Frankie Fraser
Encyclopedia
Francis Davidson Fraser (born 19 November, 1923, and better known as "Mad" Frankie Fraser) is a former British criminal and gang member who spent 42 years in prison
for numerous violent offences.
, south London
, Fraser was a deserter
during World War II
, on several occasions escaping from his barracks. It was during the war that Fraser first became involved in serious crime, with the blackout
and rationing
, combined with the lack of professional policemen due to conscription
, providing ample opportunities for criminal activities. In 1941, he was sent to Borstal
for breaking into a Waterloo
hosiery
store and was then given a 15-month prison sentence at Wandsworth Prison
for shopbreaking. Such were the criminal opportunities during the war, Fraser later joked in a television interview that he'd never forgiven the Germans
for surrendering
.
Fraser confirms in his book 'Mad Frank & Friends' that his grandmother was a Canadian Red Indian
.
. It was during this sentence that he was first certified insane and was sent to the Cane Hill Hospital, London, before being released in 1949. During the 1950s his main occupation was as bodyguard to well-known gangster Billy Hill
. He took part in more bank robberies and spent more time in prison. He was again certified insane while at Durham Prison
and this time sent to Broadmoor
. Aware of the punishments for bad behaviour in that institution, Fraser stayed out of trouble and was released in 1955. In 1956, the British mobster Jack Spot
and wife Rita were attacked, on Hill's say-so, by Fraser, Bobby Warren and at least half a dozen other men. Both Fraser and Warren were given seven years for their acts of violence.
, members of the notorious Richardson Gang and rivals to the Kray twins
. One member of the criminal fraternity was quoted as saying that “Mad Frank joining the Richardson’s Gang was like China getting the atom bomb”. According to Fraser, it was they who helped him avoid arrest for the Great Train Robbery
by bribing
a policeman. Together they set up the Atlantic Machines fruit machines
enterprise, which acted as a front for the criminal activities of the gang. In 1966 Fraser was charged with the murder
of Richard Hart who was shot at Mr Smiths's club in Catford
while other members including Jimmy Moody
were charged with affray
. The witness changed his testimony
and the charges were eventually dropped, though he still received a five year sentence for affray. Fraser has always maintained that, while he fought with Hart, he did not shoot him. He was also implicated in the so-called "Torture trial", in which members of the gang were charged with burning, electrocuting
and whip
ping those found guilty of disloyalty by a kangaroo court
. Fraser himself was accused of pulling out the teeth of victims with a pair of pliers. In the trial at the Old Bailey
in 1967 he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
riot in 1969, spending the following six weeks in the prison hospital, owing to his injuries. Involvement in such activities often led to his sentences being extended. Whilst in Strangeways, Manchester in 1980 Fraser was 'excused boots' as he claimed he had problems with his feet so he was allowed to wear slippers. He was released from prison in 1985, where he was met by his son in a Rolls Royce.
In 1991 Fraser was shot in the head from close range in an apparent murder attempt outside the Turnmills Club
in Clerkenwell
, London. He has always maintained that a policeman was responsible.
, appearing on television
shows such as Operation Good Guys
, Shooting Stars
, and the satirical
show Brass Eye
, where he said Noel Edmonds
should be shot for killing Clive Anderson
(an incident invented by the show's producers), and writing an autobiography
. In 1999 he appeared at the Jermyn Street Theatre in London in a one man show, 'An Evening with Mad Frankie Fraser' (directed by Patrick Newley), which subsequently toured the UK.
He also appeared as East End
crime boss Pops Den in the feature film Hard Men
, a forerunner of British gangster movies such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
and had a documentary made of his life 'Mad Frank' which was released as part of the DVD 'The Ultimate Gangster Dvd' (2003 Gangster Videos), which featured crime figures Charles Bronson
, John McVicar, Paddy Hill, Albert Reading, Dave Courtney
, Roy Shaw, Norman Parker, Marilyn Wisbey & axe victim Eric Mason. This programme was also shown on The Crime & Investigation Channel & Biography Channel in the UK and was directed by Liam Galvin.
