Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[Cottonbud]

Around £1500 not massive but not exactly small either. But it leaves a sour taste in your mouth and just makes you think you can't trust anyone anymore.

[Karabiner]

Aide memoir.

Dan Simons

TDCFS

Books

Frankie Fraser

BH

Cash.J

Frankie Fraser the blagger ?

None other.

Your paths ever cross? I have one of THE most readable books by him, a sort of guide to the British underworld in the 50's & 60's. IIRC, Frankie's "Manor" was Kings Cross. Which was an upper-class leafy residential area then.

I never met him personally, but I spent a fair bit of time on the Costa Del Sol in the mid-1980's and I knew quite a few of the faces who were mainly based in Fuengirola who had for the most part made there money in the Krugerrand/VAT scams that seemed to be fashionable at that time. They were virtually all career villains and seemed to have grown up with the likes of the Krays et al and I remember sitting having a coffee with a couple of them when one of them said " look there's Frankie Fraser" who I later learnt was visiting the Costa Del Crime as a result of his involvement with the Brinks-Mat episode a few moths earlier IIRC.

Wow, Frankie was very "short" (height) if I'm not mistaken, but not to be messed with.

If you are referring to the Brinks-Mat coup at Heathrow, that was some tale, but I don't recall Fraser being involved. Perhaps he kept it quiet.

They thought it held £4 million in cash, but there was no cash, just gold bullion. £25 million quids worth....oops.

A geezer called Noye arranged for it's sale, but all the money he receved he paid into his Bank, a little branch in the West Country, so naturally, it looked sussy, & proved his undoing. The cops were on to him, & staked out his house. Something went off, a copper got shot dead in his garden by Noye, but Noye got off on grounds of "self-defence". Ho hum.

Later, the Red-Tops got on his case after a so-called "Road-Rage" incident in which a geezer got shot in his car. Not self-defence this time, & Noye get life. But it was not Road-Rage, Noye & the other geezer were known to each other, both were drug dealers, & it was a dispute over money. Unpaid money.

I'm sure you are probably correct Tony, it must have been another blag but I don't think he was just there socialising.

Even those career-villains had a somewhat hushed and reverential tone when referring to Frankie.

[Karabiner]

Aide memoir.

Dan Simons

TDCFS

Books

Frankie Fraser

BH

Cash.J

Frankie Fraser the blagger ?

None other.

Your paths ever cross? I have one of THE most readable books by him, a sort of guide to the British underworld in the 50's & 60's. IIRC, Frankie's "Manor" was Kings Cross. Which was an upper-class leafy residential area then.

I never met him personally, but I spent a fair bit of time on the Costa Del Sol in the mid-1980's and I knew quite a few of the faces who were mainly based in Fuengirola who had for the most part made there money in the Krugerrand/VAT scams that seemed to be fashionable at that time. They were virtually all career villains and seemed to have grown up with the likes of the Krays et al and I remember sitting having a coffee with a couple of them when one of them said " look there's Frankie Fraser" who I later learnt was visiting the Costa Del Crime as a result of his involvement with the Brinks-Mat episode a few moths earlier IIRC.

Wow, Frankie was very "short" (height) if I'm not mistaken, but not to be messed with.

If you are referring to the Brinks-Mat coup at Heathrow, that was some tale, but I don't recall Fraser being involved. Perhaps he kept it quiet.

They thought it held £4 million in cash, but there was no cash, just gold bullion. £25 million quids worth....oops.

A geezer called Noye arranged for it's sale, but all the money he receved he paid into his Bank, a little branch in the West Country, so naturally, it looked sussy, & proved his undoing. The cops were on to him, & staked out his house. Something went off, a copper got shot dead in his garden by Noye, but Noye got off on grounds of "self-defence". Ho hum.

Later, the Red-Tops got on his case after a so-called "Road-Rage" incident in which a geezer got shot in his car. Not self-defence this time, & Noye get life. But it was not Road-Rage, Noye & the other geezer were known to each other, both were drug dealers, & it was a dispute over money. Unpaid money.

