Gangland (2007) s04e06 Episode Script
Boys of Destruction
male narrator: In st.
Louis, It's every man for himself.
narrator: The prime Offenders: The boys of Destruction, or b.
O.
D.
They'll kill just for fun.
these cats now, they kill At the drop of a hat, And they jack you in minute.
narrator: B.
O.
D.
Is on and Poppin', anytime, anywhere.
the person closest to you Could kill you.
narrator: St.
Louis, Missouri, sits on the banks of The mighty mississippi river.
Its famed gateway arch marks The symbolic entrance to the American west.
St.
Louis isn't large, ranking 52nd among u.
S.
Cities in size.
But its murder rate is among The highest in america.
And on its northwest side, Gang warfare is common.
we have a high murder rate For thisfor this city.
So somebody's always trying Some monkey sáááall the time.
Somebody gets fáááááup.
Somebody gets killed.
Somebody gets shot.
narrator: There are as many As 10,000 gangbangers in St.
Louis, which is one in every 35 people.
The bloodiest conflicts among Gangs are those between rival Factions, where red battles Blue, and the dividing lines Are drawn.
In the 3-1-4, that line is Martin luther king drive.
narrator: The southwest side Belongs to the boys of Destruction, or b.
O.
D.
the boys of destruction were Probably the most organized And deadliest group That was out there.
narrator: Piper asked to have His identity concealed.
A b.
O.
D.
Since the early 1980s, He's one of the gang's founding Members and a respected leader.
He describes a childhood Scarred by gang violence.
narrator: Piper knows Firsthand how powerful the Allure of gang life can be.
narrator: The b.
O.
D.
's Fiercest rival, the horseshoe Posse, runs the northeast side Of m.
L.
K.
Drive.
it's always been the Horseshoe for years.
Thisthis goes back over 30 years, so it always been This, even before You know what I mean? narrator: In bigger cities, There are places to hide from Your enemies.
That's not the case In the "lou.
" our town is smaller.
All the players know each other.
It's likelike youlike you Can't fáááover me, and I not See you, for sure.
We'll see you again.
We'll bump heads again.
That's what makes it real Dangerous.
narrator: Sanchez smotherman, Known as "psyck," is a leader In the horseshoe posse.
I've been questioned For murders.
I got a reputation for being A tough guy, for setting Examples on people who thought I did play.
Like when the dog go piss on The tree, he leaves his scent Right there.
So I was infamous for leaving My mark.
Dead man zone, man.
Don't come around here playing.
You get killed.
You won't make it out of here.
narrator: The "horseshoe" is A loop formed by three one-way Streets.
posse goes back to the Cowboy days, I mean, Like when they ride in town.
They get the posse's coming.
So for the similar fact that, You know, our street is shaped Like a horseshoe, it's a group Of dudes standing around this Neighborhood, and just stick The two together.
narrator: But to unwelcome Visitors, it's a dead end, Especially for the boys of Destruction.
In this ruthless environment, The top dogs are known to all.
The most notorious member Of b.
O.
D.
? Dorsey brandon, known simply by His first name.
Most gang members use an alias On the streets to conceal their Identity from police.
Dorsey didn't deem it necessary To hide.
dorsey would admit it.
"you know what I do.
" I can hear him saying that now: "you know what I do.
I just ain't doing it now.
" narrator: Dorsey's reputation For lawless brutality has made Him a legend in st.
Louis.
dorsey, because of his Propensity for violence, You know, his nature, his His temper, it was short.
He had a real quick fuse.
narrator: Dorsey's life was Always violent.
He was 14 when he was shot for The first time.
narrator: Raymond dixon, aka Rainbow, is dorsey's brother.
The nickname came from the Colorful striped shirts He liked to wear.
Now he wears prison gray, Thanks to b.
O.
D.
S.
narrator: At 6'3", dorsey Towered over everyone, not just Because he was tall.
narrator: When dorsey was Hit, he would hit back.
And it took one burst of Gunfire for him to declare war On the horseshoe posse.
It was a warm night, and dorsey Was hanging out on a friend's Front porch, just a few blocks From the rival gang's turf.
Suddenly, a car pulled up, And two men with 9-millimeters Opened fire.
narrator: Dorsey dove into His car as the shooters sprayed The vehicle with bullets.
