Chinatown - Blog 2.0 - Gangsters Inc. - www.gangstersinc.org
2024-03-28T09:13:16Z
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/Chinatown
FBI offers $30,000 reward for information leading to arrest of fugitive Boston Chinatown’s Triad hitman
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/fbi-offers-30-000-reward-for-information-leading-to-arrest-of-fug
2021-01-13T13:54:41.000Z
2021-01-13T13:54:41.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><p><a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/fbi-offers-30-000-reward-for-information-leading-to-arrest-of-fug" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237155686,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237155686?profile=original" /></a>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>Authorities are stepping up their hunt for Hung Tien Pham, a hitman of Boston Chinatown’s Ping On <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/triads-overview" target="_blank">Triad</a>, who is wanted for the brutal execution-style murders of five men at a Chinatown social club in <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Boston" target="_blank">Boston</a>, Massachusetts, 30 years ago this week.</p>
<p>Pham (photo above) was known as a major associate of Asian organized crime at the time of his becoming a fugitive. If he is still alive, he would be 60 years old. He was born in Mong Cai, Quang Ningh Province, North Vietnam. He is a Vietnamese national of Chinese descent and is fluent in Vietnamese, Chinese, and English. At the time of the murders, he was a legal, permanent resident of the United States.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Boston’s Chinatown massacre</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237155897,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237155897?profile=original" /></a>In the early morning hours of January 12, 1991, Hung Tien Pham (right) entered an illegal gambling den located at 85A Tyler Street in Boston, Massachusetts, and allegedly shot six men, execution-style, while they were playing cards. Of the six victims, only one survived the attack, and he subsequently identified Pham, along with Nam The Tham and Siny Van Tran, as the shooters. Six days later, on January 18, 1991, a warrant was issued for Pham’s arrest following his indictment by a grand jury in Suffolk County Superior Court on five counts of murder, one count of armed assault with intent to murder, one count of conspiracy, and one count of carrying a firearm without a license.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ:</strong> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-deadly-battle-for-control-over-new-york-s-chinatown" target="_blank"><strong>The deadly battle for control over New York’s Chinatown</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Following the massacre, it is alleged that Pham left his two children and their mother and drove to Atlantic City, New Jersey, to gamble and then to New York, New York, where he boarded a flight for Hong Kong on February 1, 1991. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Pham on February 15, 1991, by a United States magistrate judge in the District of Massachusetts, charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution for the crime of murder.</p>
<p>In addition to the quintuple homicide, Pham is also wanted by the Boston Police Department for another murder that occurred on January 8, 1991, four days before the massacre.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>International manhunt</strong></span></p>
<p>After a decade-long international manhunt, Tham and Tran were arrested in China and, following extensive diplomatic negotiations, returned to the United States in 2001. In 2005, Tham and Tran were convicted of murder in Suffolk County Superior Court and are currently serving five consecutive life sentences. Pham remains a fugitive and his last known location was Bangkok, Thailand, in the mid- to late-1990s.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: Asia’s Most Wanted Drug Lord - Profile of</strong> <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/asia-s-most-wanted-drug-lord-profile-of-triad-boss-tse-chi-lop-ni" target="_blank"><strong>Triad boss Tse Chi Lop, nicknamed “Brother Number Three”</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Investigators have determined that in the 1980s and early 1990s, Pham was a major associate of Asian organized crime, specifically the <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/triads-overview" target="_blank">Ping On crime syndicate</a>, operating in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Toronto, Canada. He also has family in the San Francisco Bay area of California, South Korea, and North Vietnam, giving him various locations to find a hiding place or shelter.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=FBI" target="_blank">FBI</a> is offering a reward of up to $30,000 to anyone who can provide information leading to Pham’s capture and conviction. He should be considered armed and dangerous and an international flight risk. Pham has held a variety of jobs, including but not limited to, a cook, waiter, bicycle repairman, and floor sander. He was also known to be a big spender who liked flashy cars and cognac.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AkavBXrjCWw?wmode=opaque" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p>The public is being asked to review Pham’s wanted poster which includes new photographs, including an age-progressed photo of him at 60 years old. An international publicity campaign launched this week includes the launch of a webpage on fbi.gov; social media outreach on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube; and targeted publicity in the cities to which Pham has been tied. The public can play an active role in helping law enforcement find the subject by sharing links to the website and official social media content.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-chinese-godfather-profile-of-chinese-italian-crime-boss-zhang" target="_blank">The Chinese Godfather</a> - Profile of Chinese-Italian crime boss Zhang “Il Uomo Nero” Naizhong</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>“As alleged, this cold-blooded killer has been on the run for 30 years, and we’re hoping this reward will incentivize anyone with information on Pham’s whereabouts to come forward so we can we bring him to justice for his role in one of the bloodiest massacres in Boston’s history,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The six victims and their families who suffered so much deserve nothing less, and we will not rest until Pham has been held accountable for these horrific crimes.”</p>