He now gives gangland tours around London, where he highlights infamous criminal locations such as the Blind Beggar pub
. He lives in the Walworth
area of London.
Fraser is also a big Arsenal
fan, and his grandson Tommy Fraser
is a professional footballer, and formerly captain of League Two
side Port Vale
. According to legend, when he was at Brighton
, Tommy was asked by a local reporter if his grandfather ever came to watch him play. "No," came the reply. "But he reads your reports and he was unhappy you only gave me six out of 10 last week." Tommy never got less than seven again. Another of Fraser's grandsons, James Fraser, also spent a short time with Bristol Rovers
. Another grandson, Anthony Fraser, was being sought by police in February 2011 for his alleged involvement in alleged £5million cannabis smuggling ring.
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
for numerous violent offences.
Early life
Born in LambethLambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, south London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Fraser was a deserter
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, on several occasions escaping from his barracks. It was during the war that Fraser first became involved in serious crime, with the blackout
Blackout (wartime)
A blackout during war, or apprehended war, is the practice of collectively minimizing outdoor light, including upwardly directed light. This was done in the 20th century to prevent crews of enemy aircraft from being able to navigate to their targets simply by sight, for example during the London...
and rationing
Rationing
Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services. Rationing controls the size of the ration, one's allotted portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time.- In economics :...
, combined with the lack of professional policemen due to conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
, providing ample opportunities for criminal activities. In 1941, he was sent to Borstal
Borstal
A borstal was a type of youth prison in the United Kingdom, run by the Prison Service and intended to reform seriously delinquent young people. The word is sometimes used loosely to apply to other kinds of youth institution or reformatory, such as Approved Schools and Detention Centres. The court...
for breaking into a Waterloo
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
hosiery
Hosiery
Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as hose...
store and was then given a 15-month prison sentence at Wandsworth Prison
Wandsworth (HM Prison)
HM Prison Wandsworth is a Category B men's prison at Wandsworth in the London Borough of Wandsworth, south west London, England. It is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service and is the largest prison in London and one of the largest in western Europe, with similar capacity to Liverpool...
for shopbreaking. Such were the criminal opportunities during the war, Fraser later joked in a television interview that he'd never forgiven the Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for surrendering
Surrender (military)
Surrender is when soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and eventually become prisoners of war, either as individuals or when ordered to by their officers. A white flag is a common symbol of surrender, as is the gesture of raising one's hands empty and open above one's head.When the...
.
Fraser confirms in his book 'Mad Frank & Friends' that his grandmother was a Canadian Red Indian
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
.
Post-war
After the war, Fraser was involved in a smash-and-grab raid on a jeweller's for which he received a two-year prison sentence, served largely at Pentonville PrisonPentonville (HM Prison)
HM Prison Pentonville is a Category B/C men's prison, operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service. Pentonville Prison is not actually within Pentonville itself, but is located further north, on the Caledonian Road in the Barnsbury area of the London Borough of Islington, in inner-North London,...
. It was during this sentence that he was first certified insane and was sent to the Cane Hill Hospital, London, before being released in 1949. During the 1950s his main occupation was as bodyguard to well-known gangster Billy Hill
Billy Hill (gangster)
Billy Hill was a famous British gangster and criminal mastermind from the 1920s through to the 1960s.-Biography:...
. He took part in more bank robberies and spent more time in prison. He was again certified insane while at Durham Prison
Durham (HM Prison)
HM Prison Durham is a local Category B men's prison, located in the Elvet area of Durham in County Durham, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
and this time sent to Broadmoor
Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It is the best known of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth and Rampton...
. Aware of the punishments for bad behaviour in that institution, Fraser stayed out of trouble and was released in 1955. In 1956, the British mobster Jack Spot
Jack Spot
Jack "Spot" Comer was a notorious British gangster during the 1930s, 1940sand 1950s.-Early life:Born as Jacob Comacho, Jack Comer was the youngest of four children. His father was a poor Jewish tailor's machinist who had moved to London with his wife from Łódź, Poland in 1903...
and wife Rita were attacked, on Hill's say-so, by Fraser, Bobby Warren and at least half a dozen other men. Both Fraser and Warren were given seven years for their acts of violence.