He was hit seven times In the chest.
narrator: Dorsey survived Barely.
It could have been just another Drive-by shooting on the Streets of st.
Louis, except for One thing: The shooters picked The wrong target.
he was well-known for using His weapon.
He was pretty quick with His gun and anger.
Who had pulled the trigger, but He was ready to take out any Horseshoe posse members he saw.
the violence had escalated To an epidemic proportion.
And that's when everything Exploded.
narrator: St.
Louis: It's known as the "hustle city," The s.
T.
L.
The name comes from the Criminal hustlers who call it Home, including a violent gang Known as the boys of Destruction, or b.
O.
D.
man, we ain't got a high Murder rate for nothin'.
Do not, I repeat, Do not come down here With that monkey sááá, man.
Your ass going to leave out Of here.
narrator: St.
Louis used to Be one of the shining jewels In the United States and was Host to the 1904 olympic games.
In the early part of the 20th Century, st.
Louis was one of The busiest ports on the Mississippi and the fourth Largest city in the u.
S.
, So prominent that it also hosted The world's fair.
As the city boomed, So did violent gangs.
we had the roach guards and The pug uglies, and those were German and polish gangs, And kind of strange that they Identifyidentified with the Red and blue too.
narrator: There were also The pillow gang and egan's rats.
These gangs held up dozens of Banks in the early '20s, Getting away with as much As $4 million.
The proceeds paid for weapons That led to open gun battles in The streets of st.
Louis.
Following world war ii, Families fled the inner city.
Industries left, And the economy dried up.
we had tons of manufacturing Places, many places where people Could make an honest, good buck And survive and pay house notes And buy cars and so on.
But those industries dried up, And many who had those jobs Kind of moved towards another Community.
narrator: The gateway city That once boasted 800,000 ople Now held just 350,000.
so we've lost over 60% of Our population.
The middle class is gone.
The loss of population, it Created an environment that Builds and cultivate the crime.
narrator: The downtown area Was hit especially hard, As neighborhoods descended into Poverty and drugs.
around the mid-'70s, that Was the introduction of heroin To our community.
And when those guys began to Distribute heroin, then the Decline of the community really Started.
narrator: Dorsey brandon was Born into this chaotic Environment in 1973.
He was barely a teen in the Mid-1980s when he joined a crew Called the boys of destruction.
In the beginning, the b.
O.
D.
S Were break-dancers whose only Battles were about who broke Hardest.
Piper, a b.
O.
D.
Member, was one Of dorsey's best friends.
narrator: The b.
O.
D.
S often Battled the horseshoe posse.
The two gangs attended the same Grade schools and played in the Same parks.
we all "click-clacked" Together, so to speak.
It's like a bullet going Into the shell; it fits.
Everything fits together, And you heard the sound: "click-clack.
" That'severything is together.
narrator: Despite the Occasional fistfight, the gangs Showed each other respect.
narrator: The b.
O.
D.
's Leader, dorsey, wanted more.
He wasn't satisfied with just Running a breakin' crew.
and dorsey brandon was a kid That developed into a very Violent kid.
He was known for being A "hot boy.
" he was also known for the Fact that he was pretty smart.
He was respectful to the Police, but he would cause Havoc on the street with the Citizens and other rival gang Members, you know.
He wouldhe could be notorious With enemy gang members.
narrator: By 1986, dorsey Saw an opportunity to start Making green.
The country's crack cocaine Epidemic had hit the 3-1-4 Hard, and dorsey led his crew Into the drug dealing business.
narrator: Dorsey's younger Brother, rainbow, was happy to Follow his brother's lead.
narrator: B.
O.
D.
Soon began To attract national attention.
The supergangs in l.
A.
Started Keeping tabs on st.
Louis as the Drug business there became more Profitable.
say, for instance, In california, a kilo of Cocaine was going for $12,000.
By coming to st.
Louis, You canautomatically, that Same kilo is worth $30,000.
narrator: The l.
A.
Gangs Wanted a piece of the action.
Then, street by street, they Supplied drugs to the locals Who ruled those corners, Including the b.
O.
D.
This new gang culture Exploded in April 1988, When the gangbanging movie Colors hit theaters.
Its depiction of l.
A.
's warring Crips and bloods inspired local Gangs to take up sides.
it hit st.
