The Kray twins (Image: Twitter)
However, they were not given long to relax. Minutes after their arrival a call was made to Cornell's childhood friend who had become his enemy. He was Ronnie Kray. As a member of a rival south London clan, the Richardson gang, Cornell had called Ronnie a "fat poof" and made it clear he was not frightened of him or his twin brother Reggie, who ruled the East End. At 8.30 pm on March 9, 1966, Ronnie walked into the pub. "Well, look who's here," said Cornell, rather sarcastically, as an enraged Ronnie walked up to him while pulling a handgun out of his pocket. Ronnie fired a shot into his head at close range, not caring that 16 people in the pub witnessed everything he did.
Three years later, almost to the day, on March 4, 1969, East End gangster twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray were jailed for life for the murders of Jack "The Hat" McVitie and George Cornell, bringing an end to their 20-year reign of terror across London.
Their imprisonment also signalled the start of half a century of mythology about the twins. More than 30 books have been written about their exploits, some of which were turned into films, notably Legend, starring Tom Hardy.
For George Cornell's only son, Billy, next week's 50th anniversary of their jailing will be quietly celebrated, but after five decades he will never forgive the Krays, for not only taking the life of his father but for ruining his life as well.
He says he is haunted by another crucial date in the calendar, the day Ronnie Kray shot his father. "What went on in the Beggar was nothing more than cold-blooded murder," says Billy, 60, on his first visit to the Blind Beggar pub inWhitechapel, 50 years after that fateful night.
George Cornell (Image: Twitter)
"It's been turned into a legend to boost the image of the Krays but people should see their crimes for what they were, ruthless and cold."
Although George Cornell grew up with the twins, he moved to south London and was a "player" with the Richardson gang, run by brothers Charlie and Eddie.
He was also friendly with "Mad" Frankie Fraser.
The events of the night his father was killed are still burned on Billy's memory. He was just seven years old at the time.
"We were living in a flat in south London at the time, about 100 yards from the Richardsons' scrapyard," recalls Billy.
Gangsters meeting (Image: NC)
"I was a bit naughty that night and my dad had sent me to bed a bit earlier than normal but he still gave me a kiss on the forehead as usual.
"In the evening I heard the phone go and my mum answered it, saying 'who is this?' She sounded panicky, not like herself."
The call, almost certainly from Albie Woods, was made minutes after George had been shot. Distraught Olive was told her mortally wounded husband had been rushed to the London Hospital.
When Olive got to his bedside, he was in a coma but alive.
Surgeons operated but he died in the early hours, so Olive then went back home, shocked and traumatised.
Baby Billy with mum, Olive (Image: NC)
