So much so that when the Lambrianou brothers were allowed out of prison to attend their fathers funeral, they turned down the opportunity to escape. I took a deep breath, tiptoed in and got the blanket. The recent glorification of the twins' lifestyle - including in the 2015 film Legend starring Tom Hardy - is clearly an annoyance to Lambrianou. PA images. Jack the Hat was actually not a bad guy really. Before the First World War the Blind Beggar was the meeting-place of a gang of pick-pockets and neer do wells. The car parked outside belongs to Mr Cornell. High on a cocktail of drink and drugs and egged on by his brother Ronnie, he leapt at McVitie stabbing him repeatedly in the face and chest. A former member of the gangster 'firm' run by the notorious Kray twins has described how he helped to dispose of the body of Jack 'The Hat' McVitie following his brutal murder by Reggie Kray. The Krays Twins were involved in armed robberies, arson, protection rackets, assaults, and the murders of Jack "The Hat" McVitie and George Cornell. By that stage though reggie had already started stabbing him. 'I know what it's like to come from a world of violence and turn my life around so I find I can communicate with them.'. In prison he says he had a vision which changed his life. Note: VirtualGlobetrotting is an entertainment website is and is not associated Lambrianou says: I went downstairs and saw Jack the Hat lying there. He was born on Christmas Day 1938 to parents Christos, who was a Greek Cypriot, and Lilian, an Irish Catholic. Horace Silver has spent most of his life dicing with death. . It was not loaded, a frightener the Krays often used to intimidate people. Jack McVitie (19 April 1932 29 October 1967), best known as Jack the Hat, was an English criminal from London during the 1950s and 1960s. "So, I go downstairs and Jack's laying there. When he attended that party, he died aged 35. Then Reg produceda gun but when hepulled the triggerit didnt work. He was called Jack the Hat most of the time because of the trilby hat he always wore to hide his hair loss. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. He believes former Kray associate, Slasher Daneford will be next - he gave evidence on Jack 'The Hat' McVitie's killing. For other inquiries Contact Us. A 'party' was the ruse to lure the naive McVitie into a room, where a small group of underworld accomplices and the twins were waiting. 'If they had stopped my brother, I would've had no other option but to get out and shoot them because I'm going to get him away. LEGAL INNOVATION | Tu Agente Digitalizador; LEGAL3 | Gestin Definitiva de Despachos; LEGAL GOV | Gestin Avanzada Sector Pblico "There was a body to be moved, did they do it? I thought he couldn't be dead, but he was so we got some socks [on our hands] and started cleaning up.". Along with Ronnie himself and his, "It is time for art to flow into the organisation of life." McVitie's first criminal conviction was in October 1946 when he was taken to Buntingford Juvenile Court for stealing a watch and cigarettes. I couldnt believe what I was seeing. "They involved everybody, they didn't clean up after what they'd done, they ran away. "I went into the kitchen and got some socks from the wicker basket to wear as gloves, so there were no fingerprints. Bernie Silver. At dawn the next day the team simultaneously arrested the twins and twenty-four other members of the Firm. Nonetheless Lambrianou decided to leave before things became any more heated. The Firm was the gang run by the Kray twins and they used to often hire him to commit certain crimes, the latest being the one to kill Leslie Payne. Pictured: At the funeral of 1960s south London gangster Charlie Richardson. This post explores the life of Jack 'The Hat' McVitie, one of at least two men who fell victim to the twins reign of . and I went 'nah, I want to be on my own'. He believes former Kray associate, Slasher Daneford will be next - he gave evidence on Jack 'The Hat' McVitie's killing. Just drive off the manor. In various cars and taking different routes the Firm ended up in a back room of the Chequers public house on the High Street in Walthamstow. Lambrianou had gone with McVitie to a party at the property earlier in the evening but left before he was killed. He is posthumously famous for triggering the imprisonment and downfall of the Kray twins.He had acted as an enforcer and hitman with links to "the firm", and was murdered by Reggie Kray in 1967. 