Johnny Ramensky facts for kids

Johnny Ramensky (born Jonas Ramanauskas on April 6, 1906 – died November 4, 1972) was a famous Scottish person. He was known for being a "safe-cracker," meaning he was very good at opening safes without a key. Even though he spent much of his life breaking the law, he used his special skills to help the United Kingdom during World War II.

Ramensky was also called John Ramsay, Gentleman Johnny, or Gentle Johnny. People gave him the nickname "Gentle Johnny" because he never used violence, even when the police caught him. A popular song was even written about him in 1959 called "The Ballad of Johnny Ramensky."

Early life

Johnny Ramensky was born Jonas Ramanauskas in Glenboig, a small mining village in Scotland. His parents were immigrants from Lithuania. When Johnny was about eight years old, his father passed away. After that, his family moved to Gorbals, a part of Glasgow.

In Glasgow, Johnny went to Rutherglen Academy. He started getting into trouble and committing small crimes when he was only eleven. By the time he was 15 or 16, he was sent to Polmont Borstal, which was a special school for young offenders. He stayed there for three years.

Like his father, Johnny worked in coal mines for a while. This job taught him a lot about dynamite and how to use explosives. This knowledge would become very important later in his life.

Military service

Johnny Ramensky was released from Peterhead Prison in October 1942. While he was in prison, he had written letters asking to join the army. A senior police officer from Aberdeen helped him get noticed by Robert Laycock, a military leader. Laycock was looking for people with unique skills to join special forces called Commandos.

In January 1943, Johnny joined the Royal Fusiliers. He was immediately transferred to the Commandos. There, he learned how to be a soldier and also taught others how to use explosives. Even though he was officially part of the Royal Fusiliers, he spent all his time during the war with the No. 30 Commando unit.

Johnny used his amazing safe-cracking abilities for secret missions. He would parachute behind enemy lines to get important documents from Axis headquarters. One famous story says he opened 14 embassy safes in just one day during the Italian campaign. Some of his wartime stories might have been exaggerated, but his skills were definitely valuable.

After the war ended, Johnny stayed in the army for a short time. He worked as a translator, helping to send about 70,000 Lithuanians from camps back to their home country. He was officially released from the army in 1946.

Later life and death

After leaving the army, Johnny Ramensky went back to his old ways of cracking safes. He spent many years going in and out of different jails, including Barlinnie and Saughton Prisons. In 1955, he got married again to a woman named Lisa or Lily Mulholland.

One time, he was caught on a shop roof in Ayr and was sent to Perth Prison for a year. Sadly, he suffered a stroke and passed away on November 4, 1972, at Perth Royal Infirmary.

Hidden loot

Johnny Ramensky had a friend named Sonny Leitch, who was also a criminal and had served in the army. Sonny claimed that Johnny told him a secret: during the Allied march on Rome in 1944, Johnny had stolen a huge amount of Nazi plunder. This was treasure, art, and valuables that the Nazis had stolen during the war.

Sonny said that this hidden treasure was kept in different places after the war, including a military prison and a navy supply depot in Scotland. He claimed the hoard included portraits of famous Nazi leaders like Hitler and Göring, along with lots of jewelry and gold.

Legacy

Johnny Ramensky became a well-known figure in Scotland. In 1959, a song called The Ballad of Johnny Ramensky was written about him by Norman Buchan. Norman Buchan later became a member of the British Parliament. The song was recorded by Enoch Kent, who was Norman Buchan's brother-in-law.

A famous Scottish actor named Roddy McMillan also wrote a play about Johnny Ramensky. It was sometimes called Ramensky Must Go Free or Let Ramensky Go.