By banging I’m referring to all round gangster activity from beefing to drug dealing. Maybe a UK/US slang divide here.
However I would add that all these (serious and established main) gangs in the US as well - blood sets, Latin gangs etc are all to generate money first and foremost. I think this is a fact (regardless of their history of formation 50 years ago) And the indictments range from young all the way to guys in their 40s. My point is if your 30 plus, more or less broke living at your mums, What’s the point in it all!! Give up and get the tats covered before your dead or in jail for life. If you ain’t clearing big money all the violence drug dealing is a waste with nothing to show for it
I’ll just speak about where I’m from. Banging here has to do with street gangs that gang bang which means gang warfare against enemy gangs. Kids don’t join street gangs to make money. It’s known that if your goal is to make money then you don’t join a street gang.
some of the gang members go on to become career criminals and get into drug dealing, pimping, robbery etc. to get money. And you will see a lot of older guys getting caught up in those sweeps, but that’s still separate from everyday gang beefs which are usually younger guys fighting each other due to gang beefs. The older guys don’t usually partake in that anymore. Most of them, I’d say the vast majority of them DO give it all up completely and live a clean life by that age IF they managed to survive death or life in prison. It’s always a handful of guys left that stay in the criminal world and try making money that way, but even those guys aren’t running around just getting into petty street gangs beefs, unless it’s something real personal with someone else.
Over time I guess I can say that there’s been a slight shift towards more gang members trying to make money, but that actually reduced violence, if anything. LA gang banging at its core is tribal and about belonging. Sure it’s cool to some gangs to make enough money to buy a few cars and lots of guns, it raises your status and gives some bragging rights, but everyone knows if you want to make real money you put the gang banging aside. Gang wars are bad for business and they are all well aware of that.
