Hispanic Gangs
Understanding the Marginal Man or
woman
The Beginnings of Hispanic
Gangs
 We can say that in some ways the end of the
War with Mexico is the beginning of
Hispanic street gangs in the US.
 The resentments and general attitudes of
Anglos after the War caused resentment to
grow and fester among Mexican Americans
who felt they had been cheated by the
Americans out of their heritage.
Hispanic Gangs
 In the early 1900's, Los Angeles experienced
the birth of the first Hispanic street
gangs. Mexican-Americans who lived in the
"pueblo" of Los Angeles still felt displaced,
even as naturalized citizens. Many of these
new Americans were treated like secondclass citizens by white Angelenos, and were
told to go back to their home, Mexico. In the
minds of Hispanics in Los Angeles, they were
already home, but their home was now part of
the United States because of the annexation.
The Mexican immigrants also tended to live in the
same areas, with family or other Mexicans who
migrated from the same geographical areas of
Mexico. These neighborhoods were often some of
the poorest areas in rapidly growing Los
Angeles. These conditions aided in the
development of rivalries between various immigrant
groups. A modern class distinction was also
developing. Mexican street gangs formed in part
due to economic conditions, prejudice and racism
By the 1920s, El Paso, Texas had become a center
for many immigrant Mexicans, much like Los
Angeles. In fact, an underground travel route
developed between the two cities. This route
allowed El Paso trends to directly influence the L.A.
street gangs. In El Paso, Texas, many of the
Mexicans who went to prison were incarcerated in
Huntsville. While in the Huntsville prison, they
formed a prison gang called the El Paso Tip. El
Paso Tip took it's name from the area of Texas
where the prison was located. Fellow gang
members would greet each other by saying: "are
you tipped up?" or "are you tipped?"
The growth of the aircraft industry in the 40s in
California brought many immigrants to California
including Mexicans.
Zoot Suits and the Pachucos
 Mickey Garcia, a young boy from Pachuca,
Hidalgo, Mexico migrated north and relocated in
El Paso, Texas
 He immediately joined a local Mexican street gang called
the Secundo Barrio. Garcia also brought with him a unique
style of dress, initially thought to have originated in
Mexico. Garcia's dress style became an instant hit with all
the young people, especially the local gang members.
Zoot Suits

His fashion included a felt hat with a long feather in it,
called a tapa or tanda. The pants were pleated and baggy,
and referred to as tramas. The shirt was creased and
called a lisa. A carlango, a long, loose-fitting coat, was
worn over the ensemble. The shoes, called calcos, were
French-toe style or Stacy Adams brand and were always
shined. To complete the style, one had to have a long chain
attached to the belt loop that hung past the knee, and into
the side pocket of the pants. This outfit became known as
the zoot suit, and was later referred to as the pachuco
look.
The Beginnings of Strife
 The Maravilla gangs started to form
during the mid-to-late 1940s, and
continued to grow well into the
1950s. The concept of protecting turf
was expanded within the housing
projects known as Maravilla, where the
Maravilla gangs got their
start. Competition for jobs, women and
turf became issues for the youth that
lived in this area.
1942 and the 18th Street Gang
 After a man was killed at a swimming hole,
suspects were rounded up and subsequently
sent to prison. They handled it well and
became folk-heros in the MexicanAmerican community and the manner of
dress they adopted a “gang pride.”
Zoot Suit Riot
 Resentments on part of Anglos
 Resentment on part of Mexican-Americans
 Conflicts with military personnel
 Resulted in ongoing assaults on men
wearing Zoot Suits by military personnel
The Mexican Mafia
 Between 156-57 several Eslos were doing
time at Duel Vocational Institute and formed
La Eme
 San Quentin 1968
 A day-long battle between Mex-mafia and
Nortenos.
Opposition to La Eme
 the murder solidified the rivalry between
northern and southern Hispanics, both
in the prison system and on the
street. The Hispanics from northern
California formed Nuestra Familia (NF),
another prison gang, in response to the
conflict. NF was formed to protect the
northern Californians from La Eme,
whose membership was made up
primarily of southern Californians.