Louis like A windstorm, a snowstorm, A blizzard out of nowhere.
Overnight, different Neighborhood groups that already Exted were adopting Crip and blood identities.
narrator: B.
O.
D.
And the Horseshoe posse decided to be Bloods, until dorsey discovered He didn't have enough enemies.
narrator: So dorsey defected To the crips and took the B.
O.
D.
S with him.
narrator: The b.
O.
D.
S began Affiliating with a citywide Network of gangs.
They soon had allies all over St.
Louis.
instead of just relying on The 30, 40 people or 10, 15 People that may be in your Immediate gang, if your Connections are right, you now Have access to over 100 people.
narrator: B.
O.
D.
Ruled with An in fist.
they would never try to stop The b.
O.
D.
S from coming in, Because the b.
O.
D.
S would come Anyway, and believe me, the boys Of destruction were in charge.
narrator: Their rivals were Right across king drive: The horseshoe posse.
With just four lanes of asphalt Separating them, battle was Inevitable.
one sidewith the horseshoe Being bloods and the b.
O.
D.
S Being crips, naturally, They had conflict.
narrator: They were now Sworn enemies.
Rico boyd, who was born in the Neighborhood, describes the Rivalry as life and death.
narrator: Dorsey became the Undisputed leader of b.
O.
D.
, While his equal in the horseshoe Posse was a gangster named Hitman t.
hitman t was bent on being Being as big of a rival as Dorsey was, and so that mean The borders would clash.
And it was war against the boys Of destruction.
narrator: The two biggest Gangsters in town had a wary Respect for one another.
narrator: Then in March 1991, Hitman t was caught in enemy Territory with nothing but a can Of spray paint.
he got caught one morning Spray painting, and some guys Drug himnto this alley.
But he could only fight them so Long until somebody came Running down the alley with A shotgun, and they shotgunned Him.
narrator: Hitman t's Funeral almost became a riot When the angry gangs confronted Each other.
Police quickly stepped in and Broke up the fight, but tensions Remained high.
The ultimate disrespect Occurred after the funeral when Dorsey is said to have dug up His rival's body.
they pry the casket open, Put the body in the car with A smell like that, drive it over To the mother's house, And throw it on the porch And all that.
narrator: Dorsey and the B.
O.
D.
S were now firmly on top.
The streets of st.
Louis Were running with blood, And no end was in sight.
narrator: St.
Louis: Gateway to the west and home To thousands of gangbangers.
our area's more dangerous Because the poverty level Is so high.
The shootings, the murders, The gang activity: I mean, That all goes with that.
People get hurt.
narrator: The city's most Notorious gang is the boys Of destruction.
when members of the boys of Destruction went places, People knew who they were.
They were afforded the fear, Because if you messed With them, you were messing With a violent entity.
narrator: B.
O.
D.
Have A thriving drug trade, Pushing everything from Marijuana to crack.
dope, crack cocaine, heroin, T's and blue's: Stuff like that, You know, on the streets In the city of st.
Louis.
And it was pretty rampant.
narrator: The secret to their Success is keeping the cash Separate from the killing.
The man who controls the money Controls the b.
O.
D.
S and stays Clear of law enforcement.
The shooters stay out of the Money game, as long as They get paid.
narrator: The shooters often Come in the form of young gang Prospects who are trying to Make a name for themselves.
we stop a car, And the youngest individual, He's the one that's going To claim ownership to the gun.
And he's willing to do and Sacrifice his own life or his Own freedom for the gang.
narrator: The boys of Destruction wear blue.
Their archrivals, the horseshoe Posse, wear red.
The tradition started in 1988 After the movie colors brought The thug life into The mainstream.
The writing on the walls marks Each gang's territory.
the graffiti is like the Ghetto newspaper.
It tells people what's going on, Who's shooting who.
If I put "b.
O.
D.
" on the wall And I put a "k" behind it, That means I'm b.
O.
D.
Killer.
If I put "horseshoe posse" on The wall and I put a "k" behind It, that means I'm a horseshoe Posse killer.
narrator: Those same letters, Nicknames, and symbols show up In the gang's ink.
that's how we Identify members.
You don't know their name, and We identify 'em by their street Name, relative to their tattoos.
narrator: One popular stamp Incorporates the most famous Symbol of st.
