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gangs glossary
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| Early members of Nuestra Familia, courtesy of KnowGangs |
By Julia Reynolds
Symbol of Sureños, for M, the 13th letter in the alphabet. The M represents the Eme, or the Mexican Mafia gang, the “parent” prison gang that influences Sureños.
14,
catorce, XIV
Symbol of Norteños, for N, the 14th letter in the alphabet. The
N is for the Nuestra Familia, the “parent” prison gang that
influences Norteños.
187
A reference to Penal Code 187, the charge for homicide. When used as a
graffiti tag, it is meant as a death threat.
302
report (FBI)
The internal report an FBI agent files after an incident, an interview,
or a report coming from an informant.
Blood
In, Blood Out
A slogan used by prison gangs that require members to kill in order to
join the gang. It also means that according to gang rules, the only way
to leave the gang is to die violently.
Buster,
Sodbuster
A derogatory term for Norteños, referring to their farm town origins.
The
Cause
The secret guiding philosophy professed by Norteños to defend and
support each other and their Nuestra Familia brethren in prison. The underlying
values of The Cause are usually taught to young Norteños by experienced
elders.
Channel
In the Nuestra Familia, a channel is a superior in the gang who receives
orders and passes information to higher-ups.
COC
(Chain of Command)
The hierarchy of channels who pass instructions and information between
NF members and Norteños in jails and prisons.
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| Gang
murder in Salinas, photo by Janjaap Dekker |
Confidential
Informant, CI
In the FBI, a CI is an informant, usually a former member of a criminal
enterprise, who continues to pretend he or she is an active member of
the gang or crime group while informing for the FBI. The CI is expected
to provide real-time intelligence about current criminal activities.
Constitution
The manifesto of the Nuestra Familia, it outlines all the rules of conduct
and requirements for membership in the NF. The current version has gone
through a number of revisions over the years and no longer explicitly
states that betrayal is punishable by death.
Cooperating
Witness, CW
Often confused with a Confidential Informant, a CW is usually a gang member
who has left the enterprise and will provide information or testify in
court about past criminal activities that he/she witnessed or has knowledge
of.
Cuete
Spanish for rocket and slang for gun.
Dropout
A gang member who leaves the gang. In California state prisons, a verified
ex-gang member.
Fourteen
Bonds
A series of 14 rules that Norteños and Nuestra Raza (Northern Structure)
members are expected to follow to take care of NF members in prisons.
Green
Light
The go-ahead for a hit or murder.
Handler
An FBI agent who works closely with and supervises an informant.
Informant (see Confidential Informant and Cooperating Witness)
Jumped
In
A ritual for joining a street gang, such as having to run a gauntlet,
or survive a beating by other gang members. In Salinas, some kids who
grow up in gang families never have to go through the jumping-in stage.
La
Eme (see Mexican Mafia)
Spanish for the letter “M,” and another name for the Mexican
Mafia.
La
Ene
Spanish for the letter “N,” another name for the NF.
La
Máquina
A series of physical exercises performed in prison by NF members and Norteños,
as part of a regimen of discipline and self-improvement.
Mexican
Mafia
The first important gang formed in California prisons to protect Mexican
American inmates from abuse by guards and other inmates. It quickly became
a powerhouse and is now the enemy of the Nuestra Familia.
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| Police gang unit, photo by Janjaap Dekker |
No
Good
A term used to describe a gang dropout or other gang member who is seriously
on the outs and therefore on a hit list.
Norte
Spanish for north, a common gang tag used by Norteños.
Norteño,
Northerner
Rival gang of Sureños. Under the leadership of the Nuestra Familia,
Norteños were originally mainly farm-town gang members from all
over the state. Ironically, in more recent years, especially in Salinas
and other Northern California farm towns and cities, Norteños are
now often second or third generation Mexican Americans, and will fight
with Sureños who are Mexican immigrants or children of migrant
farm workers.
Nuestra
Familia, NF
The “parent” prison gang of Norteños, formed in the
1960s for farm town inmates to defend themselves from the Mexican Mafia.
Said by law enforcement to have more than 600 murders to its name, and
many of the victims are NF members, killed over betrayal or internal power
struggles.
Nuestra
Raza, NR, Northern Structure, Structure
A branch of NF, said to no longer be in existence, that was often made
up of Norteños paroling from prison and aspiring to rise in the
ranks of NF. The California Department of Corrections is said to have
given NR the name Northern Structure, and some gang members feel the CDC
may have inadvertently created the gang by giving splinter groups an identity.
The
O
The Organization, another term for the NF.
Posting
Up
Hanging out, keeping watch, or, for drug dealers, hanging out while open
for business.
Raza
Eagle
The symbol of the United Farm Workers (UFW) union, but since expropriated
and used as a tattoo by Nuestra Raza (Northern Structure) members. At
one time, to earn an eagle, an NR member had to have done a hit for the
gang. NR and NF members have no connection whatsoever to the UFW, nor
to the union’s deep commitment to nonviolence.
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Funeral, photo by Janjaap Dekker |
Red
Ragger
A Norteño, called so because often a Norteño will let a
red bandanna hang out of his back pocket as a symbol of gang identity.
Sureños identify with the color blue.
Regiment
An organized group of NF members and associates in a certain city or area,
such as the Salinas regiment.
Rent
A percentage of drug sales that is required to be paid to the gang controlling
a certain area.
Schooling
The training and teaching of young Norteños in The Cause and other
NF values and skills, usually done in juvenile hall, the California Youth
Authority, jail or prison.
Scrap,
Scrappa
A derogatory term for Sureños.
SHU,
Security Housing Unit
The controversial maximum security units in California prisons, similar
to “the hole,” for housing those who commit additional crimes
while incarcerated, and for housing "validated" prison gang
members. Often, gang members are sentenced to “inderminate”
SHU sentences and can only leave if they drop out of the gang, “de-brief”
and inform on their brethren. In recent years, the NF leadership continues
to run its gang operations out of Pelican Bay prison’s SHU, using
coded letters and other sophisticated communication methods
Slice
To cut someone with a razor, often across the side of the face, as a warning
or mark for having gone against gang orders.
Sur
Spanish for south, a common graffiti tag used by Sureños.
Sureño,
Southerner
Rival gang of Norteños. Under the leadership of the Mexican Mafia,
Sureños were originally mainly Los Angeles-area gang members. Ironically,
in more recent years, especially in Salinas and other Northern California
farm towns and cities, Sureños are now often recent Mexican immigrants
and the children of migrant farm workers.
Tomahawk
A small, handmade weapon made from a razor and used for slicing in prison.
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| 14
tag in a playground, photo by Janjaap Dekker |
Validation
An extensive process by which police and the California Department of
Corrections determines whether someone is an active gang member. Very
controversial, because young people may scribble gang signs and wear certain
clothes to emulate their peers without being gang members. And in prison,
the system of racial and geographic segregation of Latinos and others
often forces inmates to align with ethnically-based gangs for the duration
of their stay, even though they had no gang allegiance before going in.
XIII (see 13)
XIV (see 14)
YA,
also CYA, or California Youth Authority
The state’s prison system for juvenile offenders.
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