Bobby Cummines, one of the most notorious gang leaders in north London in the 1970s before turning his life around, has died. His family confirmed his death on his official Instagram page. ' The family has asked for privacy at this difficult time, and details regarding the funeral will be shared in due course.
The cause of death is unknown. Born in Islington, London on November 23, 1951, Cummines was the youngest of eight children. Robert 'Bobby' Cummines was an English former gang leader, protection racketeer, armed robber, and criminal enforcer who later transformed his life.
The reformed hitman once dubbed 'one of the baddest men in Britain' ran the renowned gang 'The Chaps' during the 1970s. The gang controlled parts of North London, including King's Cross and Islington, using armed robbery, extortion, racketeering, extreme violence, and murder. Bobby was convicted of his first offence at the age of 16, which triggered a downward spiral of increasingly serious offences.
He became Britain's youngest armed robber. The specific crimes are unclear. His longest stint in prison came in 1978, which saw him serving over eight years in various maximum-security jails, including Parkhurst.
Bobby later found himself acting as a mediator in a potentially deadly dispute between two of London's most notorious crime bosses, Reggie Kray and Charlie Richardson. ' He added, 'It was just the two of them and me in a cell. I'm not scared of anyone, but I'll tell you—I was absolutely terrified in there.
' Bobby turned his life around in prison after a conversation with Charlie Richardson, who urged him to become educated and earn money without hurting anyone. It was here that he took to poetry writing and Labour MP Tony Benn agreed to help him. After his release from prison in 1987 at the age of 35, Bobby settled in Kent with his wife and daughter and turned his back on a life of crime.
He claimed he was taught to dehumanize anyone he killed. His legacy includes a dramatic transformation from criminal to reformed figure.