frankie fraser sister eva

frankie fraser sister eva

It was not that he thought he was Napoleon. She was one of the top thieves during the war. 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. Join Facebook to connect with Frankie Fraser and others you may know. His wife, Doreen, whom he married in 1965, and who with Eva loyally toured the prisons to visit him, died in 1999. There was also quite a comeuppance for both Patrick and David who both served their time. . 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. 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. Franks mother, Margaret, was a huge influence on him but his best pal and early partner in crime was his sister, Eva. His parents never knew about his illegal activities, and if they ever suspected him apparently turned a blind eye, a habit . Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. Author Beezy Marsh said: 'These women fought harder than the men and were feared by men and women in their communities. [24], Fraser's wife, by whom he had four sons, died in 1999. David had perfected the prison whisper talking very quietly, in case he was overheard by the guards. When the heat from the cops in London got too much, they headed off to the Costa del Crime to seek their fortunes there. There was also kind of respect for them locally because people could get a nice dress or a pair of stockings cheaply. 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. Fraser himself was charged with pulling out people's teeth with pliers and sentenced to 10 years in prison. View the profiles of people named Frankie Fraser. 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. 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. At least two home secretaries considered Fraser the most dangerous man in Britain, an image which, in old age, he only half-heartedly sought to dispel. She was chauffeured in a Bentley and always wore a sable coat. She and her friends looked like film stars when they went out down the pub. 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. It was during this sentence that he was first certified insane and was sent to Cane Hill Hospital before being released in 1949. His mother was of Norwegian-Irish stock and his father was half Native American. 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 Old Bailey jury heard, in grisly detail that still resonates 50 years on, how Frankie Fraser tried to pull Coulstons teeth out one by one with a pair of pliers. Eric wasnt a bad fellow, Fraser later explained, but that particular night he was bang out of order.. ', As the photographs show, the women often wore beautifully designed hats , coats and dresses in order to fit in, known as 'putting on the posh'. After three years in jail she tookpart in the Lambeth riot at Christmas 1925. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. 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. 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. [9] He was a deserter during the Second World War, escaping from his barracks on several occasions. Both Frank and his sister, Eva, whom he adored, inherited their fathers features and his jet-black hair. 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. The two Richardson brothers were convicted, and the elder, Charles, sentenced to 25 years. '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. The Kray twins (pictured) held The Forty Thieves member Eva Fraser in high regard. Diamond's second-in-command Maggie Hughes (right) was known as 'Babyface' for her sweet looks and made a habit of cheekily shouting back at the judge when she was sentenced to jail: 'It won't cure me! Its clear she still had to feed her family by acting on the wrong side of the law Beezy said. 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. 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. On 21 November 2014, Fraser fell critically ill whilst undergoing leg surgery atKing's College Hospital,Denmark Hill. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Francis Davidson Fraser, known as Mad Frankie Fraser, was the scourge of prison governors and warders up and down Britain during the periods when he served a total of more than 40 years imprisonment. [13], It was in the early 1960s that Fraser first met Charlie and Eddie Richardson of the Richardson Gang, rivals to the Kray twins. Fraser owed his success in the fruit machine business to Billy Hill, whose patronage Fraser courted when he attacked and almost killed Hills gangland rival Jack "Spot" Comer. 'MAD' Frankie Fraser, was one of the most feared and respected West End crime lords of the 1960s. in development with Fraser's endorsement. "Maybe he was bored with going to prison," Ronnie Richardson, Charlie's widow, tells the programme. "From there he goes on to burgle, and she goes onto shop lifting with a famous female gang called The 40 Thieves. At signing sessions of his books he was always willing to be photographed pretending to extract a tooth with pliers brought by the fan. Another grandson, Anthony Fraser, was being sought by police in February 2011 for his alleged involvement in an alleged 5 million cannabis smuggling ring. A witness later changed histestimony,and the charges were eventually dropped, though Fraser still received a five-year sentence for affray. Frank had been active as a criminal from the 1930s and was given his first prison sentence at the outbreak of the Second World War. While still a teenager, in the spring of 1943, he took part in a daring raid to free an Army deserter from a squad sent to collect him from Wandsworth Prison. Though like Eva, she struggled to come to terms with the choice facing women to work or marry. 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. Frankie Fraser was known anotorious torturer and hitman, who worked as an enforcer for some of London's most feared gang leaders. A feature film production is currently[when?] 'Mad' Frankie Fraser: Sweet dapper. Pitts wore a school girl's outfit, complete with straw boater, to act as a decoy. In the 1950s he worked for underworld boss Billy Hill and carried out razor attacks on victims for 50 each. He may be in his 90th year but "Mad" Frankie Fraser is still causing mayhem. pre order Queen of Thieves now for just 2.99. 