Louis.
they may have the arch Tattooed on their arm and then Have numbers on one side of Theof the arch legs.
narrator: Rico's tattoos Reflect a life filled with With bloodshed.
narrator: The gang also Represents with hand signals.
narrator: In the 3-1-4, Even the lid you wear means Something.
The b.
O.
D.
S represent with the St.
Louis blues gear.
The horseshoe posse wear the Indianapolis colts gear.
that's the old traditional Way ofof doing things.
Like, our hats identify our Neighborhood.
All the players know what this Hat mean.
narrator: In the 1990s, Wearing the wrong hat in the B.
O.
D.
's hood was putting your Life on the line.
Psyck learned that lesson the Hard way.
we on our way to see these Girls down in the b.
O.
D.
Neighborhood.
We get jacked for the damn hats, Man By the gááááááb.
O.
D.
S.
narrator: Psyck quickly Retaliated, grabbing a gun and Hunting down his attackers.
and they knew it was me.
I used to wear a red ski mask.
I had a lowrider, Gray lowrider.
I used to wear a red ski mask And drive around in it.
narrator: Psyck won't reveal What happened, but he admits That the b.
O.
D.
S took revenge, Ambushing him outside The horseshoe.
Psyck was pinned in With no escape.
I'm backed up in traffic, Dropping this damn girl off, And some cats run out This alley.
The b.
O.
D.
S run out this alley.
Man, they tried to gun My car up, man.
narrator: The b.
O.
D.
S opened Fire, but psyck managed To get away.
Psyck gives credit to his Attackers, whom he suspects He knows.
this was a perfect plot; I'll give it to them.
It wasit was real Strategic of 'em.
Whoever put that down I think that was rainbow.
narrator: That was especially True when it came to dorsey, Whose main mission was Maintaining his power.
narrator: The boys of Destruction, The b.
O.
D.
S, were the most Feared gang in st.
Louis, Thanks to their charismatic Leader, dorsey brandon.
he was very smart, you know.
He was a hustler And very manipulative.
He would cause havoc on the Street with other rival Gang members.
narrator: Dorsey had narrowly Survived seven bullets To the chest, he believed, At the hands his archrival, The horseshoe posse.
and he was supposed to be On what they consider The "low-low.
" narrator: Dorsey wasn't About to lay low.
He needed to restore his Reputation as the toughest Gangster in hustle city.
Dorsey had been back out on the Streets for two weeks when he Went to the rose lounge, A popular nightclub.
narrator: The nightclub Bordered horseshoe posse Territory.
rival gang members would Come because it's set on the Perimeter of dorsey's Neighborhood and right on the Boundary line of other Gang-infested areas also.
narrator: Rainbow can't say Just how it began Old secrets die hard But someone started trouble With one of dorsey's friends.
The b.
O.
D.
's leader wasn't going To stand for that kind of Disrespect.
narrator: Dorsey was outside The club when a truck drove up And someone fired off two Rounds.
he died a tragic death, You know.
He died by the same The same things that he Practiced on the street.
I was able to respond to that That shooting, that scene, And when he died, he had, like, A smile on his face.
narrator: Dorsey was only 18 years old.
News of his murder quickly Spread through the gateway city.
after his death, there was A lot of r.
I.
P.
S, remember Dorsey and "p's," a lot of "b.
O.
D.
S" where you would see: "r.
I.
P.
Dorsey.
" "boys of destruction.
" narrator: B.
O.
D.
Went on the Warpath to avenge their Fallen leader.
For weeks afterward, the gang And their horseshoe posse rivals Carried on the most violent Street war st.
Louis had Ever seen.
the homicide rate skyrocketed With the gang violence.
In '93, we had the highest Homicidehighest murder rate.
narrator: That year, the Number of murders jumped to 267, A record for st.
Louis.
Rainbow, now 16 years old, Tried to take his brother's Place as the b.
O.
D.
Leader.
narrator: Rainbow was tough But didn't have his brother's Fierce charisma.
he started establishing How they say, "collect his Own bones.
" But he was not dorsey.
He didn't carry that weight That dorsey had of viciousness D everything else Or leadership.
narrator: In 1995, Authorities caught up with Rainbow, arresting him on drugs And weapons charges.