<p>“For those of us who were in the Boston area 30 years ago, the massacre is something that cannot be forgotten. Five families lost their loved ones that night, the one surviving victim’s life was changed forever, and an entire neighborhood was traumatized. Boston remembers these lives that were brutally taken. It took years to find Pham’s co-defendants, and we will not rest until Pham is brought to justice and held accountable. There is no statute of limitations on murder. We will not stop looking until we find him,’’ said Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Call the Feds</strong></span></p>
<p>The FBI is offering a monetary reward of up to $30,000 for information leading to the location, arrest, and prosecution of this individual. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should take no action themselves but should immediately call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), their local law enforcement agency, or their nearest American embassy or consulate. Tips can also be submitted at tips.fbi.gov.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/triads-overview">Triads section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p></div>
The Italian Mafia, Irish gangs, Chinese Tongs, bootleggers, gamblers, thieves and killers: Welcome to Gangland Boston
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-italian-mafia-irish-gangs-chinese-tongs-bootleggers-gamblers
2018-03-20T17:34:45.000Z
2018-03-20T17:34:45.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><p><a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-italian-mafia-irish-gangs-chinese-tongs-bootleggers-gamblers" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237095470,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237095470?profile=original" width="600" /></a>By David Amoruso</p>
<p>In her latest book <em><a href="http://amzn.to/2IDgDx1" target="_blank">Gangland Boston</a>: A Tour Through the Deadly Streets of Organized Crime</em>, Boston Globe reporter Emily Sweeney details over a century of heists and killings involving the Italian Mafia, the Irish Mob, Chinatown Tongs, and brutal crews. “’Tis a small world!”</p>
<p>“Boston’s underworld is insular, and at times, surprisingly diverse,” Sweeney tells Gangsters Inc. “The criminal element in this city has been represented by many ethnicities. Over the years it’s had Jewish gangsters, Italian mobsters, and Irish gangs. <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/joe-barboza-boston-barbarian" target="_blank">Mob hitman Joe “The Animal” Barboza</a> was of Portuguese descent and then there were several Polish gangsters, Greeks, even Syrians.” </p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>The Rackets</strong></span></p>
<p>All these groups and characters vied for the same piece of the rackets, of which <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Boston" target="_blank">Boston</a> had plenty. “All the usual schemes,” Sweeney nods. “<a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Gambling" target="_blank">Gambling</a>, <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Drugs" target="_blank">narcotics</a>, <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Extortion" target="_blank">extortion</a>, <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Loansharking" target="_blank">loansharking</a>, of course bootlegging liquor was big during <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Prohibition" target="_blank">Prohibition</a>, and old-fashioned robberies have never gone out of style. Some of the biggest heists in history have happened here. The Plymouth mail truck robbery of 1962 went unsolved and $1.5 million of stolen cash is still unaccounted for. The Brinks Robbery of 1950 was another huge score, and less than $60,000 of that stolen money was ever recovered. The rest disappeared without a trace.”</p>
<p>Sweeney: “That’s the one thing that really intrigues me about crime in Boston: The mystery of whatever became of the money that was stolen in the Brinks Robbery and other big heists. So much money just disappeared into thin air.”</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>The Neighborhood</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GangstersInc" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237095856,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237095856?profile=original" width="195" /></a>Folks in Boston knew how to keep a secret. Regardless of what came to light in recent decades, the code of silence was strong among the tight-knit working-class neighborhoods where many cops and hoodlums grew up alongside each other, creating bonds for a lifetime.</p>
<p>“Boston is smaller than <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Philadelphia" target="_blank">Philadelphia</a> and <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=NYC" target="_blank">New York City</a>, both in terms of population and geography,” the longtime Boston Globe reporter explains. “Perhaps that’s why Boston seems like such a ‘small world.’ Just look at how former <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=FBI" target="_blank">FBI</a> agent John “Zip” Connolly grew up in the same housing project in <em>Southie</em> as mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger.”</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Read: <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/stranger-things-dropping-acid-with-boston-mob-boss-james-whitey" target="_blank">Dropping acid with Boston mob boss James Bulger</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p>If friendships weren’t enough, take a look at all the familial connections between the underworld and politics and law enforcement, Sweeney offers. “I’ve always been fascinated by instances where a brother in one family lived a life of crime and another sibling went to work for the government. Whitey Bulger’s younger brother went on to lead a successful career in politics and served as president of the state senate. Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi’s brother Michael was a Boston police officer, and his other brother, Jimmy "The Bear" was a violent killer.”</p>
