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| The Gangs of Los Angeles | 
 enlarge | Author: William Dunn
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc.
Category: Book
List Price: $20.95
Buy New: $13.21
You Save: $7.74 (37%)
Buy New/Used from $13.16
Avg. Customer Rating:  (8 reviews)
Sales Rank: 45820
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 0
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 6 x 0.7
ISBN: 0595443575
EAN: 9780595443574
ASIN: 0595443575
Publication Date: June 21, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
There is no gang turf more desperately unique than that hidden among the 464 square miles which make up the City of Los Angeles. It is a fragile place; both tantalizing and repulsive, where wild fires can scorch hill-top celebrity homes as easily as gang members decimate a housing project with automatic rifle fire. The Gangs of Los Angeles is a classic, real life account of American crime. From the early Tomato Gangs of 1890?s Boyle Heights to the modern Crips and Mara Salvatrucha, with side trips through an Irish Dogtown, the gang wars of ?Happy Valley?, Sleepy Lagoon and the yellow journalism of the Hearst Press, and a tragic murder at Sunset and Vine, Dunn recounts the events and notorious denizens that spawned LA?s gang subculture. Praise for William Dunn?s BOOT: ?BOOT uses Dunn?s stint on the streets to make incisive and invaluable observations about the nation?s troubled urban areas and their policing.?
?Publishers Weekly ?? Read BOOT by William Dunn for an honest, inside look at the world?s most controversial police force.?
?Joseph Wambaugh, author of Hollywood Station
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 City of Angels? Not this bunch!!! November 23, 2008
A compilation of movers and shakers in gangland L.A. The book is historically correct in detail and content. I can't think what gang activity got left in the editor's wastebasket; it's all here in its seamy metropolitan underbelly. How the gangs began, why they started and what they're up to these days--and nights. Fascinating account of what we don't or didn't know. A true eye-opener, even for a native Angeleno.
"An All Out War Against Wicked Gangs This Way Comes" September 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"The Gangs of Los Angeles", William Dunn, NY, iUniverse, Inc., 2007, ISBN: 978-0-595-44357-4, Pbk, 272 pgs. Includes Preface 3 pgs. Table Contents 1 pg.. 9" x 6".
A recognized gang expert and CRASH officer, UCLA Graduate Wm. Dunn is Detective Sgt. With Los Angeles Police Department. He has extensive first-hand knowledge of currently active gangs of their evolution and has provided nationwide instruction on the current MS-13 gang epidemic. Dunn provides a revealing accounting of the history of gangs since Biblical times and emphasizes the origin and evolution of Hispanic gangs, the Mexican Mafia, Blood & Crips, Hells Angeles, and details on dozens of the hundreds of other gangs now dispersed throughout the United States. He describes methodologies used by police, public officials and International authorities is identifying and dealing with gangs - with succinct commentary of the effectiveness or deleterious consequences of different intervention programs. Of especial importance is his depiction of the Mara Salvatrucha and its various offshoots, all of Salvadoran origin
Inveiglements for added clarity to this book would have been inclusion of maps of Greater LA, Mexican Counties and the Countries of Central America. This book is concise, covers the A to Zs of gangs and gangsters in its 19 chapters; and it is truly a classic book of the rise and dissemination of gangs, their diverse memberships, activities and influences throughout many parts of the world. Although moderately technical with names, dates and memberships, I'd consider it to be "Gangs 101" for anyone who professes to be knowledgeable in gangs and their activities. The disastrous consequences of "Sanctuary Cities" is provided, noting Los Angeles City and Boston join the ranks with San Francisco on aiding and abetting these most evil criminal elements. [Too many Mayors seem to put themselves above the law (are they "on the take" or just stupid?)].
Dunn is not only an accomplished writer but he is a refined historian with excellent citing and commentary on those economic, military and political forces which helped shaped gangland activity that now is overtly involved in money laundering, drugs (heroin, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, Marijuana), prostitution and more recently, International Terrorism. It's a good read, one that's hard to put down!
 We need a War on Gangs! May 1, 2008
Gangs of Los Angeles is a factural history of the evolution og tangs in the 20th century. It bolsters and highlights the fact that gangs are a serious growing menace and that law enforcement efforts to eradicate gangs should be given top priority by our elected officials.
Carl Fischer
 Good history of gang violence in LA, horrible editing April 28, 2008
With the American Mafia pretty much out of the picture, its having relocated to more white collar Wall Street crime (where there's plenty of company), the spread of gangs in the country's cities and smaller population centers where there's construction or some type of meat processing work to be had has become a real problem and a bigger threat to city life than ever before.
"The Gangs Of Los Angeles", by William Dunn, is a bit of a knock off of the classic "Gangs Of New York", but no less important or interesting. From the "Tomato Gangs" to the "West Side Story" style gangs of the late '50s, to the riots in Watts in 1965 and up to present day terrors like the Bloods and Crip gangs and Latin gangs like the dreaded MS13, Dunn paints a bleak picture, but also places the blame on lazy parenting, lack of a male authority figure and the nation's most historically corrupt and racist police force as ingredients in this violent stew that has spread nationwide.
The passion is there, the research is fine. The editing and grammar, however, are absolutely unforgivable for a published book. I have never read a book so full of misspelled words, even in direct quotes from other sources, poor punctuation, and italicizing where none is needed or makes sense. While I am the last to criticize his knowledge of his subject or his obvious concern, I recommend any further printings undergo a serious editing job. Such a botched script is insulting and costs the book two points. I'll edit a new manuscript for you, Mr. Dunn at a fair price if you're interested, because whomever your publisher and editor is, they sure aren't doing their job.
Gangs of LA January 14, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
good introduction to the corrupt world of los angeles and southern/northern california - through a cops point of view. though bearly scratches the surface as to what is really going on. it felt a little biased at times and is historically inaccurate in some cases. LOTS of type-0's. almost completely neglects the asian community in the book for some reason. but all in all a good read if you are or were from LA.
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