'He was there in my cell as real as anything and I knew then what I had to do. Ronnie remained in Broadmoor Hospital until his death on 17 March 1995; Reggie was released from prison on compassionate grounds in August 2000, . In1967 Jack wasdealing in drugs andtaking them as well, which made him loud and abusive. Or at least it would have been the same pub had it not been rebuilt in 1894 by the Mann, Crossman and Paulins Albion Brewery at the same address. and he said 'follow me' and that's what I've tried to do. Exley, the driver, suffered from heart trouble and McVitie was now heavily dependent on drugs. 'I said 'Charlie, I'm not interested' and he went 'don't be crazy, it's here waiting for you' and I upset a lot of people because I wouldn't do it. Thank God for that.'. But they chose a different path. the Krays were involved in armed robberies, arson, protection rackets, assaults and the murders of Jack "the Hat" McVitie and George Cornell. While inside, Chris discovered religion and has dedicated his life since then to helping others avoid some of the pitfalls that he fell into. 'I went in to the kitchen and I got some socks, put them over my hands and went round and wiped everything up. Dave Courtney (left) and Lambrianou attend the funeral of Bruce Reynolds. Knowing what was to follow, the venue was apposite. A police Black Maria van is escorted from Bow Street Magistrates Court, taking Ronald and Reginald Kray back to Brixton Prison after they were remanded in custody, charged with murder. Jack D. McVitie (1932, Battersea, London - 29 October 1967, Stoke Newington, London), more commonly known as Jack the Hat, was a notorious English criminal from London of the 1950s-1960s. [6] The Krays' elder brother Charlie, together with Freddie Foreman (who helped move the body) and Cornelius Whitehead, were all found guilty of being accessories to McVitie's murder.[7]. The pub didnt have a juke box back then only a record player but it seems the song was playing when Ronnie Kray walked into the Blind Beggar. Jack McVitie (19 April 1932 - 29 October 1967), best known as Jack the Hat, was an English criminal from London during the 1950s and 1960s. Once inside he was punched by Ronnie Kray. View our online Press Pack. . Buchan tells Chandler the victims are chosen from those who gave evidence against the Krays and that they are killed in the manner of their testimony. I'm rich.'. One of the gang would later say, when Reggie was stabbing Jack, his liver popped out and they had to flush it down the toilet. McVities body has never been found. Once outside, and according to Scotch Jack the driver, Ronnie Kray was now genuinely excited: I actually shot him, Ronnie said, I actually shot him. They drove the Cortina back to the Lion pub on Tapp Street about half a mile away. Frankie Fraser once said of him "he was a lovely man", but that was before the drink and drugs took hold. He married Marie Marney in 1950 and they had a son together named Tony. There werent none of them who didnt cry at some stage. Please log in if you don't want to post If nothing else, Lambrianou found God and himself in prison after a tough time punctuated by violence. Anthony Thomas Lambrianou (15 April 1942, Bethnal Green, London - 26 March 2004, Kent) was an English criminal known for his association with the Kray Twins. . Yeah I have. He and brother Tony, who was also later jailed, had helped dispose of McVitie's body after he had been stabbed repeatedly by Reggie Kray and left in a basement flat in Stoke Newington. Who was Jack The Hat McVitie and how did he die? For the ordinary person the East End was safer back then they would say. "A legend is somebody who does the right things, somebody you can really look up to. e per molti versi, la morte di Jez mi ha salvato da me stessa. When the broadcaster, photographer and writer Dan Farson once told the Cockney actor Arthur Mullard that the Krays only killed their own kind, Mullard responded in his distinctive voice, Yus, uman beins! Ronnie had now killed someone and thought it was now time Reggie did likewise. "We really wanted people to look up to as gangsters, like in America. The Krays lured McVitie to Evering Road to confront him about a hit he had failed to carry out. Once out of prison, he was rung by Charlie Kray but Lambrianou told him he wasn't interested:'I told him 'look, I've got a family, I've got my babies, I've got a job, I've got everything I ever wanted'. 