TRG, also known as Tiny Raskal Gang or Raskals, is a mainly
ethnically Cambodian gang based in Eastside
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
. In the 1990s we began to see Mexican Mafia "green light" or hit lists with the TRG gang featured at the top. Soon all Southern Hispanic or Sureño gangs were at war with the Tiny Rascal Gang. The Mexican Mafia ordered West Side Longo to put aside its rivalry with East Side and support their former rivals against TRG and the black gang.
The gang was founded by Cambodian juvenile youth groups in 1981. With both male and female members, the initial function of the gang was to protect Cambodians from various other gangs in Long Beach.As time passed, however, membership would open to other Asian Americans.The Tiny Raskals has over 65,000 active members, making them the largest Asian gang in the United States. Members of the Tiny Raskal Gang from the Long Beach area have been deported. As an outcome of these deportations, members of TRG have recruited in their ethnic home of Cambodia. Today the Long Beach Tiny Raskals in Long Beach consist of Asians, Cambodians, Filipinos, Latinos and African Americans. TRG is an established network of individual "sets" or local gangs. The members identify gray as their gang's color of distinction although color association with gangs is a custom and practice that has waned.
Cambodians
The Khmer people ( km, ជនជាតិខ្មែរ, ) are a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Cambodia. They comprise over 90% of Cambodia's population of 17 million. form the majority of their members and are the foundation of the gang,although others are allowed membership.
History
The United States began admitting its first
Cambodian refugees in 1979, and until 1991, nearly 158,000 Cambodians were admitted; most of whom were resettled in the states of
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, and
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. As with many
refugee
A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution. groups, lack of knowledge concerning the culture and society of the host nation in addition to their limited command of the English language resulted in a socio-cultural barrier. Upon suffering from various issues individually or on a smaller scale, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, their socio-economic disadvantage and environmental setbacks contributed to their adversity in North America. Cambodian-American communities were largely underprivileged and deeply affected by poverty, among other things.
Action setting in the mid-1980s, a fight occurred between a
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
student and a
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
n student in
Long Beach
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
, an event which led to the formation of the Tiny Rascals.
[Moore, Derek J]
Ruthless Asian gangs blaze trail of violence
, ''Press Democrat
''The Press Democrat'', with the largest circulation in California's North Bay, is a daily newspaper published in Santa Rosa, California.
History
The newspaper was founded in 1897 by Ernest L. Finley who merged his ''Evening Press'' and Thomas ...
'', March 15, 2008. As a means of protection, other
Cambodian
Cambodian usually refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Cambodia
** Cambodian people (or Khmer people)
** Cambodian language (or Khmer language)
** For citizens and nationals of Cambodia, see Demographics of Cambodia
** Fo ...
youths began to form street gangs which later laid the foundation of TRG. While conforming to their various cultural influences and Western society, many Cambodian youths began to understand their positions in society, most of whom had instead recognized their disadvantage, resulting in their gang epidemic in the 1990s. Original gang hand-signs, graffiti, fashion, and other practices were originated and constantly changing in the 1980s and 90s. Shortly after their collectivization, TRG began committing several crimes which included extortion, murder, kidnapping, robbery, burglary, home invasion, drugs and weapons trafficking.
Some of the Tiny Rascal members were originally members of the
Asian Boyz
Amongst the Asian Boyz, also known as ABZ, AB-26, or ABZ Crips, are a street gang based in Southern California. They were founded in the late 1980s as part of efforts of protection for Cambodian refugees from the more numerous American gangs in t ...
, a rival gang, and transferred gangs due to friction between other fellow Tiny Rascal members.
Feuding in the early 90s, members of the Tiny Rascals Gang had a violent rivalry with the
Long Beach
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
-based East Side Longos MUIE who were predominantly
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
.
Similarly, while TRG and the Asian Boyz have bitter rivalries, peace and truces have been practiced between the two groups.
Membership
Activity of gang members such as Cambodians of other ethnic and cultural groups are known to have been recruited.
There are over 65,000 members nationwide, based primarily on the
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to:
Geography Australia
* Western Australia
*Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia
* West Coast, Tasmania
**West Coast Range, mountain range in the region
Canada
* Britis ...
