El Paso gang "Barrio Azteca" featured on "gangland" (Austin: neighborhoods, high schools)

[LEVOW]

Gangland - Upcoming Episodes, last thursday, el paso gang [b.a] was featured on History Channels series "gangland". It was interesting, alot pf people say they greatly exagerrated, i thought it was pretty on point, kind of scary, the things that happen in el paso though, that alot of people have no idea about.

[Smooth from ELP]

Yes I saw it last week. It was kinda scary to think all those things were and still happening. That guy "Pelon" thinks he is gonna retire from the Aztecas....lol!! He signed his life away all those years ago. As they say "Blood in Blood out".

[br7or13]

Orale.

[XChucoresident]

My mother told me about this program in my hometown of ELP..but I do not have cable. She was also impressed by it!

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Orale camarada... Quieres mas, o quieres un huevo?! La 915 homeboy...

[SA2EP?]

If there is one show that makes you not want to go to jail, Gangland is it.

[malamute]

I wonder if those two brothers that were killed the other day over in Socorro had a chance to watch this show.

[U pinales]

El paso has been the same since the late seventies early eighties, it just made mainstream america now..... El Paso Por Vida....V N E class of 85"

[jaxart]

Originally Posted by U pinales

El paso has been the same since the late seventies early eighties

I was a teenager growing up in one of El Paso's most affluent neighborhoods in the late 1940s, early 1950s and was a member of a "gang" known as "The Dukes." Our female counterparts were the "Duchesses." But what we did back then was child's play compared to what goes on in today's gang culture. We were vandals, and malicious at times, but without the influence of drugs that drives gang warfare today.

The name comes from the title of "The Amboy Dukes" novel by Irving Shulman about a Jewish street gang of the same name in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn during the 1940s.

There was a distinct separation between gangs in the El Paso high schools then, and the loosely organized gangs in South El Paso. I can recall one serious stabbing incident following a football game at Austin High School, and a few other random "rock fights" and such, but the more frequent serious injuries were among those who lived in South El Paso where the "culture of the blade" (switchblades, particularly) was more prevalent. This was also the era of the "Zoot Suits" that were trendy then, more so with the south side males.

[Rabona]

I grew up in EP at one time I lived in I guess what would be called south EP. I attended Bell or Beal elementary then attended Bowie. The area was poor, you had cholos but I never remember gang activity. Maybe I didn't know what gang activity was so I didn't know it was going on. I later moved and attended Burges, the area by far was much nicer but I can truly say I never felt un-safe in the Bowie area. I watched this show last night and it scared me! I have a gang member son in Denver Co. I just don't get the mentality - I heard one of the members say "It's better when they are yelling and begging for their life" - I guess as opposed to just shooting them dead on the spot. How can a person get pleasure from torturing a person. I worry every day that I will get the "We found your son dead" call, wish these members would think about that... I'm no longer in EP and probably would never return but I feel for those still there and hope that the violence can be controlled before it ends up like LA