Street gangs are tearing the US apart from the inside. What the most cruel and dangerous bandits of Latin America look like Ant control methods

The article is dedicated to the most cruel gangs in the world and our " real boys"who for some reason are sure that they are cool, like Stalin's eggs! Bosota, you thought you couldn’t think of a scarier one, but here - master international experience, unite and arm yourself. Otherwise, it’s somehow ashamed of fellow countrymen against the backdrop of such handsome men , how:

1 Varrio Los Aztecas The Aztecs are the most numerous Latin group. Born in the 60s of the 20th century, in the largest emigration centers of the United States. The backbone of the gang comes from Puerto Rico and Mexico. Kodla got herself a flag, on which the flags of these countries are also.

At first, the dark-skinned handsome men in bandanas boasted of their Indian origin, the boys also had tattoos with pagan patterns, although they did not want to sell drugs. They drove in inexpensive cars, probably to blend in with the crowd. Although they pumped their cars themselves, it turned out elegantly. It also jumped.

Video confession of several members of the Varrio Los Aztecas Gang

MS-13 or Salvatruccio. The same immigrants from Latin America, the guys do not get tired of fucking being surprised by American reality. It turns out there is still work to be done. Of course, it’s easier to create a gang, in general, another victim of an unrealized american dream. They love tattoos all over their bodies. They are considered the most cruel scumbags, in terms of a tendency to violence.

3. Negroes.
3.1. Bloods (wearing red paraphernalia, meaning blood).

Handshake Bloods

3.2. Crips

The same blacks from Elai, only blue. The main difference from the reds is the number, they are under 80000. Probably just before work started. These thugs have been fighting each other for forty years now for influence in their neighborhoods and part of the most illegal business. Drugs, weapons, other trifles, their interests do not differ in particular intricacy.

Crips handshake.

4. Cosa Nostra

"Cosa Nostra" has been so assimilated into politics and business that half of the Pindos presidents come from those families that have become style icons, just like in the movie "The Godfather".

5. Aryan Brotherhood (AB)

Aryan Brotherhood. A product of the system, in the 60s the US prisons became mixed, that is, before that they tried to keep criminals of different nations separately. It just so happens that there are always more blacks in prisons. Once every 15. So the whites began to fight for themselves.

Aryan Brotherhood

You can only join a gang through murder or an act of violence in front of witnesses. Blood came in, blood went out. At the same time, cop informers in the ranks of the gang are impossible, because if you are inside the Aryan Brotherhood, then you yourself killed!

Aryan brotherhood, they don't care what you decide.

6. Yakuza.

How could it be without them. For three hundred years the boys. The name comes from Japanese card game ohyo-kabu. Yakuza is the name of the cards, in the worst combination, i.e. only a person with great skill can win with such cards.

However, you can’t live on mediation alone, capitalism swooped into the country, and the gangsters began to do business, stock scams, hacker attacks- their lot. Of course drugs and murder too. In recent years, laws have been passed to combat this phenomenon. Based on them, anti-yakuza centers were created, where anyone who had a problem with the yakuza could come.

If in 1975 there were hardly 13 thousand gangsters in the city, then by 2000 there were already 80 thousand of them, and the number of gangs had increased to 700. The primacy of gangs took shape at this time and, starting from the 80s, the most powerful groups remain: Crips, Bloods, Pirus, as well as Latin American gangs Mara Salvatrucha and 18th Street gang.

Each of them has tens of thousands of participants, which is why their structure turns out to be rather “loose”. The same Crips are made up of groups that are often at odds with each other, and the Bloods alliance is created as a fragile confederation of African American gangs to fight the Crips and the Mexicans.

The so-called "Young Helpers" (Affiliates) gang Grape Street Crips. We would call these "sixes"

Members of the Grape Street Crips mimic the shooting of a junior high school student

But they don’t sit behind video games - they have fun outdoors and with friends from the area

Grape Street Crips mobster wearing the gang's signature purple hoodie

Here, apparently, two members of the warring gangs from different branches of the Crips are depicted at the time of the 1992 truce (at that time, during the city riot, gangsters united against the police)

Detained members of the Mexican street gang 18th Street Gang

Gangsters from Grape Street Crips again

Grape Street Crips posing with Gs and Ws, 1988

The most important role in the formation of gangster culture is given to the Los Angeles district of Watts, in particular the Jordan Downs complex. It was here that the famous Crips gang was born, whose branches spread throughout LA. Now in the city there are about 200 groups that have left the Crips, which does not prevent them from actively feuding with each other.

