Detroit's gangs: Who they are and how to stop them.

**Linda from Detroit** · May-29-09, 07:15 PM

There have been some sort of gangs in Detroit for darned near a century that I am aware of. My dad used to tell me about how he could look out his bedroom window when he was young and watch the Purple gang members go in and out of their hideout back in the 30's. When I was growing up in the 50's and 60's I don't recall very much gang activity other than Mafia related and some motorcycle gangs such as the Renegades, Highwaymen, etc. The big drugs gangs didn't really get started until probably the late 60's - early 70's. I was never into drugs, so I might be a little off on that. Where I'm living right now is starting to had trouble with drug runners from Detroit bringing their stuff here and selling it. A few years ago several teens were shot in front of one of their homes on prom night over drugs. Since then the police have really started to clean things up...but it's very rare that a month goes by we don't read about another drug dealer from Detroit being caught. Sad how that stuff is spreading all over.

**Red Devil** · May-29-09, 11:04 PM

Here's a link to the first part of the Detroit "Gangland" episode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rubSBSDHSZI

**MizMotown** · March-30-10, 11:42 AM

National Geographic Channel & Gang Squad
http://channel.nationalgeographic.co.../4293/Overview

Various Old Skool Street Gangs
http://www.stonegreasers.com/greaser/detroit.html

How Detroit gang got to New Castle
Tactic of using teens as drug couriers invented by Young Boys Incorporated

Sunday, March 05, 2006
By Milan Simonich, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

DETROIT -- The gang called Young Boys Incorporated started here and changed the face of drug dealing.
Adults in their 20s and 30s took children from the streets and hired them to be couriers of crack cocaine. The kids would have most of the confrontations with police. Meantime, those behind the illicit operation would hide themselves and the money their couriers brought in.
If police caught the young drug runners, their juvenile status would protect them from adult punishment. Those who escaped the law would pocket a little money and learn about the business of operating a drug gang.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06064/665355-85.stm

Current Gangs
As in most major cities, Detroit is home to a number of violent and pernicious gangs. Detroit has a particular circumstance they may find attractive- though its city limits encompass a large area, its population is relatively small. This means there are are vast numbers of abandoned buildings and houses that the gangs can make use of.......
http://www.examiner.com/x-19336-Detr...-violent-gangs

**MizMotown** · March-30-10, 11:57 AM

lol... It is National Geographic INSIDE that will be airing the episode on Detroit Gang Squad on April 14 @ 10pm.

**Detroitnerd** · March-30-10, 11:59 AM

Detroit can't afford gangs.

Seriously, though, my favorite gang name ever was from the 1970s: "the Coney Oneys," a bastardization of "the Corleones."

**Cincinnati_Kid** · March-30-10, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Detroit can't afford gangs.

Seriously, though, my favorite gang name ever was from the 1970s: "the Coney Oneys," a bastardization of "the Corleones."

Here's another one, "The Errol Flynns" could this one be named after that "dashing" actor of the 30's ??

Or the murder for hire gang, "Best Friends".

**Danny** · March-30-10, 01:14 PM

There are some gangs and new gang cliques poping up in Detroit's Ghettohoods:

Joy Rd's, Chi-town, E. Warrens, The Gunstons, Mack Ave, Fenkell Boys, P-Rock, Zone 8, 6 Miles, 7 Mile Dogs, E. 7 Miles, The NFL's, Clown Sqauds, G-Monts,

Other Gang Chapters are in Detroit

Crips, Bloods, Gangsta Disciples and Latin Kings.

**MizMotown** · March-30-10, 01:35 PM

More on the Errol Flynns
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Errol_Flynns

**MizMotown** · March-30-10, 01:45 PM

Interesting to know that Judge Mathis was once part of the Errol Flynns. Bet it took a long, long time for him to get his law license.

**TenKGent** · April-05-10, 04:38 PM

i do remember when the "BK's" and ErrolFlynn's and 'ConeyOney's' ran the streets. The Freep and the News had accounts almost daily. i 'walked wide' those days.

**ct_alum** · April-05-10, 05:05 PM

Danny:

I think that the "E. Warrens" you refer to is actually "East Warren Posse". All of the "EWP" tagging that you see on the far east side is theirs.

I also loved the Errol Flynns and Coney Oneys.....ah, the 70's. Anybody remember people getting killed over Max Julian jackets?

**Lt. Dan Bassett** · April-05-10, 06:28 PM

GSM [[green street mafia). still active?

**EastsideAl** · April-05-10, 06:29 PM

The thing I remember most about the "Earl Flynn's" [[correct pronunciation) was their dance. The central hand-pumping element also went well with a straight up Freaky Deaky.

LodgeDodger · April-05-10, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by TenKGent

i do remember when the "BK's" and ErrolFlynn's and 'ConeyOney's' ran the streets. The Freep and the News had accounts almost daily. i 'walked wide' those days.

What is the meaning of that term? Thanks.

**Jimaz** · April-05-10, 06:39 PM

I interpreted it to mean "avoided." I've never heard the phrase before.

**R8RBOB** · April-05-10, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by ct_alum

Anybody remember people getting killed over Max Julian jackets?

I remember those days. When every young Detroiter wanted Max Julians and black Kangaroo boots and plenty of Detroiters were getting "checked in" for both of those items.

The 80's were rough in the D. If it wasn't Max Julians, it was sheepskins or Marc Buchanans or Starter jackets or Top Tens or Filas or Jordans somebody was going to get checked in.