, the
Southwest
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
and
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
.
In the 1990s, females were allowed to represent the gang and an all-female branch was formed as "LRG (Lady Rascal Gang)".
As with many other gangs, potential members must first be initiated in a "jump in" where they would have to fight other members of the gang or endure a beating for a specific amount of time.
Newer recruits are allegedly required to commit a notable crime as a means to earn respect, whether it be murder, home invasion,
drive-by shooting
A drive-by shooting is a type of assault that usually involves the perpetrator(s) firing a weapon from within a motor vehicle and then fleeing. Drive-by shootings allow the perpetrator(s) to quickly strike their target and flee the scene before ...
s on rival gangs or enemies, or robbery. Respect and credibility within the gang revolved around a number of crimes individuals would commit either on behalf of or in favor of the gang. Their gang colors are grey and black. In contrast to their rivals, the Asian Boyz, their gangs are more ethnically exclusive and distinct, as most of their members are known to be Khmer.
Further, there is a presence of TRG members/sets within the US army as well. None can be found in the airforce or navy. There are also some TRG sets found within various prisons in the USA including
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
. It is important to note that because of the low percentage of Asian Americans in some prisons, all Asian gang members clique up to represent an Asian set regardless of their hood's historical rivalries with each other.
Activities
Although the Tiny Rascals are involved in a wide range of criminal activities which include
extortion
Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, ...
, robbery, burglary, auto theft, gang protection, and murder, which are some of the more publicized criminal activities. While young members of the gang are mostly involved in street crimes, some members have progressed towards serious organized criminal activities larger in scale. The older sets maintain a working relationship with similar sets of a fellow Southeast Asian gang called
Asian Boyz
Amongst the Asian Boyz, also known as ABZ, AB-26, or ABZ Crips, are a street gang based in Southern California. They were founded in the late 1980s as part of efforts of protection for Cambodian refugees from the more numerous American gangs in t ...
. They have formed alliances with Chinese organizations such as the
14K,
Wah Ching
Wah Ching ( zh, s=华青, t=華青, first=t, j=Waa4 Cing1), meaning Chinese Youth, is a Chinese American criminal organization and street gang that was founded in San Francisco, California in 1964. The Wah Ching has been involved in crimes inclu ...
and
Wo Hop To
Wo Hop To, or WHT (和合圖), is a triad group based in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The name translates to "Harmoniously United Association", or "Harmonious Union Plan", and is thought to have been founded in 1908 in Sai Ying Pun as a secret politica ...
in California, and the
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
-based
Ghost Shadows
The Ghost Shadows or GSS () 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 Leo ...
. Although in some cities such as Long Beach the claim EBK as there is not a gang that sees them as Allie's .
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, several Rascals violently retaliated to the ongoing harassment of East Side Longos within
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, especially
Long Beach
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
, and in the
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
area. This sparked a deadly war of which resulted in over a hundred casualties suffered among both gangs.
Such cities such as
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...
and
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
have had some recorded but less extravagant TRG presence, involved with gun and drug distribution. In smaller towns, in North Carolina, particularly
Forest Oaks and
Pleasant Garden, sets exist which include many non-Cambodian and non-Asian members. Car thefts and reports of gunfire originated from the gang.
California
In the late 1980s, A car load of TRG gang members pulled up to a car full of East Side Longo gangsters at Anaheim Street and Cherry Avenue in Eastside Long Beach. First the occupants of both cars traded insults and hand signs, and then TRG fired into the Longo car killing a 16-year-old Oswaldo Carbajal.
In 1994, five TRG gang members broke into a San Bernardino home and executed Son (Henry) Nguyen, 44; his wife, Trinh Yen Tran, 35; daughter, Doan Hoang, 15, and sons Daniel Nguyen, 11, and David Nguyen, 10. A 3-year-old son was shot but lived. The child was wounded and left alone overnight with the bodies of his parents and siblings. Henry was shot in the head and neck. One shot was fired with the gun's muzzle placed directly against his skull. He was also shot in the chest at close range while lying on the floor. Four superficial cuts on the back of his neck had been inflicted by a sharp object, like a knifepoint. Trinh was shot once in the thigh and twice in the head, at very close range. Two of her teeth were detached by the force of the bullets. The oldest child, Doan, was shot in the leg, chest, and head. Another bullet pierced a hand that she had held up to protect her face. Daniel was shot in the lower leg and chest. David was shot twice in the chest and once in the back of the head.