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. Fraser received seven years. So it was in January 1965, when a club owner called Benny Coulston was hauled before Richardson for swindling him out of 600 over a consignment of cigarettes. 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. In the early half of the 20th century one queen, Diamond, regularly appeared in the press where she was once described as a 'tall and commanding figure with a cool demeanour'. Two people were left dead. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Afraid of being heavily medicated for bad behaviour, Fraser stayed out of trouble and was released in 1955. At the age of five, he moved with his family to a flat on Walworth Road, Elephant and Castle. When Mason demurred, Fraser buried a hatchet in his skull, pinning his hand to his head. 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. [9] He was a resident at a sheltered accommodation home in Peckham. 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. Eva was a leading light in the gang in the thirties and forties, having risen through the ranks of the gang after joining in the 1930s. He was working all the hours he got sent, but he couldnt make ends meet. 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. Eva knew the Krays well and they treated her with reverence, although she saw them as little more than naughty boys. 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). He had been shot in the face. contact the editor here. A mugshot of Forty Thieves' Hughes, who was uncontrollable and dissipated by drink. The Forty Thieves, a London-based exclusively female gang whose exploits were worse than those depicted in BBC drama the Peaky Blinders, posed as wealthy housewives innocently browsing the rails of the UK's most luxurious clothing stores. Pictured: The female cast of the hit BBC show Peaky Blinders. 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. Questioned by police, Fraser reportedly gave his name as Tutankhamen (gangland slang for shtum) and asked What incident?. Members of The Forty Thieves, whose mugshots were captured by the Police Gazette ahead of regular stays at Holloway Prison, often wore beautifully designed hats, coats and dresses in order to fit in - known as 'putting on the posh'. The reader is also introduced to the girls brother Jim, who became a sergeant in the army and fought in North Africa. Photograph: Crime and Investigation network. With Frankie Fraser, Chris Keenan, Steve Box, Michael Boyd. Fraser had no problem dealing with rival operators whose business was dented as a result. 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. 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. [23] In 1991, Fraser was shot in the head from close range in an apparent murder attempt outside the Turnmills Club in Clerkenwell, London. This resulted in Fraser returning to prison once again - this time to serve a seven-year sentence. 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. Fraser himself was accused of pulling out the teeth of victims with a pair of pliers. But by the 1930s, the breeding ground for its recruits was South London. He was a member of the Richardson gang or the 'torture gang', led by brothers Charlie and Eddie Richardson, and were widely feared in Londons underworld. Aged seven, Ms Pitts was stealing milk and bread to provide food for her five siblings. Fraser was released in 1988 and almost immediately served a two-year sentence for receiving. 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. 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. The thieves' earnings allowed them to live like upper-class debutantes. They worked department stores including Selfridges in teams of three or four during hoisting trips up to three times a week. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Because of the type of person I am, he wrote, in the life I led, you learn to shrug off adversity better than people whove worked hard all their lives.. 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. But his greatest moment of national notoriety came a quarter of a century earlier, during what the media billed as the Torture Trial (in fact a series of trials) in 1967 that became one of the longest in British criminal history. 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. [9], Fraser was an Arsenal fan, and his grandson Tommy Fraser is a professional footballer. After the war he was involved in a smash-and-grab raid on a jeweller's and was given a two year prison sentence. His mother was of Irish and Norwegian descent, while his father was half Native-American. 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 by a kangaroo court. The criminal, who has spent almost half his life in prison, passed away earlier at King's. Alice herself was famous for clouting three furs in one go: one down each leg and one under her gusset. "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. [21] In 1999, he appeared at the Jermyn Street Theatre in London in a one-man show, An Evening with Mad Frankie Fraser (directed by Patrick Newley), which subsequently toured the UK. [14] According to Fraser, it was they who helped him avoid arrest for the Great Train Robbery by bribing a policeman. The trial which became one of the longest in British criminal history. Tony Lambrianou, a one-time henchman of the rival Kray brothers, was also a fan. "As I was growing up, I never had to buy a shirt Eva made sure she nicked them for me. 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. 'They didn't see anything wrong in it because these things were too expensive for most people to afford and shops had insurance. Fraser himself was accused of pulling out the teeth of victims with a pair of pliers. Whilst in Strangeways, Manchester in 1980, Fraser was 'excused boots' as he claimed he had problems with his feet because another prisoner had dropped a bucket of boiling water on them after Fraser had hit him; he was allowed to wear slippers. He refused to discuss the shooting with the police. His mother was of Irish and Norwegian descent, while his father was halfNative-American. 