie miss London more, and he would beg to be taken into the city just once to feel the atmosphere for himself. And eventually, as always, Reggie gave in. He arranged a flat for Ronnie to stay in for one night. Ronnie had a good night with friends and the following day their mother came round with a few friends before Ronnie was driven back to Suffolk. But if Reggie thought that one night would satisfy Ronnie, he was wrong. Ronnie wanted more and more, and so soon another night was organized, this time at a different flat. This went on week after week. The colonel was back, and he was making it known. He would go and see his mother at Valance Road. He even attended his cousin's engagement party, and then there were the after hours meetings at the double R with associates. The rumour mill about Ronnie was rife and he was getting complacent. Charlie was worried and took Reggie to one side to warn him that it was time for Ronnie to hand himself in. Teddy was raising concerns that Ronnie was starting to go mad again, but Reggie wasn't listening, and Ronnie was having the time of his life. The twins even arranged for Ronnie to see a Harley Street psychiatrist under a fake name on the pretense that he was getting married, and the bride's family were concerned that there were some mental health issues on his side of the family. He walked away after less than half an hour with a letter saying he was as sane as the next man. See, everyone else was wrong, and Ronnie and Reggie were right. Ronnie wasn't insane, what did they know? And for anyone that doesn't know, Harley Street is a world-renowned street in London where you can find some of the best medical professionals in the world. Away from the nights out in London where he was the centre of attention, Ronnie and Teddy spent their days in the caravan alone. Ronnie was going from being in the middle of everything to being, for all intents and purposes, alone, and it was really getting him down. He was drinking too much, spending all day in bed, and when he was in Suffolk, his spark had gone. He was spiraling. Teddy could see it. He was frightened of Ronnie when he was like this, but nobody was listening. Teddy ended up speaking to the local farmer, who after seeing Ronnie's demeanor for himself, took him to see an acquaintance of his, another psychiatrist at Harley Street. This psychiatrist had a very different assessment of Ronnie to the last.

Doctor 21:13

He said I don't know who your friend is, but he's clearly homicidal. He shows all the symptoms of advanced paranoid schizophrenia. Get him to hospital or anything could happen.

Wendy Cee 21:26

Farmer immediately contacted Reggie and passed on the information, but he dismissed it. As usual, Ronnie and Reggie knew best. Teddy and Ronnie were now sleeping at the farm for their own safety, as Teddy didn't feel like he could deal with Ronnie on his own. The farmer and Teddy didn't really know what to do next, but fate played the next card for them. Alfred Hines, a jewellery thief, had been on the run since walking out of court in the strand and disappearing. A local resident saw Ronnie and Teddy taking their midnight walks from the farm and reported them to the police, thinking Ronnie might be Alfred. When the police knocked on the farmer's door, he called Teddy down to talk to them, and as soon as the tall, burly man walked into the room, the police dismissed the neighbour's report and left. This visit freaked Ronnie out. He had been listening to the interaction and convinced himself that the police were after him and he needed to get away now, and he was going to kill anybody that got in his way. He needed to speak to Reggie right now. So the farmer called the double R, told Reggie what had happened, and then handed the phone over to Ronnie. Reggie was concerned. He could tell that Ronnie was on the edge, and he immediately headed to Suffolk to get him. But Ronnie had spiraled, and Reggie was in for a shock.

Ronnie Kray 22:51

You're not my brother, Regg. You're just a dirty Russian spy made up to look like him. You've known me all your life. You just look like him. You're a dirty agent in disguise. The police missed me this morning. You've come to take me off to put me somewhere.

Wendy Cee 23:08

Don't you remember the old scar on my arm? This calmed Ronnie down, as he did remember the scar. He then allowed Reggie to lead him to the car, climbed into the boot or trunk for any American listeners, and they drove to London. It was time for Reggie to accept the truth. Ronnie was mentally very unwell. He was no longer the strong, powerful colonel that could command his own army of villains. He was paranoid, weak, and in need of his mother. Ronnie and Reggie arrived at Valance Road, and Violet tried to calm Ronnie down, but the paranoia meant that he couldn't trust anybody and could not relax. That night the family doctor was called to the house to help.

