Incredible pics show the brutal reality of life in notorious Los Angeles street gangs the Varrio Longos in the 1990s
INCREDIBLE pictures give an insight into the lives of members of one of the most notorious American gangs in the 1990s.
The black-and-white photos were taken in Los Angeles by US photographer Axel Koester.
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The images show members of the East and West Side Longos – Hispanic-American street gangs with ties to Mexican drug cartels.
Along with the North Side Longos, they form Varrio Longo 13 – the largest gang in an umbrella group called Sureños, or Southerners, which pay tribute to the Mexican Mafia, according to United Gangs.
Formed in the city’s Long Beach area 1960s, the gang was once a single entity, but split into smaller loosely-affiliated units after internal fighting.
Photos show some of the gang members throwing up gang signs with their hands, signifying which faction or area they belong to.
Others show a group of young men holding up a sports shirt with Malditos – the name of one of several cliques within the Longos – printed on the back.
Other shocking images show the “jumping in” of a new recruit – where they have to prove their courage in a timed fight against a veteran gang member.
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The Varrio Longos have been called the most hated of all the street gangs in Los Angeles.
They are said to have killed members of every major criminal group in the city – including the infamous African-American gangs the Bloods and the Crips.
They are also said to have spurned the creation of rival Asian, Samoan and Cambodian street gangs – such as the Tiny Rascals and the Asian Boyz – after their harsh treatment of non-Hispanics.
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