Big Top Locos history

Discuss Hispanic / Latino gangs, Southsiders, Sureños, clubs, crews & varrios in LOS ANGELES COUNTY ONLY. There are four general geographic categories Hispanic gangs fall into for LA.
TheAngels
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Big Top Locos history

Unread post by TheAngels » December 21st, 2020, 7:20 pm

Anyone know this history of this set (BTLS 13)?

Here’s what I know so far (correct me if I’m wrong):

Their northern hood boundaries: Alvarado (W), Sunset (N), Glendale (E), Temple (S).

The southern part of their hood that connects to it: Union (W), Glendale (E), Beverly (S)

Started as “Big Top Boys Football Club” around 1981. Like a lot of gangs in the area from the 70’s to early 80’s, they started as a neighborhood football club. At some point in the 80’s they became Big Top Locos. Like Kitchen Crip, they take their name from a liquor store - the Big Top Liquor & Deli liquor store that used to be located at 1656 Temple Street. Neighborhood kids would go there to play video games, drink, etc. The liquor store was iconic in the area as it featured a giraffe-themed sign. The sign is still there today, and the building was bought by the animation company Screen Novelties, which I believe uses it as a studio. “Big Top Liquor” was removed and replaced with an x-ray of the giraffe’s neck and the words “Hi-Fi” were added for “Historic Filipinotown” (picture below).

It is said the first generation of BTLS were the kids and relatives of people from Temple Street and Diamond Street gangs who hung out together, as Big Top hood sits between both hoods. At some point Temple Street tried to make BTLS a clique, but they refused.

BTLS started north of Temple Street but would kick it south of Temple with Rockwood Street Locos. Around the late 80’s BTLS and Rockwood had beef, and eventually BTLS took over Rockwood’s hood south of Temple, including Rockwood Street itself. RWST13 is currently south of Beverly.

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