Still the same Jordan Downs, Watts. In the area

The leader of the Sons of Samoa (sons of Samoa) - a warring gang of Polynesian origin with the Crips. Here he is shown paralyzed after being attacked with a gunshot.

Gangsters are clearly not reproached for forgetting their bros who are in a wheelchair

Another photo of the paralyzed leader of the Sons of Samoa

Here you can see another attribute of a gangster: a bandana and different variations of wearing it.

Stereotypical gangster trait: showing the letters of your gang and generally identifying with these signs. This one, for example, from Crips:

And this one is from the warring gang community, the Bloods:

And this young patriot generally wears a badge with the name of the gang:

Dodge City Crips Second Street Mob graffiti, San Pedro. The group is clearly not racist.

Taking pictures against the backdrop of a wall with the names of their bros was generally fashionable

Gangster from Grape Street Watts Crips posing with a shotgun

East Coast Baby Dolls - Affiliated, all-female branch of the Samoan gang Sons of Samoa, Long Beach

Again Coast Baby Dolls

Coast Baby Dolls girls in a fight

Members of the Mexican gang East Side Longos, which is part of the Sureños conglomerate. The most famous gang from Long Beach. For some reason, Asians are not particularly favored.

The Malditos - minor branch of the East Side Longos gang

Most of these shots were taken by German-born photographer Axel Koster. As an immigrant, he himself experienced the difficulties of socialization in Los Angeles, one of the most criminal cities in the world. It is surprising with what simplicity this visiting German managed to gain confidence in different, moreover, opposing gangs. He could take a picture of the paralyzed leader of the Sons of Samoa and immediately go to the area to the Crips, who just shot him.

1) Member of the Latin American gang Arafat with his girlfriend in Barcelona.

Brave photographer Lorena Ros took to the streets of Spanish cities to capture these images of members of two Latin American gangs, The Neta and Latin Kings.

These are two competing youth groups, which include mainly immigrants from Latin America. The photographs collected here were taken in Madrid and Barcelona.

20 photos © Lorena Ross via
photoshelter.com

2) Members of the Latin Kings gang at night in a park in Madrid. "Latin Kings" is considered one of the largest Latin American bands, whose history goes back to the 60s of the last century. Despite the lack of a central leadership, the gang operates in 34 countries around the world, and total its members reach 100 thousand people.

3) Dominican girls at a Latin American party in Barcelona. Members of the Latin Kings gang refer to themselves as the "Omnipotent Nation of Latin Kings", or simply "The Nation". There are 25,000 "kings" in the United States. And in Spain there are several hundred "kings", half of which are minors. The gang is especially active in Madrid, Barcelona and Alicante.

4) Members of the "Neta" gang in Barcelona. The "Neta" gang, or "N~etas" in Spanish, is a rival Latin American criminal group composed primarily of Puerto Ricans.

5) "Neta" is engaged in drug trafficking and extortion, for which it establishes links with youth street gangs.

6) Tony is one of the members of the Latin Kings gang at night on the outskirts of Madrid. Tony came to Spain from Ecuador two years ago and soon joined the gang. Unlike the United States, in the Iberian Peninsula, the gang is mainly joined by young men and women from Ecuador, Colombia and Dominican Republic. However, in last years Spaniards, Filipinos and natives of the Maghreb join the gang.

7) Girlfriends of Latin Kings gang members in the park at night. Each gang has its own symbolism. For example, the traditional colors of the band of Latin kings are yellow and black, and the symbol is a wreath of five arrows and a crown.

8) Members of the "Neta" group play billiards in Barcelona. The symbol of the Neta organization is a heart pierced with the flag of Puerto Rico, as well as a hand with crossed fingers, which in the language of the deaf and dumb means the letter "H", and also symbolizes unity. The colors of the gang are red, white and blue, sometimes black.

9) Dominicans are playing baseball in the square of Barcelona. Members of different criminal gangs can be recognized by their respective clothes, bandanas or beads of their gang colors. Many young people get tattoos with the symbols of their gang.

