Misplaced Pages

#550449

27-719: In 1972, several independent street gangs in Los Angeles formed an alliance known as the Bloods to counter the growing influence of the Crips . One of these independent street gangs which were instrumental in the formation of the Bloods alliance were the Lueders Park Hustlers, which would later become known as the Lueders Park Piru. The gang got its name from Lueders Park, Compton, where

54-445: A dog paw mark, represented by three dots, often burned with a cigarette on their right shoulder. Other UBN symbols include a bulldog and a bull. The Bloods gang is a network of individual chapters known as " sets ". These sets are often loosely connected, having their own leader(s) and operating independently from one another. Pirus The Pirus are a subset of the larger Bloods gang alliance, an organized crime group in

81-750: A former member of the Lueders Park Piru. Suge Knight , who was the CEO of Death Row Records , was affiliated with the Mob Piru Bloods and hired gang members from several Bloods sets, including Lueders Park Piru. Following the shooting of Death Row Records artist Tupac Shakur on September 7, 1996, a gang war broke out in Compton between the Mob Piru Bloods, and the South Side Compton Crips , who were responsible for Shakur's shooting. During this gang war,

108-493: A loosely structured association of smaller street gangs, known as "sets", that have a common gang culture. Each set has its own leader and generally operates independently from the others. Most Bloods members are African-American males, although some sets have recruited female members as well as members from other races and ethnic backgrounds. Members range in age from early teens to mid-20s, but some hold leadership positions into their late twenties and occasionally thirties. There

135-766: A membership of between approximately 15,000 and 20,000 active in 123 cities and in 33 U.S. states, primarily on the West Coast and, to a lesser extent, the Great Lakes region and the Southeast . Gangs including Bloods have been documented in the U.S. military , in both U.S. and overseas bases. Blood sets also operate in the Canadian cities of Montreal and Toronto . Bloods members identify themselves through various indicators, such as colors, clothing, symbols, tattoos, jewelry, graffiti, language, and hand signs. The Bloods' gang color

162-445: A person has been involved with a particular set. The ranks do not signify leadership or dominance over the set; they merely signify respect for those who have been in the set longer and have survived the longest. Those with a higher rank do not have a position of authority over those of lower rank. Bloods members commonly call themselves CKs (Crip Killer), MOBs (Member of Bloods), dawgs, or ballers (meaning drug dealers). The gang has

189-540: A primarily African-American street gang which was founded in Los Angeles , California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips . It is identified by the red color worn by its members and by particular gang symbols , including distinctive hand signs. The Bloods comprise various subgroups known as " sets ", among which significant differences exist, such as colors, clothing, operations, and political ideas that may be in open conflict with each other. Since

216-540: A strong sense of commitment to their set and are extremely dangerous because of their willingness to use violence both to obtain the respect of gang members and to respond to any person who "disrespects" the set. "Associates" are not full members, but identify with the gang and take part in various criminal activities. To the extent that women belong to the gang, they are usually associates and tend to be used by their male counterparts to carry weapons, hold drugs, or prostitute themselves to make money for their set. Recruitment

243-547: Is meant as an insult to the rival group and its symbols. Bloods members also have a distinctive slang. They greet each other using the word "Blood" and often avoid using words with the letter "C". Bloods use hand signs to communicate with one another. Hand signs may be a singular movement, like the American Sign Language letter "B", or a series of movements using one or both hands for more complex phrases. United Blood Nation (UBN) or East Coast Bloods initiates often receive

270-578: Is no known national leader of the Bloods but individual Blood sets have a hierarchical leadership structure with identifiable levels of membership. These levels of membership indicate status within a gang. A leader, typically an older member with a more extensive criminal background, runs each set. A set leader is not elected but rather asserts himself by developing and managing the gang's criminal enterprises through his reputation for violence and ruthlessness and his charisma. The majority of set members are called "soldiers", who are typically 16 to 22. Soldiers have

297-432: Is often influenced by a recruit's environment. Bloods recruit heavily among school-age youth in poor African-American communities. Gang membership offers youth a sense of belonging and protection. It also offers immediate gratification to economically disadvantaged youth who desire the trappings of gang life, such as gold jewelry, cash, and expensive sports clothing. Blood sets have a loose structure of ranks based on how long

SECTION 10

#1732877356551

324-464: Is red. They like to wear sports clothing, including jackets that show their gang color. The most commonly used Bloods symbols include the number "5", the five-pointed star, and the five-pointed crown. These symbols are meant to show the Bloods' affiliation with the People Nation , a large coalition of affiliates created to protect alliance members in federal and state prison. These symbols may be seen in

351-617: The Latin Kings and Ñetas who were targeting African-American gang members. UBN is a loose confederation of predominantly African-American street gangs. Once released from prison, UBN leaders went back to their New York neighborhoods, where they retained the Bloods name and started recruiting members. UBN has between 7,000 and 15,000 members in the Eastern US. It makes its income through various criminal activities, including distribution of crack cocaine and smuggling drugs into prison. Bloods are

378-510: The Lueders Park Piru sided with the Mob Piru. As a result, George Mack, who was a member of the Lueders Park Piru, was shot and wounded on September 10, 1997. On July 4, 2005, Christopher "Bick Rock" Holt, along with two other members of the Lueders Park Piru, used AK-47s to open fire on a house in Butler Avenue, Compton. The house was located within the territory of the Lueders Park Piru, but

