Vice Lords, aka: Vice Lord Nation, Conservative Vice Lords, Imperial Vice Lords, Insane Vice Lords, Four Corner Hustlers
History: The Vice Lords are the oldest and currently one of the most dominant and organized criminal enterprises in the state of Illinois. Originating in south Chicago, Illinois in 1958 by a group of black juveniles who had met at the Illinois Training School for Boys in St. Charles, Illinois. The gang was formed for protection and profit.
Membership/Hierarchy: As the second largest street gang in Chicago under the People Nation alliance, the Vice Lords represent a major force in Chicago and throughout the state of Illinois. The gang has an estimated 20,000 members throughout the state, both in prison and on the streets. Although endemic to the Chicago region, the Vice Lords have expanded into neighboring states to advance the gang’s criminal activity, and currently sets have been confirmed in 28 states, with a nationwide membership of nearly 35,000 members and associates.
The Vice Lords are a predominately black gang consisting of numerous gang sets each with its own leadership and rank structure. Although recent attempts to unify the various sets under one umbrella organization have been unsuccessful, the gang, collectively, is becoming more sophisticated and organized.
Location: Vice Lord sets have been confirmed in 28 states in the United Sates, the primary location being Chicago, Midwestern states and Eastern cities. Sets can also be found in Central America and Spain.
Criminal Activity: Members of the Vice Lords are primarily recognized for their drug trafficking activities and violent acts to protect their drug trade and territory. Members are actively involved in numerous criminal activities including murder, drive-by-shootings, and weapons smuggling.
Gang Identifiers: 5-pointed star; top hat; martini glass; Playboy bunny; dollar sign; cane Handsigns that form the letters “VL” Gold, black, and red colors University of Iowa, Pittsburg Steelers, and Penguins attire; Louis Vitton (LV) caps; UNLV Jackets (UNLV- VLNU reversed, Vice Lord Nations United)
Black P StonesColors: red, gold, black, and green (their main color is red)
Identifiers/symbols:
* five-point star
* pyramid
* eye
* crescents
* initials "BPS"
* number 7 (7=G for God/Allah)
415 Kumi Nation was formed in the mid 80's by members of the Black Guerrilla Family (BGF) at San Quentin State Prison. Prior to the creation of KUMI or K.A.N.O. (KUMI AFRICAN NATION ORGANIZATION), the founding members became unsatisfied with the BGF leadership, so they broke away from BGF and formed 415 Kumi Nation , which is the area code for parts of California's Bay Area. They began using the Swahili word "KUMI" (Koo-me) meaning "10" (the sum of 415 is 10.) Since the creation of KUMI, they have grown in numbers. There are documented KUMI members in every Prison within California. 415 Kumi Nation only recruited black inmates from California's Bay Area, but now recruits from Black gangs all over California.
The 415 Kumi and BGF have had numerous conflicts but have also worked together depending on the prison environment. 415 KUMI members have recently provided recruitment pools for the BGF. In the Monterey County Jail, brief alliances have been reported among the Bloods, Crips, and 415 Kumi Nation during period leading up to Stanley Tookie Williams' execution.
The gang has been reported to use prison guards to authorize violence against fellow inmates, such as the case in August of 2003 when former correctional officer Leon Holston was charged with aiding and abetting, battery with serious bodily injury, filing a false report by a peace officer and unlawful communication with a prisoner (Associated Press Newswires 9 Sep 2004).
They have been reported in:
* Salinas Valley State Prison
* Folsom State Prison
* Monterey County Jail
* Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga
* selected areas across East County, California.
The 415 Kumi and BGF have had numerous conflicts but have also worked together depending on the prison environment. 415 KUMI members have recently provided recruitment pools for the BGF. In the Monterey County Jail, brief alliances have been reported among the Bloods, Crips, and 415 Kumi Nation during period leading up to Stanley Tookie Williams' execution.
