The Socio-historical context of the Bronx Gangs and their culture

The Socio-historical context of the Bronx Gangs and their culture

The Cross Bronx expressway that was competed in early 1963 was a part of Robert Moses’s urban project renewal for New York City. The expressway was built right through the Bronx, which caused a downward spiral for the residents. It caused businesses to close, which then led to workers being laid off and residences being vacant in the already poor and working class neighborhoods. The Cross Bronx expressway was a huge factor in the culture shift and decline of the socio-economic status of the city, which I feel led to an increase of gang activity. “Only one in four youths in the borough even graduated from high school. These gangs were a vanguard of the rubble. They were the children of Moses grand experiment” (Chang p.48)

                                    
  

Race was not a factor in the formation of gangs, you had the whites up in north Bronx (North of Fordham Road) and all throughout the rest of the Bronx were individual gangs of Hispanic and African American gangs. With the economic crisis so evident in the Bronx, the youth thought best they stick together. “That’s the only way we can survive out here, because if we all go our own ways, on by one, were gone” (Chang P.49) One young child explains his expedition to collect birds at little Italy, when “twenty Italians swooped down on them brandishing bats and chains yelling slurs…They were learning, you just don’t go anywhere without backup”(Chang P.44) It was at that point he decided to join a gang. Following the economic decline, it was almost apart of the culture with the formation of gangs.

Savage Skull Gang

Gangs went through a transformation in the Bronx, they went from typical gang activity (fighting & turf wars). “The gangs preyed on the weak, the elderly, drug addicts, store-owners, unaffiliated youth, and each other. (Chang P.49) They went from those typical gangsters to ones that cared about the community and wanted to see change.  A New York Post columnist Pete Hamill wrote “these young people are standing up for life, if their courage lasts, they will help this city to survive” The gangs participated in what they called a “junkie massacre”, they would clean up the streets of dealers and users, and use their strength in numbers to help eliminate all that was bad for the community.

            Despite the socio-economic decline in the Bronx due to Robert Moses Cross Bronx expressway, the formation of gangs turned out for the better, especially with their transformations from destroyers to protectors of the city. This contributed to the culture of the Bronx, and formed it into what it is today.

Rafe B.