Doctor 23:57

I knew that technically Ronnie was insane and did my best to get him into hospital. He was in a dreadful state. All I could do that night was give him sedatives and warn the family what would happen if he didn't get the treatment that he needed.

Wendy Cee 24:14

But Reggie wasn't ready to let go. He still thought that he knew best and that he could help Ronnie. He rented a third floor luxury apartment and never left Ronnie's side. He was going to do everything he could to keep Ronnie out of hospital. He tried new doctors, new drugs, and plenty of fresh air and visits to the countryside, but nothing worked. Ronnie was drinking heavily, sometimes two bottles of gin a day, which he mixed with the drugs that he was taking. It was all taking a toll on his body, and he became bloated, his eyes looked sad and hollow, and he was dishevelled. Every day Ronnie and Reggie grew further and further apart, both mentally and how they looked physically. Reggie was getting desperate. He didn't know what to do or how to help, but he didn't want Ronnie going back to hospital. So when Ronnie said he wanted to visit a friend in Maidstone Jail, Reggie agreed. One of the firm took Ronnie for the visit, and of course, still being on the run, he went under an assumed name. Ronnie begged his friend to escape and come and help him, but the friend said no. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. Ronnie was distraught. He broke down in tears in front of the friend and begged him, but the answer was still no. That night, Ronnie tried to end his life. The following morning the craze did something unexpected. Reggie and Charlie called Scotland Yard and turned Ronnie in. The police would collect Ronnie at two AM the next morning from Valance Road. That night the family sat around the table, the atmosphere was tense. Ronnie could sense something was wrong. He was drinking heavily, and he was paranoid. He took his sleeping tablets, but they seemed to have no effect that night. When the police arrived as the clock chimed two, Ronnie glanced up as if expecting them, and let them walk into their car, without any trouble, and without even a cursory glance back at his family stood in the doorway. The law at the time was strange, and because Ronnie had been out of Longgrove hospital for more than six weeks, he was no longer certified insane. He did return to Longgrove for a few weeks until he was more stable. Then he was transferred back to Wandsworth Prison where he finished his sentence, albeit sometimes in a straitjacket to calm him down. Dickie Morgan, Reg and Charlie were at the gates to meet him. He scurried into their car, convinced that the Russians and the Mafia had combined to kill him. All the way back to Valance Road, he kept his head down in case someone shot at him. Once in the house, he felt he had to decide who to kill first to save his own skin. Finally, his old doctor was able to get him into St. Clement's hospital, where he spent the next three weeks under deep sedation. When he returned home to Valance Road, Ronnie had changed forever. The drugs kept him somewhat normal on a day-to-day basis. They also helped keep the nightmares away. But he was more suspicious, more erratic, and moodier than he had ever been. And physically, he was no longer identical to Reggie. The drink, the drugs, and the illness had taken its toll. Provided he kept calm, he would survive. Faced with excitement or with stress, he would become abnormally suspicious. He would feel few of the emotional restraints of normal people. He would know little of fear or apprehension or regret. Given his previous history, he would almost certainly end up killing someone. While Ronnie was locked up, Reggie and Charlie had built a successful business empire. They had opened new venues, built bridges with their rivals, they were raking in the cash, and they had befriended Billy Hill, one of the old time gangsters that we spoke about in an earlier episode. With Ronnie out of the picture, there was calm in the air, and the future was looking rosy. Billy Hill needed people like the Krays to keep an eye on things for him in London. Whilst he had retired, he still had business interests in the area, and he needed people he could call on. He also missed the gangster life, and so could live it vicariously through the younger generation. And for Reggie and Charlie, they admired Billy and what he had achieved. Having a friend like Billy could open doors for them, and it gave them a new level of respect amongst their peers. Plus, he knew more about illicit gambling than anybody else, so he could teach them a thing or two. Illegal gambling was still a big pastime in London, especially in the West End, and there was big money to be made. Billy Hill was their gateway in, and the government were about to legalize gambling in the belief that it would stamp out the underground activity and hit criminals hard. However, Billy Hill thought it would present an amazing opportunity to print money. Legalizing gambling would mean more clubs and casinos, and somebody was going to need to run and manage them all. Reggie and Charlie were the perfect people to do this. They already knew the industry, they were respected in London, and they were young and keen. So with Billy Hill backing them, it was time for Reggie and Charlie to clean up their act and start their takeover of legal gambling clubs. This was their opportunity to grow their business empire and really make their mark on London, and in particular the West End. They were going to clean up their act, go straight, and rake in the money. Reggie and Charlie were on the cusp of everything they had ever dreamed of. A flat in the city, a house in the countryside, holidays, cars, the world was to be their oyster. But what about Ronnie? Ronnie was back home at Valence Road. The twins were no longer sharing a room though. Ronnie had the bigger bedroom and Reggie the box room. Ronnie had bought himself another dog and was back to ordering new shirts to be delivered to the house and his barber coming round. The sibling rivalry had resurfaced. Browse between the twins was nothing new though. It was just like old times. But it wasn't the same. The arguments were different. Before they had disagreed about the way to run the business, about how to handle certain people, about their next job. Now Ronnie was aggressive. He called Reggie disloyal for teaming up with Billy Hill, an enemy, behind his back. He called him a crybaby and said he had gone soft. He berated him for having relationships with women and said it was making him lose perspective. And Reggie would retaliate, trying to reason with Ronnie and explain why things had to be done. But Ronnie wasn't interested. He was always right, and he wasn't willing to take anyone else's opinion or reasoning into account. Reggie's way of handling Ronnie was to throw cash at him, which he would spend as fast as he was given it, on tailored suits, cars, jewellery, and holidays abroad, where he could be himself without risk of being arrested for being homosexual. The money and reassurances weren't enough, and Ronnie was soon back to his old ways. He went into a gambling club in Valence Road and demanded a weekly payment or he would break it up. Reggie was furious. Not only were they past all that now, but Reggie partly owned this particular club, and here was Ronnie in there lording it up and demanding money. But this wasn't the end of it. Ronnie convinced Reggie and Charlie to join him at a meeting with the Italians, who they had had runnings with in the past, but were now allied with. They were dubious but went along, and within two minutes Ronnie had destroyed Reggie and Charlie's hard work by shouting at the Italians about how the craze didn't need them and storming out. Reggie confided in a friend. Two weeks later, Ronnie, dressed in a new blue suit, crisp white shirt, new glasses and shiny shoes, sat in his chair in the Regal. As he sat with a cutlass in hand, his two boyfriends at his side, a large slobbering dog at his feet, he addressed those that had gathered.

