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The History of LA Gangs

Though many people think the Los Angeles gangs originated with the Crips and the Bloods, gangs' history began in the early part of the 20th century. While the gangster life is today romanticized in rap music, gangs in Los Angeles have a violent and bloody legacy.

  1. First Gangs

    • The first gangs, such as the "Goodlows," "Kelleys" and "Magnificents," formed in the late 1920s and 1930s. At this time, gangs were a thing for young teenagers, and once people got older, they disassociated themselves from these groups.

    Popularity

    • In the mid-1940s, black gangs grew in popularity as a reaction against violence from the white community. Though these gangs carried weapons such as bats and knives, murder was very rare.

    Watts Riot

    • In 1965, the Los Angeles gangs joined together for the Watts Rebellion. They participated in mass looting and destruction as frustration of persecution boiled over.

    Awareness

    • In the late 1960s and early 1970s, gangs functioned as a way to bring awareness to civil rights issues, but the FBI targeted them as threats. After several prominent African Americans were murdered, the Crips and the Bloods formed as a reaction to the violence.

    Drugs

    • Once the Crips and Bloods began dealing with narcotics in the 1980s, the violence turned inward. Disputes over drugs and weapons turned the focus from civil rights to war between the groups. Gang membership continued to grow through the 1990s.

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