I would stand by my dad no matter what. A heavyweight villain with an unbelievably bloody past, Freddie is the last living legend of the Krays' London underworld. Lets just leave it at that. That facility was for a body to be wrapped in chicken wire, attached to weights and dumped in muddy waters. But ask him what he thinks of himself today and his reply is"caring and loving". Freddie said: 'You have to understand that what I have is terminal. 1. He was acquitted of the killing because of a lack of evidence, including the body, which Foreman says was dumped in the English Channel. One of five sons of a taxi driver and a housewife, the violence and poverty of his childhood during the war helped form him. They liked me, they were nice birds, and I became their protector, he says. So what about those old crimes he has written about in the past? Foremans criminal career began in the 1940s at age 16 when he lived in Battersea, in south London, then a tough neighbourhood. Don't miss out on the biggest soaps gossip! Its a funny word to use about men whose names today are still synonymous with crimes such as armed robbery and murder. And like many parents, I was ashamed and reluctant to talk about it (68% of those who are estranged from . Mr. Foreman was never convicted of the Security Express robbery, but he was sentenced to nine years for handling stolen property. Brown Bread is cockney rhyming slang for "dead". When an associate of the Krays, Frank the Mad Axeman Mitchell, became a liability after the brothers helped spring him from prison in 1966, he was lured into a van and shot. His main motivation for crime, he said, was that he had a wife, Maureen, and three children to support. Anything for Freddies son, darling, she said. Did any of the media worry you?' the 6m Security Express robbery in Shoreditch. But the lure of crime cut short his American dream. I can't put my finger on what they're trying to achieve.". He did do a lot of partying in Munich, which was probably not good for himself, but it didn't effect Queen in any way. Its impossible to get away with it now, with all the CCTV and everything.. The criminals sped away with 6m at the time of the heist in 1983 the largest cash robbery of the era. Apparently eager for company, Mr. Foreman was instantly welcoming when I knocked on his door, unannounced, at a residence for seniors in Maida Vale in West London. I was too old to fancy going to work, but it wouldve been one last roll of the dice, he said. "We gradually became aware he had an illness but we had no idea what it was or how serious it was. Rightly or wrongly, baddies have been romanticised in films and literature. Apparently eager for company, Foreman is instantly welcoming when I knock on his door, unannounced, at a residence for seniors in Maida Vale in west London.Dressed in a grey jogging suit, he pours . Foreman was a prominent figure in London gangland from the 1950s through to the 1980s. Now hes reflecting on that time in the film Fred, which traces Foremans life from his impoverished wartime childhood through his longstanding criminal career. He does it again when asked about it today. Queen frontman Freddie Mercury died on November 24 1991, just 24 hours after telling the world he had Aids - but the icon never came out to his family. Everyone says it was based on me there were so many similarities., His other long jail sentence, of nine years, was for involvement in the 6m Security Express robbery in Shoreditch, east London, in 1983. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Two died there last week. To me, it was just the world I was born into. Blew his ear off, he says of one of the miscreants. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. In addition to the athlete never publicly commenting on Jordan's relationship with Fletcher,. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Godfather of British crime Freddie Foreman speaks to Dan Bilefsky about turning down the Hatton Garden heist, what the Krays were really like, and how hes the last one left, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. I was still angry that he wasnt in my life, though. I dont want to glorify anything Freddie Foreman. Almost everyone is gone, he said, pointing to a black-and-white photograph showing head shots of former Kray associates, including one who was shot in the leg by Reggie Kray in front of his wife and children. More than 40% of study participants had experienced family estrangement at some point. "We talked to her about the remastering of tracks, the appearance we made at the Bejart Ballet with Elton singing, which was also John's last live appearance with us, and later the work with did with Paul Rodgers, and latterly with Adam Lambert. Not guilty! By his twenties he had started selling stolen goods, keeping them in a lock-up garage in South London. Attached to almost every unsolved gangland murder in London over the last 50 years - to Britain's criminal underworld Freddie Foreman is "The Godfather". I was too old to fancy going to work, but it wouldve been one last roll of the dice, he says. And a few days later I was being shown into her dressing room. Get a daily dose of showbiz gossip direct to your inbox. Why do people still admire the Kray Twins? He still works out, using two purple dumbbells. I was at the Old Bailey at 16 years of age for affray. Freddie Foreman didn't want his son to follow in his footsteps. On another occasion, when his philandering older brother George was shot in the groin by the irate husband of one of Georges girlfriends, Foreman says he set out for revenge but mistakenly killed someone else. I loved films and TV plays and at 15 I decided to become an actor. (He had an extensive property portfolio before the law caught up with him, which included clubs, pubs, flats, a casino, a recording studio and a boxing gym.) I consider him a businessman who operated in the criminal world, Van Carter says. In time the spoils of crime were enough to finance a business empire a string of betting shops, a casino and a nightclub. I consider him a businessman who operated in the criminal world, Mr. Van Carter said. past this time round has proved more troublesome than he anticipated. I wasn't over eager - they had a bit