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. With Warren at his heels, Fraser ambushed Spot in a Paddington street, knocking him to the ground with a shillelagh. Possessed of a ready wit and good repartee, he followed this up with stage performances both in the East and West End, where he appeared with his then companion of 10 years, Marilyn Wisbey, the daughter of a Great Train Robber, Tommy Wisbey. 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'. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. She lived an unashamedly lavish lifestyle and splashed her money around. Fraser was seen kicking Richard Hart, a Kray associate, as he lay on the pavement outside. Fraser served a total of 42 years in over 20 different prisons in the UK for numerous violent offences. On the night of March 7 1966 Fraser and Eddie Richardson were badly hurt in a brawl at Mr Smiths club in Catford, the incident that broke the Richardson familys grip on south London. Before World War Two, if you got married you were expected to leave work and stay at home, Beezy said. [11] In 1942, while serving a prison sentence in HM Prison Chelmsford, he came to the attention of the British Army. The gang probably had its roots in the Victorian slums around Seven Dials, near Covent Garden, infamous in Dickens's day. For latest book news including updates on the forthcoming film Mad Frank and Sons please like my page Beezy Marsh. In 1966, Fraser was charged with the murder of Richard Hart - who was shot at Mr Smith's club inCatfordwhile other Richardson associates, includingJimmy Moody, were charged withaffray. Keeping My Sisters Secrets was published on July 27 by Pan Macmillan. Ancestors . [15] In 1966, Fraser was charged with the murder of Richard Hart, who was shot at Mr Smith's club in Catford while other Richardson associates, including Jimmy Moody, were charged with affray. Joining the Forty Thieves was something of a right of passage for Eva Fraser. She was taught by Alice Diamond in the 1930s and a very senior member throughout the. of James Fraser and Margaret Alice (Anderson) Fraser. Bought stolen goods and sold them on in a role known as 'the fence'. 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. Fraser in 1997 with his then girlfriend Marilyn Wisbey, daughter Of Great Train Robber Tom Wisbey (REX FEATURES). His mother was of Irish and Norwegian descent, while his father was half Native-American. Even decent folk were often only too happy to 'take a bit of crooked' to have something new. 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. 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. ', The notorious gangster 'Mad' Frankie Fraser's sister Eva had risen through the ranks of the gang after joining in the 1930s. [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. 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. An unregenerate villain of the deepest dye, Fraser satisfied the public appetite for vicarious thrill-seeking with a series of self-exculpatory memoirs in the 1990s that launched him on a twilight career as a celebrity criminal. [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. As people facedblackouts, rationing and a lack of professional policing due toconscription, Fraser had ample opportunities for criminal activities, such as stealing from houses while the occupants were hiding for safety in air-raid shelters. The pair were the only ones of the children to embrace a life of crime. What officers didn't know then was that his crime spree would continue over a career spanning seven decades, and his offences only worsened. However, it was the during the 'torture trial' of the Richardson gang in 1967, that Frankie Fraser become notorious nationally. Although he was conscripted, Fraser later boasted that he had never once worn the uniform, preferring to ignore call-up papers, desert and resume his criminal activities. 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. 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. Her wartime experience was spent on the switchboards during the Blitz. Their alleged specialities included pulling teeth out using pliers, cutting off toes using bolt cutters and nailing victims to floors using 6-inch nails. Eva (Fraser) Brindle. During his time behind bars he was involved in violence and was a major instigator in the Parkhurst Prison riots in 1969. 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. She once stabbed a policeman in the eye with a hatpin, blinding him. He regularly led conducted tours of East End crime scenes, invariably ending up in the Blind Beggar pub where Ronnie Kray shot George Cornell dead. There were car chases and bank raids which would not have looked out of place in The Sweeney. However, according to a new documentary, he is clearly not going gentle into any good night. 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. Yet they fiercely guarded their right to 'earn' their own money. Eva Brindle formerly Fraser. 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.. By 20 she was leader of The Forty Thieves and wore a row of diamond rings that acted as a knuckle duster. 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. Fraser was just 13 when he was sent to an approved school for stealing 40 cigarettes. Nevertheless his campaigns and, on the outside, those of Eva, did bring the attention of the general public to the unpalatable conditions in which prisoners served then their sentences. During the 1950s, Fraser's main criminal occupation was as bodyguard to well-known gangsterBilly Hill. She had died in 2000 but her daughter Beverley, who shared Evas reticent nature, agreed to talk to me and that revealed that Eva had been leading criminal in her own right. After Frasers release from the Spot sentence, he was courted by the Kray Twins and the Richardson gang. 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 certain cult status in later life as an author, after-dinner speaker, television pundit and tour guide. 'And they were the best fun for a night out.'. ", The new documentary returns to this theme, suggesting he had a hard time in prison because there were no criminals in his family. After one snatch, he and his companion were arrested when their car would not start. 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frankie fraser sister eva

frankie fraser sister eva