The gang has been reported to use prison guards to authorize violence against fellow inmates, such as the case in August of 2003 when former correctional officer Leon Holston was charged with aiding and abetting, battery with serious bodily injury, filing a false report by a peace officer and unlawful communication with a prisoner (Associated Press Newswires 9 Sep 2004).
They have been reported in:
* Salinas Valley State Prison
* Folsom State Prison
* Monterey County Jail
* Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga
* selected areas across East County, California.
African American CouncilTerritory: Arizona Department of Corrections (Arizona Prisons)
Gang Identifiers: Tattoo of the African continent encircled by two rings; letters "AAC"; numbers "113" (AAC)
Beliefs: Black Muslim/Islamic influence.
Omar Portee, also known as O.G. Mack, was born in LA and was involved in the Miller Gangster Bloods in South Central before moving to New York City. O.G. Mack established the United Blood Nation while incarcerated at Rikers Island prison in 1993. The first set created in the prison was the Nine Trey Gangsters. Mack and O.G. Deadeye are considered the "Godfathers" or O.G. (Original Gangster) of the East Coast Bloods.
RELEASE DATE: 12-19-2044
See also: United Blood Nation; ADX Florence
United Blood Nation (East Coast)AKA: Bloods, East Coast Bloods
History: The United Blood Nation (UBN) gang was founded by two African-American males (Omar Portee and Leonard Mackenzie) while inmates at Rikers Island Prison, New York in 1993. The gang was initially formed to protect African-American inmates from the threat posed by Netas and Latin Kings gangs who dominated the prison.
Membership: The UBN has a predominant membership consisting of African-American males with some sets composed of Asian, Hispanic and Caucasian males. Female members are allowed in the gang but their status differs from set to set. Since 1993, UBN membership has increased significantly. According to NAGIA’s 2005 National Gang Threat Assessment, UBN membership is estimated at 5,000 in New York City and 7,000 nationwide.
Location: According to NDIC reporting, the UBN is heavily concentrated throughout New York City and their presence has expanded to other locations along the East Coast, Mid Atlantic, and Southeast regions.
Criminal Activity: UBN’s principal source of revenue is largely derived from the sale and distribution of illicit drugs. UBN’s criminal activities also include robbery, auto theft, homicide, intimidation, extortion, identity theft, credit card fraud, weapons distribution, arson, carjacking and prostitution.
Gang Identifiers: Blood graffiti may contain words with the letter “C” crossed out or the letters CK (Crip Killer) as a showing of disrespect to the Crips. Blood identifiers may also include the word “DAMU” (Swahili for Blood). Individual Blood sets may be represented through graffiti. As it pertains to graffiti, words may be unintentionally misspelled. According to the Federal Gang Task Force in Long Island, New York, East Coast Blood identifiers may include graffiti such as “031” (I have love for you Blood). The letter “S” may be crossed out because it represents Slobs (an offensive expression for Bloods). Tattoos may include the acronym M.O.B. (Member of Blood / Money Over Bitches), a dog paw mark (represented by three dots) burned on their right shoulder, a bulldog, and/or the letter B (Blood).
www.ChicagoGangs.org
Street gang tattoos & data. It's important to note that most gangs originated in Chicago and California.
www.GangInk.com
More Chicago gang tattoos
Gangs.GlobalIncidentMap.com
Interesting website that displays current data on gangs & etc.
Street gang tattoos & data. It's important to note that most gangs originated in Chicago and California.
www.GangInk.com
More Chicago gang tattoos
Gangs.GlobalIncidentMap.com
Interesting website that displays current data on gangs & etc.