12) A young Dominican couple dances at a Latin American party in Barcelona. However, it is believed that once you become a member of a gang, it is almost impossible to leave it. Of course, this is not the case, although an apostate can face a number of problems, especially if he does not change his place of residence.

13) Tony and Melo from the Latin Kings are changing clothes. In practice, only going to another gang is punishable. This is the worst betrayal that can lead to blood. Recently in Madrid, a similar incident led to a bloody conflict between rival gangs Latin Kinas and Netas. As a result, several people died.

14) The girls are friends of the "Neta" gang members.

15) Members of the Latin Kings gang in a night park in Madrid. Beginners are forced to pass tests for "strength". This can be participation in a brutal fight with melee weapons or just theft. mobile phone at stranger on the street.

16) With your like-minded people from different countries members of the group communicate via the Internet, and they have no language problems - everyone knows Spanish. Any gang member can ask online good advice or help.

18) Tommy came to Spain from the Dominican Republic and even worked at one time in a company providing funeral services.

19) "Latin Kings" in the park at night. From the suburbs, gang members traveled to Madrid to face off against their sworn enemies from Netas.

20) Members of the criminal group "Latin Kings" at night in one of the Madrid parks.

10) Members of the Latin Kings gang in one of the night squares in Madrid. Many Hispanic teenagers look for something in the gang that they don't have at home. Protection, friendship, attention, involvement in something significant. Many of those who join the gang come from dysfunctional families.

One of the largest American criminal gangs is considered Latin Kings, consisting of immigrants from Latin America. According to various estimates, the number of its members is from 25 to 50 thousand people, which makes the gang one of the largest in the world. Today they live in 34 US states and abroad. Most active in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. It is worth noting that a dozen and a half books and several documentaries are devoted to the activities of the Latin Kings. Also, this gang is a possible prototype of the Los Santos Vagos gang in GTA.

A young photographer Nicolas Enriquez decided to contribute to the study of Latin Kings, who set out to document the life of bandits.

To do this, Nicholas regularly visited poor apartment buildings and gradually won the trust of the gang members. They let him into their lives, and the photographer managed to make a lot of intimate and telling portraits. His black-and-white images reflect the hostility of this environment, violence, paranoia and constant unrest - gang members relax only when they smoke marijuana.

Members of the Latin Kings gang got so used to the young photographer over the months that they even let him into their parties. They started calling him "Latin Kings Photographer" and "Nick Photo". Nevertheless, all this time, Nicholas was seriously worried about his safety. In the end, everything ended well, and Enriquez became much more tolerant than before.

It was about the African-American gangs Bloods and Crips, who made fashionable red and blue colors, sneakers and sports jersey. Today we will talk about Latin American gangs led by the all-powerful Mara Salvatrucha.

Hispanics became part of US life a little later than African Americans. After the vast Mexican territories became part of the United States as a result of the war of 1846-1848 with Mexico, the presence of the Hispanic population became the norm for the country. Even more Hispanics appeared in the states after the annexation of Puerto Rico and Cuba following the war with Spain in 1898.

But a truly powerful wave of migration of the Hispanic population covered the United States after the war in the 1960s and 70s. Now Hispanics are the largest minority in the country - their share reaches 18 percent, and total number slightly short of 59 million people. At the same time, only 10 percent of this number are the so-called Chicanos - the descendants of the colonists who settled the southwest of the modern United States during the period of Spanish rule.

The majority of US Hispanics are of Mexican ancestry, at 64 percent. Puerto Ricans are in second place with nine percent. Dominicans, Cubans and Salvadorans share third place with three percent. But it was the latter who organized the most brutal and powerful organized criminal group: MS-13 or Mara Salvatrucha (Mara Salvatrucha - “the brigade of Salvadoran wandering ants”). Like the cult Negro organized crime groups Bloods and Crips, it originated in Los Angeles. And, as in the case of African American gangs, the authorities can only blame themselves for its appearance.

gangsta latino

Until the early 1980s, there were very few Salvadorans in the United States. Everything changed with the start of the country in 1979 bloody civil war between government forces and the armed opposition. The United States actively supported the Salvadoran government with money and weapons. The administration proclaimed El Salvador "a battlefield against international communism", only from 1983 to 1985 the country's authorities received about a billion dollars.

