Punk Rock gangs

[Silencioso]

Punk rock gangs were big in the 80's to early 90s. They were the only white gangs in L.A. that the LAPD ever took seriously except outlaw bikers. Punk gangs included:

Suicidal Tendencies
Los Angeles Death Squad (Lads)
Fight For Freedom (FFF)
Kaos
Santa Monica Punx
Burbank Punk Organization
Mickey Mouse Club
The Family
Droogs
Hollywood Rat Patrol
Sacred Reich
Crazy Fucken Punx
West LA Punx
San Gabriel Skinz
The League
South Bay Skinz
others

ST, LADS and FFF were the main punk gangs.

Suicidal evolved into a regular gang and are still around. LADS became a skinhead gang in the early 90's and may still have a faction in the South Bay area. FFF was involved in a serious feud with Blythe Street in North Hollywood and took alot of heat from the LAPD for causing mayhem in their community and died out.

[BIG DUSTY LOCO]

I never heard of that FFF beef with Blythe Street. Blythe Street was crazy ass upstart varrio in the 80's, I'm not a fan of them either, but I seriously doubt that FFF could hold their own against Blythe. BST was giving BVN and a lot of other older SAN FER VALLEY VARRIOS a run for their money.

[BIG DUSTY LOCO]

A lot of those ST's were some japanese cats weren't they? Most of that stuff was music, and a lot of the V13 heads liked that type of music as well. Maybe they got passes for the music, but you know if it was a real varrio, any true rival would beat them down on sight. You know ST's didn't ride on Culver City or SM17st, didn't M. Muir live in SM? Also I knew a lil vietnamese cat from BPO. The Punk Rock scene was big back in the day. I just don't think those crews were really gangs in a sense, they were just a bunch of homies diggin' the music.

[Silencioso]

ST had a had quite a few asians and alot of Mexicans. But it was basically a white gang. The original ST's were mostly white dudes that had been involved in earlier short lived whiteboy gangs like Venice Warriors and Mar Vista 13.

Mike Muir was a member of Venice White Boys, the grandaddy white gang in the Venice/MV area. So was Emery Smith, ST's original base player. Alot of VWB's were into punk rock and sometimes called themselves Venice Punx. Some ST's also used that name. Muir was never a Suicidal Boy and he always emphasized that the ST band was not gang connected. He stated that on an MTV interview one time and was assaulted in his apartment by some ST gang members for saying that. After that he moved to OC, I think.

Traditionally white gangs in LA have been based on some larger scene or subculture. For example, SURFER gangs, STONER gangs, HEAVY METAL gangs etc. Territory was usually based on broad areas not specific neighborhoods. They only beefed with other gangs of their type. The punk gangs were basically a continuation of that tradition. Because punx were more violent than surfers and stoners, punk gangs were more violent. The punx were also bigger graffitti writers than their predessesors. This combination made punk gangs very visible. The LAPD definately took notice, although they didn't consider punk gangs to be a serious long term threat.

The beef with Blythe Street was basically what did in FFF. They tried to be a skinhead gang at one point but it didn't work out and they faded away.

LADS on the other hand were successful at being skins. They had a South Bay chapter that may still be around. They are mentioned briefly in a book on gangs from the mid 90's as a SoCal skinhead gang.

I don't remember ST beefing with any hard core gangs. Maybe Santa Monica. Their main rivalry was with LADS and Poserz.

PEACE

[BIG DUSTY LOCO]

Trip out. Yeah, I heard about Muir getting jumped by some ST's, by some samoan cat I think. So Rocky was never affiliated? VPunx, did you know a pinoy(filipino) named Rey in that? Yeah, the Stoners/Metalheads in the LOS were cats like MCS/MCLC and MS. A lot of skaters came up out of Mid City area...LOL Hosoi did...LOL. But eventually, they all stayed pretty much street gang and still exist as one today. Peace...

[Anonymous20]

I remember seeing Sacred Reich greaffiti near Fairfax and Wilshire towards Melrose. I actually met some of these guys before and see their S x R hit up everywhere. What happen to these guys??????

[Bulls Fan]

Suicidal Tendencies is a band last time I checked....

[Silencioso]

The ST GANG started as a clique that was made up of friends of the ST BAND. Over time they got more serious about being a gang. By the late 80's the ST BAND and the ST GANG had parted company. The last time I checked Mike Muir was not a well liked person in the Venice/Mar Vista area.

A recent list of Orange County gangs include "Fullerton Suicidal Gang" and "Suicidal Punx" as active gangs in OC. I don't know if there's any left in the Venice area.

[Bulls Fan]

lol what do punk gangs do? seriously though...whats their major line of business....its hard to fathom a "gang of punks" other than picturing them skating around or tagging shit for fun...i dont know...maybe theyre hard where you are...but i havent seen or heard of any...no offense

[moonstomp]

It's actually not unheard of for punk/skin crews to be founded upon a band's fanbase. Oxblood Skins in New York were the members and fans of a band by the same name. Also, in a way, every WP/NS skinhead crew is a fan club of Ian Stuart and Skrewdriver.

Maybe this has changed since the '80s, but these days, the punk and skin crews are pretty inactive on the gang scene. They mostly run the punk and skinhead scenes in their cities. Many put on shows, thus building connections with bands and crews from around the country. They also like to "run" shows, causing fights or generally proving their might, as was seen at Holidays in the Sun (a big, now defunct punk and Oi! music festival) in 2002, when people from Detroit, Chicago, L.A., New York, D.C. and many other places showed up sporting crew jackets and some carrying their city's flag proudly.

