The Bloods are a gang founded in Los Angeles in California. This gang is known largely for his rivalry with the Crips. It is marked with red color worn by its members and by individuals, including gang symbols and signs of distinct handshakes. The Bloods are made up of various sub-groups also called "sets" between which significant differences exist such as colors, clothing, operations and political ideologies that may conflict with each other. Since their inception, the Bloods gangs have dispersed and expanded throughout the United States .

The Bloods gang has been initially formed in 1972 to compete with the influence of the Crips in Los Angeles. The Pirus are considered the founders of origin of the Bloods. Indeed, during the summer of 1972 the Crips and the Pirus Compton conflict. The Pirus were fewer and the Crips prevailed. The Pirus then turn to the Lueders Park Hustlers asking for their help. They agreed and a meeting is held on Piru Street. As the Crips killed a member of LA Brim earlier this year, their Pirus also ask to join them. The Denver Lanes and the Bishops are also present at the meeting. At that time, groups of Crips still exceed the number of groups in the proportion of Bloods three to one. To assert their power despite this difference in numbers, groups of Bloods have become increasingly violent, especially towards members of the rival Crips . . During the rise of crack and cocaine , the gang has instead focused on the production of hard drugs. Bloods groups operate independently and are each currently located in almost all states of the United States. CUL groups on the East Coast are often considered to be affiliated with the United Blood Nation , a gang originating Rikers Island .

The United Blood Nation , simply called the Bloods, formed in 1993 within the prison system of the City of New York on CDGM (George Mochena Detention Center) on Rikers Island, sometimes called C 73. The CDGM was used to isolate the problem remains held at the detention center. Before this period, the Latin Kings gang was the most prevalent and organized within the prison system of New York. The Latin Kings , relying mostly Hispanic members, were prisoners of African American violence. These African American inmates, organized by some of the most violent offenders and charismatic, have formed a protection group which they called the United Blood Nation. This United Blood Nation , which was actually a prison gang, emulating the Bloods gangs in Los Angeles in California. Several of the leaders of this newly created prison gang formed eight groups of origin Bloods to recruit in their neighborhoods across New York .

By 1996, thousands of members of the Bloods street gang stood as a major force among gangs and continued a campaign for regular recruitment. At that time, the bloods were more violent than other gangs but much less organized. Many attacks (using razor blades or knives) were reported during robberies and discovered to be initiations into the Bloods. This blood as ritual became the trademark for the Bloods. Bloods recruited throughout the East Coast.

Membership

Bloods refer to an organization of smaller street gangs with a looser structure, known as "groups", which adopted a common gang culture. Each group has its own and generally operates independently of the others. Most members of the Bloods are men of Afro-American, but some groups have recruited female members as well as members of other ethnic origins. The age of members ranges from early teens to mid-twenties, however, some retain their leadership positions until their late twenties and thirties up occasionally.

There is no national leader known for the Bloods, but groups of individual Bloods have a hierarchical leadership with membership levels separate and identifiable. These levels indicate the member's status in the gang. A leader, a member typically older with more extensive criminal backgrounds, leads each group. The group leader is not elected, but rather affirmed in developing and managing the gang's criminal enterprises by its reputation for violence and cruelty as well as by his personal charisma. The majority of group members are called "Soldiers", and are generally aged between 16 and 22 years. Soldiers have a strong sense of belonging and commitment to their group and are extremely dangerous because of their willingness to use violence both to gain respect from other gang members and to meet any person who violates not the group. The "Associates" are not full members, but identify with the gang and take part in various criminal activities. If women are part of the gang, they are usually associated members and tend to be used by their male counterparts to carry weapons, keeping the drugs, or prostitute themselves in order to earn money for their group.

Recruitment is often influenced by the environment of the recruitment. Bloods recruited massively at the school-aged children, predominantly African American communities in the poorest. Membership in gang gives young people a sense of belonging and protection. It also offers instant gratification for being economically disadvantaged youth who see the pitfalls of gang life: gold jewelry, silver, clothing, expensive sports cars, etc..

Identification

A sign of the Bloods gang

Bloods members identify themselves by using different indicators such as colors, clothing, symbols, tattoos, jewelry, graffiti, language, signs and handshakes. The color of the Bloods gang is red. They like to wear casual clothing, including jackets, the company "Starter" which shows the color of their gang. Some of their favorite sports teams include the 49 ^ers of San Francisco , the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Bulls. They are also known to wear the Cowboys of Dallas , whose logo includes a five-pointed star.

The symbols most commonly used by the Bloods include the number "5", the five-pointed star and five-pointed crown. These symbols want to show affiliation with the Bloods and People Nation, a broad coalition of subsidiaries created to protect members of the alliance through the federal prison system and state. These symbols can be seen in tattoos, jewelry and clothes that the gang members wear and more power will also find graffiti on the members, which are used by the Bloods to mark their territory. Many graffiti include gang name, nicknames, declarations of loyalty, threats against rival gangs or a description of crime in which the gang was involved. Bloods graffiti may also include the word "Piru", which refers to the fact that the former Bloods gang was formed by individuals of the Piru Street in Compton in California.

Bloods graffiti can also include symbols of a rival gang (especially those of the Crips) who are drawn backwards. This is intended to insult the rival gang and its symbols. Bloods members also have a unique language. Bloods greet each other by using the word "Blood" and often avoids the use of words with the letter "C". Finally, the Bloods use signs and handshakes to communicate. It can be a single movement, like the letter "B" of American Sign Language , or series of movements using one or both hands for more complex sentences. Insiders of the United Blood Nation and the East Coast Bloods often receive a mark with a dog paw, represented by three points often burned with a cigarette on their right shoulder. Other symbols of the United Blood Nation include the bulldog and the bull .

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