Ultimately, a peace treaty was signed between the authorities and the armed opposition in 1992, and the first free and democratic elections the left was defeated. During the war, about 75 thousand people died, 12 thousand went missing, and a million people became refugees. Most of the refugees just went to the United States - to the closest ally of the ruling regime. El Salvador by that time had managed to quarrel with all its neighbors and most of the countries of Latin America, so special choice the refugees did not.

Only in Los Angeles, which became the center of Salvadoran migration, by the end of the 1980s, about 300 thousand Salvadorans lived. Naturally, the Salvadorans who fled the war could not afford housing in more or less decent neighborhoods and settled in the Pico Union area, located in the center near Downtown Los Angeles. Alas, his best years remained in the 1960s.

From the moment that the American middle class flooded into the suburbs, housing in the center fell in price, migrants and African Americans rushed into the area, which completely marginalized it. In Pico Union and other Salvadoran settlement areas, the real power on the streets was the Bloods, the Crips and the Mexican gangs of the 18th Street gang (aka La18, Barrio 18, Mara-18 or simply M-18). Considering that even police patrols in some areas of the South Los Angeles ghetto try not to call in once again, there was no one to protect the Salvadorans.

Racketeering, extortion, robbery - the Salvadorans were at the very bottom of the ghetto food chain. And since the state is not able to fulfill its functions of protecting citizens, this work is taken over by the anti-state in the person of organized criminal groups. Quite quickly, the streets of areas with a large percentage of Salvadorans filled their own gangs, which the Salvadorans called las clicas - cliques. common name for clicks it became Mara Salvatrucha.

Salvadoran gangsters quickly adopted the aesthetics of Los Angeles gangsters: tattoos, fingering, bright, including sportswear, clothes, rap, graffiti and other attributes of hip-hop culture. If on the streets the "cholos", as the representatives of the criminalized youth of Mexican origin called themselves, were the enemies of the Salvadorans, then in the zone the situation was changing.

The Mara Salvatrucha members, who did not have prison authority, were integrated into the structure of La Eme, one of the oldest and most powerful Mexican gangs. Actually, the name of the gang means the letter "M" - Mexico, which is why La Eme in Russia is often called the Mexican mafia. The connection with "La Aime" gave Mara Salvatrucha and her second name MS-13. The number 13 means the thirteenth letter Latin alphabet- "M" or La Eme in Spanish. The number 13 is also reflected in the rite of initiation into gang members - a 13-second beating of a newcomer by its experienced members.

Since in prison the members of MS-13 are part of the structure of the Mexican mafia, they wear Nike sneakers Cortez. Recall that in American prisons, gang members wear sneakers as identification mark. Mexicans - Nike, Bloods - Reebok, Crips - Adidas.

Early 1990s American authorities finally appreciated the full scale of MS-13 and began mass deportations of Salvadorans involved in illegal activities. The deportations coincided with the end of the civil war in El Salvador. The war-torn country turned out to be an ideal soil for the activities of the group, which became the only real power in many villages and towns. So in the 1990s, Mara Salvatrucha became an international criminal group. With access to international level MS-13 began a partnership with the Mexican, also known as the Pacific Cartel.

Between devil and god

Mara Salvatrucha is notorious for being a Satan-worshipping group. It all started with the fact that the members of the gang began to use a gesture reminiscent of a punk "goat" as their signature fingering. The whole difference is that the index finger and little finger are more strongly spread apart. Initially, this gesture meant an inverted letter "M", but then many began to consider it an image of a goat's head - a symbol of Satan. Then satanic symbols began to appear in the form of tattoos.

To begin with, the gang members who committed the murder began to decorate themselves with the image of a skull and bones. Then there were images of the devil with horns and a tail, a goat's skull and other images associated with hell. Those MS-13 members who are somehow connected with the Mexican drug cartels wear tattoos depicting Santa Muerta - the holy death.

This syncretic religious cult was born from a mixture of Catholicism, Indian beliefs and voodoo cult. It is based on the veneration of death as the main deity capable of influencing people's lives. Members of the drug cartels consider Santa Muerta their protector, helping them in difficult times. criminal life. Some Salvadorans also adopted this cult from the Mexicans.

