NCJ Number
160873
Journal
Journal of Gang Research Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: (Winter 1996) Pages: 64-76
Date Published
1996
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article describes the history, social organization, personnel, and activities of the Chicago gang known as the Black Gangsters (BG's) or "New Breed."
Abstract
The BG's are an all-black renegade gang that defies classification along the folks/peoples gang alliance system. The BG's are in continual mortal combat against the single largest "folks" gang, the Gangster Disciples (GD's). The history of this enmity stems from the fact that the BG's are a splinter group from the Black Gangster Disciples (BGD's). The BG's are on the rise, and its profile will help gang researchers and analysts to better understand the complexity of gang life in America today. A BG is someone who also uses the term "New Breed" to describe the gang and/or acknowledges the leader of the gang is Boony Black. Black and gray are the official colors of the BG's. The BG's are now to be found in almost all areas of Chicago. Some "sets" or groups of BG's are to be found in public housing projects as far south as Altgeld Gardens. This article discusses the BG's organizational similarity to the GD's and to other gangs, internal written documents from the BG's, the BG by-laws, the homogeneous membership, the BG Prayer, and the overall threat assessment. In the latter case, the threat level is rated medium for the BG's. The membership base in Illinois is still small, although the level of aggressiveness is high. It might be useful to target this group for prosecution because of the high level of violence by its members. 5 figures and a 4-item bibliography