A History of East Coast Mexican Gangs
Mexican gangs have been forming in the United States for as long as the company has had Mexican immigrants. On the East Coast, however, Mexican gangs are a relatively recent phenomenon. In the past years, East Coast cities have experienced an increase in the creation of gangs consisting of Mexican nationals. These gangs are largely “border brothers” gangs. In Spanish, border brothers are called ‘Hermanos de la Frontera.’ Border brothers are usually illegal immigrants from the same region in Mexico or those who have illegally entered the United States at the same time. These border brothers may initial join together for social functions and protection. After a short time, they operate like any other gangs.
Many of these Mexican gangs forming on the East Coast maintain strong ties to Mexico and Mexican traditions as well as their relatives across the United States. The favorite holiday for celebration among Mexican immigrants in the United States is Cinco De Mayo, the Fifth of May, which is the observance of the Battle of Puebla. The Battle of Puebla, which was fought on May 5th, 1862, was a battle of freedom against the French army’s attempt to takeover the town. A Mexican army consisting of Mexican soldiers and local citizens armed with farm tools, which totaled two thousand strong, defeated an attack by six thousand French soldiers. Other important dates in the Mexican culture are Mexican Independence Day, September 16th and Revolution Day, November 20th. Observance of these holidays by Mexican American citizens should not be marred by the presence of gangsters. It is important for law enforcement officers to monitor such celebrations for the purpose of insuring the safety of those in attendance.
Many believe that NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), enacted in 1993, which promised an increase in national employment rate of Mexico, is partly the blame for the influx of illegal Mexican immigrants into the United States. Others feel the doubling of the unemployment rate during 1993 to 1995 and the drop in hourly wages to the lowest in Mexico since 1980, which resulted in the Peso Crisis, greatly contributed to the illegal exodus from Mexico during these years.
Mexican gangs forming on the East Coast during the mid and late 1990’s have undergone a metamorphosis from unsophisticated loose knit social cliques to violent street gangs with strengthening alliances. During this time, Mexican street gangs found themselves at odds with many rival gangs of different ethnic backgrounds as well as other Mexican ‘Border Brothers’ gangs. As a result, an alliance similar to the People/Folk street gang alliance in the Midwest, was formed. The two ‘umbrella’ nations created were “La Gran Raza” (The Great Race or Nation) and “La Gran Familia” (The Great Family). In the following chart, this alliance is illustrated. Keep in mind that all Mexican street gangs are not members of this alliance and this alliance may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Sources state that each nation is also affiliated with a powerful Mexican prison gang. La Gran Raza is allegedly affiliated with La Eme (The Mexican Mafia) and La Gran Familia is allegedly affiliated to Nuestra Familia.
La Gran Raza
(Mexican Mafia)
- The Mexican Boys
- Crazy Homies
- Chidos Picudos Cachandos
- Wild Chicanos
- Santaneros
- Santiago Mujacan
- Reyes Locos
- Cuatro en Quietos Pitufos
- La Mugre
- Los Cholos
- Palomos
- Vente Seis
- Los Primos
- Necios
La Gran Familia
(Nuestra Familia)
- Ninos Malos
- Southside
- Night and Day
- Border Brothers
- Traviesos (NY)
- 18 th Street
- Carnalitos
- 13 Malditos
- La Onda
- Sureno Trece
- LA 13
- Brown Pride
- Vagabondos
- Compadres
- La Cien
- Las Tremendas
- Escandolosos
- Gueristos
- Barrio Kings
- La Raza Mexicana
- Cacos Carnalitos
- La Hermandad de Pistoleros Latinos
Mexican Gangs with Unknown or no Affilaition
- Vatos Locos
- La Raza
- Sons Of Mexico
- El Escuadron
- Chacas
- Chicano Nation
- Rincoenas
- Los Playeros Tres Puntos
- Traviesos (NJ)
- 13 Locos
- M-18 (Diez y Ocho)
- Vagos
- Sombras
- Los Locos
- Los Toros
Mexican Street gangs on the East Coast have taken on similar traits to other street gangs. Initially, these gangs were social in nature and seldom interacted with other groups unless they were involved in heavy drinking binges. Their structure was loose-knit. Today these gangs are more like their American counterparts. The leadership roles are usually taken by the most violent member of the gang. This leader assigns the second in command and issues orders to the soldiers. He will be called “Mero Mero” which means chief or godfather. These gangs, which started with victimization of their own people and other Mexican gangs, have slowly developed, in some cases, into drug dealing gangs. During a debriefing, a member of Chidos Picudos detailed the initiation rite of his gang.
