Founded | 1970s |
---|---|
Founding location | West Compton |
Years active | 1970s–present |
Ethnicity | Primarily African-American |
Allies | West Side Piru Campanella Park Piru |
Rivals | Fruit Town Piru |
Notable members | DJ Quik |
The Tree Top Piru (also known as the Bompton Tree Top Piru) are a "set" of the Piru gang alliance, which is itself a part of the larger Bloods gang alliance. [1] The gang started in Compton, California in the 1970s, but has since spread to other parts of the United States. [2]
The Tree Top Piru formed in Compton, California in the 1970s. [3] The gang was named after the various streets in their territory which are named after trees including Acacia Street, Poplar Street, and Maple Street.
Eventually, the Tree Top Piru would spread to other parts of the United States, including Tennessee, [4] Texas [5] and Maryland. [6]
In 2007, a high-ranking female member of the Tree Top Piru in Baltimore named Michelle Hebron killed David Leonard Moore, who Hebron believed to be a rival gang member. After killing Moore, Hebron wrote a poem, which was used as evidence in her trial: [7]
"I guess just shot a nigga in the head cause he wear blue but claim red. Plus I just wanted the satisfaction of seeing a nigga dead."
Hebron was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder and racketeering. [8]
In January 2017, a Tree Top Piru member in Houston named Javan Oxavia Williams shot dead Charlie Bennett Jr., who Williams had an argument with. Williams committed a second murder in February 2017, when he killed Tonius Wayne Frank and ransacked Frank's apartment. Williams was sentenced to life in prison for the two murders. [5]
Marion Hugh "Suge" Knight Jr. is an American record executive and convicted felon who is the co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Knight was a central figure in gangsta rap's commercial success in the 1990s. This feat is attributed to the record label's first two album releases: Dr. Dre's The Chronic in 1992 and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle in 1993. Knight is currently serving a 28-year sentence in prison for a fatal hit-and-run in 2015.
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.
Aaron Bernard Tyler, better known by his stage name MC Eiht, is an American rapper. Many of his songs are based on his life in Compton. His stage name was partly inspired by the numeral in KRS-One's name. He chose Eiht for its links to "hood culture", including Olde English 800 and .38 caliber firearms. He is the de facto leader of West Coast hip hop group Compton's Most Wanted, which also included fellow Compton-based rappers Boom Bam, The Unknown DJ, Tha Chill, DJ Mike T, DJ Slip and Ant Capone. He is also known for his role as A-Wax in the 1993 film Menace II Society, as well as playing the character Ryder in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
The Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation is one of the largest Caribbean and Latino street and prison gangs worldwide. The gang was founded by Puerto Ricans in Chicago, Illinois, in 1954.
David Marvin Blake, better known by his stage names DJ Quik or Da Quiksta, is an American rapper and record producer from Compton, California, known for his production in the G-funk style of West Coast hip-hop. Blake has collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Tupac, Chingy, R. Kelly and Shaquille O'Neal, among others. Blake's stage name reflects his ability to produce songs in a short period of time. Some of his top songs include "Dollaz + Sense", "Tonite", "Born and Raised in Compton" and "Jus Lyke Compton."
The NETA Association is the name of a gang that began in the Puerto Rico prison system and spread to the United States mainland. Although Puerto Rico has many small street gangs claiming its poorer neighborhoods, NETAS is by far the largest and most dominant, controlling the illegal drug trade in the island's prison system.
Omar Portee, also known as "O.G. Mack", is an American gang leader, known for founding the United Blood Nation gang while serving a prison sentence at Rikers Island, New York, in 1993.
The Rollin 60s Neighborhood Crips is a "set" of the Crips street gang alliance based in Los Angeles, California, originally formed in Los Angeles in 1976 from the Westside Crips and having since spread to other cities in the United States. Membership is estimated to be around 1,600 people, making it one of the largest gangs in the Los Angeles area.
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 Pirus are a subset of the larger Bloods gang alliance, an organized crime group in the United States.
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 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 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.
Barriox13, Barrio13, B13 for short, is a highly active Sureños street gang in South Los Angeles that consists of over 5000 members, many of whom are active. It is divided into the West Side Barriox13 and East Side Barriox13 gangs, with all members loyal to the Barriox13 gang. It was established in the early 1970s near El Segundo Boulevard and San Pedro St. in South Los Angeles, California. The Original group of Barriox13 gang members started the gang for self-protection. It is a gang loyal to the Mexican Mafia prison gang.
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.
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 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.
TTP spread throughout the country