A. Status- Pg. 96: The position that someone occupies in a social group (also called social status.)
In the documentary about MS-13, they speak about a member’s status. A status is someone’s role in a group. In this gang, there are subgroups and within these subgroups everyone has a status, a job and a role. For example, some people are labeled as hit men, others are recruiters and some are even the drug suppliers or middle men. A middle man is a person or people that transport the drugs to suppliers. These are only a few jobs or statuses members of this group. In this particular gang they have subgroups that are called cliques. Each of these cliques has a spokesman, which basically are the head of a certain clique. These leaders are hidden
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Status Symbol- Pg. 98: Indicators of a status, especially items in that display prestige.
Within this group, there are ways to recognize a member or members. First, there are status symbols; they are symbols that help others within the group or rivals to recognize or spot members. These symbols most the time are tattoos, the way individuals are dressed or hands signs that are thrown up while these men and women are on the streets. Many of the tattoos a member has will be MS, or devil horns. Other common tattoos are thirteen, teardrops near the eyes and any numbers that actually add up to thirteen. These are just a few of the symbols that indicates a MS member. The reason these members began tattooing was during the period in which most of these members where getting deported. This was a mechanism to help these only English speaking members to survive in El Salvador. More recent members see the tattoos as a way to show their involvement with the organization. Most of the younger members are excited about their first MS tattoo. Some of the other ways they can show their MS affiliation is with gang signs. These are signs that they do with their hands, arms or fingers. This is basically a second language or what they call a silent language. They use these symbols to also organize things like hits, muggings or other violent crimes without having to speak. The members will usually walk on separate sides of the street and communicate using these symbols and that’s
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The definition of street crimes as previously stated are crimes such as mugging, burglary, and gang related killings. MS-13 is a gang in which they have violent and brutal tendencies but also have several organized crime tendencies as well. For example, MS members in Central America are killing people and then removing the heads and genitals to feed to their dogs. They are known for killing, extorting, the brutal recruitment and initiation process. This is where they basically jump the new member with multiple guys for 10-30 seconds if not more. They also have a name for the way they treat traitors or betrayers. It is called check courting. This is the process in which someone is being punished for their betrayal of MS-13 in any way. Sometimes members are just beat up. Other times they are actually killed. The decisions of how the betrayer will be treated is based about the severity of his or her crimes. They also do have a drug trade system as well. This is another part of their street crime organization. They can supply anyone with anything as long as they pay enough for it. They can even get you any type of medication that you needed because they have doctors on their payrolls and they also have legal members in their pockets as well. They extort small businesses and any trucks or street vendors. This is because they are charging them for protection and the ability to sell or be parked in their
In the documentary of “The World’s Most Dangerous Gang” it reveals how it’s group gets followers. Children can be as young as eight and be recruited into MS 13. The name MS 13 is Mara Salvatrucha 13. Mara is the Spanish word for “group” or “clique”. Salvatrucha stands for “street smart”. The number 13 was chosen out of respect and because “M” is the thirteenth letter of the alphabet. When children or adults are adopted to this group they have to first go through the initiation process. This ritual consists of being beat up by members of MS 13 for thirty seconds.
The MS13 is a perfect example of a counterculture. They are a world within themselves. The gang is very organized and structured; there is hierarchy with the gang. There is a significant amount of money flow within the gang. A few ways the gang obtains money is by drug dealing, illegal weapons, vendors pay the gang to work in their territories and for their protection, and drug dealers also pay the gang to earn the right to sell drugs in their territories. There are laws and rules that a gang member must abide by. One very strict rule for a gang member is silence. If a gang member becomes informant and it is found out that they are, it will more than likely result in death for the informant. The breaking of laws and rules are punishable, even by death. They have a law system and law enforcement of their own. Check courting is a punishment served by the gang to gang members who break the laws of the gang. There are initiations one must endure to become a member of the gang. Jumping in is one of the initiations, a brutal thirteen second beating by multiple people at the same time. (World’s Most Dangerous Gang) There is a communication system within the gang. They use stacking to communicate, tattoos, graffiti, and an overall dialect that is unique to the gang. This counterculture exists internationally inside and outside of prison walls. Within the gang there are individual cliques, but when threatened they will come together and fight alongside one another. It is instilled in a gang member to kill to maintain territory and to acquire new territories. T...
Many join the "gang" to feel apart of something because they feel that they do not belong anywhere else. Then others join because they like looking "different"." White Supremacy on the Rise. by Mike Harpin) You can spot a Skinhead by their style.
They are a national gang. Of course, the gang is not as big here as where it originated in California. However, it is considered to be one of the largest gangs in the United States. That I do remember from gang class. Also, to be accepted into the gang, one must take a beating from members. This gang is known for violence and they do not hesitate to use extreme actions when protecting their turf against rivals or the police. They are big with the selling and distribution of crack cocaine, PCP along with other drugs. Other activities would be armed robberies, auto theft, assault and murder (Cruz, 2015).