In 1994, seven TRG members broke into a house in
Tustin
Tustin is a city located in Orange County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. In 2020, Tustin had a population of 80,276. The city is located next to the county seat, Santa Ana, California, Santa Ana, and does not include the un ...
resulting in the victim being killed, while her baby was home.
[Vu, Belinda]
Cambodian gang's members arrested in teen's killing
, ''The Orange County Register'', January 13, 2010
In 1994, TRG gang members raped, robbed and strangled a mother in her Tustin home. She survived by playing dead. Her 3-year-old son was home at the time.
on July 27, 1995, TRG gang members broke into an apartment and killed Quyen Luu and her husband, Hung Dieu Le,47-year-old Hung Le died from a single gunshot to the chest. The second victim, 73-year-old Nghiep Le, was shot in the arm and directly in the face, with the bullet entering through the upper lip.
In 1995, TRG gang members broke into a house and Spokane police responded around 7:30 the next morning to find the bodies of 27-year-old Johnny Hagan, Jr., and 23-year-old Thi Hong Nga Pham. Pham's hands were tied with phone cord, and speaker wire was wrapped around her neck. She was shot in the head, face, and chest. The face and the chest shots came from close range. Pham's jaw was broken in two places; she had also been cut several times in the face and neck. A wedding ring and engagement ring were found inside her mouth. Hagan had also been bound with phone cord and speaker wire. He was shot in the ear, at the base of the skull, and through the back of the head. Two shots were fired from only an inch or two away. Hagan had bruising and a cut across the front of his neck wedding ring and engagement ring were found inside her mouth. Hagan had also been bound with phone cord and speaker wire. He was shot in the ear, at the base of the skull, and through the back of the head. Two shots were fired from only an inch or two away. Hagan had bruising and a cut across the front of his neck. Officers found a bloody knife on a counter and several shell casings from a .45-caliber automatic near the bodies. Police interviewed one of the survivors, four-and-a-half-year-old Joe Hagan, Jr.
On August 6, 1995, TRG defendant gave Evans a gun and followed two men in a red Toyota who they believed were members of the Oriental Boyz, an enemy gang. The driver, later identified as Bunlort Bun, let the passenger out and sped away. Defendant gave chase while Pan and Evans took turns shooting at the car until it swerved to a stop. Defendant pulled up next to the car. Bun was shot five times, with three fatal wounds to the chest and abdomen. The downward trajectory of the bullets was consistent with shots fired into a slumped-over body.
On August 8, 1995, two days after Buns shooting and the day before elm street shootings TRG gang members saw a man in a white pickup truck, defendant made a U-turn, drove at the truck, and pulled a gun. Pan told the women to duck. The truck's driver left the scene. The passenger, Miguel Avina Vargas, died of massive internal bleeding from a bullet to the heart. Ten cartridge casings were recovered from the area.
Although, the Californian expect gang identifier (Mikkeller Prince) changed laws and impacted Tiny Rascal Gang members as well. Basically, if police can identify a person as a gang member, that person can be arrested. This was seen in
Sacramento
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
when a member of a set was arrested after police found out he was in the gang, later he would be charged with more. Sacramento also houses at least 100 members and drug dealing appears to be its main source of income.
In 2007, one of the
Sacramento
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
sets killed a police officer. Detective Nguyen had been shot three times—in the neck, in the abdomen, and in the lower back. All three injuries were potentially fatal. Nguyen's finger was on the trigger of his gun, but the gun had not been fired. The TRG member was 16 when he did it, defendant repeatedly claimed "That cop deserved it." There was evidence that defendant had stated to a police officer in March 2007 that he was TRG "for life."A lay witness opined that TRG had a "strong–ass hatred over officers" and that TRG saw this attitude "as part of the gang life."
