| Founded | December 12th 1969Bronx, NY |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1969 to present |
| Territory | Hunts Point, Bronx, New York |
TheSavage Skulls are a mostlyPuerto Rican andAfrican Americanstreet gang started in theHunts Point area of theBronx during the late 1960s, gaining popularity in the 1970s.[1] The gang declared war on thedrug dealers operating in the Hunts Point area in the early 1970s, and was also involved in a number of running battles with rival gangs, including the Seven Immortals, Savage Nomads, and Dirty Dozen.[citation needed]
The gang was photographed by Jean-Pierre Laffont in 1972[2] and were the subject of the 1979documentary film80 Blocks From Tiffany's.[3][4][5] The leader of the gang was Felipe Mercado.[6] Like theSavage Nomads, gang members would appropriateNazi symbolism to project "how menacing and terrible they were." This included wearingswastikas, wearingNazi helmets and having positions called "Gestapo" within the gang's ranks.[7]