Some cliques began to consciously create an image of Satanists around themselves. There are cases when bandits left various satanic symbols on the bodies of victims, performed ritual sacrifices and filled their bodies with satanic symbols. However, more often than not, this is more of an image move aimed at creating an atmosphere of fear around the clique, an attempt to distinguish it from other Salvadoran cliques.

However, there are also tattoos traditional for all Latin American bands with a Christian theme. The Virgin Mary, the crucifixion, hands folded for prayer - these are the most popular stories. However, actually Christianity in them is not so much. For example, folded hands are not at all an appeal to God, but the phrase “mother forgive me for my crazy life.” Yes, and the image of Christ is most often supplemented with the letters M and S, which is interpreted by experts interviewed by the Honduran newspaper El Heraldo as recognition of the primacy of the gang in the life of each of its members. For bandits, their clique is god.

People with picturesque faces

The main thing that distinguishes members of Mara Salvatrucha from other gangsters is not the theme of the tattoos, but their location. Unlike Mexicans, Puerto Ricans and other Latin Americans, who stuffed tattoos at most on the neck and behind the ears, Salvadorans fill their entire face with them. Many members of the MS-13 clique even shave their hair to ink the back and crown of their heads. There are practically no special plots intended exclusively for application to the face.

Most often these are the letters M and S, the number 13, the inscription Mara Salvatrucha, the coat of arms of El Salvador, as well as various Indian ornaments. A rare exception is the same skull that is applied between the eyes after the first murder is committed. Another popular head tattoo plot is an imitation of a skull, skinned flesh and cervical vertebrae. Moreover, Salvadoran gangsters do not just put individual tattoos on their faces, but completely clog it, leaving no free space.

At the same time, removing a tattoo is considered a mortal sin for a gang member, equates to betrayal and is punishable by death. Tattoos are the main sign of belonging to the gang, and tattoos on the face - to "Mara Salvatrucha". The beaten faces became so associated with the gang that during police raids, clique members were identified precisely by them. In prisons, prisoners with facial tattoos immediately fell under special control, and students with facial tattoos characteristic of MS-13 were expelled from schools.

All this led to the fact that the Council of Nine - the governing body of the group - allowed the new members of the gang not to score faces in order to remain incognito. But in recent years, their administration has already demanded to refuse to wear Nike Cortez in prisons - labels are torn off sneakers, and the manufacturer's emblem must be closed or painted over.

As for clothing, Mara Salvatrucha does not have such a strict dress code as Bloods and Crips. The group's traditional colors are white and blue, so most of bandits go in ordinary jeans and white T-shirts, occasionally complementing them with blue sports jackets.

face trading

Parallel to how MS-13 leaders allowed members of the organized crime group do not score faces, the fashion for facial tattoos has spread throughout the United States. Of course, it is impossible to say unequivocally that the members of the Mara Salvatrucha clique had an influence on young rappers. After all, facial tattoos are present in the culture of many peoples of the world.

However, the fact remains that facial tattoos have gone beyond the Salvadoran community and have become popular among whites (non-Hispanics) and blacks alike. Big role Facial tattoos have been popularized by rappers whose aesthetics are based on gangster culture interspersed with traditional African culture. And facial tattoos, with their dual origins, fit perfectly into this aesthetic.

Young Thug, Soulja Boy, Lil Wayne, Lil Peep, Lil Pump, Lil Xan, 69, The Game, 21 Savage are just some of the popular rappers in the US right now whose faces are adorned with tattoos. And if older generations like The Game and Lil Wayne adorned themselves with tattoos far removed in style from Mara Salvatrucha, then 69 has his pseudonym embossed on his forehead in a font suspiciously reminiscent of the one with which Salvadoran bandits beat the number 13.

The overall popularity of facial and MS-13 style tattoos could be even higher if the Salvadoran gangster subculture had its own singers like N.W.A. and 2Pac in African American gangsters in the 1990s. Alas or fortunately, but the Spanish-speaking gangsta rappers have not yet reached the national level, not to mention the international one. Therefore, now the aesthetics of "Mara Salvatrucha" are carried to the masses documentaries, crime series and social dramas.