<P> Ronnie and Reggie Kray were born on 24 October 1933 in Hoxton, East London, to Charles David Kray (10 March 1907--8 March 1983), a scrap gold dealer, and Violet Annie Lee (5 August 1909--4 August 1982). They were of English, Jewish, Irish and Romani Gypsy heritage . </P> <P> They were identical twins, Reggie being born 10 minutes before Ronnie . Their parents already had a six - year - old son, Charles James (9 July 1927--4 April 2000). A sister, Violet (born 1929), died in infancy . When the twins were three years old, they contracted diphtheria . Ronnie almost died in 1942 from a head injury suffered in a fight with Reggie . </P> <P> The twins first attended Wood Close School in Brick Lane, and then Daniel Street School . In 1938, the Kray family moved from Stean Street in Hoxton, to 178 Vallance Road in Bethnal Green . At the beginning of the Second World War, 32 - year - old Charles Kray was conscripted into the army, but he refused to go and went into hiding . </P> <P> The influence of their maternal grandfather, Jimmy "Cannonball" Lee, caused the brothers to take up amateur boxing, then a popular pastime for working class boys in the East End . Sibling rivalry spurred them on, and both achieved some success . They are said to have never lost a match before turning professional at age 19 . </P>

Where did the krays live in east london