Gang Identification Task Force websites
Gang identification e-books
National Gang Threat Assessment 2009 Prison Gang Tattoo Recognition Aryan Brotherhood FBI File Aryan Circle FBI File Gang Intell Poster-General 11x17 Gang Intell Poster-Aryan 11x17 Gang Intell Poster-Norteno 11x17 Gang Intell Poster-Sureno 11x17 Texas Gangs (recognition)
MANDINGO WARRIORSThe Mandingo Warriors (MW) was formed in 1984 by a group of black offenders in order to protect themselves from members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT), the Texas Mafia (TM), and the Texas Syndicate (TS). The gang’s hierarchy consists of a Commander in Chief, General, Administer of Defense, Administer of Information, and Administer of Law, who make up “the Committee.” The Committee appoints Knights and has the power to remove rank. Other officers include Administer of Finance, Captain, Sergeant, and 1st Corporal. Members of MW refer to themselves as “Demo,” which means “Sun.” Their colors are red, black, and green.
The Bloods are a street gang founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. They are identified by the red color worn by their members and by particular gang symbols, including distinctive hand signs. The Bloods are made up of various sub-groups known as "sets" between which significant differences exist such as colors, clothing, and operations, and political ideas which may be in open conflict with each other. Since their creation, the Blood gangs have branched out throughout the United States.
Bloods have been documented in the US military, found in both US and overseas bases.
Territory: Nationwide
Ethnicity: Primarily black
Allies: People Nation, Latin Kings
Rivals: Crips, Folk Nation, and some Sureño gangs
The Bloods gang was formed initially to compete against the influence of the Crips in Los Angeles. The origin of the Bloods and their rivalry with the Crips dates to the 1970s, where the Pirus street gang, originally a set, or faction, of the Crips, broke off during an internal gang war, and allied with other smaller gangs to found the gang that would eventually become known as the Bloods. At the time, Crips sets outnumbered Bloods sets by three to one. To assert their power despite this difference in numbers, Bloods sets became increasingly violent, especially against rival Crips members. The Pirus are therefore considered to be the original founders of the Bloods. During the rise of crack cocaine, the gang's focus shifted to drug production. Bloods sets operate independently of each other, and are currently located in almost all States. Blood sets on the East Coast are often seen as affiliated with the United Blood Nation, a gang which originated in Rikers Island.
The United Blood Nation, simply called the Bloods, formed in 1993, within the New York City jail system on Rikers Island's GMDC (George Mochen Detention Center), sometimes called C 73. GMDC was used to segregate problem inmates from the rest of the detention center. Prior to this time period, the Latin Kings were the most prevalent and organized gang in the NYC jail system. The Latin Kings, with mostly Hispanic members, were targeting African American inmates with violence. These African American inmates, organized by some of the more violent and charismatic inmates, formed a protection group which they called the United Blood Nation. This United Blood Nation, which was actually a prison gang, was emulating the Bloods street gangs in Los Angeles, California. Several of the leaders of this recently created prison gang formed eight original Blood sets to recruit in their neighborhoods across New York City.
By 1996, thousands of members of the Blood street gang were establishing themselves as a formidable force among gangs and continued a steady drive for recruitment. At this time, the Bloods were more violent than other gangs but much less organized. Numerous slashings (razor blade or knife attacks) were reported during robberies and discovered to be initiations into the Bloods. This Blood in ritual became the trademark for the Bloods. Bloods recruited throughout the East Coast.
Bloods refers to a loosely structured association of smaller street gangs, known as “sets,” which has adopted a common gang culture. Each set has its own leader and generally operates independently from the others.
The gang is predominately black, 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-twenties, however some hold leadership positions into their late twenties and occasionally thirties.
There is no known national leader of the Bloods but individual Bloods 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 through his personal charisma. The majority of set members are called “Soldiers,” who are typically between the ages of 16 and 22. Soldiers have 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 they identify with the gang and take part in various criminal activities. To the extent that women belong to the gang, they are usually associate members and tend to be used by their male counterparts to carry weapons, hold drugs, or prostitute themselves to make money for their set.
Bloods recruit heavily among school-age youth in predominantly poor black communities. Gang membership offers youth a sense of belonging and protection. It also offers immediate gratification to economically disadvantaged youth who view the trappings of gang life: gold jewelry, cash, expensive sports clothing.