The Richardson Gang
It was in the early 1960s that he first met Charlie and Eddie RichardsonThe Richardson Gang
The Richardson Gang was a 1960s group of criminals in South London, England. Less well remembered than their rivals the Krays, they nevertheless had a reputation at their peak as being some of London's most infamous and sadistic gangsters...
, members of the notorious Richardson Gang and rivals to the Kray twins
Kray twins
Reginald "Reggie" Kray and his twin brother Ronald "Ronnie" Kray were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in London's East End during the 1950s and 1960s...
. One member of the criminal fraternity was quoted as saying that “Mad Frank joining the Richardson’s Gang was like China getting the atom bomb”. According to Fraser, it was they who helped him avoid arrest for the Great Train Robbery
Great Train Robbery (1963)
The Great Train Robbery is the name given to a £2.6 million train robbery committed on 8 August 1963 at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, England. The bulk of the stolen money was not recovered...
by bribing
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
a policeman. Together they set up the Atlantic Machines fruit machines
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
enterprise, which acted as a front for the criminal activities of the gang. In 1966 Fraser was charged with the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of Richard Hart who was shot at Mr Smiths's club in Catford
Catford
Catford is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Architecture:...
while other members including Jimmy Moody
Jimmy Moody
James Alfred 'Jimmy' Moody was a British gangster and hitman whose career spanned more than four decades and included run-ins with Jack Spot, Billy Hill, "Mad" Frankie Fraser, the Krays, the Richardsons and the Provisional IRA....
were charged with affray
Affray
In many legal jurisdictions related to English common law, affray is a public order offence consisting of the fighting of two or more persons in a public place to the terror of ordinary people...
. The witness changed his testimony
Testimony
In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. All testimonies should be well thought out and truthful. It was the custom in Ancient Rome for the men to place their right hand on a Bible when taking an oath...
and the charges were eventually dropped, though he still received a five year sentence for affray. Fraser has always maintained that, while he fought with Hart, he did not shoot him. He was also implicated in the so-called "Torture trial", in which members of the gang were charged with burning, electrocuting
Electric shock
Electric Shock of a body with any source of electricity that causes a sufficient current through the skin, muscles or hair. Typically, the expression is used to denote an unwanted exposure to electricity, hence the effects are considered undesirable....
and whip
Whip
A whip is a tool traditionally used by humans to exert control over animals or other people, through pain compliance or fear of pain, although in some activities whips can be used without use of pain, such as an additional pressure aid in dressage...
ping those found guilty of disloyalty by a kangaroo court
Kangaroo court
A kangaroo court is "a mock court in which the principles of law and justice are disregarded or perverted".The outcome of a trial by kangaroo court is essentially determined in advance, usually for the purpose of ensuring conviction, either by going through the motions of manipulated procedure or...
. Fraser himself was accused of pulling out the teeth of victims with a pair of pliers. In the trial at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
in 1967 he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
Violence
Fraser's 42 years served in over 20 different prisons in the UK were often coloured by violence. He was involved in riots and frequently fought with prison officers and fellow inmates as well as attacking various governors. He was one of the ringleaders of the major Parkhurst PrisonParkhurst (HM Prison)
HMP Isle of Wight - Parkhurst Barracks is a prison situated in Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight, operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.Parkhurst prison is one of the three prisons that make up HMP Isle of Wight, the other two being Camp Hill, and Albany...
riot in 1969, spending the following six weeks in the prison hospital, owing to his injuries. Involvement in such activities often led to his sentences being extended. Whilst in Strangeways, Manchester in 1980 Fraser was 'excused boots' as he claimed he had problems with his feet so he was allowed to wear slippers. He was released from prison in 1985, where he was met by his son in a Rolls Royce.
In 1991 Fraser was shot in the head from close range in an apparent murder attempt outside the Turnmills Club
Turnmills
Turnmills was a London nightclub on the corner of Turnmill Street and Clerkenwell Road in the London Borough of Islington. It closed on the morning of 24 March 2008....
in Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell is an area of central London in the London Borough of Islington. From 1900 to 1965 it was part of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury. The well after which it was named was rediscovered in 1924. The watchmaking and watch repairing trades were once of great importance...
