Product Description
The Krays ‘Mr. Fix-It’ gives his account of his life in the firm and the part he played. Leslie Payne was a close associate of Ronald and Reginald Kray in the early 1960s, the years of their real rise to power and wealth. In this rise, Payne played a vital part. The Krays were in truth little more than East End thugs with a certain native wit. Payne was an expert operator and fraudster. He provided the brains and confidence necessary to conduct the activities – gambling and fraud – on which the ‘firm’ flourished; the twins provided the threat and personnel, Payne eventually drifted away from the Krays, alarmed by their psychopathic violence. It was Payne who played a crucial role in the conviction of the Krays, after their attempt to have him murdered had driven him into the arms of the police.
The publication of this book was considerably delayed by Payne’s own arrest and trial, which resulted in him serving a 5-year prison sentence for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. At his trial, the manuscript of this book was produced in evidence and described by prosecuting counsel as a ‘how to do it’ book of crime. It was not that, but it was a unique document about organised crime as seen by an intelligent insider, and a remarkable account of the most powerful and brutal gang London had known.
Considered to be the holy grail of Kray books, this first-edition hardback copy is ultra-rare and completes any crime collection.