<p>The connections between the underworld and the one above even hit close to Sweeney’s job, she adds. “Two Irish mobsters -- Thomas Nee and Joe Murray -- once worked for the <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/" target="_blank">Boston Globe</a>. That’s where I work. Like I said, there are so many connections. ’Tis a small world indeed!”</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Tour Guide</strong></span></p>
<p>Boston’s gangland was no different. When Sweeney first began writing her book, her publisher wanted her to write it around the geography of the city and focus on specific locations and neighborhoods. Sweeney: “At first, they suggested writing chapters for each neighborhood, but I said that would be impossible because there was so much overlap. Boston is a pretty small area, and gangsters covered a lot of ground and moved from neighborhood to neighborhood.”</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Read: <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-blackfriars-massacre" target="_blank">The Blackfriars Massacre</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p>To keep things orderly and exciting, she highlights historic stories that remain interesting even today. Of course, her main focus is on the many places where gangsters lived, worked, played, and in some cases, died. Sweeney compiled an interactive map of many of the locations featured in the book, which you can find on her website <a href="http://www.bostonorganizedcrime.com">www.bostonorganizedcrime.com</a> She has also shared many photos on her Facebook page <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BostonOrganizedCrime">www.facebook.com/BostonOrganizedCrime</a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Rampant Crime</strong></span></p>
<p>Looking back to the late 1800s, it is interesting to analyze what made Boston such a greenhouse for a variety of crime groups. Sweeney: “Generally speaking, I think organized crime is shaped by whatever laws are on the books and criminals typically follow the money, taking part in the illicit activities that are profitable. For example, for many years street gambling was rampant all over Boston, but when the state lottery was introduced illegal betting operations and bookies took a big hit. Just like when Prohibition was repealed, licensed bars eventually replaced the speakeasies. I think the changing demographics of urban neighborhoods has also played a role in how organized crime groups around here operate.”</p>
<p>Law enforcement has a big influence on the rise or fall of <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Gangs" target="_blank">criminal gangs</a>. Sweeney feels that local, state, and federal authorities are sometimes overlooked when covering the underworld. That is why she shares many of their stories in her book.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Buy: <a href="http://amzn.to/2IDgDx1" target="_blank">Gangland Boston</a>: A Tour Through the Deadly Streets of Organized Crime</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>“I included some amazing stories from Mike Swidwinski, a <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=DEA" target="_blank">DEA</a> agent who was tasked with one of the most difficult assignments of all: To conduct surveillance on Whitey Bulger in South Boston. Another police officer featured is Daniel McDonald, who survived a violent attack by the Gustin Gang,” she says.</p>
<p>“Of course, while the majority of law enforcement officers have upheld the law and fought for justice, there have been some that have turned a blind eye to crime, or even worse, participated in it firsthand,” she adds. “One example that comes to mind is the infamous robbery of the Depositors Trust Co. in Medford over Memorial Day weekend in 1980. Reportedly $1.5 million in cash was stolen and God only knows how much jewelry. The heist took place in Medford and was orchestrated by a group that included a Medford police lieutenant, a Metropolitan police captain, a Metropolitan police sergeant and a fellow by the name of Arthur “Bucky” Barrett – who was later slain in 1983. Whitey Bulger was convicted of his murder.”</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Read: <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/joe-barboza-boston-barbarian" target="_blank">Joe Barboza: Boston Barbarian</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Boss of Bosses</strong></span></p>
<p>Talking about <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Bulger" target="_blank">Whitey Bulger</a>, he has grown into one of the most (in)famous mob bosses in not just Boston but around the world. Many in the media and public tend to equate this fame with genuine influence, but who is Sweeney’s pick for most powerful crime boss in Boston’s history?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GangstersInc" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237094892,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237094892?profile=original" width="222" /></a>“That’s a tough one,” she tells us. “It’s too difficult to choose just one! Phil Buccola was considered to be the <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-new-england-crime-family" target="_blank">New England Mafia</a> don for a long time. Prior to Buccola, there was Gaspare Messina (photo right), who was picked to serve as a “capo di capi” – boss of bosses - during the Castellammarese War. He only held the title briefly, but it just goes to show you how respected he was by his peers. Then, later on, Jerry Angiulo became a formidable figure who built a tremendously profitable empire. Like I said, it's too hard to choose.”</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Read: <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/boston-mafia-boss-peter-limone-dies-at-age-83" target="_blank">Profile of New England Mafia boss Peter Limone</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Despite strong leadership in the past, however, currently organized crime families that date back to those days aren’t in great shape. “When it comes to the mob in Boston, I would say it’s nowhere near as strong or influential as it once was,” she says. “Just a few years ago, my colleague at the <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/" target="_blank">Boston Globe</a>, Milton Valencia, reported that there were no more than 30 made members left in the New England mob. That's pretty astonishing, when you consider that not too long ago there were upwards of 100 made men here. And if you go back even further, back to 1895, there were supposedly 200 Mafia members in and around Boston. How times have changed.”</p>