, London. He has always maintained that a policeman was responsible.
Later life
Now in his 80s, Fraser has become something of a celebrityCelebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
, appearing on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
shows such as Operation Good Guys
Operation Good Guys
Operation Good Guys is a British mockumentary, a fly-on-the-wall documentary series about an elite police unit's bid to snare one of Britain's most powerful crime lords. It was first screened on BBC Two from 1997 - 2000. Blurring the line between fact and fiction, it witnesses, on camera, the total...
, Shooting Stars
Shooting Stars
Shooting Stars is a British television comedy panel game broadcast on BBC Two as a pilot in 1993, then as 3 full series from 1995 to 1997, then on BBC Choice from January to December 2002 with 2 series before returning to BBC Two for another 3 series from 2008 until its axing in 2011...
, and the satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
show Brass Eye
Brass Eye
Brass Eye is a UK television series of satirical spoof documentaries. A series of six aired on Channel 4 in 1997, and a further episode in 2001....
, where he said Noel Edmonds
Noel Edmonds
Noel Ernest Edmonds, is an English broadcaster and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show, Telly Addicts, Noel's Saturday...
should be shot for killing Clive Anderson
Clive Anderson
Clive Anderson is a British former barrister, best known for being a comedy writer as well as a radio and television presenter in the United Kingdom...
(an incident invented by the show's producers), and writing an autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
. In 1999 he appeared at the Jermyn Street Theatre in London in a one man show, 'An Evening with Mad Frankie Fraser' (directed by Patrick Newley), which subsequently toured the UK.
He also appeared as East End
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
crime boss Pops Den in the feature film Hard Men
Hard Men
Hard Men is a British gangster movie, originally shown 28 October 1996 at the London Film Festival. It was released in the cinemas in 1997....
, a forerunner of British gangster movies such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a 1998 British crime film directed and written by Guy Ritchie. The story is a heist film involving a self-confident young card sharp who loses £500,000 to a powerful crime lord in a rigged game of three card brag...
and had a documentary made of his life 'Mad Frank' which was released as part of the DVD 'The Ultimate Gangster Dvd' (2003 Gangster Videos), which featured crime figures Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson (prisoner)
Charles Bronson is a Welsh criminal often referred to in the British press as the "most violent prisoner in Britain"....
, John McVicar, Paddy Hill, Albert Reading, Dave Courtney
Dave Courtney
Dave Courtney is a self-proclaimed British former gangster who has become both an author and celebrity-gangster figure...
, Roy Shaw, Norman Parker, Marilyn Wisbey & axe victim Eric Mason. This programme was also shown on The Crime & Investigation Channel & Biography Channel in the UK and was directed by Liam Galvin.
He now gives gangland tours around London, where he highlights infamous criminal locations such as the Blind Beggar pub
Blind Beggar
The Blind Beggar is a public house on Whitechapel Road, Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is notable as the former brewery tap of the Manns Albion brewery, where the first modern Brown Ale was brewed...
. He lives in the Walworth
Walworth, London
Walworth is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Southwark. Walworth probably derives its name from the Old English "Wealhworth" which meant Welsh farm. It is located south east of Charing Cross and near to Camberwell and Elephant and Castle.The major streets in Walworth are the Old...
area of London.
Fraser is also a big Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
fan, and his grandson Tommy Fraser
Tommy Fraser
Thomas Francis Peter "Tommy" Fraser is a professional footballer, who is without a club having departed Barnet in November 2011. A central midfielder, he can also play on the right wing....
is a professional footballer, and formerly captain of League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
. According to legend, when he was at Brighton
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
, Tommy was asked by a local reporter if his grandfather ever came to watch him play. "No," came the reply. "But he reads your reports and he was unhappy you only gave me six out of 10 last week." Tommy never got less than seven again. Another of Fraser's grandsons, James Fraser, also spent a short time with Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
. Another grandson, Anthony Fraser, was being sought by police in February 2011 for his alleged involvement in alleged £5million cannabis smuggling ring.