By John Thompson

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a multi-part series written by a former gang prosecutor. Read Part 1 here.) 

Now that you are up to speed on some of the basics, you might be asking yourself, "How does someone join a gang?" We are primarily focusing on Hispanic gangs since they are all the rage these days. Let’s assume a youngster lives in the relevant neighborhood/barrio and knows at least some of the guys because they are his neighbors. In this scenario, there are really two main answers to the question. The most frequent and traditional method for joining a gang would be getting "jumped in." Note, this is not a trampolining contest. Instead, this is a handful of the gangsters kicking the stuffing out of the prospective member. They will punch and kick him, sometimes hit him with things like boards or even tools. They will seek to draw blood and injure, though not break anything. It is hazing, but it’s no college prank. Incidentally, you can technically get "jumped out" of a gang, but it is far more likely to result in your death, for obvious reasons.

Another method of joining, sometimes done in conjunction with getting jumped in, is to have the prospective member commit some crimes on behalf of the gang to show how brave and committed they are to the gang. Examples might be an assault or a purse snatching, maybe a car theft. I had one case where they sent a prospective member in to rob a liquor store, and the would-be gangster basically executed the innocent store clerk. There was a recording of that shooting. Thinking of the death rattle still gives me the shivers. 

As a gang member, you are going to need a street name or moniker. These monikers aren’t anything like the pilot call signs in the Top Gun movies, but instead names like Pelone, Flaco, or Payaso — Baldy, Slim, and Clown, respectively. Hardly the stuff of legend, but important in those circles. That will be your name to your homeboys and your enemies.  

Are There Different Levels of Membership?

Much like you might have in a military outfit, there is a pecking order in the gang culture. Your gang leaders are maybe 10 percent of the total membership and are the most active of the gangsters, planning, organizing, and carrying out the various crimes. It should be said that the level of planning and organization varies tremendously across race, area of operation and influence, size of a given gang, and other factors. The vast majority of gangsters might be what you would consider regular members or soldiers. They are not leaders but are loyal to the cause and willing participants. These are your true homeboys, your homeys, your compas.  

Shifting down from the soldiers, you have what are commonly called "associates." This term can be interpreted broadly depending on the circumstances, but usually it refers to someone who knows the guys, lives in the neighborhood, doesn’t usually commit crimes with them, but of course knows what they are up to. It can also be something more innocent, and that nuance is hard to parse out sometimes. If you live in a neighborhood and have known someone since you were both young, you might end up in a normal social situation with them, like a party or maybe playing a pick-up hoops game, something like that. However, at some point, a rival gang might happen by and shots are exchanged. This is one way that kids who are innocent can end up paying a dear price, including with their lives. 

Lowest on the totem pole would be what are called wanna-be’s or, more pejoratively, "pooh butts." The names aptly describe their true status. It is most common that they are young ones, too young to be in the gang. It can be guys in the hood who want to be associates, but just aren’t up to snuff or as well-connected as they need to be. As earlier mentioned, gang membership is a status symbol in many circumstances.

Now That We’re Gangsters: Where Are You From?

If I asked you where you were from, you would tell me the city or state without hesitation. However, in the gang culture, when someone asks you, "Where are you from?” that is likely to be the last words you will ever hear because that is a challenge question, a question to which there is no right answer. If you were in the questioner’s gang or an allied gang, he wouldn’t have to ask; he would know you. Getting asked this question is more like the wild west when an attacker wanted to "count coup" to know who they were about to kill and to be able to brag about it afterwards. Sadly, cases are legion where even non-gangsters, begging for their lives and saying, "We’re not from nowhere," can’t save themselves. Again, there is no right answer to that question. 

Throwing a Rat

No, we are not actually going to throw a rat. However, there is one more rule that is true for virtually every gang about which you will ever hear. It is this: Never talk to the police, and that especially includes when you are victimized by another gang. If you have trouble with another gang, you take care of it yourself and/or with your homeboys. Talking to the police about rival gangsters is called "throwing a rat" or "ratting someone out." In the gang culture, your own gang is likely to disown you, and rivals will gun for you on purpose. 

Further, most gangsters expect to spend significant time in custody. If word gets out that you are a rat, your time in custody will be miserable and maybe lethal. Many have heard the saying, "Snitches get stitches." In the gang culture, you’ll be lucky if you only need stitches if you’re a rat.  

John Thompson is a former prosecutor from Southern California who spent years assigned to a specialized Gang Enforcement unit. 

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