The only connection to other street gangs I've heard of is rumors that some of the more criminal-minded punk and skin crews have loose connections (mostly through members and their friends, rather than official "alliances") to the bigger street gangs, mostly used for protection during short prison stays. For example, a white guy normally doesn't stand much of a chance in Cook County, especially when he goes by the label 'punk' or 'skinhead.' With their connections though, they've had backing in County from the street gangs.

[Silencioso]

Punk gangs in LA were a phenomenon of the 80's-early 90's. By the mid 90's most had either became skinz or straight gangbangers or just died out. Thse gangs were not made up of harmless Green Day fans or skaters. The punk gang members (punx) were the same basic demographic that later started the Nazi Low Riders and Peckerwoods gangs - ie. alienated lower-middle and working class white boys. Their activities were comparable to black gangs in the 60's - early 70's - gang fights, graffitti, minor crime and general mayhem. Homicides were rare but occured.

Illinois has a different situation because Chicago has hardcore white gangs like Royals, 12th Street Players etc. Punk and skin crews there like ChiTown Mafia Skins and SHOC Boys occupy a different position in the gang world. My understanding is that whites in Illinois state prison usually usually ride with Royals or White D's (White GD members) or sometimes LK's. A punk or skinhead would obviously be out of place in that system. In California prisons the dominant white organization is Nazi Low Roders which is made up of Nazi skinz and PWood skinz. So a punk isn't as out of place as long as they get with the program.

[moonstomp]

I don't know how it works with the state prisons. However, the problem here is that the gangs in County aren't the prison gangs, they're the street gangs. Also, the punk/skin crews appear to be making their way back into the "more criminal" level across the country, especially out west. A couple years ago, two SHARP (Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice) skins were shot outside of Vegas. The murderer was found to be linked to a meth production ring, I do believe. Also, there was a WP skin who got in a barfight in CA and was recently arrested. He was connected to an ecstasy ring that was funding crime (and possibly domestic terrorism) across the country. I believe he was linked to NLR as well.

[BIG DUSTY LOCO]

From a homie that was there...

"RP"
mike muir was hated coz he fired louiche one of the original members in st. once he was out the suicidals called them selves VENICE PUNX in protest of louiche gettin the boot.
when mike got beat up and jump due to what he said .it was SOS turned suicidal than fuckem up .... this all ancient history man !!!!! to think of it all , i was playin at the parties while these other gangs that hated venice tried to shoot at us...
life of a venice rock star !!!!! hahahahah

[Silencioso]

Here's an intersting (but kind of weak) article on punk rock gangs in the 80's:

http://www.geocities.com/pachucoville/history.html

[Silencioso]

Here's an intersting (but kind of weak) article on punk rock gangs in the 80's:

http://www.geocities.com/pachucoville/history.html

[PREACH]

i can remember in westminster back in the late 80's there were fools out there banging ss/lads. and they were putting in werk on w13

[Silencioso]

Yeah, I remeber SS LADS. They had them in Torrance, too.

[Silencioso]

Yeah, I remeber SS LADS. They had them in Torrance, too.

[PREACH]

were the lads in torrance also during the 80's

[GIBBY]

Yeah, I remeber SS LADS. They had them in Torrance, too.

SS LADS were are in Norwalk/Lakewood South East Los areas. They were started by Gangster from the WS LADS. SS LADS turned into a full fledged barrio and were mostly chicanos after. The WS LADS were more of a friend self protection white punk crew in Hollywood back in the days. They wer around wsWF hood before around Sunset and spread out.

[Silencioso]

I always heard the SS LADS were more skinhead than punx. I think the cholo version of SS LADS was a short lived thing in Norwalk.

[K1LLJOY]

in lancaster thers punk gang call DRUNK PUNKS aka GADSDEN MAFIA

[Oxnard]

In Oxnard in the 80's there was a small group of punx that called themselves Nardcore. They hit up a diamond with 2 x's (ox) all over.

[creep alien]

In Oxnard in the 80's there was a small group of punx that called themselves Nardcore. They hit up a diamond with 2 x's (ox) all over.

RKL?
ILL REPUTE?

[L.E..]

most punks are bitches the ones i know....but 3 of my Cuhzins are punks bu they more G then punk niggas are little too tho they from baldwin park his brothers n Cuhzins is Gs to the death we dont really get along tho cuhz they surenos but he Ce tellin me all about punks and skins and the gangs n shit...they have lil Crews out here to protect them from the "dirtbikers"(Yall soCal niggas know what im talkin about) n them ese's.but they pretty Coo tho even the skins they Ce smashin on the white power niggas...

[istekse818]

I talked to a dropout skinhead seems like their very serious on pressing sharps.....he told me thell give a black passes but thell beat the shit out of a sharp

[BLUExBRINDLE]

has anyone heard of axs (aborto social)? they were formed after the band i believe. i see them hit up still around compton/nadeau, south gate, and they were deep in lynwood a while back.

[madseason23]

yeah B.P.O. IS STILL AROUNd MY GOOD FRIEND BREnT NOBLE THEY CALL ANIMAL STILL rIDES THERE.......BURBANK PUNK ORG FOREVER