A gang is a group of people, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen. In the United Kingdom the word is still often used in this sense, but it later underwent pejoration. The word gang often carries a negative connotation; however, within a gang which defines itself in opposition to mainstream norms, members may adopt the phrase as a statement of identity or defiance.
Gangs in the 1960's
In the late 1960’s a division occurred among Mexican-American inmates in the new group forming, which would later be known as the Nuestra Familia. It so happened that the majority of the Nuestra Familia members were from Northern California and the majority of Mexican Mafia Members were from southern California. The creation of the growth of the Mexican Mafia has been credited to Rodolfo Cadena and Joe Morgan. Surenos is a gang that don’t let a one-on-one fight happen. All fights they get into, they always fight together as a gang.
The Latin Kings street gang was formed in Chicago in the 1960s and consisted of Mexico and Puerto Rican males. It is said that it is the largest and most organized Hispanic street gang in the United States of America. The Latin Kings called themselves as “Almighty Latin King Nation,” and made up more than 160 structured chapters operating in 158 cities in 31 states, being called ‘Latin’ Kings, they are not against any other nationalities other than Latin people, they allow individuals of any culture and religion to be a member. Violence is the hallmark of the Chicago Latin Kings.
Street gangs have been with us for over 60 years. The Norteno street gangs got their start inside the California Prison system in 1968. Norteno street gang members often identify with the symbols XIV, X4, 14, (F14 - Bulldogs) and 4-dots. Fourteen refers to the 14th letter of the alphabet "N" which stands for Norteno.The gang associates with the color red and the words Norteno, Norte and Northerner. Other symbols include a 5-pointed star, symbolizing the "North" star and the Huegla bird, the symbol used by the United Farm Workers association--these two tattoos (star & bird) must be earned through committing an assault or murder on their enemies, the Surenos. Nortenos are heavily involved in drug sales, and murders. They remain bitter enemies of the Mexican Mafia prison gang and Sureno street gangs.
The Crips is a street gang which originated in Los Angeles, California in the late 1960s. During the early 1970s, the gang grew when Stanley Williams joined Raymond Washington (the founder) and branched out to other parts of Los Angeles County. Crips usually identify with the color blue in several different shades and usually wear a blue rag or handkerchief as an identity item. They often wear jogging suits and tennis shoes, professional sports team jackets and caps bearing the names of Los Angeles teams, and sometimes Adidas sweatshirts. They also may wear Dickey brand cotton work pants or bib-style overalls. Nike and British Knights shoes are also popular. Crips refer to each other as "Cuzz" and use the letter C to replace the letter B in their conversations and writings. They have an intricate communication system which involves not only graffiti on walls which mark their particular territorial boundaries, but also the use of hand signals (flashing), displaying their colors, and wearing selected athletic clothing. Crips seldom wear tattoos, and their graffiti represents past or future gang activity. The gang is heavily involved in urban warfare, drug sales and recently violent take-over robberies and warehouse burglaries.
The Bloods formed from the Piru gangs on 1972 at Centennial High School, taking the Piru Bloods name from "Piru" street in Compton, California. The group formed to protect members from the Crips. Other gangs with the same motive started using the Pirus’ and Bloods’ names to signify alignment with the main gang. Although the Bloods’ membership is smaller than the Crips, they are potentially more dangerous, particularly when present in numbers. They most often identify with the color red. West coast gang members often use a red bandana and while on the East Coast they use red colored beads. The Bloods present a significant threat to law enforcement officers not only due to their predatory and violent behavior, but more importantly, due to their intense rivalry with the Crips. Both the Crips and the Bloods have a strong fascination with assault-type weapons.