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I'm not sure about 15 member gangs in LA (I'm not denying it, I've just never heard of any hoods there that are that small and inactive)
I could rattle off a long list but it would mean little even to people who are in L.A.
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but I believe you are correct in saying Chicago's gangs are all generally huge. I think LA has more active gangs within its city limits, and historically it has had more gang-related homicides than any other city (to the best of my knowledge)
After surpassing Philly in the late '70s.
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so it gets the title of gang capitol by a small margin over Chicago. LA's population is also 20-25% larger than Chicago, so per capita Chicago may even have more gang members, making it the capitol. LA's gangs are more widespread across the country (and beyond) than Chicago's gangs, so in that sense LA is the capitol. Either way, I think its really splitting hairs between the two cities which is why I think they are both co-capitols.
As for the SoCal as a region, I fully agree. Compton, Inglewood and Long Beach alone added in with LA make the region the most gang-infested, let alone every other city in the area. I think anyone with any familiarity with LA County and the rest of SoCal would easily agree on that. Unless people really aren't aware how widespread it is down there.
All major street gangs around the U.S. are either from Chicago or L.A.
Most, but not all. The Nortenos (XIV) and Surenos (X3) both originated in Bay Area prisons. Surenos you could still connect to LA since most of them are from SoCal (though they're really from all over the state now, but originally they began in LA streets), but there's no such thing as a Norteno from LA.
And if you're talking about Asian gangs that are widespread (not including Chinese Mafia/organized crime), TRG and MOD originated in Fresno. Most major biker gangs and prison gangs originated in CA too, but often not LA. But by a long shot, most major, multi-state black and Latino street gangs did originate either in LA or Chicago.
BTW the major street gangs in the Bay Area don't have L.A. roots nor Chicago roots.
No, Latin Kings are from Chicago originally.
And you are right as far as the Bay goes, except for Surenos and MS-13. But the ones up here are mostly sets that originated here with an LA affiliation. Absolutely no Chicago gangs over here either.
That's a common misconception.
And I don't know why.
Latin Kings started in Humbold Park, Chicago
And what the hell exists in the Bay area?
All I know is Nortenos. They pretty much came about in resistance to surenos who are from L.A.
Much more than you think.
Westmob, Big Block, DBG, Eddy Rock, Chopper City, Knock Out Posse in SF alone. Not to mention some Asian street gangs which have spread throughout the US.
Bay Area black gangs aren't tied to Crips or Bloods. There was a guy named Felix Mitchell who kept the L.A. black gangs from encroaching on the turf of those in Oakland.
There are even a few gangs on the northside of Chicago like the Gaylords and Simon City Royals (the last remaining major white non-Nazi skinhead urban street gangs in the US). There may be a few Popes left.
Lol Gaylords, I've heard them mentioned before. Does anyone know the story on them? I'm not knocking them since I know nothing about them, but the name just cracks me up.
Lol Gaylords, I've heard them mentioned before. Does anyone know the story on them? I'm not knocking them since I know nothing about them, but the name just cracks me up.
They started in the '50s before that term had the meaning it does now. They talked about changing their name but decided not to because they thought it would be an insult to their history.
That's a common misconception.
And I don't know why.
Latin Kings started in Humbold Park, Chicago
And what the hell exists in the Bay area?
All I know is Nortenos. They pretty much came about in resistance to surenos who are from L.A.
They're the biggest major gang that exists up here and they exist in most cities in N. CA. Other than them there are Surenos (as you've mentioned), MS-13, and I forgot to mention earlier some LA-connected/based gangs like TCG (Tongan Crip Gang) and SOS (Sons of Samoa), as well as BNG a Filipino gang) do/did exist in the Bay. But as far as black and Latino gangs go up here, its mostly local gangs and not likely anything you would've ever heard of.
They started in the '50s before that term had the meaning it does now. They talked about changing their name but decided not to because they thought it would be an insult to their history.
I see, and I can respect that. Its just that their name reminds me of that whole "pal, buddy, chief" bit that Dane Cook did lol.
And you are right as far as the Bay goes, except for Surenos and MS-13. But the ones up here are mostly sets that originated here with an LA affiliation. Absolutely no Chicago gangs over here either.
Which is true (seeing Surenos in SF seemed kinda weird to me, as weird as seeing Nortenos in LA)
The only Latin Kings I know of in California are in Orange County, they don't seem to be anywhere else as an actual gang although they may have individual members elsewhere.
Well man, i'm gonna go with Newark, Nj on this one. The whole city was pretty much banged up. Can't see how 1 city have so many car thefts, it was like tradition to steal cars there. As far as gangs go, i think L.A. held the crown in that category hands down
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