Ghost Shadows
The Ghost Shadows or GSS (traditional Chinese: 鬼影幫; simplified Chinese: 鬼影帮; Jyutping: gwai2 jing2 bong1) was a Chinese American street gang that was prominent in New York City's Chinatown from the early 1970s to the mid 1990s. Formed in 1971 by immigrants from Taiwan and Hong Kong, the gang is affiliated with the On Leong Tong. They adopted the colors black and white as their clothing to match the name of the set. Throughout the 80s, the gang was often engaged in bloody turf wars with other Chinatown gangs such as the older Flying Dragons, affiliated with Hip Sing Tong and the Division Street Boys affiliated with Tung On Association, and their activities included extortion, kidnapping, murder, racketeering, drug trafficking and illegal gambling. The Ghost Shadows' influence was widespread, having links to Chinatowns in other cities as well as links to Italian-American Mafia families. The organization is defunct due to Federal RICO crackdowns during the 1990s.
| Founded | 1971[1] |
|---|---|
| Founding location | New York City |
| Years active | 1970s–1990s |
| Territory | New York City, Houston Texas, Providence, Rhode Island |
| Ethnicity | Cantonese and Taishanese[2] |
| Criminal activities | Racketeering, extortion, illegal gambling, assault, murder, armed robbery and kidnapping |
| Allies | On Leong Tong, Big Circle Gang, Tiny Rascal Gang [3] |
| Rivals | Flying Dragons |
Members
Applehead
Applehead (pronounced Apo with silent-L) one of the original founders of Ghost Shadows and a leader of breakaway factions of Ghost Shadows[4] Bayard Boys during the late 1970s up to his indictments on RICO statutes in the mid-1980s. The name "Bayard Boys" did not materialize until around mid-1980s. During this time both factions of Ghost Shadows – the Mott Street Boys and Bayard Boys – were disorganized due to their leaders being in prison, or in flight because of the indictments and preceding charges against them. The Mott Street Boys remnants were finally dissolved and absorbed by the Bayard Boys in which technically it became Ghost Shadows from Mott Street but somehow "Bayard Boys" remained the de facto nickname under Robin Chee. During Robin Chee's leadership, a small group of Ghost Shadows broke again but they are neither the Mott Street nor Bayard Boys (source: freedom of information act).
References
- "Ghost Shadows to be arraigned today". United Press International. February 18, 1985. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
- Transnational activities of Chinese crime organizations
- Valdez, Investigator Al. "The Tiny Rascal Gang: Big Trouble". www.policemag.com. Retrieved 2019-07-15.
- "Youth gang leader isn't smiling anymore" , 1978, Peter Arnett, AP
External links
- Chinese – Asian Organized Crime Groups: Tongs and Street Gangs. Information on Ghost Shadows from MafiaNJ.com.
- http://www.nychinatown.org/articles/voice19770131.html
- Lorch, Donatella (January 6, 1991). "'Hong Kong Boy': A College Student, and a Ghost Shadow". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
Armed with a .357 Magnum revolver that he says he bought for $400 in a Roy Rogers restaurant in Queens, he guards the street from the encroachment of rival gangs. With more than 40 fellow Ghost Shadows, he says he offers protection to the store owners along the street, in exchange for money. Gang members also guard illegal gambling halls. The police say they rough up clients who do not pay.
- Dao, James (July 22, 1992). "Wider Chinatown Gang Warfare Feared". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
After months of relative peace in the violent and murky world of Asian-American gangs, the fatal shooting of a high-ranking Chinatown gang leader Monday has renewed concerns about warfare among rival groups.