The Gangs of NY

Socio-Economics & Politricks

Deindustrialized South Bronx, 1960s

• 55% unemployment rate; youth unemployment 60-80%

• 600K manufacturing jobs gone

• Urban renewal: started moving poor from other NYC Burroughs to the South Bronx

• Gentrification...

Cross-Bronx Expressway

• Get from gentrified areas easier (Manhattan to Queens, etc)

• Real estate was held by slumlords because nobody wanted to own property, XBE

• The Bronx is Burning (1972 Doc)

– 30,000 fires from 1973-1977

• Blocks upon blocks of ruins and abandoned buildings

• “Planned Shrinkage”: closing of schools/youth programs, laying off firemen and police

White Flight

80 Blocks from Tiffany's (1979)

• Dir. Gary Weis

• Focused on social decay and:

– Savage Nomads (mixed)

– Savage Skulls (mainly PR)

• Turf and “Colors”

• “Clubs”

• Family; in hip hop=CREW

• Appropriation of...

– Military and MC style (Hebdige???)

Flyin' Cut Sleeves (1993)

• Dir. Rita Fecher (teacher at Dwyer Jr. High)

• Dir. Henry Chalfant (urban photographer and dir. of Style Wars)

• Former gang members and social justice, community building, etc.

• “Families” labeled by media as “gangs”

• Ghetto Brothers (Benjy Melendez)

• Influence of Black Panthers and Young Lords

From the Comics

• Herc gets stabbed

• GM Flash cutting “Quick Mix Theory”

• Flash brings Kid Creole and Melle Mel on the mic

• Brothers Disco=DJs Baron, Breakout, and KK Rockwell

– The Mighty Mighty Sasquatch= sound system made from South Bronx debris!

• Crews start to get management!

• Herc hides the names of his records; others follow

• “Get Down” part=break