In the early 70's, the ""Bloods"" were born. More out of necessity than anything else, the "Blood" sets were banded together to protect each other from the rampant Crip menace. The "Bloods" originated when Sylvester Scott and Vincent Owens started the "Compton Pirus", this gang started on West Piru Street in Compton. An event which assisted the rapid growth of the blood sets occurred when the Compton "Crips" had a difference of opinion with the "Pirus", the two gangs had a major fight and the outnumbered Pirus were badly beaten. This prompted a meeting between several fragmented gang sets on Piru Street, the "Denver Lanes", "Laurdes Park Hustlers", "Bishops" and "LA Brims" were in attendance. The "Pirus" aligned themselves with the "Laurdes Park Hustlers" and the "LA Brims", the Brims were eager to join alliance against the "Crips" as the "Crips" recently murdered a Brim gangster and the Brims were too small to exact revenge against the "Crips" without major reprisals. Other gangs who had been threatened or attacked by "Crips" incorporated into Blood sets as well. The Compton "red" gangs are called "Pirus", other "red" gangs such as the "Brims", "Bounty Hunters", "Swans" and "Family" refer to themselves as ""Bloods"". Numerically, the Blood sets are outnumbered by the Crip sets, but "Bloods" are well known for their "take no prisoners" ruthless and violence.
With all these gangs roaming in a relatively small section of the city, gangsters needed a method in which to ID each other, they wanted to avoid attacking gangsters from different sets, but same gang. "Crips" identify themselves with the color blue, this is believed to originate from the colors of Washington high school in south LA. Crip gangsters wear articles of blue clothing, blue and kerchiefs, shoelaces, hair rollers, hats, belts or sweat shirts. A blue article of clothing in a blood hood, can and will get you killed. Other dark colors have been used as well, such as black, brown and purple. If they are unsure of ones gang affiliation, they'll flash a gang "sign" which is basically a form of sign language made with the hands, they also refer to each other as "Cuz" or "Blood" depending to set affiliation.
"Bloods" ID each other with the color "red", school colors of Centennial High School, and obviously red is the color of blood. Like "Crips" who wear blue clothing, "Bloods" wear red. Another color may be used in relation to the name of the set, such as green for the Lime Hood Pirus. They refer to each other as "Blood"
British Knights is a brand of clothing. The company uses the logo BK on their products. Crips like BK clothes because they use BK as a way of signifying that they are Blood Killers (Bloods are a ofttimes considered a rival gang). Likewise, Bloods sometimes wear Kansas City CHIEFS jackets (the football team) to signify Crips Hated In Every F--king State.
These gang members are predominately Black, however, the Bloods have accepted other ethnic groups into the gang. Hispanics, Whites, Greeks, and Chinese member have been identified. In New York City jails, approximately 9% of the Bloods are Hispanic. These individuals engage in activities such as drug sales, robberies, car thefts, extortions, rapes, and murders.
To gain acceptance to the gang, individuals must "Blood-in." This means they must spill someone's blood, or have their own blood spilled. There are various ways (fights, slashing, assaults against law enforcement personnel, rapes, robberies, group sex for women blooding-in) to Blood-in, but blood should be spilled. Bloods trace their history to Chicago and Los Angeles, where open territorial fights are commonplace. The Bloods arch rival gang is the Crips. West Coast Bloods will not pronounce the letter "C," and will cross it out when writing.
In New York City, the Bloods have demonstrated a propensity for violent attacks against unknowing victims. Usually, victims are slashed across the face with little or no warning of the attack. Bloods have been identified in areas throughout New York City; Brooklyn's 77Pct. (Crown Heights), Queens' 100 Pct. (Far Rockaway), and Manhattan's 28 Pct. (11th Street).
In New York City jails, the Bloods have developed a reputation as a vicious gang. They have been responsible for over 50% of the stabbings and slashings throughout the Department of Corrections during the period covering April 1, 1997 - August 31, 1997 . The Bloods (approx. 500) have grown in number to where they now outnumber both the Latin Kings (approx. 350) and the Netas (approx. 350).
Bloods refer to the United Blood Nation, which in New York City jails encompasses the these Blood sets: Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods (NTG); Miller Gnagsta Bloods (MGB); Young Bloods; Valentine Bloods (VB); Mad Dog Bloods(MDB); One Eight Trey Bloods (183); Mad Stone Bloods (MSB); Gangsta Killer Bloods (GKB); Five Nine Brims(5-9 Brims); Sex Money Murder Bloods; Blood Stone Villains (BSV). Current intelligence shows the Mad Dog Bloods set is dismantled.
Bloods can be identified by their tattoos; two burned dots over a single burned dot. This represents a dog's pawóBloods refer to themselves as "dogs." Additionally, Bloods were colors of red, or clothing identified with the basketball team the Chicago Bulls.
Besides their tattoos and clothing, the Bloods display signs and speak in codes. One such sign is to curl the thumb and index finger until the meet to from a circle. The three remaining finger are extended straight-out. This hand is then placed against the stomach area, palm of the hand face down with thumb and index finger touching the stomach (solar plexus area). Next, the hand is moved in a circular motion, turning the palm of the hand face up, touching the pinkie finger and the wrist to the mid-sto mach area.
As this process is completed, a Blood will say "031," which translates to "I have love four you, Blood." The Bloods change their codes on a regular basis, and generally revert from new codes to old. Some codes are changed in their entirety. The current listing of Bloods codes is 16 pages in length. B.L.O.O.D (Blood Love Overcomes Our Depressions
The Bloods organizational structure is:
In general, every Bloods' function is to keep banging at all times. No Blood is better than the next. Each Blood is a soldier, putting in work (fighting), maintaining the superiority of all Bloods over their enemies.
Each set follow this structure, with an individual identified for each position. Because there are many different sets, the Blood leadership in the streets of New York is not strong. Different boroughs or areas are under different sets. In the jails, l eadership is strong, however individuals do attempt to form new sets so that they can assume leadership. This is however, frowned upon by the existing sets.The Bloods concepts of war are:
Bloods have a view of themselves as gangster, and as such, many have taken gang names (AKAs)of organized crime embers; Capone, Nitti, Baby Face Nel, Gambion, Scar Face.
Bloods use the letters "OG" when writing. OG is short for "original gangster."
The weapon of choice for this gang are razors, which the Bloods have proven to be experts at using. In the streets of New York, Bloods carry razor blades in their pockets, and in the jails, they have mastered the technique of carrying razors in their a nus or mouth.