 Piru graffiti | |
| Founded | 1969; 56 years ago (1969) |
|---|---|
| Founder | Sylvester Puddin Scott, Vincent Benson Owens |
| Founding location | Compton, California, United States |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Ethnicity | PrimarilyBlack American |
| Activities | Drug trafficking, robbery, extortion and murder |
| Allies | Bloods[1] |
| Rivals | Crips[1] |
ThePirus are a subset of the largerBloods gang alliance, anorganized crime group in the United States.[2]
The name "Piru" is derived from the Piru Street Boys, a gang which was founded in 1969 by Sylvester Scott and Vincent Owens inCompton.[3] The Piru Street Boys are considered the forerunners to the Bloods,[4] which is why the terms "Piru" and "Blood" are often used interchangeably. However, this interchangeable use of the terms is inaccurate,[5] as many non-Piru gangs such as the Denver Lanes and Brims were also instrumental in the formation of the Bloods.[6]
Furthermore, the Pirus are an alliance of street gangs within the larger Bloods alliance,[2] meaning that not all Bloods sets will identify as "Pirus".
In 1969, a gang called the Piru Street Boys was founded by Sylvester Scott and Vincent Owens. According to some sources, the Piru Street Boys were initially associated with theCrips,[7] but later had a falling-out. However, other sources dispute any alliance, claiming that the Piru Street Boys were victimised by the Crips.[8] Nevertheless, by the early 1970s, the Piru Street Boys formed an alliance with other smaller street gangs such as the Brims, Bishops and Denver Lanes, which also opposed the Crips.[9] This alliance became known as the Bloods, as the members of this alliance called each other "blood".[9]
Eventually, more Piru sets would form. There are 15 known Piru sets within theGreater Los Angeles area.[10] Piru sets have fought against each other. For example, theMob Piru andFruit Town Piru developed a rivalry by the late 1990s, which resulted in the murders of several Mob Pirus associated withDeath Row Records.[11]
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The Pirus is an umbrella street gang alliance (under the larger alliance, Bloods)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Some people incorrectly interchange the terms Piru and Blood, believing that the two terms mean the same thing.
Their origins lay in the Piru Street Boys, who once wore the blue bandana of the Crips gang and were known, for a short time, as the Piru Street Crips
Other gangs began to form to defend themselves against the Crips. Two of these gangs were the GnG Mob, Brims and the Pirus.
The local sets of anti-Crips included the Piru Street Boys, the LA Brims, the Denver Lanes, the Inglewood Family, the Swans, and the Pueblo Bishops
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