I'm sure you are probably correct Tony, it must have been another blag but I don't think he was just there socialising.

Even those career-villains had a somewhat hushed and reverential tone when referring to Frankie.

I've just realise that i seem to have had a bit of a senior/early-morning moment 

It was another FF that i was thinking of, Freddie Foreman.

[AndrewT]

Even those career-villains had a somewhat hushed and reverential tone when referring to Frankie.

Considering the stuff he did as Charlie Richardson's enforcer, I don't blame them.

[tikay]

Aide memoir.

Dan Simons

TDCFS

Books

Frankie Fraser

BH

Cash.J

Frankie Fraser the blagger ?

None other.

Your paths ever cross? I have one of THE most readable books by him, a sort of guide to the British underworld in the 50's & 60's. IIRC, Frankie's "Manor" was Kings Cross. Which was an upper-class leafy residential area then.

I never met him personally, but I spent a fair bit of time on the Costa Del Sol in the mid-1980's and I knew quite a few of the faces who were mainly based in Fuengirola who had for the most part made there money in the Krugerrand/VAT scams that seemed to be fashionable at that time. They were virtually all career villains and seemed to have grown up with the likes of the Krays et al and I remember sitting having a coffee with a couple of them when one of them said " look there's Frankie Fraser" who I later learnt was visiting the Costa Del Crime as a result of his involvement with the Brinks-Mat episode a few moths earlier IIRC.

Wow, Frankie was very "short" (height) if I'm not mistaken, but not to be messed with.

If you are referring to the Brinks-Mat coup at Heathrow, that was some tale, but I don't recall Fraser being involved. Perhaps he kept it quiet.

They thought it held £4 million in cash, but there was no cash, just gold bullion. £25 million quids worth....oops.

A geezer called Noye arranged for it's sale, but all the money he receved he paid into his Bank, a little branch in the West Country, so naturally, it looked sussy, & proved his undoing. The cops were on to him, & staked out his house. Something went off, a copper got shot dead in his garden by Noye, but Noye got off on grounds of "self-defence". Ho hum.

Later, the Red-Tops got on his case after a so-called "Road-Rage" incident in which a geezer got shot in his car. Not self-defence this time, & Noye get life. But it was not Road-Rage, Noye & the other geezer were known to each other, both were drug dealers, & it was a dispute over money. Unpaid money.

I'm sure you are probably correct Tony, it must have been another blag but I don't think he was just there socialising.

Even those career-villains had a somewhat hushed and reverential tone when referring to Frankie.

Oh yes - from my understanding, Frankie was THE man. His nick was "Mad" Frankie Fraser, because he'd twice been certified as insane, & been sent to Broadmoor both times.

He was the minder of the legendary Billy Hill back in the 50's, & was the guy who slashed Jack Spot. What a mess that was.

As a member of the Richardson gang, he stood trial for torture, & it was alleged he extracted victims teeth with pliers, which he denied - he said he had used secataurs.

I think he spent about 30 years in various Prisons, but became quite a celeb in later life. His book is magnificently written in the first person, in it's own special language, very much as he would speak. Cos would struggle with it.

I know I got some stick for it last time it was discussed here, but I adore reading & hearing Frankie Fraser stories. I've got dozens of books about the underworld, & he features in most. Pretty Boy Shaw was another who got great respect.

I believe Frankie was a Gooner, by the way.

[pokefast]

Aide memoir.

Dan Simons

TDCFS

Books

Frankie Fraser

BH

Cash.J

Frankie Fraser the blagger ?

None other.

Your paths ever cross? I have one of THE most readable books by him, a sort of guide to the British underworld in the 50's & 60's. IIRC, Frankie's "Manor" was Kings Cross. Which was an upper-class leafy residential area then.

I never met him personally, but I spent a fair bit of time on the Costa Del Sol in the mid-1980's and I knew quite a few of the faces who were mainly based in Fuengirola who had for the most part made there money in the Krugerrand/VAT scams that seemed to be fashionable at that time. They were virtually all career villains and seemed to have grown up with the likes of the Krays et al and I remember sitting having a coffee with a couple of them when one of them said " look there's Frankie Fraser" who I later learnt was visiting the Costa Del Crime as a result of his involvement with the Brinks-Mat episode a few moths earlier IIRC.

