Bloods

Bloods
A traditional gang sign of the Bloods which spells out the word blood.
Founded:	Summer of 1972
In:	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
By:	Pirus, Lueders Park Hustlers, Brims, Denver Lanes and the Bishops joined forces
Years active:	1972-present
Territory:	Los Angeles, most big cities in the U.S.
Ethnic makeup:	Mostly African-American
Membership:	25,000-30,000
Criminal activities:	Drug trafficking, robbery, extortion, murder
Allies:	People Nation
Rivals:	Crips, Folk Nation, Mara Salvatrucha

The Bloods are one of Los Angeles, California street gangs. They are identified by the red color worn by their members, and their gang symbol is the word "blood" spelled out with their hands. The Bloods are made up of various sub-groups known as "sets" between which significant differences exist such as colors, clothing, and operations. Since their formation the Blood gangs have branched out throughout the United States, and have even influenced youth groups using the same name in Europe.^[1][2]

History

Starting in late 1971, the Avalon Garden Crips, Inglewood Crips and various other Crip sets joined forces. They began to expand to non-Crip gang territories such as those controlled by The L.A. Brims, a powerful street gang that had been formed in 1969. Due to the encroachments of the Crips, several gangs eventually became part of the Blood family, including the Bishops and Athens Park boys. The Denver Lanes also had conflicts with the Crips, but were outnumbered and eventually became unknown in California for some time. The Piru Street Boys, who presented a powerful force in Compton, actually collaborated with the Crips prior to 1972, as the Crips had affected the Piru neighborhoods. The gang sign was eventually developed using the hands.

Entertainers with Bloods affiliations

• B-Real^[3]
• DJ Quik (Tree Top Pirus)^[4]
• Suge Knight (Mob Pirus)^[5]
• The Game (Cedar Block Pirus)^[6]

Notes

• According to a Los Angeles Weekly profile, the Bloods generally refuse to use the letter C in words and names, often replacing C with B for Bloods or appending a K, to form CK, meaning crip killer^[7]
• Bloods also wear their "colors" on their right side, often with bright red shoe laces, a red belt, or a red bandana in the back right pocket.^[8]
• The Bloods, as well as other gangs such as the Hells Angels, are sometimes mistakenly said to practice an initiation ritual that involves driving at night with their headlights off and murdering the first motorist who flashes their own headlights at them.^[9]

See also

• List of California street gangs
• Crips

References

• Yusuf Jah, Sister Shah'keyah, Ice-T, UPRISING : Crips and Bloods Tell the Story of America's Youth In The Crossfire, ISBN 0-684-80460-3

External links

• Listing of Los Angeles based Bloods neighborhoods