Difference between the two gang rivalry between
Asian Boyz
Amongst the Asian Boyz, also known as ABZ, AB-26, or ABZ Crips, are a street gang based in Southern California. They were founded in the late 1980s as part of efforts of protection for Cambodian refugees from the more numerous American gangs in t ...
and Tiny Rascal Gang had involved innocent people, including the accidental shooting of a pregnant woman in 2006 in
Fresno
Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
.
In 2012, TRG members in Oakland fatally shot 18-year-old Hiroshi Kai in a drive-by shooting. Police took over 30 minutes to arrive, and Hiroshi was found dead at the scene along with his younger sister who made a call for EMS.
In 2016, six people, including four of the gang's members, were rounded up in a multi-county raid in connection with the late-night killing of 16-year-old Juan Carlos Rodriguez. Connected to a tagging crew in Tustin. Rodriguez, shot in the back, died after being shot during a shower of bullets that rained down outside a house party. His killer, according to Tustin police, is a member of TRG.
in 2019, twelve TRG gang members were connected to a mass shooting at a pre-Halloween party in Eastside
Long Beach
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
that left three dead 25-year-old Maurice Poe Jr.,35-year-old Melvin Williams II, and 28-year-old Ricardo Torres. Nine were wounded, including Jasmine Johnson, who was hit by a bullet that shattered her T-3 vertebrae, leaving her paralyzed from the chest down, according to LBPD Sgt. Chris Valdez.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Altogether Tiny Rascal Gang also has a presence among the Cambodian-American communities of
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, in the United States. Alongside Cambridge, It is one of two traditional seats of Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in 2020, it was the fifth most populous city in Massachusetts as of ...
. According to local police, several hundred TRG members have lived within the Lowell and Lynn areas historically, and are still extant within the region. The gang was connected to over five homicides and several assaults throughout Lowell and Lynn within 1998 and 2021.
In
Providence
Providence often refers to:
* Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion
* Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity
* Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
, there are reports of a rivalry between the
Surenos and TRG. There were reports of underage drinking by TRG members who had connections with the staff.
Maryland and Virginia
Among the Tiny Rascal Gang in
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
have been connected to many crimes including property crimes, extortion, robberies, drug distribution, stabbings, assaults, shootings, and murder. Virginia, primarily in the
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is a widespread region radiating westward and southward from Washington, D.C. Wit ...
area adjacent to
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, is home to approximately 5,000 to 8,000 Cambodians, many of whom live in
Arlington,
Fairfax County
Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. ...
,
Falls Church, and
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
. There is also a community in
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially unincorporated, in practice it is an edge city, with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 censu ...
.
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
now has what it says are the toughest gang laws in the nation, partly because of the violent actions of gangs such as the TRG. One of the first murders in the Virginia/Maryland area happened in 1996 at a
South Arlington, Virginia apartment complex which left a teenage gang member dead.
In February 1998, a fatal
drive-by shooting
A drive-by shooting is a type of assault that usually involves the perpetrator(s) firing a weapon from within a motor vehicle and then fleeing. Drive-by shootings allow the perpetrator(s) to quickly strike their target and flee the scene before ...
occurred near
George C. Marshall High School, in which a 17-year-old boy was killed by a
.22 rifle
The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smoo ...
. The gunman, an 18-year-old TRG member, was sentenced to
life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...
in August 1998. Two others TRG members, including a driver, were found guilty of felony assault for their roles in the attack, and received sentences of 20 years and 17 years. A third teenager was sentenced to 4 years in the Juvenile Detention Center for his role in the shooting.
Violence was reported in the Richmond area in 2009, which was a shooting into a house with no injuries.
Sentencing in all aforementioned cases ranged from 5 to 25 years incarceration,
deportation
Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportation ...
, and life imprisonment.
Ohio
Within
Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
there was a shooting on Christmas Day 2015 from a Tiny Rascal Gang member. The member appeared Caucasian yet the victim has an Asian name, so it is unclear the racial make-up of the Columbus sets. It is also unclear if the murder was gang-related.
Utah
Although, Tiny Rascal Gang has a presence within
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
with their main rivals being other Asian gangs such as Oriental Laotian Gang, Asian Deuce and Laos Boy Crips. They are also allies with Tiny Oriental Posse and Viet Family. Asian gangs in the area are considered to be very nomadic and not turf oriented. Utah's Asian gangs have been linked with violent crime and home invasions.
