10 most notorious gangsters
20th December 2012
Share This Article:
In forthcoming gangster epic Gangster Squad, LA is in the grasp of notorious criminal Mickey Cohen (played by Sean Penn). To celebrate the release, TNS looks at 10 of the world's most notorious gangsters...
Ronald and Reginald Kray (aka The Kray Twins)
Ronald and Reginald Kray terrorised London’s East End in the 1950s and 60s through their successful nightclub empire. According to legend, they even silenced the press, using threats against editors to keep negative stories about their business practises away from the public.
Did you know? Experts say Ronald was almost certainly a paranoid schizophrenic. Celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland were also friends of the Krays.
Rodolfo Cadena and Joe “Pegleg” Morgan
These guys were two of the highest ranking members the Mexican Mafia, one of America’s most notorious prison gangs.
Credited with inventing the so-called ‘execution’ murder in Southern California, Cadena and Morgan spent most of their lives in prison overseeing firearms and drugs trafficking.
Did you know? The Mexican Mafia allied with the racist Aryan Brotherhood in a joint-war against the African American Black Guerrilla Family.
Stanley “Tookie” Williams
As leader of the Crips street gang, Stanley “Tookie” Williams was the archetypal American thug.
However, after being convicted of four murders in 1979, Williams was sent to San Quentin State Prison, where he spent six and a half years in solitary confinement. He later reformed his character and began producing anti-gang and anti-violence literature. He was executed by the state of California in 2005.
Did you know? Unbelievably, Williams was able to live a double life in the years leading up to his conviction. He was employed as a youth counsellor and found some success in bodybuilding, even appearing on a televised talent show in 1979.
Charlie and Eddie Richardson
New York native Al Capone is widely considered the most recognisable criminal of the 20th Century.
Less remembered is the fact his day-to-day life as a smuggler and pimp in Chicago would go on to fund various charitable incentives. In the 1920s and 30s he became a visible public figure and was viewed by the public to be a modern-day Robin Hood.
Did you know? Al Capone is the most filmed gangster in Hollywood history. Most recently his likeness appeared in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.
Gangster Squad is in cinemas on 10th January.
Like the film on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GangsterSquadMovieUK
Ronald and Reginald Kray (aka The Kray Twins)
Ronald and Reginald Kray terrorised London’s East End in the 1950s and 60s through their successful nightclub empire. According to legend, they even silenced the press, using threats against editors to keep negative stories about their business practises away from the public.
Did you know? Experts say Ronald was almost certainly a paranoid schizophrenic. Celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland were also friends of the Krays.
Rodolfo Cadena and Joe “Pegleg” Morgan
These guys were two of the highest ranking members the Mexican Mafia, one of America’s most notorious prison gangs.
Credited with inventing the so-called ‘execution’ murder in Southern California, Cadena and Morgan spent most of their lives in prison overseeing firearms and drugs trafficking.
Did you know? The Mexican Mafia allied with the racist Aryan Brotherhood in a joint-war against the African American Black Guerrilla Family.
Stanley “Tookie” Williams
As leader of the Crips street gang, Stanley “Tookie” Williams was the archetypal American thug.
However, after being convicted of four murders in 1979, Williams was sent to San Quentin State Prison, where he spent six and a half years in solitary confinement. He later reformed his character and began producing anti-gang and anti-violence literature. He was executed by the state of California in 2005.
Did you know? Unbelievably, Williams was able to live a double life in the years leading up to his conviction. He was employed as a youth counsellor and found some success in bodybuilding, even appearing on a televised talent show in 1979.
Charlie and Eddie Richardson
- Article continues below...
- More stories you may like...
- 25 life lessons we learnt from Friends
- Interview: In the ring with Kurt Angle
- Happy 100th birthday William S. Burroughs! 10 quotes about the Beat icon
New York native Al Capone is widely considered the most recognisable criminal of the 20th Century.
Less remembered is the fact his day-to-day life as a smuggler and pimp in Chicago would go on to fund various charitable incentives. In the 1920s and 30s he became a visible public figure and was viewed by the public to be a modern-day Robin Hood.
Did you know? Al Capone is the most filmed gangster in Hollywood history. Most recently his likeness appeared in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.
Gangster Squad is in cinemas on 10th January.
Like the film on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GangsterSquadMovieUK
You might also like...
People who read this also read...
TRENDING
TRENDING CHANNELS
CONTRIBUTOR OF THE MONTH