(Translated) “They take you to a street corner, usually near a subway or bus stop. They give you a gun and tell you to stick-up a person for their money. After the stick-up, we meet at a park or schoolyard. …we’ll buy a couple of forties with the cash and drink until we get so messed up that we start fighting with anyone around…!”
Mexican street gangs, until recently, have been careful to claim turf in a neighborhood or at a local hangout. Their status as illegal aliens made them cautious to settle into one area for too long. In the past few years, with their continued delving into the drug trade, they have been visibly claiming turf and regularly marking their territory. Turf is not just a barrio anymore, it’s a place of business for these gangsters to sell drugs, extort money from local businesses and commit robberies on passersby. Their marking of turf through straightforward graffiti is evidence of their bold new style of gang banging.
Mexican gang graffiti is more simplistic and to the point than other street gang graffiti. In the picture above, “Vagos” is abbreviated by taking the first letter of the gang name, the middle letter and last letter to make up the gangs version of an acronym. (V.G.S.) This abbreviation technique is extremely common to Mexican gangs on the East Coast. Their graffiti seldom uses symbols and needs almost no interpretation. As is plainly stated in the picture, Vagos are prominent around the area of West 116 Street. Gangs like Vagos (aka ‘Los Vagos’) and other Mexican gangs will frequently insert a reference to “100%” which means “100 % gangster” or “I am in this gang life 100%.”
Maybe their graffiti is less symbolic than other gangs but their tattoos are highly symbolic in nature. Common to these gangsters is a picture of a pair of praying hands. These praying hands signify praying to God for forgiveness. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the favorite patron saint of Mexicans and a common icon tattoo worn by gang members. Another common tattoo/symbol is the “Cholo” symbol which signifies the struggle for acceptance in America during the 1940’s, is frequently tattooed on the bodies of Mexican Gang members. “Choloization” is the transition an individual makes away from the surrounding culture into a sub-culture. This is viewed by Mexicans and Mexican American youth as their new socialization into a gang. During the early 20th Century Mexican American youth donned “Zoot Suits” as an expression of their individuality. The subculture of the Zoot-Suiters was blamed for the Zoot Suit Riots in 1943 in which an altercation between sailors and Zoot Suiters resulted in a ten-day riot in Los Angeles, California. It is still unclear, today, which group was the real blame for the 1943 melee.
These tattoos are extremely meaningful to the Mexican gang banger. Phrases tattooed on their bodies like “Mi Vida Loca” (My Crazy Life) and “Perdoname Mi Madre” (Forgive Me Mother) is also symbolic of their awareness of their gangster life and how it is unaccepted by their family and others. These words or phrases will be tattooed in Old English style of printing. Many Mexican Gangsters will tattoo the web of their hands with drawings symbolic of their specialty within the gang. These hand tattoos are common among other Latino gangs present throughout North America. In some hardcore cases, these symbols will be burned into the hand. Mexican gang turf during the middle 1990’s on the East Coast was mostly temporary or non-existent. These gangs, which consisted of illegal aliens, were hesitant to remain in one neighborhood for any significant length of time. They were very nomadic and fled to neighborhoods miles away at the slightest hint of pressure from the authorities. They were careful to write graffiti and tags inside of buildings rather than out. As the late 1990’s rolled in, Mexican gangs were claiming turf and hanging out in large groups without worry. Graffiti, marking their turf, became bold and superfluous. Large graffiti tags with the gang’s name and membership roll call became commonplace. Common turf for such gangs were neighborhoods with small apartments near restaurants and stores where they were employed. Today, these gang members will travel miles to work and stand on busy street corners in “shape-up” groups to obtain a days work from contactors seeking cheap labor.
Making money is another use for the gang’s turf. Street corner drug sales are becoming more popular with the Mexican gangs. As drug use increased among gang members and other Mexicans, the demand brought the gangs into the new millennium. Gangs claiming turf in highly traveled areas of some cities are gaining quite a clientele of drug customers and raking in profits. Many of these customers are from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
Most Mexican gangs prefer the colors of the Mexican flag (picture above) as their gang’s representative colors. The colors of the Mexican flag are Green, White and Red. There are, however, several gangs that have adopted other colors. On the East Coast, many Mexican gangs have adopted beads with their representative colors. They were influenced by other Hispanic gangs like the Latin Kings, La Familia and Netas which were using beaded necklaces since the 1980’s. Beads, bandanas and color-coordinated clothing are now standard for Mexican gangs. When checking for a gang’s colors or markings, look under a gangster’s hat, on the rear of a belt, inside a knapsack or inside a pant’s pocket. Mexican gang members are used to hiding their affiliation from the larger, more violent gangs like the Bloods and Latin Kings. And because of the recent violence connected to Mexican gangs, they will hide their affiliation from the Police.