Texas
Amongst at least 500 gangs in the
Fort Worth
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
and
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
Asian and Hispanic gangs remain the main ethnic gangs. Of Asian gangs in Texas the Tiny Rascal Gang and
Asian Boyz
Amongst the Asian Boyz, also known as ABZ, AB-26, or ABZ Crips, are a street gang based in Southern California. They were founded in the late 1980s as part of efforts of protection for Cambodian refugees from the more numerous American gangs in t ...
remain the main national gangs. These gangs are known to facilitate a great deal of illegal activity, such as drug distribution, not only in their home turf (in metropolitan Dallas/Fort-Worth) but in suburban areas which are located at interstate points or major highways in the
Dallas County Dallas County may refer to:
Places in the USA:
* Dallas County, Alabama, founded in 1818, the first county in the United States by that name
* Dallas County, Arkansas
* Dallas County, Iowa
* Dallas County, Missouri
* Dallas County, Texas, the nin ...
and
Tarrant County
Tarrant County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2020, it had a population of 2,110,640. It is Texas' third-most populous county and the 15th-most populous in the United States. Its county seat is Fort Worth. Tarrant County, one of 2 ...
. Once they have run out of drug supplies they will return home to stock up. The product of this is that there are now some sets within the suburban areas.
Michigan
Many TRG gang members can be found in
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
and are currently having a dispute with
Latin Kingswhich led to an attempted murder of a
Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
TRG member in 2016. There is also a sub-set of TRG called TRG Jnrs. Much like many Mid-Western gangs, the Tiny Rascal Gang has alliances with the
Folk Nation
The Folks Nation is an alliance of street gangs originating in Chicago, established in 1978. The alliance has since spread throughout the United States, particularly the Midwest region of the United States. They are rivals of the People Nation. ...
. Possibly explaining the turf war between Latin Kings.
Pennsylvania
Police came as Tiny Rascal Gang to considered them as the largest Asian gangs in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
along with D-Block and Red Scorpions. In South Philadelphia TRG rivals with Red Scorpions, with shooting flaring up every few years. The two main sets of Philadelphia TRG include Sixth Street and Fifteenth Street. In 2005 Tiny Rascal gang got into a feud with D-Block which resulted in the murder of a female associate and a TRG member. The South Philadelphia sets are known to extort money and run prostitution rings. Something which is considered similar to Italian Organised Crime in Philadelphia. In 2000 an Asian Blood Gangmember was brutally robbed by four TRG members. All four members were convicted, as a result of the trial the Blood gang member was murdered shortly after
Tennessee & Kentucky
In
La Vegne a Nashville set of TRG did an armed robbery. The youth were all charged. Their presence according to TBI in 1999 suggests they have sets in Rutherford County and Davidson County.
In
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is a home rule-class city and the county seat of Warren County, Kentucky, United States. Founded by pioneers in 1798, Bowling Green was the provisional capital of Confederate Kentucky during the American Civil War. As of the 2 ...
, the Asian Boyz and Tiny Rascal gang have presence. However the Cochran chapter of Tiny Rascal Gang have a main rivalry with the Asian Mafia. Also in Bowling Green circa 1997 there was a shooting of an Asian couple by Laotian Tiny Rascal Gang members during a home invasion resulting in a death. The gang calls new members 'Baby Rascals' and older members 'The G's'
Media depiction
''
Rascal Love'' and ''
Cambodian Son'', have been about Tiny Rascal members. ''
Gangland'' has also dedicated an episode to Tiny Rascal Gang sets in
Fresno
Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
.
See also
*
Deportation of Cambodians from the United States
References
External links
The-dispatch.comRascal Love DocumentaryCambodian Son DocumentaryGangland: California's Killing Fields Documentary
{{Organized crime groups in America
Organizations established in 1981
1981 establishments in California
Asian-American gangs
Street gangs
Gangs in Los Angeles
Gangs in California
Gangs in Massachusetts
Gangs in Philadelphia
Gangs in Virginia
Gangs in Washington, D.C.
Organizations based in Long Beach, California
Cambodian-American culture
Asian-American culture in Los Angeles