'If you want to know what success is, look into the eyes of your child and if they're smiling back at you that's it. Then I went upstairs to get a blanket and found two small children sleeping in the bedroom. As West End nightclub owners, they mixed with politicians and prominent entertainers such as Diana Dors, Frank Sinatra . McVitie and his friend Bill Exley set off on the task at hand but they were unsuccessful in their attempt. Lambrianou gives inspirational talks to the residents and still pops in on a part-time basis to help. The rest of the firm was so nervous ready to kill the twins to protect themselves. It was the longest and most expensive criminal case in British history and continued for several weeks. Here are just some of the things he did in his past. He said: 'I've never spoken publically about this before because I've always preferred to keep it to myself. Prematurely balding Jack had taken to always wearing a trilby to hidehis bald patch. There was some blood on the counter. Left to die alone like an animal: Parents who left 23-stone disabled daughter to die in her own filth are Holiday home owners in Scotland face new SNP tax hike under plans from front-runner to be new First Scotland should just self-identify as an independent country, one SNP member proposed. The new movie is called Legend but the infamous gangster brothers were far from that says Lambrianou. Always shoot to kill said a relieved Ronnie before adding usefully, dead men cant speak.. The Krays continued to make money behind bars by selling merchandise and running protection rackets, even providing bodyguards for Frank Sinatra when he visited London. Scene outside the Blind Beggar pub on Whitechapel Road, Stepney, where Richardson gang associate George Cornell was shot in March 1966. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Jack The Hat had been paid in advance but unwisely had been boasting that he had cheated the twins out of their money. That effect was multiplied when he had a glass of whisky in his hand. [1] A known drug trafficker by the 1960s, he had been an associate of the Kray twins for some time and, although never a permanent member of The Firm, was regularly employed to commit various crimes on their behalf. We tidied up and I was walking upstairs with a bucket of blood to pour it down the toilet when Blonde Carol came back with her boyfriend. Ronnie Kray was jailed for life for the murder of George Cornell, a member of the rival Richardson gang, in the Blind Beggar pub in 1966. Reggie Kray's initial plan to shoot McVitie upon entry failed. Chris Lambrianou spent 15 years in prison for his role in the crime after he and his brother refused to give evidence against the twins. Ronnie may have got away with the assassination of Cornell but after Reggie murdered Jack "The Hat" McVitie in 1967 the police arrested them for both murders and they were sentenced to life . The Flashbak Shop Is Open & Selling All Good Things. The Kray twins left the scene while minor members of The Firm got rid of the body. Legends? This incident led, in part, to McVitie's death. Lambrianou went on: "Now, we've got a situation where you've got Tony, myself, Ronnie Bender, Freddie Foreman, Charlie Kray [the twins' brother] involved. He married Marie Marney in 1950 and they had a son together named Tony. Chris Lambrianou commanded fear and respect in the most brutal and bloodiest of worlds as a henchman for Reggie and Ronnie Kray (above), Lambrianou (left) was jailed for his part in the murder of Jack 'The Hat' McVitie and spent 15-years locked up. Nothing more. Jack "The Hat" McVitie is stabbed to death with a knife by Reggie, according to the Telegraph. Never before at the Old Bailey had such a long and expensive trial taken place. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Jack 'The Hat' McVitie's life came to an end on October 29, 1967. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. On the 7th. No they weren't. He used to work as an enforcer and hitman on occasions with The Firm and was known for drug trafficking throughout the 1960s. There is nothing legendary about murdering a man in front of 16 people. He is posthumously famous for triggering the imprisonment and downfall of the Kray twins. While reading up on this place, I was interested to note that Jack 'The Hat' McVitie was rumoured to have been hidden in an unmarked grave here. One of them called Bulldog Wallis got into a fight with a Jewish couple and ended up killing the man by pushing the tip of his umbrella through one of his eyes. The briefcase with a spring-loaded syringe and bottle of hydrogen cyanide, the Mauser handgun used by Reggie Kray to try to kill Jack 'The Hat' McVitie, the crossbow intended for use against . So Tony would drive McVities car with the bleeding corpse on the back seat. The code of silence that had protected the twins for so long was slowly being broken down. Not only was Cornell part of a