Wow, Frankie was very "short" (height) if I'm not mistaken, but not to be messed with.

If you are referring to the Brinks-Mat coup at Heathrow, that was some tale, but I don't recall Fraser being involved. Perhaps he kept it quiet.

They thought it held £4 million in cash, but there was no cash, just gold bullion. £25 million quids worth....oops.

A geezer called Noye arranged for it's sale, but all the money he receved he paid into his Bank, a little branch in the West Country, so naturally, it looked sussy, & proved his undoing. The cops were on to him, & staked out his house. Something went off, a copper got shot dead in his garden by Noye, but Noye got off on grounds of "self-defence". Ho hum.

Later, the Red-Tops got on his case after a so-called "Road-Rage" incident in which a geezer got shot in his car. Not self-defence this time, & Noye get life. But it was not Road-Rage, Noye & the other geezer were known to each other, both were drug dealers, & it was a dispute over money. Unpaid money.

I believe Frankie was a Gooner, by the way.

This explains alot.

[tikay]

Aide memoir.

Dan Simons

TDCFS

Books

Frankie Fraser

BH

Cash.J

Frankie Fraser the blagger ?

None other.

Your paths ever cross? I have one of THE most readable books by him, a sort of guide to the British underworld in the 50's & 60's. IIRC, Frankie's "Manor" was Kings Cross. Which was an upper-class leafy residential area then.

I never met him personally, but I spent a fair bit of time on the Costa Del Sol in the mid-1980's and I knew quite a few of the faces who were mainly based in Fuengirola who had for the most part made there money in the Krugerrand/VAT scams that seemed to be fashionable at that time. They were virtually all career villains and seemed to have grown up with the likes of the Krays et al and I remember sitting having a coffee with a couple of them when one of them said " look there's Frankie Fraser" who I later learnt was visiting the Costa Del Crime as a result of his involvement with the Brinks-Mat episode a few moths earlier IIRC.

Wow, Frankie was very "short" (height) if I'm not mistaken, but not to be messed with.

If you are referring to the Brinks-Mat coup at Heathrow, that was some tale, but I don't recall Fraser being involved. Perhaps he kept it quiet.

They thought it held £4 million in cash, but there was no cash, just gold bullion. £25 million quids worth....oops.

A geezer called Noye arranged for it's sale, but all the money he receved he paid into his Bank, a little branch in the West Country, so naturally, it looked sussy, & proved his undoing. The cops were on to him, & staked out his house. Something went off, a copper got shot dead in his garden by Noye, but Noye got off on grounds of "self-defence". Ho hum.

Later, the Red-Tops got on his case after a so-called "Road-Rage" incident in which a geezer got shot in his car. Not self-defence this time, & Noye get life. But it was not Road-Rage, Noye & the other geezer were known to each other, both were drug dealers, & it was a dispute over money. Unpaid money.

I'm sure you are probably correct Tony, it must have been another blag but I don't think he was just there socialising.

Even those career-villains had a somewhat hushed and reverential tone when referring to Frankie.

I've just realise that i seem to have had a bit of a senior/early-morning moment 

It was another FF that i was thinking of, Freddie Foreman.

Yes, that fits pefectly. Another, sort of, "hero" of mine. Hero's the wrong word, but I had a morbid curiosity about his life.

Freddie Foreman was a relly nasty piece of work I believe, but he was a pavement-artist, & never messed with straights.

[Acidmouse]

My uncle used to work for the Richardsons in the 60's. Meeting him in a few weeks will try and get some stories out of him.

[pokefast]

How do you stand on Lenny Mclean Tikay?

And his famous fight(s) with Roy Shaw?

[Karabiner]

Aide memoir.

Dan Simons

TDCFS

Books

Frankie Fraser

BH

Cash.J

Frankie Fraser the blagger ?

None other.