<p><strong><em><a href="http://amzn.to/2IDgDx1" target="_blank">Gangland Boston</a>: A Tour Through the Deadly Streets of Organized Crime</em> by Boston Globe reporter Emily Sweeney is now available online at <a href="http://amzn.to/2IDgDx1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> or at a store near you. You can read her reporting in the <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/" target="_blank">Boston Globe newspaper</a>.</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-new-england-crime-family">New England Patriarca crime family section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p>
<p> </p></div>
Eight associates of San Francisco Triad boss “Shrimp Boy” Chow off to prison
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/eight-associates-of-san-francisco-triad-boss-shrimp-boy-chow-off
2018-01-11T04:00:00.000Z
2018-01-11T04:00:00.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><p><a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/eight-associates-of-san-francisco-triad-boss-shrimp-boy-chow-off" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237085494,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237085494?profile=original" width="520" /></a>By Gangsters Inc. Editors</p>
<p>Eight associates of San Francisco Triad boss <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-rat-who-became-king-triad-boss-raymond-chow" target="_blank">Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow</a> were given prison sentences ranging from 1 to 7 years on Monday for their respective roles in his Chee Kung Tong criminal organization based in the city’s <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Chinatown" target="_blank">Chinatown</a>. Chow was found guilty of all the charges brought against him and is currently serving <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/san-francisco-crime-boss-shrimp-boy-chow-gets-two-life-terms-in-p" target="_blank">two life terms</a> in prison.</p>
<p>51-year-old Leslie Yun received the longest sentence, 7 years, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to engage in RICO, money laundering, conspiracy to traffic contraband <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Cigarettes" target="_blank">cigarettes</a>, and possession, manufacture and distribution of <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Marijuana" target="_blank">marijuana</a>.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Read: Learning from mistakes, murdering a rival and retiring in Thailand: <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/learning-from-mistakes-murdering-one-s-rival-and-retiring-to-thai" target="_blank">Profile of a Yakuza boss</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p>58-year-old James Pau and 34-year-old Rinn Roeun each got 6 years. Pau for money laundering, trafficking cigarettes, and <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=Drugs" target="_blank">drug charges</a>. Roeun for his involvement in weapons smuggling and murder-for-hire.</p>
<p>Kevin Siu, Michael Mei, Elaine Liang, Tina Liang, and Barry House were also sentenced Monday. In addition to the prison terms, each defendant, except for Micheal Mei, was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release. Mei was sentenced to 4 years supervised release. The last remaining defendant to be sentenced is George Nieh. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 11, 2018. </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/triads-overview">Triads section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p>
<p> </p></div>
Henchmen of convicted San Francisco crime boss Raymond Chow reach plea deals
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/henchmen-of-convicted-san-francisco-crime-boss-raymond-chow-reach
2017-01-07T12:23:36.000Z
2017-01-07T12:23:36.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><p><a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/henchmen-of-convicted-san-francisco-crime-boss-raymond-chow-reach"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237085494,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237085494?profile=original" width="520" /></a>By Gangsters Inc. Editors</p>
<p>Five members of the San Francisco Tong organization led by convicted crime boss <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-rat-who-became-king-triad-boss-raymond-chow">Raymond Chow</a> pleaded guilty to reduced charges yesterday. Gary Kwong Yiu Chen, Anthony John Lai, and Xiu Ying Ling Liang pleaded guilty to money laundering charges; Tong Zao Zhang pleaded guilty to dealing in contraband cigarettes; and Bryan Tilton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce.</p>
<p>Their sentencing is scheduled for April.</p>
<p>All were caught up in the undercover sting operation by the <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=FBI">FBI</a> aimed at their leader, Raymond Chow, a notorious and high profile crime boss with a criminal record dating back decades. You can read <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-rat-who-became-king-triad-boss-raymond-chow">an extensive profile of Chow here</a>. While Chow opted to take his case to trial resulting in a guilty verdict – though he continues to claim his innocence - and <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/san-francisco-crime-boss-shrimp-boy-chow-gets-two-life-terms-in-p">subsequent life prison sentence</a>, his henchmen plea bargained instead.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Read: <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-deadly-battle-for-control-over-new-york-s-chinatown">The deadly battle for control over New York City's Chinatown</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Bryan Tilton gave the FBI an in when he conspired with Chow to purchase $30,000 worth of purportedly stolen Hennessy XO alcohol from a salesman, who, in reality, was an undercover FBI agent. Tilton admitted to this crime as part of his plea deal.</p>
