The Crenshaw Mafia (also known as the Crenshaw Mafia Gang Bloods) are a "set" of the

Bloods The Bloods are a primarily African-American street gang founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. It is identified by the red color worn by its members and by particular gang symbols, includ ...

gang alliance. The gang are depicted in several movies including '' Boyz n the Hood'' and '' Straight Outta Compton''.

History

Formation

There is some disagreement about when the gang formed. According to one source, the gang formed in Inglewood during the 1970s and was named after

Crenshaw Boulevard Crenshaw Boulevard is a north-south thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California, that runs through Crenshaw and other neighborhoods along a 23-mile (37.76 km) route in the west-central part of the city. The street extends between Wilshire Bouleva ...

. However, another source claims that the gang was formed in 1981, by members of the Inglewood Family Gang.

1997 injunction against the Crenshaw Mafia

On December 17, 1997, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and Los Angeles Sherriff's Office sought an injunction against the Crenshaw Mafia Gangster Bloods, as the gang had been responsible for 19 murders in the preceding four years. In the two years following the implementation of the injunction, the gang committed no murders.

Spreading outside of California

By the mid-1980s, the Crenshaw Mafia spread to

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Colorado. In November 2014, David Scott, a member of the Crenshaw Mafia, killed two Crips in Denver. Scott was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.

Depictions in media

* In the 1991 film '' Boyz n the Hood'', a student replies "I ain't from Africa. I'm from Crenshaw Mafia!", after a young Tre explains that humans originated from Africa. 7 years later, when a police officer harasses Tre, he accuses Tre of being a member of the Crenshaw Mafia. * In the 1993 song "

Piru Love "Piru Love" is a song from the 1993 album ''Bangin' on Wax'' by the gangsta rap group Blood & Crips. It was subsequently released as a single, along with several alternate versions of the song. It is the group's most popular single. Composition ...

" by

Bloods & Crips Bloods & Crips was an American gangsta rap group from Los Angeles County mostly known for their record selling song "Piru Love". History The success of N.W.A. had frustrated many in the gang community who saw the group capitalizing on the ga ...

from their album ''

Bangin' on Wax ''Bangin' on Wax'' is the debut album by American hip hop group Bloods & Crips. The album was released in 1993 by Dangerous Records. ''Bangin' on Wax'' peaked at No. 86 on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. Bangin' on Wax at Billboard.Billboar ...

'', the Crenshaw Mafia is mentioned. * In the 2015 film ''Straight Outta Compton'', a Crenshaw Mafia member named OG 2 Tone confronts some students on Ice Cube's school bus, after they display Crip gang signs. He warns "Remember me. OG 2 Tone. Crenshaw Mafia, Blood".

References

{{Organized crime groups in Los Angeles Bloods sets Gangs in Los Angeles Inglewood, California