According to the Cambridge Dictionary (n.d.), a gang is defined as, “a group of criminals that work together.” Gangs are a powerful force that is a constant threat against society. As of 2011, the National Gang Center (n.d.) estimates there to be 782,500 gang members in the United States alone. Mara Salvatrucha 13, also known as MS-13, is one of the biggest and most threatening gangs. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) (n.d.) believes Mara Salvatrucha 13 to have an estimated 10,000 members in the United States and several thousand other members in Central America. Joining a gang is justified by the need for protection, money, and promoting a self image. Joining an established gang, such as Mara Salvatrucha 13, results in a lifestyle change including a harmful induction, following a strict code, carrying out assignments, and a lifetime of loyalty.
Although there have been a few cases of Mexicans joining their ranks as well. A large portion of MS-13 members cover themselves in tattoos representing MS-13 and their achievements within the gang. Common tattoos include the "Devil Horns", "MS", "Salvatrucha", the name of their smaller clique within the gang.
One of the largest gangs in prison with all-white male members is The Aryan Brotherhood. Established in the 1960s in California, the brotherhood was created because whites felt that black and Hispanic inmates were taking advantage of them. To be a part of the Aryan Brotherhood inmates is put on a 6 month probationary period. Once initiation, members are required to “making-bones” meaning to kill someone. “The AB traffics in drugs and has a blood in, blood out rule; natural death is the only non-violent way out” (Carlie, Michael). The member are covered in different tattoos to be identified who they are, such as: double lightening bolts, the initials
...ad the running of these gangs. These groups have a common identification which is the use of symbols. These symbols are used to differentiate the various gangs and also act as a sign of identity.
As a result, status presents itself in almost anything. Especially in the novel, “BANG!” by Sharon Flake. In this novel, status, has a pretty huge role in Mann’s life. In the novel “BANG!” a character named Mann goes through many struggles in his life. An example would be the death of his little brother Jason. In the beginning of “BANG!” Jason gets killed while playing on the front porch. “That’s what happen to my little brother Jason. He was seven playing on our front porch.” (Page one, first paragraph) This starts and forms the way Mann looks at the
When they are expanding their operations to different cities. The Jurisdictions can Identify the Latin king member by the symbols, they are wearing or having tattoo’s that has the symbol in it. For example like: LION, LAK, A Son, Diamond, LKN, ALCN, ALKN, Cross, A Figure of a King Head that is known as a master, a five point crown. All of these symbols are consistent with the folk Nation Gangs.
Franco, C., (2007, May). The MS-13 and 18th street gangs:Emerging transnational gang threats, Retrieved from http://opencrs.com/document/RL34233/2007-11-02/download/1006/.
With some street gangs being relatively harmless, there are others such as Mara Salvatrucha that are becoming more fierce and territorial. The beginning of the MS-13 can be traced to Los Angles in the 1980s. * At first, Salvadoran families fled their country to escape the civil war, “that left more than 70,000 people dead and displaced a fifth of the population.” (Abadinsky, 188). “El Salvador is one of the poorest countries in Latin America with almost half of its population living in poverty.” (Abadinsky, 188). With the United States being known as the Land of Opportunity, the war and poverty combination was a good reason for Salvadorans to enter the U.S. and call it “home.”
The Gangster Disciples and the MS13 are two of the most notorious street gangs formed in the United States. These two groups are involved in a wide range of illegal criminal activities and have inflicted fear amongst many people. This paper will illustrate both the Gangster Disciples and MS13’s origin, history, crimes, their locations and the number of members included within each of these organizations. I will also explore the connection between rational choice theory and the arousal theory in connection with the two gangs; as well as compare and contrast the two gangs.
Our team presentation focused on three Latino gangs, MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha), the Mexican Mafia and the Los Surenos gang. My part of the presentation was to provide information on the type of crime these three gangs are known to commit. The crimes committed by the MS-13 gang are varied, violent, and take place all over the country. The FBI even put together a task force called the MS-13 National Gang Task Force in December of 2004 to try to put a stop to this gang’s activities. (www.fbi.gov). Los Surenos or Sur-13, originally based in Los Angeles, has also branched out from turf wars with rival gangs to “for profit”, violent crimes across the country. The Mexican Mafia has a similar story to tell as well in regards to gang crimes, which again range from respect crimes, and retaliatory violence to crimes for profit.
More recently, however, the Crips have begun to cease the use of colors as a means of identification, since it is likely to draw attention from police. Methods such as the use of college sport team jerseys and hats are sometimes used, but in general, what set a certain gang member claims can be determined solely by their tattoos.