UK gangster 'Mad' Frankie Fraser dies at 90

[zwiebel]

Tough guy 'Mad' Frankie Fraser staked a claim to infamy and a place in British criminal history as part of the (Charlie) Richardson gang in London during the 1960s.

The gang were arch rivals to the Kray twins' (who both died in jail) gang, and there's a long story behind their battles, that sent most of the members to jail for a very long time.

Fraser escaped dying in jail - instead he died in hospital on life-support, following a hip replacement at age 90.

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2014-11-26/ex-ganster-mad-frankie-fraser-dies-aged-90/

ETA: The Mirror says it was an operation on a fracture he got during his 42 years in jail, in a riot in Parkhurst Prison.

'Fraser, famed for pulling out rivals’ teeth with pliers in his heyday with south London crime family The Richardson Gang, went for a fellow pensioner and chased him down a corridor after he refused to budge out of the leather armchair.

A film about his life is said to be in the works.'

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mad-frankie-fraser-dead-notorious-4700431

 

[wfgodot]

The Richardson Gang's acquisition of Mad Frankie's services was proclaimed to be "like China getting the atom bomb."

As a result, to counter, equally notorious East End gang the Krays strengthened their enforcing ranks by breaking Frank "Mad Axeman" Mitchell out of Dartmoor Prison, an act which soon went famously, infamously awry.

 

[wfgodot]

Plenty of watchies:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mad+frankie+fraser

 

[zwiebel]

I was just so hoping you'd drop in with some details, wfgodot! I knew you'd have them....

 

[wfgodot]

Our lad's Wiki entry; lots of links.

And a snippet from Mad Frank's tour bus, in which he appears, in turn, avuncular and deadly;
"Mind your heads" indeed, lol. (Or at least your teeth.)

[video=youtu;Ady24UrspI8]http://youtu.be/Ady24UrspI8[/video]

 

[wfgodot]

Daily Mail; lots of pics:

'We're glad he's not in pain and suffering', says son as gangland torturer 'Mad' Frankie
Fraser dies aged 90 (unlike all the people whose teeth he pulled out with pliers)

Frankie Fraser - obituary (Telegraph)
Frankie Fraser was a south London gangster who knew no
language but violence and spent half his life behind bars

An unregenerate villain of the deepest dye....

Frankie Fraser obituary (Guardian)
Gangland criminal and in later life a minor media celebrity