Lad in Bar 32:54

All the enemy will be at the hospital tavern tomorrow night, said a spotty lad. All of them? The whole of Watney Street will be expecting you.

Ronnie Kray 33:02

We'll be expecting them. It's time we got our own back for what happened when I went away. Some people think they can forget a thing like that. Some people have been getting soft. I think it's time we had a little war.

Wendy Cee 33:13

The colonel was back, and he was more volatile and more dangerous than ever. The Phoenix was rising from the flames. The following night there was a full scale fight at the hospital tavern. Knives, knuckle dusters and chains. It was carnage. Bodies, blood, glass, and broken furniture strewed the bar. Reggie lost himself in the moment, the adrenaline surging through his body as him and Ronnie fought side by side, fearless and invincible. And when it was over, the sound of sirens and the flashing of lights filled the air. Ronnie and Reggie slipped away to their Aunt May's house in Valence Road to clean up before going next door to say goodnight to their mother Violet. And just like that, Ronnie was in control again, and Reggie was battling between staying straight and building the business empire with Charlie and the villainous, violent life that Ronnie craved. Reggie was leading a double life, cheating on both of his brothers in a battle of wills. Thank you for listening to the Krays Web. This was episode 5, Krazy. Next week in episode 6, The Firm, I will be discussing the twins' business empire. Finally, I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who has helped me to put this podcast together. Please check out the show notes and my website for more information on the books and reference materials that I used for my research. Until next time, stay safe.