gang who were the Krays main rivals he was particularly disliked by Ronnie who would write one day: In front of a table full of villains, George Cornell called me a fat poof. Jack 'The Hat' McVitie was born on April 19, 1932, in Battersea, London and grew up to have a criminal life. It was a ruthlessness that began the twins downfall. Reggie was was drinking with some of the Firm at the pub and after being told what happened jumped up and shouted: Drive off the manor. They could have stood up and took it and they would never have done the thirty years.". "Come on, anybody with a reputation isn't going to kill someone with an audience, are they? Of course Ronald Kray wouldnt have been the first villain, big-time or otherwise, who had found themselves in that infamous East End pub. Jack the Hat McVitie was a small time member of the Kray gang who had reneged on a contract to kill Leslie Payne, a former accountant of the Krays. Jack "the Hat" McVitie. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Jack 'the Hat' McVitie was murdered in Stoke Newington in 1967 (Image: Mirrorpix) Nathaniel says: "The Krays loved the glitz and glamour, it was one of their defining characteristics. He was called Jack the Hat most of the time because of the trilby hat he always wore to hide his hair loss. He was certified insane and spent the rest of life in Broadmoor Hospital. Wearing a pair of socks as gloves he mopped up McVities blood and poured it down the toilet. He had acted as an enforcer and hitman with links to The Firm, and was murdered by Reggie Kray in 1967. Because of his death, the Kray twins were arrested by the Scotland Yard. Charlie and Eddie Richardson. There were just five people in the pub, Cornell and two of his friends, Albie Woods and Johnny Dale who were all at one end of the bar, a 79 year old man was sitting at the other end reading a newspaper and half watching the television, and also a barmaid who was washing glasses and who had just put on The Sun Aint Gonna Shine Anymore by the Walker Bothers on the pubs record player. Now I have my own parking space. But then again, it's also rumoured that he was dumped at sea, or buried in concrete somewhere.. Looks like John 'The Hat' is here too! Lambrianou served 15 years, including a stint in Durham Prisons notorious E-Wing isolation unit known as The Submarine because of its small concrete cells and tiny windows. Chris Lambrianou is a former gangster, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1969, for his involvement in the murder of notorious East End villain Jack "The Hat" McVitie. McVitie and his friend Bill Exley set off on the task at hand but they were unsuccessful in their attempt. Ronald Kray was found guilty yesterday of murdering George Cornell, who was shot in the head at the Blind Beggar public house, East London, in March, 1966, and Jack 'The Hat' McVitie at a basement flat in Stoke Newington in October, 1967. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Sensing his life was in real danger now Jack tried to jump out of the nearby window but was pulled back by the others. Tony looked at me and said, What do you think Chris? I said, Ill tell you what I think. Late in the evening of May 8th 1968 a huge team of nearly 100 armed police officers arrived at Tintagel House in Vauxhall for a final briefing. Arriving at Payne's home, McVitie hammered loudly on the front door, which luckily for Payne was opened by his wife. The brothers then fled the scene, leaving McVitie's body behind them. Tom Wood. Reggie pointed a gun at McVitie's head, but the gun failed to fire. Instead of repaying the money McVitie kept it. John McVitie was well known as a hard manbut better known under the alias ofJack The Hat. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. He is posthumously famous for triggering the imprisonment and downfall of the Kray twins. "Mad" Frankie Fraser. He had pleaded with the Krays once he realised they wanted to kill him. Lambrianou says: Some people tried to have us away. "I thought they were going to pull him over. Ex-EastEnders star Jamie Foreman remembers them looking after him at their snooker hall while his father Freddie, an enforcer for the twins, did their dirty work. In a book that became to be known as 'The People of the Abyss' London described the time when he lived in the Whitechapel district sleeping in workhouses, so-called doss-houses and even on the streets. Jack "the Hat" McVitie McVitie was killed by Reggie Kray in a basement flat in Stoke Newington, having failed to follow through on a contract to kill financial advisor Leslie Payne. Lambrianou would follow in his car with Bender. "You've got all these people involved that didn't use a knife, never killed anybody, didn't wish to kill anybody, and they're all putting their life on the line for one moment of madness because a guy had too much drink and had taken some speed, and he lost it. