He spent more than half of his life behind bars and was the last man to be shackled inside a Scottish prison cell – but Johnny Ramensky will always be remembered as a gentleman.
A safecracking specialist, he was as agile as he was cunning, with a healthy dose of both guts and guile. Stealing may have been his talent but it was the hearts of the public which was this unique Monklands man’s greatest treasure.
From criminal to commando, and then back again, Ramensky was as famous as he was infamous, loved by the public as much as he was loathed by financial institutions. He had an immense sense of nobility and courage, qualities – coupled with his safecracking skills – which would play a major role in the Allied Forces securing crucial Nazi secrets as World War II raged across Europe.
