Paypal.me

Back then, filmmaker groups in major cities were teaching people how to use 16mm equipment to record their own stories. It was an exciting time for amateur filmmakers. In New York, St. Mark's Church showed films like this one once a week and the place was packed with people like me seeing what others had done. There is something so “real” about this film done by a gang member about aspects of the gang experience. In 1968, Philadelphia was often referred to as the "gang capital" of America, with the highest rates of gang-related violence in the country. The city's gang landscape was a mix of highly organized crime syndicates and hundreds of smaller, turf-based juvenile street gangs. These were sophisticated groups involved in large-scale criminal activities like extortion, narcotics, and racketeering. 12th and Oxford was a prominent North Philly gang. Interestingly, they filmed a documentary about themselves titled The Jungle in 1967, which provided a rare look into their daily lives and turf battles. Philadelphia Black Mafia was a gang formed in September 1968, this syndicate grew out of neighborhood criminal groups. It eventually controlled much of the criminal activity in Black neighborhoods, including drug trafficking and numbers running. By 1968, Philadelphia had over 50 active juvenile gangs, primarily operating in North and West Philadelphia. These groups were defined by strict discipline and fierce protection of their territories. Between 1962 and 1968, gang-related stabbings and murders increased drastically. In 1969, the violence peaked with 45 murders and 267 injuries. This surge led District Attorney Arlen Specter to establish Safe Streets, Inc. in 1969, a non-profit program aimed at ending turf wars through social services and job training. Please continue to support David at Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/allinaday12 Patreon: patreon.com/allinaday Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/davidhoffmanfilms