of a reputation.". Sympathy card: Another simple favor is a card. The actor Jamie Foreman's father is 88-year-old gangster Freddie Foreman, who worked with the Kray twins and, despite never being convicted of the crimes, later admitted to the murders of Frank . "I'm not happy about this, Paul," he says at one stage as he revisits the scene in. Holes bored through a 20-inch-thick concrete wall into a vault in Hatton Garden, London, where millions of pounds of gems, gold and cash were stolen by a group of aging thieves in 2015. I knew Jack the Hats boys when I was living in Spain and we were quite pals together; they used to have a drink with me in Eagles, the country club I had there., But in the film he describes in some detail shooting, not fatally, two men who had assaulted a young woman in one of his clubs. Over Easter weekend, a group of aging thieves stole nearly $20 million in gems, gold and cash from a series of safe deposit boxes, climbing down an elevator shaft with diamond-tipped drills and busting through a concrete wall about 20 inches thick. I was too old to fancy going to work, but it wouldve been, Foremans home is cramped, but he doesnt need much room after more than a decade of living in a prison cell, my every movement watched by screws, he says. she said. There. Apparently eager for company, Foreman is instantly welcoming when I knock on his door, unannounced, at a residence for seniors in. There was a facility to go out to sea, he says in the film. His main motivation for crime, he said, was that he had a wife,. He was just my dad. Fred is the only gangster who lived through the turbulent history of the British underworld and survived to tell the tale.". Reggie killed McVitie in a dispute over money, and Foreman, while initially charged with murder, was ultimately convicted for his part in disposing of the body and sentenced to ten years. Nothing was my idea I was manipulated right, left and centre, he says cheerfully, adding that he is happy with the end result and then, diplomatically: I just hope it encourages kids to get a good education.. I come from a criminal background, but not for one second have I ever been ashamed of my father or my world. Violence, he stressed, had been a sometimes necessary and unfortunate occupational hazard, but it was never an end in itself. For others, the end of an unhappy and complicated relationship just comes as a. "I don't want to glamourise or crime, far from it. There was sun and sangria and birds. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. When I was 18 and my mother discovered my revolver in my bedroom closet, she told me I was going to end up hanging from a noose. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. When I was 18 and my mother discovered my revolver in my bedroom closet, he added, she knew what kind of boy I was. Foreman has served a total of 16 years in prison. He is equally tightlipped about Mitchell, whom the Krays had helped escape from Dartmoor prison and hidden in London, but who had become a loose cannon; according to Foreman today, Mitchell had been armed and vowed to take six policemen with him rather than return to jail. He still works out, using two purple dumbbells. But his years on the run came to an end in 1990, when he says he was lured to a Spanish police station and arrested. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? "We had a good life - the best education, best clothes, cars and holidays abroad. Without an adult's . For a large part of the 1960s, Foreman and the Kray twins' gang The Firm, ruled the streets in the East End of London. Soon, Mr. Foreman was ruling over a swath of South London and owned pubs, betting shops and a nightclub called Hamilton House. Is there less of a moral code now? ", Netflix says: "This is a sombre examination into the psyche of former London gangster Freddie Foreman: 85 years old, allegedly responsible for multiple murders, and nearing the end of his life. There are stacks of gangster films, along with a biography, The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler., Paul Van Carter, director of Fred, a chilling 2018 documentary about Mr. Foremans life, called him the last living legend among the old school London heavy gangsters who came of age on the mean streets of the British capital after World War II. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Some people reckon it was their taste for celebrity, others blame Ronnies increasingly unstable mind. He recalls how he tried to punch and kick his way out of the police car as it sped by the beach, on the way to the airport, and that he was drugged like an animal before eight police officers bundled him onto a plane. When I was 18 and my mother discovered my revolver in my bedroom closet, he adds, she knew what kind of boy I was. It did, but only at first. Mum broke the news: Theyre accusing him of terrible things but its all lies. I knew my father was facing life and I might lose him. I consider him a businessman who operated in the criminal world, Van Carter says. I was brought up to be a straight goer, live honestly and never take anything that didnt belong to me. FORMER Kray twins hitman Freddie Foreman has called for hero pensioner Richard Osborn-Brooks to be handed an award for bravery. At their height they mixed with politicians and celebrities but they were finally snared over the murders of fellow gangsters Jack 'The Hat' McVitie and George Cornell. A shelf is crammed with memories of his former life: a black-and-white portrait of him as a scrappy 17-year-old bare-knuckle boxer, a photograph of the Kray twins. I dont think anyone who has turned to crime these days is going to live long enough to build up a reputation, are they? After participating in the robbery in 1983, Mr. Foreman escaped to the Costa del Sol in Spain, known at the time as the Costa del Crime, because the country did not have an extradition treaty with Britain and the tourist region had attracted so many criminals. You dont prove youre a hard man by stabbing someone. At the time of the arrests, Foreman was 36 years old and licensee of The Prince of Wales on Lant Street in Southwark. I also doubt that Cuddy could have had that much influence. Asked whether Freddie had ever told her the