<p>Chen and Lai admitted laundering over $635,000 from October to December 2013 that was used to disguise the cross-county flow of illicit drug money. Zhang admitted distributing contraband cigarettes on the black market without paying taxes that would have totaled almost $300,000 according to prosecutors.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/triads-overview">Triads section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p>
<p> </p></div>
The deadly battle for control over New York’s Chinatown
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-deadly-battle-for-control-over-new-york-s-chinatown
2016-04-29T09:33:43.000Z
2016-04-29T09:33:43.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><p><a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-deadly-battle-for-control-over-new-york-s-chinatown"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237062895,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237062895?profile=original" width="500" /></a>By David Amoruso</p>
<p>New York City is a booming business for those who rule over it. For over a century, the Italian American Mafia’s five families of La Cosa Nostra ruled its boroughs with an iron fist. Yet, by the 1990s, the mob’s power had dwindled giving other groups a chance at their own piece of this lucrative pie.</p>
<p>New York's Chinatown has become a favorite among tourists. With scores of Chinese immigrants settling in the Big Apple every year, Chinatown expanded rapidly. Currently it is even larger than the famous <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/organized-crime-in">Little Italy</a>. During the late 1980s to the mid-nineties, the On Leong Chinese Merchants Association was the city’s most prominent Tong, an organization consisting of Chinese immigrants looking out for the area’s businessmen and shopkeepers. But as with most of these organizations they mostly looked out for their own, using the Tong as nothing but a front for their true business: <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/triads-overview">organized crime</a>.</p>
<p>The On Leong Tong was no different then, using a gang named the Ghost Shadows as muscle and protection. For over a decade the Ghost Shadows terrorized New York. According to the FBI, 75 percent of all businesses in Chinatown paid them extortion money. They also ran betting parlors and had a scheme going where they scammed 300 Asian investors out of $10 million.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GangstersInc" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237063075,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237063075?profile=original" width="225" /></a>The main power behind the On Leong Tong and Ghost Shadows gang was Wing Yeung Chan, a fifty-year-old who favored slacks and sports jackets, and shunned ties. From looking at him, you would not believe he was the man in charge of <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/triads-overview">Chinese organized crime</a> in New York, but people on the street knew who he was and what he stood for.</p>
<p>Chan (right) arrived in New York as a young man, starting out working a job as a clerk in a grocery store. His second job, sweeping the floor at a Chinese gambling parlor, became his introduction into the Chinese underworld. Pretty soon he was one of the most powerful men in Chinatown as leader of the Ghost Shadows gang.</p>
<p>His younger brother Wing Lok served as his street boss, dealing directly with the men responsible for the killings and beatings. Lok, unlike his older brother, was flashy. He liked fancy cars, beautiful women, and had a lust for booze. A third brother, Wing Wah, was in charge of all the gambling operations. To make the family affair complete, a fourth brother supplied the Ghost Shadows with guns. All brothers made a good living off of their criminal deeds. Chan owned a condo in the trendy Tribeca neighborhood of New York, while Wing Lok lived in a $2,225-a-month East Side apartment.</p>
<p>New York's Asian communities are rife with Asian street gangs. Its members all coming from different parts of China or Asia. Some of the gangs had connections with Tongs, while others were strictly out for themselves. During the 1990s the most important gangs were: the Chinese Ghost Shadows, Flying Dragons, Tung On, Fuk Ching, <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/green-dragons-gangster-has-life-sentence-reduced">Green Dragons</a>, White Tigers, Hung Ching, the Taiwan Brotherhood, and the Vietnamese Born-To-Kill gang.</p>
<p>All these gangs were fighting for their piece of the city rackets and things got violent quickly and often. One incident involved Chan's brother Wing Lok. In January 1992, during a night out at the Triple 8 nightclub, while he was enjoying some drinks and the women that flock to men of his stature, members of the rival Tung On gang attacked him and beat him to a bloody pulp.</p>
<p>Busted up, Lok knew he needed to safe face. He did so a few days later when he killed a Tung On gang member on East Broadway. A tit for tat war erupted. The Tung On avenged their loss by opening fire inside a pool-hall in a shooting that left an innocent bystander dead and authorities in shock.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the violence continued, this time involving other gangs as well. On July 12, 1992 members of the Ghost Shadows beat and robbed Shui Bao, the leader of the rival Flying Dragons. A week later, the Ghost Shadows went to a meeting where things were to be handled in a civilized matter, yet it didn’t go that way. Instead, it ended in a blood bath.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GangstersInc" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237063088,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237063088?profile=original" width="183" /></a>Shui Bao had lost so much respect after the beating that he had to retaliate immediately or he would lose all credibility as a gang leader. When Wing Yeung Chan (right), Wing Lok Chan, and six other Ghost Shadow members arrived, they were met by twenty Flying Dragon members with knives and guns. One Ghost Shadow was shot to death, while Wing Lok barely made it out alive after being stabbed.</p>
<p>The constant beatings, stabbings, and frequent murders brought a lot of heat from law enforcement and by the mid-nineties the entire leadership of both the Ghost Shadows and the Tung On was in prison. Wing Yeung Chan and his brother Wing Lok both agreed to testify against their underlings in return for a second chance at life outside prison.</p>