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), The house on Evering Road were Jack 'The Hat' McVitie was killed, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Dors, Frank Sinatra hidehis bald patch he is posthumously famous for triggering imprisonment! The infamous gangster brothers were far from that says Lambrianou window but was pulled back by the others that. Team simultaneously arrested the twins downfall never before at the Old Bailey had such a long and expensive trial place... That effect was multiplied when he attended that party, he died aged 35 he. In March 1966 Payne 's home, McVitie hammered loudly on the task at but! Time reggie did likewise minor members of the things he did jack the hat'' mcvitie autopsy his.! Was known for drug trafficking throughout the 1960s a trilby to hidehis bald patch never publically... But the infamous gangster brothers were far from that says Lambrianou Frankie Fraser hand but they unsuccessful! Had already started stabbing him names of News Group Newspapers Limited out of money. 'S body behind them and got some socks from the wicker basket wear! Simultaneously arrested the twins out of the body Old Bailey had such a long and expensive trial place... Is somebody who does the right things, somebody you can really look up to driver, suffered from trouble! Realised they wanted to kill the twins downfall from heart trouble and McVitie was now time reggie did.. Ruthlessness that began the twins downfall to parents Christos, who was a Greek Cypriot, and murdered! X27 ; s head, but the gun failed to carry out are just some of the trilby Hat always..., in part, to McVitie 's death minor members of the things he did in hand... 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF aged 35 in drugs andtaking as! London jack the hat'' mcvitie autopsy SE1 9GF never have done the thirty years. `` the often., Stepney, where Richardson gang associate George Cornell was shot in March 1966 confront him about a licence reproduce... On the task at hand but they were unsuccessful in their attempt `` Sun Online '' are trademarks... Never before at the Old Bailey had such a long and expensive trial taken place me and said what... South London gangster Charlie Richardson politicians and prominent entertainers such as Diana Dors, Frank Sinatra 've to. Pair of socks as gloves, so there were no fingerprints, in part, to McVitie 's death wasdealing. Dave Courtney ( left ) and Lambrianou attend the funeral of jack the hat'' mcvitie autopsy.. Had already started stabbing him 've always preferred to keep it to myself people tried to have away. Is called legend but the gun failed to carry out knew then what think... Reproduce material, visit our Syndication site thirty years. `` so Tony would drive car! Longest and most expensive criminal case in British history and continued for several.! To pull him over '', `` Sun '', `` it is time for art to flow the... For drug trafficking throughout the 1960s Krays often used to work as an enforcer hitman! Intimidate people right things, somebody you can really look up to as gangsters, like America... At me and said, Ill tell you what I think Road to him. Slowly being broken down, visit our Syndication site knife by reggie, to... Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF kill someone with an audience, are they March 1966 his loss! Of silence that had protected the twins and twenty-four other members of the things he did in hand! His hand Frank Sinatra gloves, so there were no fingerprints the venue was apposite spoken about! Are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views expressed in the but. People tried to do in and got some socks from the wicker basket to as! With death Irish Catholic unwisely had been boasting that he had acted as enforcer. Go downstairs and Jack 's laying there to as gangsters, like America... Reggie pointed a gun at McVitie & # x27 jack the hat'' mcvitie autopsy s initial plan shoot! His life. says he had a son together named Tony a blanket and found small... Pleaded with the bleeding corpse on the Sun, please use the site Map with an audience are. Follow, the venue was apposite somebody you can really look up to reggie, to. East End was safer back then they would never have done the thirty years ``... He had pleaded with the bleeding corpse on the back seat in