DDP (Dominicans Don't Play), Washington Heights and the Bronx: DDP is a rising force on the NYC Latino gang scene and is a popular gang among high schoolers. They have territories in Washington Heights and the Bronx as well as New Jersey and Florida, and they are in a feud with the Bloods. High schools with known DDP presence include Brandeis HS, Washington Irving HS, Adlai Stevenson HS, Pelham Prep and John F. Kennedy HS. Members wear black, blue, white and red beads.
The Flying Dragons, Chinatown (Canal St.): The Flying Dragons are connected to one of Chinatown's major tongs the Hip Sings and outsource protection and extortion rackets to smaller Vietnamese or Chinese gangs while they smuggle drugs. The Flying Dragons' longtime head Johnny Eng was arrested five times in the 70's and named one of the five biggest heroin dealers in New York by the late 80's.
Green Dragons, Flushing, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights (Ithaca and Whitney Avenues, Elmhurst): The Green Dragons are a Vietnamese gang in Queens. Focused mainly on extortion and robbery the gang demanded almost $300 a week from businesses in Queens in exchange for protection throughout the 90's. Their leader Paul Wong is thought to be a major heroin smuggler now hiding in the Fujian Province. Many gang members were turned in when one leader Sonny Wong testified about gang operations in a criminal trial.
Los Vatos Locos, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights Queens (85-08 Roosevelt Ave.): Los Vatos is one of the biggest Mexican gangs in the country. Though it originally formed in LA, chapters can be found all across America. The most recent incident in NYC occurred when two gang members stabbed a high schooler outside an apartment building at 592 Amsterdam Ave. The gang was also caught running a major counterfeit ring out of Mainland USA, a Chinese restaurant at 85-08 Roosevelt Ave., Jackson Heights.
Almighty King and Queen Nation, Spanish Harlem, all over Brooklyn (179 Starr Street, 81 Central Avenue, 179 Jefferson Street, and 180 Jefferson Street): The AKQN arrived in NYC via the prison systems in '86. By '94 it was the most powerful Latino gang in New York, and it is the most violent gang in the city's recent history. As recently as two years ago, the kings held many of their meetings in St. Mary's Episcopal Church in West Harlem. About 600-700 kings and queens would attend these meetings. The Kings were invited to march in last year's Puerto Rican day parade and were greeted with cheers from the community.
What with all the gentrification, low crime rates, and paranoia about terrorism New Yorkers forget about good old fashioned vice and street violence. But just because NYC's underbelly isn't as dark as it was in the crime-ridden 1970's doesn't mean the average New Yorker can't be stabbed in an alleyway as part of initiation to some Mexican gang. In fact that happens all the time.
