Compare And Contrast The Crips Gang Families

The groups that I am comparing and contrasting are that of the Crips gang and that of the Five families of the Mafia of New York. The Crips is one of the largest gangs in the United States (Crips, 2014). They were founded in Los Angeles during the late 1960s, the Crips gang developed and rose in strength due to the breakdown in the community leadership of the African American community following the LA riots (Crips, 2014). The gang began to profit from the sale of narcotics, crack cocaine, and more sets were developed and moved to other cities (Crips, 2014). As of right now there is estimated at eight hundred plus gangs with a total of around thirty five thousand members. They are the second most notorious gangs in the United States currently. The different sets are both structured and highly organized drug organizations or unstructured groups of juveniles who engage in local crime (Know Your, 2013). The five families of New York came together in 1931 after the bloody Castellammarese War highlighted the need for a new way to share the many soils of underground activity without killing each other in the process (Mafioso, 2014). The families were powerful and formed a syndicate referred to as the “Commission” that would remain at the heart of the organized crime in America for the next seventy

five years. The influence of the families was undisputed and was once called the five families “bigger than U.S. Steel” (Mafioso, 2014).
In the Crips they see the gang that they are as a family. They engage in activities that would supply financial and emotional stakes for the group. These families are made up of men and women from all walks of life not just from one age group. However while this is made up of different ages this is also made up of different ethnic backgrounds along with none biological families. When you look at the five families of New York these are made up of five different families. The families are all different but within the five families are all biological ties. The five families work together to control the overall underground empire. The Crips will join the group to become part of the family while the mafia will be born within the family. This would be a family right.
Each of the 5 families of New York built their empire by engaging in the same activities: racketeering, conspiracy, loan-sharking, money laundering, murder, narcotics, gambling, waste management, and extortion (Mafioso, 2014). The men that are part of the five families are men that shouldn’t be taken lightly, they are men that mean business. It doesn’t matter what gets in their way they will eliminate the problem in order to keep control of their empires. They are family none the less and they will protect everyone within their empire. You wouldn’t be able to pick out one of the mafia men because they look just like any other man made millionaire (Grabianowski, 2015).
In the Crips gang they go through an initiation to become part of the group. When the new member joins the gang they must usually go through an initiation (Grabianowski, 2015). These do not usually involve elaborate ceremony or formalities but the initiate will have to endure certain tires. The most common is “Jumping In” a beating issued by all of the gang member (Grabianowski, 2015). For the females sometimes they will rape them for their initiation. They may also have a mission which could be anything from stealing a car to engaging in a firefight with the rival gang such as the bloods which is one of the most rival gangs to the Crips (Grabianowski, 2015). They are not considered a full member until they have the gang tattoo. The mafia will have ceremonies to initiate the new members that are not biological members. This could be just a party to introduce them to the rest of the mafia members which can be very large and elaborate. The top men of the group will meet with the person before the large ceremony to initiate them into the group.
The Crips have many different branches within the United States ranging from 1 to 100 members in the group.

The top member is in charge of the entire group. They need to be proven as a leader and will have been part of the group for some time. The group will grow by the initiation process and this will all be on the top group members. They need to be able to control their entire group. The mafia is somewhat different the top members are mostly family. Even the ones who may do most of the dirty work for the mafia is not as high up as the actual family members. They secure their spot by having the name. You can move up within the mafia by showing loyalty to the

organization.
The Crips have many different symbols that they use to make them well known. Their color is Navy Blue and you will find all of the members wearing bandanas to show what gang they are in. They will have the Crip name tattooed on their hands and body. They will reference each other by calling them “Cuzz” or “Blood Killer”. Most of their graffiti is that of a five point star or a five point crown. They will also have these symbols tattooed on themselves. The mafia groups are well dressed and look like they have money. They do not go around tattooing themselves like that of the gangs. They look much more sophisticated and want to be looked at as a well-organized family.
The benefits are much in the same for the two structures. They make sure that they are taking care of the group and anyone that is part of it. They look at both as a family and family will take care of each other. They have large operations that bring in large amounts of money that support the organization whether it be the mafia or the gangs. The gangs will mainly make their profits from drugs but the mafia can make them from racketeering, drugs, loan sharking, and blackmail. The disadvantage of both of the organizations is that they live a life of crime. They are harden criminals and always face the chance of getting caught. They do crime for a living and nothing they do is on the up and up.
To get out of the gang they call this Blood in Blood out. Which means that they will shed blood to get into the gang and if they ever try to get out they will die. They don’t call this in the mafia but it goes for them too. When people choose to leave the organization they know too much information that could put them away and jeopardize the organization. So eliminating the ones that leave is protecting the groups from exposure.
Both group structures are still promenade in their areas. Although the five families have changed in the areas. The Crips are still in Los Angeles where they have originated from and the five families still rule in New York.

References:
Barnhart, T. (March 29, 2010). Crip Gang Knowledge. Retrieved from:
http://www.corrections.com/articles/23876-crip-gang-knowledge
Crips, (2014). Retrieved from: http://gangs.umd.edu/Gangs/Crips.aspx
Grabianowski E., (2014) How Street Gangs Work. Retrieved from:
http://people.howstuffworks.com/street-gang2.htm
Mafiso (2014). New York Five Families. Retrieved from:
http://www.askmen.com/money/mafioso_150/178_mafia.html