Street and prison gang members from northern
California began to use the number 14 as an
identifier. It represented the 14th letter of the
alphabet, the letter "N." The letter stood
for Norteno, the Spanish word for northerner. The
term norte was used to show that a person was
from the north. Individuals from southern California
were automatically considered rivals, both inside
the prison system and on the streets.
Inmates in the state prison system were given
bandannas in a railroad print, and could
select from two colors: red or blue. Hispanic
street and prison gangs from northern California
claimed the color red to identify
themselves. They used this color because
most of the southern California Hispanics in
state prison had chosen to wear a blue-colored
railroad handkerchief. The Crips and Bloods
were not the first gangs to use red or blue to
identify.
Code of Conduct Evolved
 Do not cooperate with the police
 Take care of business yourself (handle
your own problems).
 Never snitch or inform on gang activity
(be a rata/rat).
 No insult, no matter how small, goes
unanswered.
The New Hispanic Gang
 By the 1970s the firearm had become the
weapon of choice
 New immigrants became a source of prey
 They formed gangs for self-protection
 Gang violence became the rule
 No rules, “only the strong survive.”
Drugs and Hispanic Gangs
 By the late 1980s, Hispanic gangs such
as 18th Street, 38th Street, and Big
Hazard began to sell drugs for profit.
 Los Angeles the Gang capital of the US
 Respect was no longer based on age or
experience, but on fear.
Latin King and Queen Nation
 Largest of Hispanic gangs in Chicago and
perhaps in the US.
 Rooted in the Puerto Rican experience in
the US.
Mara Salavatrucha (MS 13)
 In the early 1980s, a violent civil war began in El Salvador
which would last more than 12 years. Approximately
100,000 people were killed in the war, and more than one
million people fled from El Salvador to the U.S. The
Salvadorian refugees and immigrants initially settled
primarily in southern California and Washington, D.C..
Some of the refugees and immigrants had ties with La Mara,
a violent street gang from El Salvador. Others had been
members of paramilitary groups like the Farabundo Marti
National Liberation Front (FMNL) during the civil war. FMNL
was made up of Salvadorian peasants who were trained as
guerilla fighters. Many were adept at using explosives,
firearms, and booby traps.
MS 13
 Most of the refugees settled in Hispanic
neighborhoods, but were not readily
accepted.
– The result was MS 13 formed in the late 1980s
for protection.
– Known for being extremely violent with the
machete being the weapon of choice.
MS 13
 Involved in a variety of crimes from drugs
to theft and murder for hire.
 Originally only El Salvadorans could be in
MS 13, but gradually they expanded to
allow other central Americans and a few
black Americans.
MS 13
 Gang members identify themselves with the
number 13, usually with SUR or MS
included.
– They also identify themselves as “southerners”
thus Surenos.
– They often attack 18th Street gang members on
sight.
– Show no fear of Law Enforcement
MS 13
 Two primary methods for dealing with MS
13
– Arrest
• May involve prison time
– Deportation
• If sent back to El Salvadore gang members fear they
will be targeted by Sombra Negra
18th Street Gang
 One of the largest and best known of street
gangs in the nation.
– Expanded to many states and Indian country
– L/E estimates that member ship is at least
30,000.
18th Street Gang
 Formed in the 60s
– Result of racial discrimination by the Clanton
Street Hispanic gang who restricted
membership to American citizens of pure
Hispanic origin.
• First gang to cross the racial barrier and this allowed
a rapid and unchecked growth.
18th Street Gang
 Criminal Activity
– Drugs
• Heroin, coke, “rock” cocain, meth, Marijuana
• “tax collection”
18th Street Gang
 Characteristics
– Tattoos
• 18, 666, XVIII
• Clothing
– Black trousers, white T-shirts, sports teams
18th Street Gang
 Recruit from elementary age children
 A big arsenal of weapons
– Assault rifles, tech 9, Mac 10s and 11s, 357,
9mm, .44s and so on
– Estimates are that the 18th Street gang will
continue to grow.