<p>After their departure from the scene they were replaced by others. With a steady influx of Chinese immigrants there is never a shortage of fresh recruits. Though the extreme violence of the 1990s has died down, the rackets remain and those in control continue making copious amounts of money plying their illegal trade.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/triads-overview">Triads section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p>
<p> </p></div>
Green Dragons gangster has life sentence reduced
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/green-dragons-gangster-has-life-sentence-reduced
2016-04-09T19:00:00.000Z
2016-04-09T19:00:00.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><p><a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/green-dragons-gangster-has-life-sentence-reduced"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237059467,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237059467?profile=original" width="497" /></a>By Gangsters Inc. Editors (cover photo courtesy of Gorilla Convict)</p>
<p>It was 1989 and Asian street gangs in New York were battling for control of <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/triads-overview">Chinatown rackets</a>. As higher-ups stayed in the shadows, teenagers roamed the streets and violently fought to the bitter end so the gang’s power could increase.</p>
<p>One such teenage gangster was 43-year-old Alex Wong. Back in July of 1989 he was just 16 years old and a member of the <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/asian-youth-gangs-and-the">Green Dragons</a>, a notorious <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/asian-youth-gangs-and-the">street gang</a> which operated in Queens. When a manager of the Tien Chiau Restaurant in Queens refused to pay the gang protection money, <a href="http://www.gorillaconvict.com/2011/10/green-dragons-2/" target="_blank">Wong</a> then went in and show the manager the reality of things. He stepped inside and opened fire, indiscriminately killing not just the manager, but also a customer and paralyzing a bystander.</p>
<p>For his <a href="http://www.gorillaconvict.com/2011/10/green-dragons-2/" target="_blank">deadly actions</a> that day, in 1992 the teenager received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.</p>
<p>That would’ve been the end of it, if it weren’t for the United States Supreme Court which ruled in 2012 that mandatory life sentences for juvenile offenders violated the Eighth Amendment against cruel and unusual punishment.</p>
<p>That is why Wong was back in court yesterday. Standing there now was not the same boy he said. “I’m not the same person I was. I have changed. Back then, I was a reckless, immature, thoughtless young man that really didn’t understand anything. I am so ashamed of what I’ve done,” he told the judge with tears in his eyes.</p>
<p>“I’m asking for mercy, please. I wish you could see in my heart. It’s so pure. I feel so bad. I understand I ruined lives, and I will never forgive myself for that. I can’t bring them back. I want to try and change the future,” he added.</p>
<p>The judge agreed with the Supreme Court ruling and believed Wong’s story. As he warned him to stay on the right path and away from trouble, he reduced Wong’s sentence from life to 35 years, which means the former Green Dragons killer will be out in ten years.</p>
<p>The violent events between the Green Dragons and other Asian street gangs served as the basis for the 2014 movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1396523/" target="_blank">Revenge of the Green Dragons</a>, with Martin Scorsese as an executive producer. View the trailer below:</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3c-YiIC5Bz4?wmode=opaque" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/triads-overview">Triads section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p>
<p> </p></div>
Violent New York Asian gang hit with racketeering charges
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/violent-new-york-asian-gang-hit-with-racketeering-charges
2015-12-17T14:23:01.000Z
2015-12-17T14:23:01.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><p><a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/violent-new-york-asian-gang-hit-with-racketeering-charges"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237040900,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237040900?profile=original" width="475" /></a>By David Amoruso</p>
<p>Eight members and associates of the Zheng Organization were charged with crimes including racketeering, narcotics trafficking, extortion offenses, illegal gambling, and soliciting assaults on Tuesday. Qian “Cash” Zheng, the gang’s leader, faces a maximum sentence of 164 years in prison if convicted.</p>
<p>Zheng’s organization was based in and around the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn and the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, both known as local <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/triads-overview">Chinatowns</a>. Authorities allege that its members participated in a variety of crimes to enhance the gang’s influence and wealth.</p>
<p>According to the indictment, in August 2013, Qian Zheng hired two individuals to assault a man and a woman. He sought to have one of the victim’s leg broken and the other victim’s face scarred.</p>
<p>A few months later, in October 2013, gang members Billy Chen (42) and Jiayo Jiang (45) extorted a man. Later, Zheng joined in on the scheme and hired two individuals to carry out the extortion and instructed them to beat the man and fire shots into his restaurant so that he would pay an alleged debt.</p>
<p>A year later, Zheng and fellow gang member Guifu Gao (35) solicited the assault of another man. Gao made clear that this one needed to be crippled and that he should be beaten until he was half dead. Zheng similarly instructed those hired to carry out the beating to beat the man severely.</p>
<p>The violent collections continued as, on May 28, 2015, Zheng sent his underlings, including Xin Lin, Kai Huan Huang, and Xue Jiang Gao, to collect money from a man at his gambling parlor. When he insisted that he did not owe any money, Lin, Huang, and Jiang Gao beat him with their fists and wooden stools, breaking a bone in the man’s hand.</p>
