38th Street gang

Last updated
38th Street Gang
V38.jpg
38th Street graffiti, 2011
FoundedUnknown exact date, most accepted early 1920s
Founding location Greater Los Angeles, California, United States
Years activeEarly 1920s–present
TerritoryPrimarily Los Angeles and Magna, Utah [1]
Ethnicity Mexican American
Activities Drug trafficking, [2] assault, robbery, extortion, [2] arms trafficking, theft, murder, [2] racketeering, [2] illegal immigration, illegal gambling, kidnapping, [2] witness intimidation [2] and fraud
Allies Mexican Mafia [2]
Sureños Street Saints 13 [2]
18th Street gang Lennox 13
Rivals Bloods [3]
Florencia 13 [4]
Playboys [5]

The 38th Street Gang is an American criminal street gang in Los Angeles, California, composed mainly of Mexican-Americans. The 38th Street Gang is one of the oldest street gangs in Los Angeles and has been occupying its territory since the 1920s. [6] They engage in many criminal activities. The Mexican Mafia controls and routinely uses 38th Street gang members to carry out their orders. [7] [8]

Contents

History

Two members of the 38th Street Gang, c. 1993. 38th street gang photo.jpg
Two members of the 38th Street Gang, c. 1993.

Founded in the 1920s, the 38th Street Gang dates back to the pachucos and zoot suits and was formed at the border between South Central and the city of Vernon. The 38th Street Gang became well known in the 1940s in the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial. Sleepy Lagoon was a popular swimming hole in what is now East Los Angeles. A Mexican American juvenile named Jose Diaz was killed there in 1942, and members of the 38th Street Mexican American gang were arrested and charged with murder by the Los Angeles Police Department. [9] [10] [11]

All five of the gang members were convicted and sentenced to prison. These convictions ultimately united the Mexican community and changed Mexican gangs. [8] The jail sentences also acted as a glue to unite the Mexican and Mexican American community in a common cause, a fight against class distinction based on prejudice and racism, a fight against the establishment. [9] In prison, 38th Street Gang members were held in high esteem. [9] On October 4, 1943, the convictions of the gang members were overturned and the gang members were allegedly welcomed back to their communities as heroes. [8] [11] [12]

During the Sleepy Lagoon trial, the media exaggerated the headlines about the gang that wore zoot suits and created wartime hysteria and prejudice against the Mexican-American community. In what was known as the Zoot Suit Riots in May to June 1943, many Mexican-American zoot suiters from the segregated parts of town were attacked by white servicemen and residents of Los Angeles. Cloth was being rationed as part of the war effort, and the white servicemen and residents felt zoot suiters were wasting valuable resources by dressing so flamboyantly. Los Angeles police officers did nothing to halt the angry mobs from rioting, arresting the zoot suiters instead of the attackers. As a result of the riots, the United States Department of War banned all military personnel from going to Los Angeles on leave. The Los Angeles City Council adopted a resolution that banned the wearing of zoot suits on Los Angeles streets, although no ordinance was approved by the City Council nor signed into law by the Mayor. [11] 38th Street is often credited[ by whom? ] for starting a new style of dress[ clarification needed ]: during the time the Sleepy Lagoon defendants were incarcerated, their prison-issue clothes were deliberately oversized, with the intention of drawing ridicule from Anglo inmates and prison staff. However, the Sleepy Lagoon defendants maintained their clothing well, cleaning and ironing it.

Location

The 38th Street gang occupies a huge area on the east side of South Los Angeles and some areas in East Los Angeles. These neighborhoods had been historically known to be some of the most dangerous in the nation. Their rivalries expand to most neighborhoods all over Los Angeles County. [5] [3] They also have confirmed cliques in Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Magna, and Kearns in Utah, [13] and in Wisconsin and Chicago.

Criminal activities

Since the 1920s, the 38th Street Gang has gained a reputation as one of California's most violent street gangs. Members conduct various activities, including drug sales, murder, theft and vandalism. [10] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the city closed many of its roads in the 38th Street vicinity due to high volume of people coming to purchase narcotics in the area. City administrators hoped that the blocked streets would deter non-residents from purchasing narcotics. By the late 1990s, a federal task force was set up in order to investigate the gang's involvement in the illegal drug trade; this resulted in the arrest of several of its members. The authorities confiscated thousands of dollars in drugs and money, as reported by the Los Angeles Times and local news channels. The group has historically quarreled with various rival gangs for placement and competition, which has resulted in many drive-by shootings and deaths. On August 24, 2004, a preliminary injunction by law enforcement prohibited active members of the 38th Street Gang from using firearms, alcohol, graffiti and other dangerous materials in public. [10] Today, the 38th Street Gang relies almost exclusively on narcotics sales and distribution as its only source of revenue. The gang also holds a loose alliance with the 18th Street Gang due to common rivals, mainly in South Los Angeles.