He was sentenced to seven years Behind bars.
With dorsey dead and rainbow in Prison, the b.
O.
D.
S were shaken To the core.
But their rivalry with the Horseshoe posse was as strong As ever, and killings were Becoming everyday events.
Piper took over leadership of The b.
O.
D.
S and struggled to Keep the gang together.
narrator: But piper found Himself in the crosshairs.
In 1999, he was hanging out With friends outside a local Garage when a rival gang member Walked straight up to him And opened fire.
narrator: Piper was paralyzed From the waist down but, Even today, won't give up The shooter.
narrator: Piper spent the Next year learning how to walk Again, but his injuries did Nothing to slow down his Gangbanging.
narrator: Piper was hanging Tough, but the gang was under Assault from all sides.
several other of the members, Elite guys, were killed.
And then the police were very Effective in getting rid of the Rest through law enforcement Matters: You know, getting Cases, sending them to prison.
narrator: As rival gangs Muscled in on the b.
O.
D.
's turf, Anarchy became the norm.
By 2000, there was a new creed In the hood: "anywhere, anyone, anytime.
" narrator: The boys of Destruction were a headless Snake with no real leader, And the st.
Louis gang war Was increasingly chaotic And violent.
nar2005, after Serving five years in prison For weapons and drug violations, Rainbow was free and back On the street.
He tried to go legit, But trouble seemed to find him.
That November, rainbow was Pulled over by a cop on A routine traffic stop.
narrator: Rainbow severely Beat the officer, stopping only When he was physically pulled Off the cop.
Rainbow fled and was on the lam For two days before turning Himself in.
He was sentenced to another 15 years in prison for Assaulting a police officer.
Today the long-standing rivalry Between the b.
O.
D.
S and Horseshoe posse is changing.
Though the b.
O.
D.
S still Sometimes represent with the Color blue, both gangs have Severed their ties with The l.
A.
Gangs.
narrator: Instead of shooting It out, they play by new rules: "red and blue make green.
" narrator: The gangs that now Work together to deal drugs Are also coming together to use.
a lot of guys who are going To be shooting at each other Duringhe day, they may be Sharing the same needle At night.
There's really rhyme or reason To it.
you see them on the same Street.
One of them got a blue bandana On his head.
One of them got a red bandana On his head.
They stand out drinking and Getting high.
So it can't be aboutit can't Be about the red and blue.
narrator: The breakdown of The old rivalry means the Streets are even more chaotic.
The new generation of b.
O.
D.
S Roll with no conscience.
narrator: As st.
Louis Works to rebuild its old Neighborhoods, b.
O.
D.
Territories are disappearing.
narrator: The battle lines Are being redrawn With a vengeance.
understand that even though They may be losing their Identity, they're still out There: Young people doing Shootings and killing Each other.
the gang members here, You know, as far as loyalty is Concerned, it doesn't go deep At all.
There have been incidents where We believe that fellow gang Members have killed each other.
narrator: Piper often visits His old neighborhood and with The help of a federal probation Program, is trying to stay sober And complete job training.
narrator: It's an uphill Battle.
and a lot of these guys, Since they've ver worked Legitimate jobs, they don't Understand that type of Commitment.
Their commitment is live fast And die young.
narrator: Piper is no longer Active but says he'll always be A b.
O.
D.
, though he's critical Of the new generation.
narrator: Rainbow also says He'll be a b.
O.
D.
As long as he Lives, though his days behind Bars have given him plenty of Time to think.
narrator: Rico says being A b.
O.
D.
Is a birthright that he Can't escape.
narrator: But he's decided To leave the old hood behind.
In 2007, he moved to A north side neighborhood, A place his mother hoped Would keep him away from gang Violence.
She was wrong.
narrator: Rico has decided To get a day job and is trying To stay straight.
But temptation and risk are Everywhere.
This particular night, his new Neighbors are keeping an eye on Rico and his b.
O.
D.
Brothers.
narrator: It's been this way In the hustle city for decades, And there is no sign that The bloodshed is slowing.
well, the gang activity in St.
Louis is fluid, and it's You might s it's just as fluid As the mississippi river We're located next to.
It's a situation that's Constantly changing and Constantly evolving.
The gangs are always lethal.
