THE EPIC HISTORY OF
GANGS
About the slideshow
The second period class of Room 217
completed this presentation in groups and as
a class in order to raise awareness of local
gangs and to provide a possible way to take
action to combat gang activities. The gangs
researched do not represent all gangs found
in this area.
1200's
Early gang in India called the Thuggee
invented signs and symbols that are still
used today.
Timeline of Gangs
1800's
New generation of gangs created by immigrants appeared
in New York City.
1940's
Mexican gangs formed along west
coast.
Latin Kings formed in Chicago.
1960-1970's
African-American gangs formed.
Crips and Bloods appeared in
Los Angeles.
1990's
"Super Gangs," large multi-cultural and multi-state street gangs, formed
Do you want to join a gang?
Male Initiations
Female Initiations
• Jumped in: The initiate is
• Sexed in: A die is
beaten by the other
rolled and the number
members for an
indeterminate amount of
rolled determines the
time.
number of sex partners
• Blessed in: If deemed
the initiate must
worthy by the O.G., or
accommodate.
“Original Gangsta,”
founder or older member
of a gang, they are
automatically accepted.
What They Live By
The Most Infamous Gangs
18th Street
Aryan Brotherhood
Black Gangster Disciples
Black Guerrilla Family
Black P-Stone Nation
Bloods
Crips
Latin Kings
Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)
Mexican Mafia
Native Gangs
Nazi Low Riders
Netas
Nortenos
Nuestra Familia
Peckerwoods
Southeast Asian Gangs
Surenos
Vice Lords
Bloods
The History
• In the 1970’s in South Central Los Angeles as the Crips
grew, they began targeting other gangs.
• During this time, several gangs began to join forces. The
most well-known gang was the Piru Street Boys.
• They led the revolt against the Crips and began creating the
Bloods in 1972.
• Gang territories became more important as the many Bloods
and Crips were fighting over drug sale locations.
• Some blood members moved to several larger cities
throughout the West Coast to expand their drug market.
• To minimize law enforcement attention, many Blood gang
members abandoned wearing obvious identifiers of gang
affiliation so they could continue their illegal activities.
• Then in the late 1980’s, Bloods became a household name
Gang Facts:
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•
•
•
Territory: Los Angeles; most big cities in the U.S
Ethnicity: Mostly African-American
Membership: 30,000- 35,000
Criminal Activities: drug trafficking,
robbery, extortion, murder
• Allies: People Nations, Latin Kings
• Rivals: Crips, Folk Nation, and Surenos
Other facts
• Bloods wear their “colors” on their right side, often with
bright red shoe laces, a red belt, or a red bandana in the
back, right pocket.
• According to a Los Angeles Weekly profile, the Bloods
refuse to use the letter “C” in words and names due to
hostility towards the Crips. They often replace “C” with
“3” because “C” is the 3rd letter of the alphabet.
The Crip Gang
Background Information
• Founded by 16-year-old
Stanley “Tookie” William
in Los Angeles, California.
Crips are known to have an
intense rivalry with the
Bloods and Mexican street
gangs. They also have an
on going struggle with the
Vice Lords from Memphis,
Tennessee. They were
first called “cribs,” and the
name “crips” was first
introduced in an LA
newspaper where it is
rumored to have been
spelled wrong.
Initiation and attire
•
There are common forms of
initiation: 1.) committing an
armed robbery with fellow gang
members as witnesses, 2.)
performing a drive-by, 3.) letting
other members beat the
prospective member up to show
loyalty. The girls have to roll a
die and the number that appears
on the die is the number of
partners they have to “sex” in.
Since Stanley had a friend named
Buddha who wore blue shirts,
khakis,and a blue bandanna from
his left pocket, he adopted that as
the Crip “dress code” when
Buddha died.
Slang and Signs used by Crips
• The Crips use gang signs to
identify their specific set since
there are different sets of Crips.
Signs are also used to flash a
warning or a threat to rival
gangs. Some are so elaborate
that gang members can have
entire conversations with each
other. Common slang used is
“Bk” for “blood killer.” Also,
Crips commonly change words
that start with “b” to start with
“c.” For example, “better know
that” is known as
“cetaknowdat” .
The Black Mob
International Gang
Information
• Territorial Gang
• Colors: Black And Blue
• “B” with Left Hand And
An “M” with Your Right
• Sets: N.D.L.
• Commit many crimes like
murder, robbery,
aggravated battery, and
aggravated assault
MS-13 Gang
Mara Salvatrucha 13
Appearance and Colors
•
•
•
•
Wear blue and white colors
They tend to wear gang-related tattoos
Ages range from 11 to 40 years old
Named after “La Mara”, street in El
Salvador and “13th Street” in Los
Angeles.
Organization and Structure
• They have no structural leadership, but
they are organized into cliques.
• MS-13 members are moving to the United
States because of laws against gangs in
other countries.