In February 2011, the FBI arrested 37 suspects connected to 38th Street. [6] They were arrested on narcotics and firearms charges. The 38th Street Gang was the subject of a 130-page grand jury indictment alleging violations of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute. As many as 53 defendants were charged with violating federal law by acting on behalf of the gang and participating in murders, murder plots, attempted murders, narcotics trafficking, robberies, extortion and witness intimidation. [14] As of 2021, no further information is available as to what happened to the arrested men.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoot Suit Riots</span> 1943 race riot by U.S. Armed Forces servicemen against Latinos in Los Angeles

The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of riots that took place June 3–8, 1943, in Los Angeles, California, United States, involving American servicemen stationed in Southern California and young Latino and Mexican American city residents. It was one of the dozen wartime industrial cities where race-related riots occurred during the summer of 1943, along with Mobile, Alabama; Beaumont, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; and New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican Mafia</span> Mexican American criminal organization

The Mexican Mafia, also known as La eMe, is a predominantly Mexican American prison gang and criminal organization in the United States. Despite its name, the Mexican Mafia has no origins in Mexico and is entirely a U.S. organization. Law enforcement officials report that the Mexican Mafia is the deadliest and most powerful gang within the California prison system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuestra Familia</span> Criminal organization of Mexican American prison gangs in the US

Nuestra Familia is a criminal organization of Mexican American (Chicano) prison gangs with origins in Northern California. While members of the Norteños gang are considered to be foot soldiers of Nuestra Familia, being a member of Nuestra Familia itself does not signify association as a Norteño. Some law enforcement agents speculate that the Nuestra Familia gang, which operates in and out of prisons, influences much of the criminal activity of thousands of Norteño gang members in California. The gang's main sources of income are distributing cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine within prison systems as well as in the community and extorting drug distributors on the streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latin Kings</span> Hispanic and Latino street gang based in Chicago, Illinois, United States

The Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation is a gang active primarily in the United States as well as internationally. The gang was founded by Puerto Ricans in Chicago, Illinois, in 1954. The Latin Kings are one of the largest Hispanic and Latino street and prison gangs worldwide.

<i>Zoot Suit</i> (play) Musical

Zoot Suit is a play written by Luis Valdez, featuring incidental music by Daniel Valdez and Lalo Guerrero. Zoot Suit is based on the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial and the Zoot Suit Riots. Debuting in 1979, Zoot Suit was the first Chicano play on Broadway. In 1981, Luis Valdez also directed a filmed version of the play, combining stage and film techniques.

<i>Zoot Suit</i> (film) 1981 film by Luis Valdez

Zoot Suit is a 1981 American independent drama musical film of the Broadway play Zoot Suit. Both the play and film were written and directed by Luis Valdez. The film stars Daniel Valdez, Edward James Olmos—both reprising their roles from the stage production—and Tyne Daly. Many members of the cast of the Broadway production also appeared in the film. Like the play, the film features music from Daniel Valdez and Lalo Guerrero, the "father of Chicano music."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleepy Lagoon murder</span> 1942 Los Angeles Murder Case

The Sleepy Lagoon murder was the name that Los Angeles newspapers used to describe the death of José Gallardo Díaz, who was discovered unconscious and dying near a reservoir with two stab wounds and a broken finger in Commerce, California, United States, on the morning of August 2, 1942. Earlier, Díaz was seen at a party for Eleanor Delgadillo Coronado where he left afterwards with two friends, Luis "Cito" Vargas and Andrew Torres. He was then confronted by a group of young men from the 38th Street neighborhood, who came to the party seeking revenge for an earlier beating of some of their friends.

OVS is a Mexican American (Chicano) gang from Ontario, California.

The Jungles faction of the Black P. Stones street gang is a "set" of the Bloods gang alliance in Los Angeles. Originating in Los Angeles' Baldwin Village neighborhood in the 1960s, the Black P. Stones became one of the largest gangs in the city. The gang has been linked to various crimes, including murders, assaults, robberies, narcotics violations and firearms violations, and has been the subject of numerous FBI and LAPD investigations.

Public Enemy No. 1, also known as PENI Death Squad, is a prison and street gang formed in Long Beach, California and now based in Orange County, California. In 2004, the California Department of Justice described PEN1 as "one of the most powerful and fastest-growing gangs inside and outside prison", and reported it had about 200 members statewide. The gang's main activities include identity theft, credit card fraud, and methamphetamine sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazi Lowriders</span> White supremacist gang

The Nazi Lowriders, also known as NLR or the Ride, are a neo-Nazi, white supremacist organized crime syndicate, and prison and street gang in the United States. Primarily based in Southern California, the gang is allied with the larger Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia gangs, and fellow peckerwood gang Public Enemy No. 1. The Nazi Lowriders operate both in and outside of prison.

The United Blood Nation, also known as the East Coast Bloods, is a street and prison gang active primarily in the New York metropolitan area. It is the east coast faction of the California-based Bloods street gang. Their main source of income is the trafficking and sale of illegal drugs.