Most violence involving Mexican gangs involves other Mexican Gangs and their own countrymen. Incidents of Mexican gang violence will occur after a disrespectful act (dis’) by a rival gang member precipitated from a shout out at a nightclub, party or celebration. When rival gangs are present at such functions, it doesn’t require much of an incident to start an altercation. Other acts of violence can occur when there is no other rival gang in sight but an opportunity to show their “machismo.” These acts often occur during Baptism celebrations, weddings, sweet sixteen parties and other family gatherings crashed by Mexican gangsters who are friends with the DJ or one of the attendees. Mexican gangsters will crash the party drunk and take any opportunity as a chance to show his worth and gain respect in the eyes of his “vatos” (homies). Other forms of disrespect among Mexican gangs have been shown in graffiti cross-outs, written derogatory statements or aggressive paintings, drawings and murals. One such derogatory drawing was seized from a member of the Chicano Nation (CN) who shows himself tearing off the head of the leader of their rival gang, La Escuadron (SDN). Also depicted is the crossing out of Escuadron graffiti by Chicano Nation on the side of a building. Take notice of the statement “Carnalitos hasta la muerta!” This means brothers until death.
Mexican gangs have their own form of spoken and written language that is evident in their graffiti and conversation. Some of words, phrases, terms, gang name translations or numbers to be aware of:
- 13 = Depicts the letter M; refers to southern California
- 14 = depicts the letter N; refers to northern California
- Barrio = (Varrio) Neighborhood
- Cacos = Local Thieves
- Carcel = Jail
- Carnal (es) = Brother (s)
- Chaca = Indian Warrior
- Chicano = Mexican American
- Cholo = Gangster. Chola = Female gangster
- Cuetes = Gun, explosive, firecracker
- Salto; En salto = Jump in (initiation)
- Ese = “Hey”;” What’s up?”
- Ese’s = Chicanos; fellow gang members
- Guerrero = Warrior
- Hasta La Muerte! = Until death!
- Hueros = Whites; Anglos (Caucasians)
- Hura = Police
- Jefe = Boss
- Jura = Police
- La Eme = Mexican Mafia
- La Mugre = Filthy ones
- Maldito = Wicked One
- MVL = Mi Vida Loca
- NF or Ene Efe = Nuestra Familia
- Norteno = Someone from Northern California
- Paca = Gang beating
- Pachuco(a) = Gangster; Cholo
- Pedo = Trouble
- Pitufos = Smurfs
- Placa = Tag or nickname
- Playero = Beachgoer
- PMV = Por Mi Vida
- Por Mi Vida = For my life
- Primo = Cousin
- Puto Marks = Cross outs (graffiti)
- Rata = Rat: Snitch
- Raza = Race
- Sombras = Shadows
- Sureno = Someone from Southern California
- Travieso = Misfit
- Vago = Vagrant
- Vato = Homie
- VL = Vato Loco
- XIII = 13
- XIV = 14
- XVIII = 18
Maintaining close tabs on Mexican gangs is important. While they are increasing in numbers, rapidly, they are stepping up their acts of violence. Many times, innocent people are victims of their violent behavior, especially those who are celebrating a family function when the gangsters decide to crash. There are several murders still under investigation that have not been solved with an arrest of a perpetrator. These gangsters are spreading to all types of neighborhoods, cities and towns. Rural areas with farms to work, major cities with restaurants to man and suburban areas with construction jobs to complete are prone to these types of gangs forming. These gang members will offer identification when approached by law enforcement. Mounting numbers of fraudulent alien cards, driver’s licenses and social security cards are being confiscated from gang members. When dealing with them, analyze their documents carefully. Most importantly, Mexican gang members can be very dangerous! This can be true for three reasons. First, they consider themselves Cholos (gangsters) and are probably involved in criminal activity, second, they view law enforcement as their enemy and third, they may be an illegal alien!
