Laurie O'Leary

Page Updated: 31/01/02

Laurie O'Leary

Ronnie Kray: A Man Among Men

pbk 04 Feb 02

and

Books By Laurie O'Leary

About the Author

Bibliography

Paperback - Headline (2002)

Ronnie Kray: A Man Among Men
Foreword by Barbara Windsor
Sunday Times Bestseller
Ronnie Kray was one half of the most notorious gangster duo of all time. He and his brother Reggie ruled the East End of London in the 1950s, and their crimes and vendettas, showdowns and rivalries have become the stuff of legend. Laurie O’Leary knew the Krays since childhood, and remained Ronnie’s closest friend throughout his life. Just before his death in 1995, Ronnie asked Laurie to tell his true story, drawing on his personal collection of thousands of unpublished letters, poems and photographs. This bestselling book is the result.
Recollecting his wild times with the Kray gang, Laurie O’Leary describes the colourful characters who made up the Kray’s ever-changing circle of friends and enemies and reveals the private side of this complex and troubled man: how he reacted to being certified insane after a nervous breakdown in 1958, and how he coped with being a homosexual in a hard man’s world.

About The Author
Laurie O'Leary was born in Bethnal Green in 1932 and went to primary school with Ronnie and Reggie Kray. On leaving school he worked with the Kray brothers in Spitalfields Market, and later as a bookmaker's clerk at Ascot, Epsom and Brighton racecourses, where he was introduced to all the top gangsters of the 1950s. In the 1960s, he managed Esmeralda's Barn, below the Twins' casino, and formed the Kray Entertainment Agency with Charlie Kray.
Laurie went on to a successful career in the nightclub industry, managing the top society club Sibyllas in 1966 and the famous Speakeasy club from 1968 to 1977. He also worked as a tour manager for, amongst others, Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Barry White, Peggy Lee and Steve Marriott, and was the manager and promoter of the medium Doris Stokes.
Laurie remained friends with Ronnie Kray throughout his life, visiting him regularly in both Parkhurst and Broadmoor from 1973 until his death in 1995. At the family's request, he was a front pall?bearer with Charlie Kray at Ronnie's funeral, and also a leading pall?bearer at Charlie's own funeral in April 2000.

Bibliography
N.B. dates and publishers in dark red indicate British First Editions. Dates and publishers in black indicate recent reprints.

Ronnie Kray: A Man Among Men (Headline, 2001) Headline Pbk Feb 02