Bloods refer to themselves as CKs (an initialism of Crip-Killer), MOBs (an initialism of Member of Bloods), dawgs, or ballers (meaning drug dealers).
Gang members identify themselves through various gang indicators such as colors, clothing, symbols, tattoos, jewelry, graffiti, language, and hand signs. The Bloods gang color is red. They like to wear sports clothing, including team “Starter” jackets that show their gang color. Some of their favorite teams include the San Francisco Forty Niners, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Chicago Bulls. They are also known to wear Dallas Cowboys clothing, whose logo contains a five-pointed star.
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 within the federal and state prison systems. These symbols may be seen in the tattoos, jewelry, and clothing that gang members wear as well as in gang graffiti, which is used by the Bloods to mark their territory. Many graffiti include gang name, nicknames, declaration of loyalty, threats against rival gangs, or a description of criminal acts in which the gang has been involved. Bloods graffiti might also include the word “Piru” which refers to the fact that the first known Bloods gang was formed by individuals from Piru Street in Compton, California.
The Bloods graffiti might include rival gang symbols (particularly those of the Crips) that are drawn upside down. This is meant as an insult to the rival group and its symbols. Bloods members also have a unique slang. Bloods greet each other using the word “Blood” and often avoid using words with the letter “C.” Finally, 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 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 DC Blacks is a black prison gang in the United States whose members are from Washington D.C.. They are allied with the Black Guerrilla Family and other black prison gangs. The Aryan Brotherhood is one of their main enemies.
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The race war between the Aryan Brotherhood and DC Blacks started on Nov 22, 1981 when the body of Robert M. Chappelle, a member of the DC Blacks was found dead in his cell at USP Marion. Thomas Silverstein (a high-ranking member of the Aryan Brotherhood) was the killer, and Chappelle’s death worried bureau officials who thought it might spark a war, which it certainly did.
Raymond "Cadillac" Smith, the national leader of the DC Blacks was the next person killed. Silverstein struck again on Sept 27, 1982 stabbing Cadillac 67 times in the Marion control Unit and dragging his body up and down the tier so that those locked in their cells could see. The race war raged across the feds in the early 1980's and again in the 1990's when two DC Blacks were killed at USP Lewisburg by AB members who stabbed them 35 and 34 times to death. The violent campaign against the DC Blacks and the alleged race war were at the center of the government’s 2002 indictment against the Aryan Brotherhood.
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Black inmates defend Aryan Brotherhood in Santa Ana trial
Gillian Flaccus - Associated Press
On Wednesday, an imprisoned member of the Black Guerrilla Family gang testified that the Aryan Brotherhood was severely outnumbered in the federal prison system by the DC Blacks.
Witness James "Doc" Holiday said there were at most 10 Aryan Brotherhood members at his prison, while the DC Blacks were "the majority."
Holiday said DC Blacks had a type of violent mentality that didn't exist among other prison gangs. He said the racial strife was largely instigated by the black gang, with the Aryan Brotherhood defending itself.
Black Guerrilla FamilyThe Black Guerrilla Family (BGF) is a black prison gang founded in 1966 by George Jackson (a high-ranking member of the Black Panther Party) while he was in the San Quentin State Prison.
BGF was associated with a number of anti-establishment groups, including the Black Liberation Army, Symbionese Liberation Army, and Weather Underground. The group is strongly organized on both the East and West coasts, and cooperates with the Nuestra Familia, the Bloods, and the Crips.
Members of 415 Kumi and BGF have been found with documentation suggesting membership in a group called the "Firm." The Firm is believed to be a working alliance between the 415 and BGF gangs.
The BGF has also created what appears to be a political and paramilitary sub-group known as the "New Afrikan Revolutionary Nation" .
Symbols of the gang can be found in the members' tattoos. Crossed sabers, machetes, rifles and shotguns are common tattoos. Also the depiction of a black dragon overtaking a prison, a prison tower or prison guard.
The BGF has a longstanding rivalry with the Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia.
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