405-567: The Piru Street Boys were victimised by the Crips. Nevertheless, by the early 1970s, the Piru Street Boys formed an alliance with other smaller street gangs such as the Brims, Bishops and Denver Lanes, which also opposed the Crips. This alliance became known as the Bloods, as the members of this alliance called each other "blood". Eventually, more Piru sets would form. There are 15 known Piru sets within

432-471: The Pirus to create a new federation of non-Crips neighborhoods. This alliance became the Bloods. The Pirus are therefore considered the founders of the Bloods. By 1978, there were 15 Blood sets. Crips still outnumbered Bloods 3 to 1. To assert their power, the Bloods became increasingly violent. During the 1980s, Bloods began distributing crack cocaine in Los Angeles. Blood membership soon rose dramatically as did

459-609: The United States. The name "Piru" is derived from the Piru Street Boys, a gang which was founded in 1969 by Sylvester Scott and Vincent Owens in Compton . The Piru Street Boys are considered the forerunners to the Bloods, which is why the terms "Piru" and "Blood" are often used interchangeably. However, this interchangeable use of the terms is inaccurate, as many non-Piru gangs such as the Denver Lanes and Brims were also instrumental in

486-534: The first "Bloods" gang. Owens subsequently established the West Piru gang. The Bloods was initially formed to provide members protection from the Crips. Many of the non-Crip gangs used to call one another "blood". On March 21, 1972, shortly after a concert featuring Wilson Pickett and Curtis Mayfield , 20 youths belonging to the Crips attacked and robbed Robert Ballou Jr. outside the Hollywood Palladium . Ballou

513-458: The formation of the Bloods. Furthermore, the Pirus are an alliance of street gangs within the larger Bloods alliance, meaning that not all Bloods sets will identify as "Pirus". In 1969, a gang called the Piru Street Boys was founded by Sylvester Scott and Vincent Owens. According to some sources, the Piru Street Boys were initially associated with the Crips , but later had a falling-out. However, other sources dispute any alliance, claiming that

540-465: The gang members would gather to use drugs, play basketball, and plan robberies. On December 27, 1985, 15-year-old Charles "Beeb" Stevens was shot dead in a drive-by shooting while standing in the territory of the Kelly Park Compton Crips . The Kelly Park Compton Crips held the Lueders Park Piru responsible for the death of Stevens, and in retaliation, killed 30-year-old Don Turner, who was

567-472: The gang's creation, it has branched throughout the United States. The Bloods gang was formed initially to compete against the influence of the Crips in Los Angeles. The rivalry originated in the late 1960s when Raymond Washington and other Crips attacked Sylvester Scott and Benson Owens, two students at Centennial High School in Compton, California . As a result, Scott formed the Piru Street Boys ,

SECTION 20

#1732877356551

594-639: The number of states in which they were present. These increases were primarily driven by profits from crack cocaine distribution. The huge profits allowed members to relocate to other cities and states. "Bloods" is a universal term used to refer to West Coast Bloods and United Blood Nation (UBN, also known as the East Coast Bloods). These two groups are traditionally distinct, but both call themselves "Bloods". UBN started in 1993 in Rikers Island 's George Motchan Detention Center (GMDC) to form protection from

621-449: The tattoos, jewelry, and clothing gang members wear as well as the gang graffiti with which Bloods mark their territory. Such graffiti can include gang names, nicknames, declaration of loyalty, threats against rival gangs, or descriptions of criminal acts in which the gang has been involved. Bloods graffiti can include rival gang symbols (especially those of the Crips) drawn upside down. This

648-465: The territory of the Lueders Park Piru. Although the Lueders Park Piru were initially allies with the Mob Piru , the two gangs became enemies after the internal conflict resulting in multiple murders during the death row records era. This led to a series of shootings between the two gangs from 2009 to 2013. The two gangs tried to end their rivalry, but were unsuccessful. Bloods The Bloods are

675-509: Was beaten to death after refusing to give up his leather jacket. The sensational media coverage of the crime and the continued assaults by the Crips increased their notoriety. Several non-Crips gangs formed during this period were no match for the Crips and became concerned with the escalating Crip attacks. The Pirus , Black P. Stones , Athens Park Boys and other gangs not aligned with the Crips often clashed with them. On June 5, 1972, three months after Ballou's murder, Fredrick "Lil Country" Garret

702-412: Was murdered by a Westside Crip. This marked the first Crips murder against another gang member and motivated non-Crip gangs to align with each other. The Brims struck back on August 4, 1972, by murdering Thomas Ellis, an original Westside Crip. By late 1972, the Pirus held a meeting in their neighborhood to discuss growing Crip pressure and intimidation. Several gangs that felt victimized by the Crips joined

729-461: Was used as a "hang-out" by members of a rival gang known as the Butler Block Crips. The shooting resulted in the deaths of Mario Gordon and Corey Cartwright. Christopher Holt was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole plus 90 years in prison for the two murders. Investigators concluded that the shooting was intended to let the Butler Block Crips know that they were not welcome in

#550449