<p>44-year-old crime boss Zheng and his cronies also profited by narcotics trafficking and illegal gambling. All face decades behind bars if found guilty.</p>
<p> “For years, Zheng and his associates committed violent acts to make money, protect their territory, and as retribution for perceived slights. Violent gangs are a blight on our neighborhoods, and we will do all in our power to prevent them from casting a shadow of violence over our streets,” stated United States Attorney Robert L. Capers.</p>
<p>“The Zheng Organization used violence and an array of criminal activities to enhance their power and protect their territory. It’s gang related activity like this that infects our communities with an illness that kills our neighborhoods’ safety and growth. However, there is an antidote to this that is made of law enforcement working at both the federal and local level to get gangs like this off the street,” said Assistant Director-in-Charge, Diego Rodriguez.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/triads-overview">Triads section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p>
<p> </p></div>
Chinatown Gangs in Boston Busted
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/chinatown-gangs-in-boston
2011-07-11T11:00:00.000Z
2011-07-11T11:00:00.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><p><a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/chinatown-gangs-in-boston"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9237003071,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9237003071?profile=original" width="500" /></a>By David Amoruso<br /> <br /> While the media is still focused on the arrest of Irish crime boss turned informant turned fugitive <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/mob-boss-whitey-bulger">James “Whitey” Bulger</a>, one tends to forget there are a lot of other criminal groups still operating in Boston. A recent bust puts the spotlight on the city’s Chinatown. <br /> <br /> On Friday July 8, 26 people were charged with working for organized crime groups in Chinatown, selling drugs varying from oxycodone pills to ecstasy, operating prostitution rings, money laundering, extortion, and illegal gambling. <br /> <br /> According to a statement made by FBI agent Thomas Conboy, the information that made these arrests possible came from a confidential informant and secret video recordings. Conboy told of one violent incident involving Hin Pau, one of the defendants who allegedly worked as an enforcer for a crime gang. <br /> <br /> It is alleged Pau confronted a man about an unpaid gambling debt after which an altercation occurred. “Pau fought with the man in the gambling den, and then had told one of his associates to get a ‘piece of metal,’ meaning a gun, which [the informant] was told was being kept nearby in case of need.”<br /> <br /> Newspaper <a href="http://articles.boston.com/2011-07-09/news/29755937_1_gambling-charges-gambling-den-indictments" target="_blank">The Boston Globe</a> was the only paper to pay attention to this news. Reporter David Abel made clear that despite the official FBI statement “prosecutors declined to speak about the indictments or ongoing investigation, and many details remained unclear.”<br /> <br /> Abel did point out an interesting tidbit though: “In his statement in court documents, Conboy described alleged connections between crime rings in the Boston and New York Chinatowns”, Abel wrote.<br /> <br /> Though there is little focus on these connections in the Globe article, it is an interesting piece of information. And also one that has a long and bloody history. Chinese organized crime groups have, for many years, tried to organize themselves into a national body. <br /> <br /> As recently as the 1990s Asian gangs have fought for control of American Chinatowns and the national drug market. In the early 1990s, a <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/triads-overview">Triad</a> crime boss by the name of <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/triad-boss-peter-chong">Peter Chong</a> had begun a partnership with Boston crime boss Wayne Kwong. Chong had plans for a national syndicate called “Tien Ha Wui" or "Whole Earth Association". This syndicate would be comprised of all the Asian gangs in the United States, and would be led by him.<br /> <br /> But before the plan could come to fruition both bosses ended up in hand cuffs. Kwong began cooperating with authorities and Chong was sentenced to prison in 2002. According to the Bureau of Prisons he was released on July 29, 2008 at the age of 65. <br /> <br /> Could the successors of Boston gang boss Wayne Kwong have been planning another national syndicate, instead this time looking to their brothers in New York? An interesting question that should have an even more interesting answer as these 26 men go to trial. <br /> </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/triads-overview">Triads section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p>
<p><strong><br /> </strong></p></div>
Asian Youth Gangs and the Tongs
https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/asian-youth-gangs-and-the
2010-11-03T17:30:00.000Z
2010-11-03T17:30:00.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9236985695,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;font-weight:bold;">Photo: New York City's Chinatown</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-style:italic;">The people pictured in this photo are in no way connected to criminal activity</span></p>
