 Piru graffiti | |
| Founded | 1969 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Sylvester Puddin Scott, Vincent Benson Owens |
| Founding location | Compton, California, United States |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Ethnicity | Primarily Black American |
| Activities | Drug trafficking, robbery, extortion and murder |
| Allies | Bloods [1] |
| Rivals | Crips [1] |
The Pirus are a subset of the larger Bloods gang alliance, an organized crime group in the United States. [2]
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. [3] The Piru Street Boys are considered the forerunners to the Bloods, [4] which is why the terms "Piru" and "Blood" are often used interchangeably. However, this interchangeable use of the terms is inaccurate, [5] as many non-Piru gangs such as the Denver Lanes and Brims were also instrumental in the formation of the Bloods. [6]
Furthermore, the Pirus are an alliance of street gangs within the larger Bloods alliance, [2] 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, [7] but later had a falling-out. However, other sources dispute any alliance, claiming that the Piru Street Boys were victimised by the Crips. [8] Nevertheless, by 1972, 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. [9] This alliance became known as the Bloods, as the members of this alliance called each other "blood". [9]
Eventually, more Piru sets would form. There are 15 known Piru sets within the Greater Los Angeles area. [10] Piru sets have fought against each other. For example, the Mob Piru and Fruit Town Piru developed a rivalry by the late 1990s, which resulted in the murders of several Mob Pirus associated with Death Row Records. [11]
The Bloods are 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.
Raymond Lee Washington was an American gangster, known as the founder of the Crips gang in Los Angeles. Washington formed the Crips as a minor street gang in the late 1960s in South Los Angeles, becoming a prominent local crime boss. In 1971, Washington formed an alliance with Stanley "Tookie" Williams, establishing the Crips as the first major African-American street gang in Los Angeles, and served as one of the co-leaders. In 1974, Washington was convicted of robbery and received a five-year prison sentence, during which his leadership and influence in the Crips declined.
The Crips are a primarily African-American alliance of street gangs that are based in the coastal regions of Southern California. Founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969, mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams, the Crips began as an alliance between two autonomous gangs, and developed into a loosely connected network of individual "sets", often engaged in open warfare with one another. Its members have traditionally worn blue clothing since around 1973.
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.
The Cedar Block Piru is a "set" of the Piru gang alliance, which itself is part of the larger Bloods gang alliance. The gang gained notability for its connection to rapper The Game, who has referenced the gang in several of his songs.
Bloods & Crips was an American gangsta rap group from Los Angeles County mostly known for their record selling song "Piru Love".
The Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods, also known as the Bounty Hunter Bloods, is a "set" of the Bloods gang alliance situated in the Nickerson Gardens public housing projects in Watts, Los Angeles.
The Mob Piru are a "set" of the Piru gang alliance, which is itself part of the larger Bloods alliance. Suge Knight, the co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records, is an affiliate.
The Fruit Town Piru are a "set" of the Piru gang alliance, which itself is part of the larger Bloods alliance. This Piru set is known for its rivalry with the Mob Piru Bloods during the early 2000s.
The Crenshaw Mafia Gangster Bloods are a "set" of the Bloods gang alliance. The gang is depicted in several movies, including Boyz n the Hood and Straight Outta Compton.
"Piru Love" is a song from the 1993 album Bangin' on Wax by the gangsta rap group Blood & Crips. It was subsequently released as a single, along with several alternate versions of the song. It is the group's most popular single.
The Elm Street Piru are a "set" of the Piru gang alliance, which itself is part of the larger Bloods alliance. The Elm Street Piru started in Compton, California, but has since spread to other parts of the United States.
The Kelly Park Compton Crips are a "set" of the Crips gang alliance, which originated in Kelly Park, Compton. The gang has gained notability for its connection with the rap group N.W.A, as members Eazy-E and MC Ren were both part of the Kelly Park Compton Crips.
On October 16, 2002, Death Row Records employee Henry 'Hendog' Smith was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Vermont Vista, Los Angeles. Smith was a close friend of Suge Knight and was known for designing the logo for Death Row Records. During the time of Smith's murder, the Mob Piru Bloods affiliated with Death Row Records were embroiled in a gang war with another Bloods set known as the Fruit Town Piru, which resulted in the deaths of several of Suge Knight's associates. However, investigators attributed Smith's murder to the Denver Lane Bloods, rather than the Fruit Town Piru.
On June 1, 1997, Death Row Records employee and Mob Piru Bloods member Aaron "Heron" Palmer was shot dead in Compton, California. Palmer's death was followed by the murders of several other Mob Pirus from Suge Knight's inner circle, as part of a gang war between the Mob Piru and another Bloods set (subgroup), the Fruit Town Piru.
The Lueders Park Piru are a "set" of the Piru gang alliance, which itself is part of the larger Bloods alliance. The Lueders Park Piru has its origins in the Lueders Park Hustlers, an independent street gang which was instrumental in the formation of the Bloods gang alliance in 1972.
In gang terminology, a set refers to a subgroup within a larger gang alliance. Sets vary in size and internal structure, and different sets within the same gang are known to fight one another.
The Pirus is an umbrella street gang alliance (under the larger alliance, Bloods)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Some people incorrectly interchange the terms Piru and Blood, believing that the two terms mean the same thing.
Their origins lay in the Piru Street Boys, who once wore the blue bandana of the Crips gang and were known, for a short time, as the Piru Street Crips
Other gangs began to form to defend themselves against the Crips. Two of these gangs were the GnG Mob, Brims and the Pirus.
The local sets of anti-Crips included the Piru Street Boys, the LA Brims, the Denver Lanes, the Inglewood Family, the Swans, and the Pueblo Bishops
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