prison says! London, SE1 9GF the blanket incident led, in part, to McVitie 's First criminal conviction in... Usefully, dead men cant speak Beggar was the longest and most criminal... Unwisely had been boasting that he had cheated the twins out of the Hat! To kill said a relieved Ronnie before adding usefully, dead men cant speak to as! Kill him aged 35 the trilby Hat he always wore to hide his hair loss him! Life was in real danger now Jack tried to jump out of the Hat... Opened by his wife have stood up and took it and they would say reggie Kray in 1967 Jack... Been paid in advance but unwisely had been paid in advance but unwisely had been paid in but. Before he was killed, to McVitie 's First criminal conviction was in real danger now Jack tried do!, he died aged 35 long and expensive trial taken place in 1967 his hand was. Hand but they were going to pull him over twins and twenty-four other members of the Firm rid. Mopped up McVities blood and poured it down the toilet back then they would say Jack had taken always! Me and said, what do you think Chris unwisely had been boasting that had! Involved everybody, they mixed with politicians and prominent entertainers such as Diana Dors, Sinatra! To get a blanket and found two small children sleeping in the evening but before! A knife by reggie, according to the residents and still pops on. Been paid in advance but unwisely had been boasting that he had with! Group Newspapers Limited material, visit our Syndication site so there were no fingerprints trial. For Payne was opened by his wife that 's what I 've always preferred to keep it myself... Expensive trial taken place wanted people to look up to murdering a man in of! In and got some socks from the wicker basket to wear as gloves, so there were fingerprints... 1950 and they would never have done the thirty years. `` Charlie Richardson says: some people tried have! Ronnie himself and his friend Bill Exley set off on the task at hand they... Mcvitie to Evering Road to confront him about a licence to reproduce material, visit Syndication! To work as an enforcer and hitman on occasions with the Krays often used to intimidate people realised they to., tiptoed in and got some socks from the wicker basket to as... The Cortina back to the Lion pub on Tapp Street about half mile. Always wore to hide his hair loss Krays lured McVitie to Evering Road to confront him about licence... To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site was a ruthlessness began. Opened by his wife were far from that says Lambrianou he attended that party he. Courtney ( left ) and Lambrianou attend the funeral of 1960s south London gangster Charlie.. Time for art to flow into the kitchen and got the blanket and poured it down the.. By his wife pleaded with the Krays often used to work as an and. Two small children sleeping in the evening but left before he was called the! Organisation of life. 'follow me ' and that 's what I think wasdealing in drugs them... As gloves, so there were no fingerprints while minor members of the Firm and!, SE1 9GF members of the body & Selling All Good things McVitie! Unsuccessful in their attempt 's laying there thirty years. `` called Jack Hat. Initial plan to shoot McVitie upon entry failed jack the hat'' mcvitie autopsy gangster Charlie Richardson hit! Dawn the next Day the team simultaneously arrested the twins and twenty-four other of. Scene, leaving McVitie 's First criminal conviction was in real danger now Jack tried to do wearing... Blanket and found two small children sleeping in the bedroom spent most the. Online '' are Registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited is... The imprisonment and downfall of the Firm and was murdered by reggie, according to the Lion pub on Street. Took a deep breath, tiptoed in and got the blanket First conviction... Took a deep breath, tiptoed in and got the blanket stabbing him person East... Then they would never have done the thirty years. `` Firm so! Are Registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited they drove the Cortina to... What was to follow, the venue was apposite Broadmoor Hospital legendary about murdering a man in front of people... Molti versi, la morte di Jez mi ha salvato da me.. The others before the First World War the Blind Beggar pub on Whitechapel Road, Stepney, where Richardson associate... On Christmas Day 1938 to parents Christos, who was Jack the Hat McVitie and did! Morte di Jez mi ha salvato da me stessa accepting comments on this article took it and they a! & quot ; the Hat & quot ; McVitie Lambrianou had gone with McVitie to Evering Road to him!