<p><br /> By David Amoruso<br /> Posted on April 25, 2009<br /> <br /> Anyone familiar with organized crime knows about the <a href="http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/triads-overview" target="_blank">Chinese Triads</a>. Triad groups are very well structured organized crime groups, containing a strict hierarchy with a boss at the top. At the bottom of the command chain are the youth gangs. These gangs are often not that well organized and also very reckless. But the Triads continue to need new blood and thus welcome these brash young men into their group. In some cases, however, the deeds of these bloodthirsty youth gangs brought down the entire organization.<br /> <br /> The United States was introduced to Chinese organized crime during the late 1800s. Chinese immigrants had arrived decades earlier to build the great rail road from the East to the West coast. These men worked under very harsh conditions, many dying in the process. After the rail road was finished, these Chinese were pushed aside and treated as second class humans. In order to survive they formed societies, or Tongs, just like their families did and had done back in China. During the last few decades of the 1800s there were several bloody Tong wars that stunned the US. Around the mid-1900s the Tong wars had ceased and its leaders divided the rackets in the various Chinatowns across the US.<br /> <br /> By the mid 1960s these Chinatowns saw the emergence of a new phenomena: youth gangs. As immigration quotas and restrictions were lifted, more and more Asians migrated to the US. Many young Asians saw themselves trapped between two worlds: their old home and their new home. Between a world that needed them and which they abandoned, and a world they joined but did not appreciate or want them. These youths sought each other’s company and protection. The tongs in return were eager to use them as muscle. During the next decades youth gangs were hired to protect gambling dens, brothels, and extort shopkeepers. In return the Tongs provided the gangs with legal help, lawyer fees, and gave the gangs a certain air of respectability.<br /> <br /> But immigration of Asians continued, and competition between gangs increased. During the 1970s and 1980s many battles were fought, causing many in law enforcement to worry that the Tong wars would return. By now the Tongs had a stake in many youth gangs, and gang wars were directly affecting their business. Even more important was that many gang members had become prominent Tong members as they had grown older. The two organizations had become intertwined.<br /> <br /> In New York the On Leong Tong had taken in the Ghost Shadows gang. The Ghost Shadows were fighting a war for control over criminal rackets in Chinatown against the Flying Dragons gang, which was aligned with the Hip Sing Tong, and the Tung On gang. The Ghost Shadows fought vicious battles against these two gangs throughout the 1980s and 1990s. These battles were fought out in the open. Large groups of gangsters, including their bosses, would be involved in large brawls where members were beaten, stabbed, or even shot. This behavior is typical of young gangsters looking for recognition and respect, but with so much at stake, this behavior brought much unwanted attention from law enforcement. By the end of the 1990s the entire leadership of these three gangs was off the streets, either serving heavy prison sentences or cooperating with authorities.<br /> <br /> <img style="float:right;" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9236986091,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" />The same incidents occurred in California. San Francisco is the city that has a large Triad/Tong presence, and has seen many Tong wars. Only a few years ago, young gang members rose up against their own Tong. The dominant Tong in San Francisco’s Chinatown is the Hop Sing Tong. In 2006 it was led by Allen Ngai Leung (photo on the right). Leung was a very respected member of the Chinese-American community and was a very successful businessman. When young members of the Hop Sing asked the Tong’s elder leaders for money to “do business”, the elders felt uneasy about handing it over. After several meetings they decided to refuse. They would not give the young gangsters any money. What happened next, again, was very typical for young gangsters. The day after the elder Tong members had voted against giving the youths their money, the front door of the Tong’s headquarters was shot up. It was only the beginning. In February of 2006, Leung was shot to death in his office. No person has been arrested in connection to this killing.<br /> <br /> The San Francisco incident shows that young gangsters are not always in the mood to follow the rules, or listen to their elders. Since the Tongs use them as muscle they start to feel like they are the power, not the old men who sit in their offices all day. In a 1991 New York Times special report about New York’s Chinatown youth gangs, detective Lloyd Hutchinson says: “The Tongs don’t want this level of violence, all this heat. But for them to get rid of these kids now, they’d literally have to kill them.”<br /> <br /> After Latinos, Asians are now the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. As more and more Asians come to the US there will be a certain increase of Asian youth gangs. A 2005 USA Today article shows that Asian youths are frequently bullied by other youths. This causes some to find protection by joining a gang. “A 2003 California survey by the Services and Advocacy for Asian Youth Consortium found that 14% of Asian youth said they join gangs for protection. Department of Justice school crime data found the number of Asian youth carrying weapons nearly tripled from 1999 to 2001.”<br /> <br /> With so much gang violence already occurring in the US, one has to wonder what role the Asian youth gangs will start playing in the future. And how the Tongs and Triads will use them to gain a strong foothold in the American underworld. Because despite some incidents in which gang violence caused the downfall of certain Tongs, the Tongs will always need the young gangsters to function as their iron fist on the streets of Chinatown.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Additional information:</span><br style="font-weight:bold;" /><span style="font-weight:bold;">- The Ghost Shadows gang was founded in 1966</span><br style="font-weight:bold;" /><span style="font-weight:bold;">- The Flying Dragons gang was founded in 1967</span><br style="font-weight:bold;" /><span style="font-weight:bold;">- The Tung On was founded in 1974</span><br style="font-weight:bold;" /><br style="font-weight:bold;" /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Main activities of Asian youth gangs:</span><br style="font-weight:bold;" /><span style="font-weight:bold;">- Extortion, prostitution, armed robbery, gambling, drug dealing.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-style:italic;">Source: Chinatown Gangs, by Ko-lin Chin, Oxford University Press US, 1996</span></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/triads-overview">Triads section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p></div>