You should never, ever play them Cheap.
it's a noticeable Difference, the feel of it.
I mean, justthey just doing it For nothing now.
Like, now they don't do it For the neighborhood.
It's not really a neighborhood Thing.
Louis, It's every man for himself.
narrator: The prime Offenders: The boys of Destruction, or b.
O.
D.
They'll kill just for fun.
these cats now, they kill At the drop of a hat, And they jack you in minute.
narrator: B.
O.
D.
Is on and Poppin', anytime, anywhere.
the person closest to you Could kill you.
narrator: St.
Louis, Missouri, sits on the banks of The mighty mississippi river.
Its famed gateway arch marks The symbolic entrance to the American west.
St.
Louis isn't large, ranking 52nd among u.
S.
Cities in size.
But its murder rate is among The highest in america.
And on its northwest side, Gang warfare is common.
we have a high murder rate For thisfor this city.
So somebody's always trying Some monkey sáááall the time.
Somebody gets fáááááup.
Somebody gets killed.
Somebody gets shot.
narrator: There are as many As 10,000 gangbangers in St.
Louis, which is one in every 35 people.
The bloodiest conflicts among Gangs are those between rival Factions, where red battles Blue, and the dividing lines Are drawn.
In the 3-1-4, that line is Martin luther king drive.
narrator: The southwest side Belongs to the boys of Destruction, or b.
O.
D.
the boys of destruction were Probably the most organized And deadliest group That was out there.
narrator: Piper asked to have His identity concealed.
A b.
O.
D.
Since the early 1980s, He's one of the gang's founding Members and a respected leader.
He describes a childhood Scarred by gang violence.
narrator: Piper knows Firsthand how powerful the Allure of gang life can be.
narrator: The b.
O.
D.
's Fiercest rival, the horseshoe Posse, runs the northeast side Of m.
L.
K.
Drive.
it's always been the Horseshoe for years.
Thisthis goes back over 30 years, so it always been This, even before You know what I mean? narrator: In bigger cities, There are places to hide from Your enemies.
That's not the case In the "lou.
" our town is smaller.
All the players know each other.
It's likelike youlike you Can't fáááover me, and I not See you, for sure.
We'll see you again.
We'll bump heads again.
That's what makes it real Dangerous.
narrator: Sanchez smotherman, Known as "psyck," is a leader In the horseshoe posse.
I've been questioned For murders.
I got a reputation for being A tough guy, for setting Examples on people who thought I did play.
Like when the dog go piss on The tree, he leaves his scent Right there.
So I was infamous for leaving My mark.
Dead man zone, man.
Don't come around here playing.
You get killed.
You won't make it out of here.
narrator: The "horseshoe" is A loop formed by three one-way Streets.
posse goes back to the Cowboy days, I mean, Like when they ride in town.
They get the posse's coming.
So for the similar fact that, You know, our street is shaped Like a horseshoe, it's a group Of dudes standing around this Neighborhood, and just stick The two together.
narrator: But to unwelcome Visitors, it's a dead end, Especially for the boys of Destruction.
In this ruthless environment, The top dogs are known to all.
The most notorious member Of b.
O.
D.
? Dorsey brandon, known simply by His first name.
Most gang members use an alias On the streets to conceal their Identity from police.
Dorsey didn't deem it necessary To hide.
dorsey would admit it.
"you know what I do.
" I can hear him saying that now: "you know what I do.
I just ain't doing it now.
" narrator: Dorsey's reputation For lawless brutality has made Him a legend in st.
Louis.
dorsey, because of his Propensity for violence, You know, his nature, his His temper, it was short.
He had a real quick fuse.
narrator: Dorsey's life was Always violent.
He was 14 when he was shot for The first time.
narrator: Raymond dixon, aka Rainbow, is dorsey's brother.
The nickname came from the Colorful striped shirts He liked to wear.
Now he wears prison gray, Thanks to b.
O.
D.
S.
narrator: At 6'3", dorsey Towered over everyone, not just Because he was tall.
narrator: When dorsey was Hit, he would hit back.
And it took one burst of Gunfire for him to declare war On the horseshoe posse.
It was a warm night, and dorsey Was hanging out on a friend's Front porch, just a few blocks From the rival gang's turf.
