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Gangs | Organized Crime
Gangs:
Hotbeds include: Los Angeles (330 deaths *), Chicago (97), Dallas, Baltimore, Miami, Newark, N.J., and Washington, D.C., New York (52 died in 2003), Long Island, Compton, CA (31), Long Beach (20), Santa Ana (17).
Deaths are probably under-reported. "In many places, you don't want to tell your citizens that you have a problem with street gangs. If affects property values and depresses real estate sales."
said Alex Alonso, a Los Angeles youth gang researcher.
There are at least 21,500 gangs and more than 731,000 active gang members in the United States. Gangs conduct criminal activity in all 50 states and U.S. territories. Although most gang activity is concentrated in major urban areas, gangs also are proliferating in rural and suburban areas of the country
Outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs): Hell's Angels are a NY motorcycle gang, usually racist whites. They actually have an organized drug dealing network that earns them money.
Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) A Dec., 2004 attack on a bus in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, killed 28 people. Mara Salvatrucha has more than 8,000 members in 27 states and the District of Columbia and also has more than 20,000 members in foreign countries, particularly El Salvador. The gang smuggles illicit drugs into the United States and transports and distributes drugs throughout the country. Members of Mara Salvatrucha often commit violent acts, principally against members of rival gangs. Traditionally, the gang was composed of loosely affiliated groups known as cliques; however, increased coordination of criminal activity among Mara Salvatrucha cliques in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia, and New York City may indicate that the gang is attempting to develop a national command structure. In March 2005, 103 members of this gang were arrested in cities across the country.
Bloods and Crips: In addition to drug trafficking they are involved in auto theft, gun violations, assaults and larceny from automobiles.
Latin Kings: Others: Gangster Disciples UBN, the Black Gangster Disciples, Pegans, Skinheads, Mexican Mafia, Ñetas, The Mexican Boys, Los Vagos (The Lazy Ones), Los Traviesos (The Troublemakers), Los Pitufos (The Smurfs) Asian Gangs: Fuk Ching gang in Chinatown NY Southeast Asian Gangs Asian Dragon Family SnakeHeads Dragon Family Vietnamese gangs were on the rise in the 1980's Cities with large Vietnamese populations such as Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., all had gangs.Organized Crime: Mafia: La Cosa Nostra Families: Bonanno: La Cosa Nostra's primary drug dealers. Also allegedly involved in home video pornography, pizza parlors and espresso cafes.
Colombo - Narcotics, gambling, loan-sharking, cigarette smuggling, pornography, counterfeiting, hijacking, bankruptcy fraud, and so on.
Gambino - Narcotics (including heroin operations ranging from Sicily to Asia), gambling, and car theft.
Genovese - Arguably the most powerful and wealthy crime family in the New York area, and perhaps the entire country, the Genovese family maintains major muscle in narcotics, loan-sharking, extortion rackets, pornography, labor union racketeering, restaurants, seafood distribution and vending machines.
Lucchese - Narcotics, gambling, loan-sharking, waste management, construction, and involvement in the garment industry. Timeline Arrests, Famous Hits (rub outs, whacks, murders): In the 1800's, New Orleans was the largest Mafia site in the United States. It was while investigating the murder of an Italian immigrant that the current Police Chief, David Hennessey discovered the existence of this secret society. Chief Hennessey was assassinated before this murder case could go to trial. 1929 Valentine's Day massacre. Alphonse "Scarface" Capone gansters machine gunned seven of Bugs Moran's men in a Chicago warehouse.
1930's - Originally a society of mostly Jewish hitmen, Murder Inc. eventually became the American Crime Syndicate's rub-out wing. In the early 30's, as Lucky Luciano was building his empire, his associates Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel started Murder Inc. as a way to deal with "problems." In Brownsville, Brooklyn, at the corner of Livonia and Saratoga Avenues, Midnight Rose's candy store housed some of the most lethal for-hire contract killers, consisting mainly of Jews and Italians, that this country has ever known. These men, dubiously named Murder Incorporated by the press, carried out over eight hundred contract murders while sharing egg creams and betting on Dodger games at Ebbets Field. 1935 - Dutch Schultz and several of his men were killed in the Palace Chop House and Tavern in Newark New Jersey while discussing a plan to Kill New York District Attorney, Thomas E. Dewey; The crime syndicate did not agree with his plan. 1947 - Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel was killed by Charles "Lucky" Luciano's hit men because he refused to repay money he borrowed to build the first super casino/hotel in Las Vegas, the Flamingo which was unprofitable. 1972 - Joe "Crazy Joey" Gallo, a local mafia boss, was shot dead as he celebrated his 43rd birthday at Umberto's Clam House at the northern edge of Little Italy on Mulberry Street. 1985 - Paul Castellano, boss of the Gambino family, was gunned down by John Gotti's men while standing outside the Sparks Steak House restaurant on East 46th Street. 1992 - John Gotti is convicted on RICO (1970 Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act) charges. "Sammy the Bull" Gravano's testimony was intrramental.
1997, when Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano came out with a book in which he admitted killing Stillitano and 18 other mobsters, including a Trenton capo. The National Mafia Commission banned mob hits in the early 1990's. So many mobsters were facing life long jail terms, and; the feds were getting so much leverage against the mob with the murder raps, that too many guys were turning state's evidence. The mob called a moratorium on hits.
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Crime Fighting:
Los Angeles Gang Problems: More than one-third of the nation's gang-related killings occur in Los Angeles County, according to a Scripps Howard News Service study of homicides reported to the FBI from 1980 through 2002. Seventy-one percent occurred in California. Both trends have held steady throughout the 23-year period.
A 2002 report on gangs in Los Angeles states:
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