Not sure why this topic suddenly got all shitty and racist, the bgf are a long respected organized crime group, and anyone who does just a slight bit of research will know that african american organized crime is not a new thing in the least. And in many cases african american organized crime groups are just as powerful and influential if not more so than so called "Traditional" groups.
All that BS aside, I happen to be from Baltimore, and since I have contacts at both the Baltimore Sun and in the streets I'll try to give my 2 cents. Basically the BGF are immensely powerful in the prison/jail system. This is nothing new though. The BGF have been the top gang in the correctional system for quite some time in Maryland. What's more worrying is their presence on the street. Their numbers are increasing exponentially.
Historically, Baltimore is not a city that tends to take part in organized crime. For the better part of the last 50 years, most criminals were part of small neighborhood crews, normally controlling only small areas of land, such as a corner or a housing project. These crews would feud with neighboring crews for territory in the always booming drug market.
In the early part of the 21st century the profile of a Baltimore criminal changed. The Bloods first came to note in neighboring County jails and prisons. The first official recognition of the Bloods in Maryland was in Harford county, though the presence of both Bloods and BGF in correctional facilities likely preceded this by some time.
From their, gang membership spread like wildfire. Baltimore became, gang wise, a Blood city. Their are, as the previous poster noted, the Tree Top Piru Bloods, The Pasadena Denver Lane Bloods, The South Side Brims, The Bounty Hunters, and many more smaller cliques.
But getting back to the subject at hand, the BGF. In the last few years the presence of the BGF exploded on the streets. Members who joined while locked up came back on the streets as hardened gang members. While gang membership in prison isn't uncommon, the reason so many BGF remained with the gang after leaving incarceration is due to the fact that the old street crew system was gone. The streets were in large part controlled by Bloods, and since these BGF already chose to not be Bloods in prison, the same priorities stuck on the street.
BGF became a large presence quickly. BGF recruitment went into overdrive and more and more young men were joining up. Back in 2009 it was discovered that high ranking member Rainbow Williams was a mentor for at risk children, a position that likely allowed him access to a pool of future soldiers for the gang.
As the BGF grew, so did their territory. They moved farther up into northern Baltimore, where they have met the most resistance. North Baltimore is dealing with the most violence it's seen in years due to the conflict between the Bloods and the BGF. (Though on a personal note, living not 5 minutes away from some of the most intense fighting, I'd have to say the BGF all but control the area.)
At this point it seems the BGF are the most visible and powerful gang presence on the streets of Baltimore. Don't be surprised if they remain in the news. In Baltimore and Maryland as a whole, the BGF and the DMI (Dead Man Inc. A gang that was initially somewhat of a BGF offshoot for Caucasians) yield the most power, and for the foreseeable future, that will remain the case.
Sorry for the lengthy post, just trying to keep people informed.