The Trinitarios is a Dominican American criminal organization founded by Dominicans in New York City, New York in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sureños</span> Coalition of Mexican-American street gangs

Sureños ‍, also known as Southern United Raza, Sur 13 or Sureños X3, are groups of loosely affiliated gangs that pay tribute to the Mexican Mafia while in U.S. state and federal correctional facilities. Many Sureño gangs have rivalries with one another, and the only time this rivalry is set aside is when they enter the prison system. Thus, fighting is common among different Sureño gangs even though they share the same common identity. Sureños have emerged as a national gang in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice McGrath</span> American activist (1917–2009)

Alice Greenfield McGrath, also known as Alice Greenfield, was an American activist who gained fame in connection with the 1942 case of the Sleepy Lagoon Murder. She was the executive secretary of the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee from 1942 to 1944. She later married blacklisted poet Thomas McGrath, organized a pro bono legal service organization in Ventura County, California, and led 86 missions to Nicaragua in the 1980s and 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenian Power</span> Armenian-American crime syndicate

Armenian Power 13, also known as AP, the Armenian Mob, or Armenian Mafia is an Armenian criminal organization and street gang founded and currently based in Los Angeles County, California. They are involved in drug trafficking, murder, assault, fraud, identity theft, illegal gambling, kidnapping, racketeering, robbery and extortion. They are believed to have around 200 members and hundreds of associates, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. They are also well known for their connections with the Mexican Mafia.

Operation Power Outage was a sting operation targeted at arresting and indicting members of the criminal group Armenian Power operating in the United States. The group is accused of racketeering offenses, bank fraud schemes, kidnappings, and drug trafficking. Armenian Power which originated 20 years ago in East Hollywood and has over 200 members, has developed from a street gang into an international criminal organization.

Azusa 13 is a street gang based in Azusa in the eastern San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles. Started in the 1960s, it is now one of the most aggressive Sureño street gangs, currently claiming around 400 active members.

The Florencia 13, also known as South Side Florencia 13,Florence Gang, F13 is an American criminal street gang based in Los Angeles, California, composed mainly of Mexican Americans. The gang is named after the Florence area of Los Angeles County, controlled by the Mexican Mafia. They are involved in drug smuggling, murder, assault and robbery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hells Angels MC criminal allegations and incidents in California</span>

Numerous police and international intelligence agencies classify the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club as a motorcycle gang and contend that members carry out widespread violent crimes, including drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, gunrunning, extortion, and prostitution rings. Members of the organization have continuously asserted that they are only a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who have joined to ride motorcycles together, to organize social events such as group road trips, fundraisers, parties, and motorcycle rallies, and that any crimes are the responsibility of the individuals who carried them out and not the club as a whole.

References

  1. ↑ "Local Gangs". updsl.org. 2012. Archived from the original on 2010-09-25. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Racketeering Indictment Targets 38th Street Gang" (PDF). U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-05. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
  3. 1 2 Phillips, S. A. (1999). Wallbangin': graffiti and gangs in l.a.. (p. 344). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
  4. ↑ Gang rivalry grows into race war Sam Quinones, Los Angeles Times (October 18, 2007)
  5. 1 2 Cueva, L. (No Date). Effects of Gang Life on Main Street. Retrieved from "Effects of gang life on Main Street". Archived from the original on 2014-07-01. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
  6. 1 2 ABC News. (2011, February 10). 57 arrested in 38th Street Gang sting. ABC News. Retrieved from https://abc7.com/archive/7933451/
  7. ↑ Leohart, M. U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration. (2011). Statement of the honorable Michelle Leohart of the Drug Enforcement Administration before the United States House of Representatives Committee of Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Other Agencies. Retrieved from website: "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-05-09. Retrieved 2012-03-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. 1 2 3 Harris, K. D. California Department of Justice Division of Law Enforcement, Bureau of Investigation and Intelligence. (2010). Organized Crime in California. Retrieved from website: http://ag.ca.gov/publications/org_crime2010.pdf Archived 2012-03-13 at the Wayback Machine
  9. 1 2 3 Valdez, A. (2007). Gangs: A Guide to Understanding Street Gangs (5th ed. p. 98-99, ). San Clemente, CA: LawTech Publishing Co.
  10. 1 2 3 "Delgadillo, Bratton, Perry Announce Crackdown on South L.A.'s 38th Street Gang" (PDF). Office of Civil Attorney, L.A. 2006-08-24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-03-23. Retrieved 2006-09-12.
  11. 1 2 3 "People & Events: Poing! Murder". PBS.
  12. ↑ "A History of California's Hispanic Gangs". National Alliance of Gang Investigators' Associations. Archived from the original on 2006-09-18. Retrieved 2006-09-12.
  13. ↑ Unified Wisconsin, and Iowa. (2008). Gang names and alliances. Retrieved from website: http://updsl.org/divisions/metro_gang_unit/downloads/Gang%5B%5D Names and Alliances.pdf
  14. ↑ 38th Street gang members arrested in federal indictment alleging murder, drug trafficking. (2011, February 1). Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/02/los-angeles-street-gang-indicted.html
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.