Grape Street Watts Crips
The Grape Street Watts Crips (known by the acronyms JDC, GST, WBLC, and GSW) is an African-American Crips subset based in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. They're known for being the first original Crip set in Watts. The majority of the gang's members were located in the Jordan Downs Housing Project, and they were named after a north-south street in Watts near 103rd street.. The gang's rivalry with the Bounty Hunter Bloods has been described as being "the most violent and long lasting feud between two gangs that are in the Watts area. 03 Greedo, BlocBoy JB, and Shawn “shady” Barnes are members of the Grape Street Crips"[1]
Founding location | Watts, Los Angeles, California, United States |
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Years active | 1970s - present |
Ethnicity | African Americans, Hispanics |
Criminal activities | Drug trafficking, robbery, extortion, murder, burglary, identification theft, car theft, kidnapping |
Rivals | Bounty Hunter Bloods |
History
Brandon "BL" Bullard, a veteran member of the Grape Street Watts Crips, was murdered by the East Coast Crips. The murder of Bullard sparked a war that resulted in 26 wounded and 9 dead.[2]
Media appearances
Members of the Grape Street Watts Crips have appeared in the documentary Crips and Bloods: Made in America, directed by Stacy Peralta.[3] Members have also been interviewed in Gangland on the History Channel. and at the TV Show Southland. The gang is also featured in the film Menace II Society with the main characters being Grape St. Crips. The gang's colors, hand signals, and actual Street are featured in the film. Real members also appear within the film as background extras.
References
- "THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. CORDELL HAWKINS, Defendant and Appellant" (PDF). Superior Court of Los Angeles County. June 8, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- Temple-Rastan, Dina (June 8, 2008). "Cops Target L.A. Gangs' 'Shot Callers'". National Public Radio. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
- Stacy Peralta (Director) (January 20, 2008). Crips and Bloods: Made in America (Motion picture). United States: PBS.
Further reading
- "PCP drug bust in South Los Angeles: 20 arrested". ABC7 Los Angeles. February 13, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- "Second South Los Angeles Gang Leader Sentenced to Life Without Parole in Federal Prison for Distributing PCP". FBI. February 4, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- "13 L.A. street gang members indicted in sale of PCP". Los Angeles Times. March 27, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- Watts Beset by Retaliatory Shootings. Los Angeles Times.