truth about his sexuality, his emotional mum whispered, "no". "My wife was saying 'It's not too bad, Fred, you can do 10 years, youre not doing life.' I am not a monster. He eventually separated from Maureen, who died several years ago. Obviously I needed a bit of cash, so I went for it. Put simply, family estrangement is a continuum where it is more accurate to characterize people as more or less estranged, as opposed to estranged or not estranged. Foreman relaxing in Marbella, the Costa del Crime. He recalls how he tried to punch and kick his way out of the police car as it sped by the beach, on the way to the airport. I was proud of what I achieved," he says. His real entry into the underbelly of London crime came in the 1960s when he was recruited by the Kray brothers, under whose tutelage he earned another of his nicknames: the Undertaker. Would he have gone with Perkins on that one last job if he had been asked? Actors and actresses especially Barbara Windsor and the Carry On team mixed freely with High Court judges and politicians. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Fred: the Godfather of British Crime (Lionsgate UK) is available on DVD and digital. Fred: The Godfather of British Crime is written and directed by Paul Van Carter (The Guv'nor) and is available to watch on Netflix. It was posh people came from all over London, he said. His ability to mete out rough justice - and his shrewd business brain - brought him to the attention of the Krays. Not much but Tom Hardy was amazing. Firm member Freddie - now 86 - hasbeen linked to countless murders and bouts of violence, and served a total of 16 years in prison for his underworld activities. Foreman leaving Bow Street Magistrates Court after being remanded in 1983, Twin brothers and organised crime bosses Ronnie and Reggie Kray in Cedra Court, off Cazenove Road in northeast London, 3 August 1964, Boxers Reggie (left) and Ronnie Kray with their mother Violet Kray in 1950, The Kray twins pictured on 23rd January 1953, when as teenagers they would report to a local gymnassium in the East End of London, Reginald Kray, one of the infamous Kray twins, celebrates his marriage to Frances Shae in April 1965, Notorious East End gangsters Ronnie (right) and Reggie (left) Kray in October 1965, London gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray refresh themselves with a cup of tea in 1966, London gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray at home having a cup of tea in 1966, East End London gangster Reggie Kray lights up a cigarette for his twin brother Ronnie in 1969, The holes drilled to gain access to the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit, Foreman attends the funeral of Ronnie Biggs at Golders Green Crematorium, Foreman was a freelance hitman for the notorious Kray twins, Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events, Godfather of British crime Freddie Foremanspeaks to Dan Bilefskyabout turning down the Hatton Garden heist, what the Krays were really like, and how hes the last one left, Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, It was Easter Monday, and five thieves three wearing balaclavas, two in monkey masks and all of them armed and speaking with fake Irish accents had broken into a security company in, We gave the guards tea, and no one went to hospital, and I am proud of that, says Foreman, a stocky man whose grandfatherly demeanour is hard to square with his former incarnation as a freelance enforcer for. He lamented that his sons never visited. But Fred: The Godfather of British Crime isn't a film talking posthumously about his crimes; it comes straight from the horse's mouth, as half a century after his alleged crimes, the ex-gangster is eager to talk us through what went down. Theyve got relatives and I dont want to keep rubbing it in. Fred is available on Digital 28th May and DVD on 4th June. Their children Jamie - who went on to be an actor starring in EastEnders - Gregory and Daniella were educated at boarding school. A shelf is crammed with memories of his former life: a black-and-white portrait of him as a scrappy 17-year-old bare-knuckle boxer, a photograph of the Kray twins. In this special documentary, Foreman reveals the audacious details of the heists, double crossings . "They're all killing each other for no reason whatsoever, aren't they? It was Easter Monday, and five thieves three wearing balaclavas, two in monkey masks and all of them armed and speaking with fake Irish accents had broken into a security company in east London. It was posh people came from all over London, he says. For a large part of the 60s the Krays and their associates - The Firm as it was known - ruled the streets of East London. ", Brian recalled one night before a Wembley Arena gig when defiant Freddie told the band: "Mother's in the audience tonight. Fresh-faced: Jamie Foreman as a young East End lad, Parents: Jamie's mum Maureen and dad Freddie in the sixties with his dad's great friend Ronnie Oliffe, Kray Twins: Ronald, left, and Reginald babysat Jamie, Real East Enders: Freddie Foreman with the late actor George Raft, Ronnie Kray and Mrs Foreman, Reflective mood: Jamie Foreman looks back on his life in his book. The robberys ringleader was Terry Perkins who died, aged 69, earlier this year in Belmarsh jail, having been convicted of the 2015 14m Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary. "I tried the straight way I worked in scaffolding firms and on the markets," he says now. I remember being blown out of my bed by an explosion and seeing childrens bodies on the streets, he said. Not guilty. ", Still, apart from meeting the Krays, he says he has no regrets about his past. The word estrangement was never in my vocabulary before it happened to me seven years ago. I am the last one left, he added. "We always consulted her in our work that continued after we lost Freddie - the tribute concert at Wembley Stadium; the Made In Heaven album, which encapsulated Freddies last gifts of vocals and was a two-year labour of love for us; the single No-one But You, our tribute to Freddie, which I wrote at the inauguration of the Freddie statue in Montreux, an occasion we shared with Jer. 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