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Private Notes
Chicago's second-largest Latin gang, The Maniac Latin Disciples rule the northwest side of Chicago. Since their beginning in the early 1960's, the MLD's have grown so big, that in 2005, the US Attorney for Illinois, Patrick Fitzgerald, testified before Congress that the Disciples should be considered a "super gang." The gang has had to rely on strong leadership to control the thousands of foot soldiers on the streets. Revenge and betrayal are characteristics of the MLD's and the streets are battlefields for rival Hispanic gangs. Gangland takes you inside the twisted world of the MLD's.
Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow is a survivor in the gangland of San Francisco's Chinatown. In 1976, the 16-year-old moved to San Francisco with his family and quickly joined the Hop Sing Boys gang. On September 4, 1977, he was at the Golden Dragon restaurant when 3 Joe Boys gang members killed 5 innocent patrons after storming the popular restaurant looking for revenge against their rivals, the Wah Ching. The attack made international news and forever changed the landscape of Chinatown's underworld. In the ensuing years, and after two stays in California's prisons, Chow's power and influence was on the rise. In 1989, he partnered with Peter Chong, a leader of the Wo Hop To triad, to first consolidate all the gangs in San Francisco's Chinatown and then expand their criminal empire nationally. Although federal and local law enforcement would bring the group down, Chow would eventually end up back on the streets of San Francisco after testifying against his former friend and partner. Raymond Chow says he is now a changed man, but only time will tell if he's given up the life of a gangster.
Throughout the early 1990's, a war waged behind the scenes between the two largest motorcycle gangs in America - the Outlaws and the Hells Angels. The Outlaws traditionally made the Midwest their stronghold but now the Angels were pushing into their territory and courting another regional club, the Hell's Henchmen, to join them. The Outlaws responded viscously and decisively. By the time the war ended bikers from all three clubs had been murdered and the third largest car bomb in US history had exploded on a crowded Chicago street during rush hour. Federal and local law enforcement began vigorously pursuing the Outlaws culminating in successful prosecutions that exposed the violent world of these notorious 1%er's. Within a decade, two international presidents would be serving life sentences and Outlaws members could be found on both the FBI and ATF's most wanted sites. For a while, it seemed the Outlaws Motorcycle Club would fade from relevance but recent arrests this year - and continuing investigations - show that they are still functioning and once again expanding their influence through blood and violence around the world.
The Texas Syndicate. They are the most feared Tejano gang in the Lone Star State, yet few have heard of them. The Syndicate is managed like an elite business, with a reach that extends from behind prison walls to the far corners of Texas. They will break any law to generate revenue but the gang's bread and butter is drug trafficking for the Mexican cartels. Now Gangland unearths how the Texas Syndicate rose to power, and the destruction the left behind to get there.
"Crip or Die" exposes one of the most infamous and brutal street gangs- The Crips. The gang started as a rag-tag group of youth on LA's Eastside and quickly grew into a terrorizing force in South Central. Today, the Crips are the largest black gang in LA with over 10,000 members. Gang members give an inside look at the lifestyle called Crippin' where it is survive or die--kill or be killed.
Many gangs are organized, and some even incorporated, but not many can claim to have had federal funding, like the Vice Lords. This is just one of the many unique chapters in the 50 year history of this Chicago street gang. The Vice Lords are divided into many separate factions throughout the city of Chicago and the Unites States - although two men tried to unite the factions into one nation, one through legitimate means and community activism and another through intimidation, drugs and violence. Both failed - one ended up a legend and one in a wheel chair.
Gangland examines one of the largest and most violent gangs in Los Angeles County. It's estimated that 18th Street has more than 20, 000 members in Los Angeles alone with additional sets that extend all across the nation and even overseas.
Mongols MC was created in 1970 by a group of disaffected, Hispanic Vietnam veterans. Almost 40 years later, the Mongols have gone from being party-hearty outlaws to hell-bent gangsters: many that came directly from some of Southern California's most violent street gangs - creating a conflict of allegiance with the powerful Mexican Mafia.
Through the 1980's, Chicago's most powerful street gang expanded at an unprecedented rate, with its membership eventually numbering some 30,000. When the city of Chicago wasn't enough territory, the gang spread to other cities throughout the Midwest, like Milwaukee. The GDs quickly gained control of smaller towns using the tried and true methods of fear, intimidation and violence. When the crack-cocaine epidemic hit, the Gangster Disciples were ready to take full advantage. The GD organization operated much like a Fortune 500 company, raking in profits estimated at one hundred-million dollars a year. In 1995, however, everything changed. A federal indictment took down 40 leaders of the Gangster Disciples, including the Chairman of the Board, Larry Hoover. After that, it was every man for himself. Through the eyes of Gangster Disciples we watch the rise and fall of a drug empire as greed and violence wash over an army of Gangsters.
"LA Bloods" gives the viewer an inside look at one of the most notorious and volatile black street gangs in the country. Through original interviews with law enforcement, interventionists, victim's family members and active and former gang members, the program examines the life, history and the vicious crimes perpetrated by the Bloods.
"Sin City" gives a firsthand account of the violent rise of street gangs in Las Vegas. Through interviews with the founder of the GQ's - the first bona fide West Coast - style street gang to take hold in Las Vegas - law enforcement, historians, victim's family members, and former gang members; the program examines the life, history, and future of Sin City's gang culture.
They are some of the most overlooked criminals in our country and among the most dangerous: They're girls in gangs. Their reasons for a life of crime may be different but like their male counterparts, these women crave respect and money. In Compton, California these women rule the streets and their crimes range from transporting drugs to murder. Of the approximately 800-thousand gang bangers in the United States, an estimated seventy thousand are female. In Los Angeles alone, there are some five thousand. There are many reasons why these women turn to gang life. Many come from broken homes and are looking for support. Gangland takes you inside the twisted world of female gang members.
