Born to Kill (gang)

Born to Kill (gang)

Born to Kill was the name of an New York-based street gang comprising members of Asian, primarily Vietnamese but also Cambodian and Chinese, descent. The gang's peak was in the late 1980s following its break-off from another gang through the early 1990s following the arrest and prosecution of most of their New York-based operatives by the fall of 1992.

Origins

Born to Kill was founded by David Thai, who arrived from Vietnam in 1975 following the Fall of Saigon. He first joined the Flying Dragons, a Chinese gang, as an enforcer and formed Born to Kill in 1988 after breaking away from the Flying Dragons. The gang adopted its name from the phrase American soldiers had on their helmets during the Vietnam War and the gang's prowess is often attributed to the chaotic environment of guns and drugs in Vietnam.cite book | title=Born to Kill: America's Most Notorious Vietnamese Gang, and the Changing Face of Organized Crime| last=English| first=T.J.| date=1995| publisher=William Morrow & Co.| id=ISBN 0688122388] They are considered to be more violent than other gangs and were known to challenge the authority of established Chinatown gangs. While identified by some as predominantly Vietnamese, Born to Kill is also believed to consist of Chinese immigrants as well as Vietnamese, Koreans and Cambodians.Cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE1DE1F38F933A05754C0A966958260|title=Mourners Returned Fire, Police Say|accessdate=2008-05-19|year=1990-07-30|author=Donatella Lorch|work=The New York Times] Cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE3DD143AF932A05754C0A966958260|title=Chinatown's Old Gangs Give Way to Violence and Fear|accessdate=2008-05-19|year=1990-07-31|author=Constance L. Hays|work=The New York Times]

Peak activity

Gang members were predominantly in their teens and 20s, although they ranged from fifteen to thirty-five, and were known to target restaurant owners and storekeepers along Canal Street.Cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE7DA113DF93AA1575AC0A967958260|title=10 Members of Violent Vietnamese Gang Indicted|accessdate=2008-05-19|year=1991-09-29|author=Constance L. Hays|work=The New York Times] Cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE0DC1539F935A35752C0A967958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|title=Asian Gangs in New York|accessdate=2008-05-19|year=1991-01-06|author=John Kifner|work=The New York Times] Some members were recruited from areas near the Bronx High School of Science.Cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEEDC1530F935A35752C0A967958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|title='Hong Kong Boy': A College Student, and a Ghost Shadow|accessdate=2008-05-19|year=1991-01-06|author=Donatella Lorch|work=The New York Times]

In July 1990 there were believed to be as many as 80 active members in New York City and by October 1992, when their activies in Chinatown had diminished significantly, there were factions of the gang operating in Georgia and Canada. Peak numbers in New York may have ranged as high as 100, with chapters of the gang operating in New Jersey, California and Texas. Cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DE153EF937A15753C1A964958260|title=Life Sentence for Scourge of Chinatown|accessdate=2008-05-19|year=1992-10-24|author=Steven Lee Myers|work=The New York Times] Gang members were tattooed with the initials B.T.K, a coffin and three candles, signifying no fear of dying.cite book | title=Gangs: Stories of Life and Death from the Streets| last=Donahue| first=Sean| date=2002| pages=285| publisher=Thunder's Mouth Press| id=ISBN 1560254254]

Outside of New York

The gang's spread was more prevalent in areas with an established Vietnamese presence, including smaller cities such as Biloxi, MississippiCite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=BX&s_site=sunherald&p_multi=BX&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB6255BCBDD78B4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Vietnamese Gangs on the Rise in Biloxi|accessdate=2008-05-19|year=1998-06-30|author=Brad Branan|work=The Sun Herald] and larger cities such as Dallas, Texas.Cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ST&s_site=dfw&p_multi=ST&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAF8F102D5A8E68&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Horror Walks in the Door|accessdate=2008-05-19|year=1993-07-19|author=Dai Huyn|work=Fort-Worth Star-Telegram] Once active in other cities and states, the gangs did not always maintain the same activities as they did in New York. In San Jose, California, Born to Kill was active in less-visible areas such as computer-chip theft, as well as the sale of guns to young Vietnamese.Cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-14226275.html|title=Vietnamese Gangs Now Profit from Gun Sales, California Police Say|accessdate=2008-05-19|year=1993-10-07|author=Ken McLaughlin|work=The Knight Ridder Tribune]

One of the areas where the gang was most active was AtlantaCite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AT&p_theme=at&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB7D0EFA30CDC91&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=10 in Notorious Asian Gang are Indicted|accessdate=2008-05-19|year=1991-09-27|work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution] and Doraville, Georgia where it continued to operate as late as December 1996.Cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AT&p_theme=at&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADA2D1178B8B8B&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Alleged Gang Members Indicted |accessdate=2008-05-19|year=1996-12-13|work=The Atlanta Journal Constitution]

Decline

Gang founder Thai was arrested along with other top-tier members of Born to Kill in August 1991 at one of the gang's safe havens in Melville, Long Island. It was believed to be his first arrest.Cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE0DE1531F930A2575BC0A967958260|title=Raiders Seize 10 as Leaders of 'Kill' Gang|accessdate=2008-05-19|year=1991-08-13|author=Seth Faison Jr.|work=The New York Times] This led to the arrest and conviction of seven members on federal racketeering charges in April 1992.Cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DC1E3CF932A35757C0A964958260|title=Asian Street Gangs Emerging as New Underworld|accessdate=2008-05-19|year=1992-04-01|author=James Dao|work=The New York Times] Most were sentenced to life without parole in October 1992 which all-but eliminated their activities in New York.Cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE0DB1F38F93BA25753C1A964958260&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/R/Racketeering%20and%20Racketeers|title=Gang Members are Sentenced to Prison|accessdate=2008-05-19|year=1992-10-18|work=The New York Times]

References


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