Suddenly, a car pulled up, And two men with 9-millimeters Opened fire.
narrator: Dorsey dove into His car as the shooters sprayed The vehicle with bullets.
He was hit seven times In the chest.
narrator: Dorsey survived Barely.
It could have been just another Drive-by shooting on the Streets of st.
Louis, except for One thing: The shooters picked The wrong target.
he was well-known for using His weapon.
He was pretty quick with His gun and anger.
Who had pulled the trigger, but He was ready to take out any Horseshoe posse members he saw.
the violence had escalated To an epidemic proportion.
And that's when everything Exploded.
narrator: St.
Louis: It's known as the "hustle city," The s.
T.
L.
The name comes from the Criminal hustlers who call it Home, including a violent gang Known as the boys of Destruction, or b.
O.
D.
man, we ain't got a high Murder rate for nothin'.
Do not, I repeat, Do not come down here With that monkey sááá, man.
Your ass going to leave out Of here.
narrator: St.
Louis used to Be one of the shining jewels In the United States and was Host to the 1904 olympic games.
In the early part of the 20th Century, st.
Louis was one of The busiest ports on the Mississippi and the fourth Largest city in the u.
S.
, So prominent that it also hosted The world's fair.
As the city boomed, So did violent gangs.
we had the roach guards and The pug uglies, and those were German and polish gangs, And kind of strange that they Identifyidentified with the Red and blue too.
narrator: There were also The pillow gang and egan's rats.
These gangs held up dozens of Banks in the early '20s, Getting away with as much As $4 million.
The proceeds paid for weapons That led to open gun battles in The streets of st.
Louis.
Following world war ii, Families fled the inner city.
Industries left, And the economy dried up.
we had tons of manufacturing Places, many places where people Could make an honest, good buck And survive and pay house notes And buy cars and so on.
But those industries dried up, And many who had those jobs Kind of moved towards another Community.
narrator: The gateway city That once boasted 800,000 ople Now held just 350,000.
so we've lost over 60% of Our population.
The middle class is gone.
The loss of population, it Created an environment that Builds and cultivate the crime.
narrator: The downtown area Was hit especially hard, As neighborhoods descended into Poverty and drugs.
around the mid-'70s, that Was the introduction of heroin To our community.
And when those guys began to Distribute heroin, then the Decline of the community really Started.
narrator: Dorsey brandon was Born into this chaotic Environment in 1973.
He was barely a teen in the Mid-1980s when he joined a crew Called the boys of destruction.
In the beginning, the b.
O.
D.
S Were break-dancers whose only Battles were about who broke Hardest.
Piper, a b.
O.
D.
Member, was one Of dorsey's best friends.
narrator: The b.
O.
D.
S often Battled the horseshoe posse.
The two gangs attended the same Grade schools and played in the Same parks.
we all "click-clacked" Together, so to speak.
It's like a bullet going Into the shell; it fits.
Everything fits together, And you heard the sound: "click-clack.
" That'severything is together.
narrator: Despite the Occasional fistfight, the gangs Showed each other respect.
narrator: The b.
O.
D.
's Leader, dorsey, wanted more.
He wasn't satisfied with just Running a breakin' crew.
and dorsey brandon was a kid That developed into a very Violent kid.
He was known for being A "hot boy.
" he was also known for the Fact that he was pretty smart.
He was respectful to the Police, but he would cause Havoc on the street with the Citizens and other rival gang Members, you know.
He wouldhe could be notorious With enemy gang members.
narrator: By 1986, dorsey Saw an opportunity to start Making green.
The country's crack cocaine Epidemic had hit the 3-1-4 Hard, and dorsey led his crew Into the drug dealing business.
narrator: Dorsey's younger Brother, rainbow, was happy to Follow his brother's lead.
narrator: B.
O.
D.
Soon began To attract national attention.
The supergangs in l.
A.
Started Keeping tabs on st.
Louis as the Drug business there became more Profitable.
say, for instance, In california, a kilo of Cocaine was going for $12,000.
By coming to st.
Louis, You canautomatically, that Same kilo is worth $30,000.
narrator: The l.
A.
Gangs Wanted a piece of the action.
Then, street by street, they Supplied drugs to the locals Who ruled those corners, Including the b.
O.
D.
This new gang culture Exploded in April 1988, When the gangbanging movie Colors hit theaters.