MS-13 Killing
• Chanda Brown, 26, was killed in Durham on
August 29, 2006. The woman's assailant then
dragged her body onto the sidewalk in front of
the complex and continued to stab her, cutting
her a total of 41 times. The symbol “MS” was
carved into her thigh before the MS-13 member
stomped on her head.
Sureno
Sureno: Spanish name for
“Southerners.” Also known as the
Sur 13.
Sureno Historio
• In the late 1950s,
Mexican inmates in
Southern California
formed Sur 13,
primarily to protect
themselves from white
inmates.
• The 13 stands for the
13th letter of the
alphabet, M.
Criminalo Activitio
• The Surenos have
been identified in
almost every federal
and state correctional
institution in the
United States.
Why a Gang?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Money
Sex appeal
Protection
A sense of belonging
Cars
Clothes
Drugs
Peer Pressure
Reasons Not To Be In a Gang
• You are going to get
hurt
– Involved in many
beatings
– Involved in many
intense shootings
• You might die
Factors contributing to children
joining gangs
Poverty
Desire to gain wealth
Desire to gain power
Lack of family support and involvement
Desire to gain acceptance
Desire for protection
Peer Pressure
Desire to gain acceptance
Desire to gain power
Fear
Desire to gain power
Desire for protection
Drug addictions
Desire to escape problems
We have no control over poverty
or neighborhood. We can’t force
parents to stay home from work.
We can’t control criminals.
What can we control? How can we
help?
Factors that we may be able to
influence
Poverty
Desire to gain wealth
Desire to gain power
Lack of family support and involvement
Desire to gain acceptance
Desire for protection
Peer Pressure
Desire to gain acceptance
Desire to gain power
Fear
Desire to gain power
Desire for protection
Drug addictions
Desire to escape problems
How can we help?
• Organizations such as The Boys and Girls Club
and Big Brothers and Sisters provide children and
teens with an alternative to feeling alone,
abandoned, and fearful. These organizations
provide at-risk youth with a safe haven during the
times when they are most susceptible to gang
activity, immediately after school until their
parents return home from work and during
summer months when they are unsupervised.
So why are gangs still a
problem?
• These organizations are often supported by
money, but people may not be as eager to donate
time, especially if they do not perceive unattended
youth as a problem.
• People who could help are unaware of the true
threat of gang activity to every aspect of the
community, or they are unaware of ways that they
could help to alleviate the problem.
Who could help?
• People who belong to the middle and upper
socio-economic classes probably have the
most time to spare, especially teenagers,
college-age adults, and older adults with no
children of their own.
How could we gain awareness of
the gang problem and encourage
people to volunteer in programs
that might alleviate the problem?
Suggestions
• News coverage to raise awareness of gangs
and of the programs that resist gangs.
• A community festival that would promote
interaction between at-risk youth and
potential volunteers.
• Community outreach to educate youth about
gangs and about the alternatives.
Take Action
1. Use news coverage to announce gang
prevention festival, creating awareness of
the problem and possible solutions even
amongst t.v. viewers who may not attend
the festival.
Take Action
2. Preview festival with “mini-festivals” at
local schools to reach out to students who
may be unaware of the festival and of
alternatives to gangs. This would also
ensure the widest possible audience since
some children have no transportation.
Take Action
3. Festival:
a.
Promote festival with local volunteer organizations in
order to show the variety of options available to
youth and to volunteers.
b. Bring together potential volunteers with at-risk youth
for a “test” day (e.g. “Big Brother/Sister for a Day”).
Give all participants free passes to fun activities if
they will spend the day together. This will provide an
atmosphere that will be encouraging to both reluctant
youth and reluctant volunteers, which may in turn
foster continued participation in programs.
Take Action
3. Festival:
c. Recruit guest speakers:
1. Former gang members,
2. Police officers,
3. Other motivational speakers from the community.
d. Sponsor a walk against gangs that fosters a
sense of community amongst participants
from all walks of life and demonstrates
community unity.
e. Provide live, local entertainment.
Resources:
• http://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resource
s/ profiles/bloods/
• www.gangsorus.com
• Special thanks to Deputy Brian Ricks.
Opening Credits:
Shanae Savage, Cristina Rekeibe,
Adam Elhammoumi, Addie Ward,
Janna Joyner, David Caimi
Bloods Credits:
Monica Walton, Yasmin Shabaneh,
Katidra Ingram,Yakira Richardson,
Te’kalia Taylor, Melanie Powers
Crips Credits:
Camilla Tucker, Ratanya Evans,
Erika Manning, Brandon Denton,
Candace McKoy
Sureno Credits:
Hunter Daughtridge, Calaya Moore,
Sam Vick, Sean Foehner, Ambler
Speight, Patrick Tomasino
MS-13 Credits:
Elizabeth Ann Springer, Valerie
Christine Long, and Jaclyn Nicole
Batts.
Typist: Taylor Camille Williams.
The Black M.O.B. Credits:
Eyad Al-Kobri, J.C. Silver, Jacob
Fetty, Walter Asbell, Austin Beeman