Mau Maus was the name of a 1950s

street gang A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collective ...

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 ...

. The book and the adapted film ''

The Cross and the Switchblade ''The Cross and the Switchblade'' is a biographical book written by the Rev. David Wilkerson with John and Elizabeth Sherrill, published by Bernard Geis Associates in 1963. Summary In 1958, Pentecostal pastor David Wilkerson of Assemblies of ...

'' and biography ''Run Baby Run'' document the life of its most famous leader Nicky Cruz. Their name was derived from the

Mau Mau Uprising The Mau Mau rebellion (1952–1960), also known as the Mau Mau uprising, Mau Mau revolt or Kenya Emergency, was a war in the British Kenya Colony (1920–1963) between the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA), also known as the ''Mau Mau'', an ...

in Kenya. Nicky Cruz wrote a book about his experiences called ''Run Baby Run''. Israel Narvaez committed his life to God and wrote a book called ''Second Chance: The Israel Narvaez Story''. David Wilkerson wrote a biography ''

'' and a film of the same name was released.

History

The Mau Maus were a

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

Puerto Rican gang operating from 1957 to around 1962. Some members of a street gang called the Apaches broke away and created the Mau Maus, according to Israel Narvaez, one of the gang's founders. The Apaches had succumbed to

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and bro ...

while Narvaez and others were more interested in fighting and maintaining territory. They also asked permission from a rival gang called the Chaplains to start a Puerto Rican gang in the area. Eventually the gang was called Mau Mau Chaplains. Research published in 2018 established that the gang was formed in 1957 by Puerto Rican youths who lived in the Fort Greene Housing Project in Brooklyn, New York. The youths began by approaching the dominant local gang, the Chaplains, to discuss the idea of a new gang. They were supported by Earl Tooley, a leading Chaplain, and the new gang was initially called the Mau Mau Chaplains before becoming simply the Mau Maus. The first leaders were Juan Seda as president, Israel Narvaez as Vice-President and Carlos Reyes as Warlord. The name Mau Maus was chosen after the members watched the movie ''

Something Of Value ''Something of Value'' is a 1957 American drama film directed by Richard Brooks and starring Rock Hudson, Dana Wynter, and Sidney Poitier. The film was reissued under the title ''Africa Ablaze''. The film, based on the book of the same name by ...

'' (released in May 1957 in the United States) about the Mau Mau uprising in East Africa. Around January 1958 a member of the rival Bishop gang and a candy store owner were stabbed to death by some of the Mau Mau gang, supposedly in retaliation for the Bishops' killing of Mannie Durango, a member of the Mau Maus. One of its best known members was Nicky Cruz, who was president, Vice President, and Warlord at different points during his tenure. Cruz said he stabbed 16 people while a member. Cruz and his best friend Israel Narvaez became

born-again Christian Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sep ...

s in July 1958, after hearing David Wilkerson preach. However, Narvaez became disillusioned with Christianity and eventually rejoined the Mau Maus. He became their leader again and on February 23, 1959, Narvaez, along with Carl Cintron, Carlos Reyes, and Melvin Torres, shot and killed Anthony Lavonchino, a member of the Sand Street Angels, one of the Mau Maus' enemies. Lavonchino had apparently beaten Tico, a Mau Mau, for walking with his sister. Narvaez later returned to his Christian faith as chronicled in his autobiography, ''Second Chance''. Salvador Agrón, a member of the Mau Maus,http://newyorkcitygangs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/agron1.jpg later led another gang called the Vampires, who were responsible for a well-known New York tragedy when on the evening of August 29, 1959, they killed two innocent bystanders, mistaking them for rival gang members. The murders would become known as the Capeman Murders after the costume worn by Agrón and

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

Broadway musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

'' The Capeman'' was based upon the life of Agrón.

References

External links

Web page on the Mau Maus and Sand Street Angels in 1959

{{Organized crime groups in New York City , state=collapsed Former gangs in New York City Hispanic-American gangs Organizations based in New York City Puerto Rican culture in New York City Street gangs

History

See also

References

External links