**detroitsgwenivere** · April-05-10, 09:48 PM

I love when people try to make out Detroit as some hot bed for gangs. Give me a break. A real gang has hundreds even thousands of members and is quite visible. Big cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago estimate gang membership in the hundreds of thousands. Even smaller midwestern cities like St. Louis and southern ones like Little Rock have significantly more gang violence than we do. I think the notion of a gang problem is blown out of proportion so that the city has a reason to garner federal grant money for their notorious gang squad.

The groups named above that are currently active are more like "block sets," groups who are fighting to maintain drug turf. Most of the drug related shootings are between groups of young people numbering no more than 10-15. The drug dealers I've spoken to [[I know that sounds bad but when you live in a dope hood this is inevitable) say they would never maintain a big gang because A. they become too visible to police, and B. Everyone is cutthroat and out for themselves. These kids are no dummies believe me. Good math skills, business entrepreneurship, and customer service are only some of the skills these kids possess in order to maintain profit generation. I found myself trying to convince these kids to go back to school so many times I can't count. They would always say they had to make money somehow and they weren't willing to bust their ass at a fast food joint for BS money. Hard to argue with them. If only these kids had good mentors....

**dove-7** · April-06-10, 12:12 AM

Originally Posted by detroitsgwenivere

I love when people try to make out Detroit as some hot bed for gangs. Give me a break. A real gang has hundreds even thousands of members and is quite visible. Big cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago estimate gang membership in the hundreds of thousands. Even smaller midwestern cities like St. Louis and southern ones like Little Rock have significantly more gang violence than we do. I think the notion of a gang problem is blown out of proportion so that the city has a reason to garner federal grant money for their notorious gang squad.

The groups named above that are currently active are more like "block sets," groups who are fighting to maintain drug turf. Most of the drug related shootings are between groups of young people numbering no more than 10-15. The drug dealers I've spoken to [[I know that sounds bad but when you live in a dope hood this is inevitable) say they would never maintain a big gang because A. they become too visible to police, and B. Everyone is cutthroat and out for themselves. These kids are no dummies believe me. Good math skills, business entrepreneurship, and customer service are only some of the skills these kids possess in order to maintain profit generation. I found myself trying to convince these kids to go back to school so many times I can't count. They would always say they had to make money somehow and they weren't willing to bust their ass at a fast food joint for BS money. Hard to argue with them. If only these kids had good mentors....

Ditto. Detroit use to have a lot of gangs during the 70's but Coleman Young changed a lot of that when he first got in office.

Back during those years, there were gangs also in Pontiac. But like Detroit, the gangs decreased. L.A., Chicago, New York gangs are where the real gangs are at. The gangs are both cliques, organizations etc. that is damn near it's own population.

Most of what currently exist have more to do with the influence of the west coast and a bit of the Midwest [[Chicago), but also goes back to the west coast, due to some of the gangs from there setting up shop next to Chicago's long time established gangs.

The lack of gangs in Detroit may have more to do with the smaller population compared to most cities, but the existing gangs there is more related to my example posted above.^ Eventually you'll see the Mara 13 there. They seem to adapt in both major cities and small towns more than the other gangs.

**Meddle** · April-06-10, 12:50 AM

Detroit use to have a lot of gangs during the 70's but Coleman Young changed a lot of that when he first got in office.

Yeah, he moved the thugs into the Manoogian Mansion.

**Django** · April-06-10, 01:43 AM

I agree with Gwen an Dove.

The gang activity I see here on the East side is mainly kids trying to start a gang. You'll see tags of so called gangs but I have yet to hear of a specific gang by word of mouth on the corner.

I used to see some GSM tags all around but never heard about them or read about them other than by graffiti.

I would assume YBI was Detroits last big gang.

**mauser** · April-06-10, 03:39 AM

7 mile corridor, far east side. Plenty of representation if you want to see an area saturated with gang activity. Bright red for the 7 Mile Bloods - and you will see it on almost every person some days. Plenty of shootings, plenty of wheel chairs and crutches. Incessant car jackings and B&Es.

**ggores** · April-06-10, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by ct_alum

Danny:

Flynns and Coney Oneys.....ah,

Coney Oneys? I don't think so. It was.... Sconi Oni.

**kraig** · April-06-10, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by ggores

Coney Oneys? I don't think so. It was.... Sconi Oni.

Thank you. I knew that somebody would get the name right before I got to the bottom of the posts.

To say that Detroit doesn't have gangs or a gang problem is to live in complete denial. I was amused at the description of Detroit having drug dealers that operated in groups and fight to protect their turf. Uhhhh, sounds like a gang to me.

What we have to acknowledge is that our gangs are somewhat smarter than a bunch of idiots who still wear colors and advertise that they're a gang. They're in it moreso for profit than anything else, so don't expect them to spend their time setting up a rumble. But, do expect for that kid on the corner to have plenty of back-up if you have to deal with him.

DPS found out about gang existence in Detroit very quickly when it closed schools a few years ago and unknowingly had rival gangs consolidated at the same schools. Gangs exist in Detroit still, big time.

**TenKGent** · April-06-10, 09:48 AM

'walk wide' simply meant [[means) be aware of your surroundings, where you are, and who's there. be careful

**TenKGent** · April-06-10, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by R8RBOB

I remember those days. When every young Detroiter wanted Max Julians and black Kangaroo boots and plenty of Detroiters were getting "checked in" for both of those items.

The 80's were rough in the D. If it wasn't Max Julians, it was sheepskins or Marc Buchanans or Starter jackets or Top Tens or Filas or Jordans somebody was going to get checked in.

yes...they were shooting for Max Julien's, and Starter jackets. i didnt buy Starters for my sons until we moved to Ohio. they had Pistons' and Bulls' jackets.