Eddie Richardson, a former London gangster and rival to the Kray twins, has died at the age of 90. Richardson, who was a prominent figure in the criminal underworld of 1960s London, passed away on August 14 at the Princess Royal University Hospital in Bromley, south London. He had been admitted to the hospital several days earlier with pneumonia, according to his sister, Elaine Richardson.

Richardson was a leading member of the Richardson gang, commonly referred to as the "Torture Gang," which operated in south London during the same period that the Kray twins dominated the east end. Alongside his older brother, Charlie Richardson, Eddie was involved in a violent feud with the Krays, which became one of the most notorious criminal rivalries in London’s history.

The Richardson gang’s criminal activities came to an abrupt end in 1966 when police launched coordinated raids that resulted in the arrests of multiple gang members. The subsequent trial garnered significant media attention, revealing graphic details of abuse and violence, including accounts of victims being beaten and subjected to electrocution.

Eddie Richardson served more than 23 years in prison over two separate terms before being released in 2002. His death marks the passing of one of the last surviving figures from that turbulent era of London’s organized crime scene.

His sister described him as “very loyal to friends” and said the family would miss him greatly.