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