AFTER being released from the high security HMP Garth there was only one place Eric Mason wanted to go.
The Hat and Feathers in Ancoats was a long way from the East London of his youth, but for Mason, a feared former associate of the Kray twins, it felt like a second home.
On November 17, 2004, Mason walked through the doors of his favourite pub for the first time in three years. Soon, with a gin and tonic in hand, he took his place in the snug and began telling stories in his distinctive Cockney accent.
But how did one of the most feared men in the underworld of 1960s London end up recounting tales of his criminal past in a back street boozer in Manchester?
Mason was born into a boxing family in Paddington, central London in the 1930s. And he soon found himself on the wrong side of the law.
As a boy he spent six years in an approved school and borstal. But when he followed his father and brother into the boxing ring, at Kline's gym in Fitzroy Square, he would cross paths with another young fighter by the name of Reggie Kray and begin an association which would shape the rest of his life.
A few years later, on his uppers after serving time in prison, Mason approached the Kray twins for help. He was welcomed into their social circle and soon became part of The Firm.
By 1963, he had opened his own nightclub, the Brown Derby in Kingly Street, Soho and travelled with the Krays as they accompanied American singer, Billy Daniels to Newcastle as a favour to the Mafia.
Denne historien er fra October 15, 2023-utgaven av MEN on Sunday.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 15, 2023-utgaven av MEN on Sunday.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Pep admits: We could not handle Cherries
PEP Guardiola said that City were not 'clean' enough to cope with Bournemouth as they suffered their first Premier League defeat for 11 months.
United chiefs told me it was now or never
New Reds coach says he asked to stay at Sporting Lisbon until the end of the season, but he was given Old Trafford ultimatum
Curzon boss Craig wants more magic moments in cup
EVEN guiding his team to a shock victory over Mansfield would be unlikely to usurp Craig Mahon's favourite FA Cup memory.
Any encounter with wild nature is memorable in some way
COMEDIAN AND FORMER STRICTLY WINNER BILL BAILEY TALKS TO PRUDENCE WADE ABOUT THE ANIMALS THAT HAVE SHAPED HIS LIFE
Drink-drive firefighter 'haunted by tragedies
Single mum who was almost three times limit is handed fine
Doubt over promised cash for North transport plans
TWO major transport projects in the North of England have been thrown into doubt after Rachel Reeves failed to commit to funding pledges made by the previous Conservative government.
Law change could end out-of-area taxis issue
TAXIS licensed by Wolverhampton council could be BANNED from working in Greater Manchester with a proposed law change.
How a quiet night in lab changed science
Miracle material created in city is 200 times stronger than steel
'As long as Barry can see pals at the pub, he'll be OK ra
Dad's devastating MND diagnosis
The chilly reception to exit of Iceland
How the closure of suburb's last cheap shop' symbolises a change that some residents would prefer hadn't happened