Your paths ever cross? I have one of THE most readable books by him, a sort of guide to the British underworld in the 50's & 60's. IIRC, Frankie's "Manor" was Kings Cross. Which was an upper-class leafy residential area then.

I never met him personally, but I spent a fair bit of time on the Costa Del Sol in the mid-1980's and I knew quite a few of the faces who were mainly based in Fuengirola who had for the most part made there money in the Krugerrand/VAT scams that seemed to be fashionable at that time. They were virtually all career villains and seemed to have grown up with the likes of the Krays et al and I remember sitting having a coffee with a couple of them when one of them said " look there's Frankie Fraser" who I later learnt was visiting the Costa Del Crime as a result of his involvement with the Brinks-Mat episode a few moths earlier IIRC.

Wow, Frankie was very "short" (height) if I'm not mistaken, but not to be messed with.

If you are referring to the Brinks-Mat coup at Heathrow, that was some tale, but I don't recall Fraser being involved. Perhaps he kept it quiet.

They thought it held £4 million in cash, but there was no cash, just gold bullion. £25 million quids worth....oops.

A geezer called Noye arranged for it's sale, but all the money he receved he paid into his Bank, a little branch in the West Country, so naturally, it looked sussy, & proved his undoing. The cops were on to him, & staked out his house. Something went off, a copper got shot dead in his garden by Noye, but Noye got off on grounds of "self-defence". Ho hum.

Later, the Red-Tops got on his case after a so-called "Road-Rage" incident in which a geezer got shot in his car. Not self-defence this time, & Noye get life. But it was not Road-Rage, Noye & the other geezer were known to each other, both were drug dealers, & it was a dispute over money. Unpaid money.

I'm sure you are probably correct Tony, it must have been another blag but I don't think he was just there socialising.

Even those career-villains had a somewhat hushed and reverential tone when referring to Frankie.

I've just realise that i seem to have had a bit of a senior/early-morning moment 

It was another FF that i was thinking of, Freddie Foreman.

Yes, that fits pefectly. Another, sort of, "hero" of mine. Hero's the wrong word, but I had a morbid curiosity about his life.

Freddie Foreman was a relly nasty piece of work I believe, but he was a pavement-artist, & never messed with straights.

I think it must have been the Security Express robbery that Freddie Foreman was on the run from.

[tikay]

Jack Spot, post meeting Mad Frankie. A villain called Tommy Falco got some, too.

The cigar was symbolic - Spot was smoking it when Frankie did him, (perhaps he stuck it somewhere), but Jack insisted on smoking it in the pictrure as if to say "up yours".

[tikay]

My uncle used to work for the Richardsons in the 60's. Meeting him in a few weeks will try and get some stories out of him.

Oh yes, do!

[tikay]

How do you stand on Lenny Mclean Tikay?

And his famous fight(s) with Roy Shaw?

Lenny = Proper Legend, THE best of his kind. He was a wonderful bloke. By trade he "minded doors".

I think he was genuinely, the hardest man in Brotain, by any standard. And a good man too, believe it or not.

He was in LS&2SB. I'll bring some photo's of Lenny in from his book - it's a terrific read, really.

I think he fought Shaw twice, or was it 3 times? I can't recall, but it as a very big thing at the time.

[tikay]

Pretty Boy Shaw, before he lost his looks. (On the left as we look)

[pokefast]

How do you stand on Lenny Mclean Tikay?

And his famous fight(s) with Roy Shaw?

Lenny = Proper Legend, THE best of his kind. He was a wonderful bloke. By trade he "minded doors".

I think he was genuinely, the hardest man in Brotain, by any standard. And a good man too, believe it or not.

He was in LS&2SB. I'll bring some photo's of Lenny in from his book - it's a terrific read, really.

I think he fought Shaw twice, or was it 3 times? I can't recall, but it as a very big thing at the time.

Yes Lenny's is one of my favourite books that i own ( and i own thousands all autobiographies and true crime ) he came across as a hard but very fair man. Imagine trying to get away with some of his antics today!.

Died too young.