New York Gangs Disappear

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31655, 16 April 1968, Page 8

New York Gangs Disappear

<N.Z. P A.-Jteuterl NEW YORK. Though the organised teen-age gangs which terrorised many New York districts in the late 1950 s and early 1960 s seem to have disappeared, the problem of juvenile delinquency continues in a new guise. Experts in the social Held say that teen-agers who once banded together in gangs with such exotic names as the Fordham Baldies, the Egyptian Queens, the Corona Dukes, the Marauders, and the Harlem Killers now often seek solitary solace with narcoties. The New York City Police Department reports that gangs are no longer a problem, although a file is still kept recording all offences, past and present, by youths under 21 years of age. While agreeing with the

police, the New York City Youth Board, the agency most intimately concerned with gangs during the height of their activity, is considerably concerned over the increased use of drugs among young New Yorkers, particularly those living in slums. The gangs were tightly-knit, ethnically-oriented groups, with members ranging in age from 12 to 22, dedicated to the defence of their neighbourhood territory, or “turf,” against the encroachments of rival gangs. Positions Defined Positions in a gang were strictly defined. A leader, who advanced to his position by virtue of his reputation as a fighter, made most of the major decisions. Subalterns usually had authority over particular aspects of gang activity, such as obtaining marijuana, stealing cars and carrying-out petty thefts. The youngest members, many of whom joined gangs as a means of self-protection, served as messengers and often carried weapons for the older members, who were

more closely watched by police. Many gangs had female auxiliaries or “debs,” who also served as runners, wea-pon-carriers and “molls." The biggest part of a gang’s activity was devoted to preparing for, and taking part in, battles with a rival gang over real or imagined territorial violations. These were violent affairs, in which youths used primitive, but savage, weapons to inflict serious injury and sometimes death. Bicycle chains, brass knuckles, wide leather belts with heavy metal buckles, and zip guns—metal tubing fitted with powerful rubber bands which propelled various missiles—were the most common weapons. Knives, pistols and sawn-off shotguns were part of a gang’s arsenal, but they were frowned upon under a generallyobserved code of honour as being unfair and putting a premium on force and brute strength. Police and youth board workers tried to channel the social instincts of gangs into

less aggressive pursuits. Social and athletic events were organised in an attempt to attract the members, but these events often became the setting for battles as rival gangs attempted to gate-crash. No Replacements All this has changed, however. As gang members grew older, went into military service, married, and got jobs, no-one came forward to take their place. The civil rights movement with its emphasis on nonviolence, attracted many Negro and Puerto Rican youths and gave them a greater social consciousness and less neighbourhood orientation. Others became increasingly involved with narcotics, and often turned to more lucrative crimes to get money to support their drug habits. One anti-poverty worker in New York says that the passing of the gangs and their rigid organisation was lamentable because “this could have been the kind of hierarchy we now lack in the slums and without which we cannot get things done.” A policeman, who agrees, says that warring gangs rarely [injured outsiders, while the drug addict frequently preys on an innocent victim in search for money or valuables. Social workers agree that drug addiction represents a far greater problem than the gangs. As one youth board worker put it: “A youth usually stayed with a gang for no more than three or four years. A junkie can be hooked for life.”