Its depiction of l.
A.
's warring Crips and bloods inspired local Gangs to take up sides.
it hit st.
Louis like A windstorm, a snowstorm, A blizzard out of nowhere.
Overnight, different Neighborhood groups that already Exted were adopting Crip and blood identities.
narrator: B.
O.
D.
And the Horseshoe posse decided to be Bloods, until dorsey discovered He didn't have enough enemies.
narrator: So dorsey defected To the crips and took the B.
O.
D.
S with him.
narrator: The b.
O.
D.
S began Affiliating with a citywide Network of gangs.
They soon had allies all over St.
Louis.
instead of just relying on The 30, 40 people or 10, 15 People that may be in your Immediate gang, if your Connections are right, you now Have access to over 100 people.
narrator: B.
O.
D.
Ruled with An in fist.
they would never try to stop The b.
O.
D.
S from coming in, Because the b.
O.
D.
S would come Anyway, and believe me, the boys Of destruction were in charge.
narrator: Their rivals were Right across king drive: The horseshoe posse.
With just four lanes of asphalt Separating them, battle was Inevitable.
one sidewith the horseshoe Being bloods and the b.
O.
D.
S Being crips, naturally, They had conflict.
narrator: They were now Sworn enemies.
Rico boyd, who was born in the Neighborhood, describes the Rivalry as life and death.
narrator: Dorsey became the Undisputed leader of b.
O.
D.
, While his equal in the horseshoe Posse was a gangster named Hitman t.
hitman t was bent on being Being as big of a rival as Dorsey was, and so that mean The borders would clash.
And it was war against the boys Of destruction.
narrator: The two biggest Gangsters in town had a wary Respect for one another.
narrator: Then in March 1991, Hitman t was caught in enemy Territory with nothing but a can Of spray paint.
he got caught one morning Spray painting, and some guys Drug himnto this alley.
But he could only fight them so Long until somebody came Running down the alley with A shotgun, and they shotgunned Him.
narrator: Hitman t's Funeral almost became a riot When the angry gangs confronted Each other.
Police quickly stepped in and Broke up the fight, but tensions Remained high.
The ultimate disrespect Occurred after the funeral when Dorsey is said to have dug up His rival's body.
they pry the casket open, Put the body in the car with A smell like that, drive it over To the mother's house, And throw it on the porch And all that.
narrator: Dorsey and the B.
O.
D.
S were now firmly on top.
The streets of st.
Louis Were running with blood, And no end was in sight.
narrator: St.
Louis: Gateway to the west and home To thousands of gangbangers.
our area's more dangerous Because the poverty level Is so high.
The shootings, the murders, The gang activity: I mean, That all goes with that.
People get hurt.
narrator: The city's most Notorious gang is the boys Of destruction.
when members of the boys of Destruction went places, People knew who they were.
They were afforded the fear, Because if you messed With them, you were messing With a violent entity.
narrator: B.
O.
D.
Have A thriving drug trade, Pushing everything from Marijuana to crack.
dope, crack cocaine, heroin, T's and blue's: Stuff like that, You know, on the streets In the city of st.
Louis.
And it was pretty rampant.
narrator: The secret to their Success is keeping the cash Separate from the killing.
The man who controls the money Controls the b.
O.
D.
S and stays Clear of law enforcement.
The shooters stay out of the Money game, as long as They get paid.
narrator: The shooters often Come in the form of young gang Prospects who are trying to Make a name for themselves.
we stop a car, And the youngest individual, He's the one that's going To claim ownership to the gun.
And he's willing to do and Sacrifice his own life or his Own freedom for the gang.
narrator: The boys of Destruction wear blue.
Their archrivals, the horseshoe Posse, wear red.
The tradition started in 1988 After the movie colors brought The thug life into The mainstream.
The writing on the walls marks Each gang's territory.
the graffiti is like the Ghetto newspaper.
It tells people what's going on, Who's shooting who.
If I put "b.
O.
D.
" on the wall And I put a "k" behind it, That means I'm b.
O.
D.
Killer.
If I put "horseshoe posse" on The wall and I put a "k" behind It, that means I'm a horseshoe Posse killer.
narrator: Those same letters, Nicknames, and symbols show up In the gang's ink.
that's how we Identify members.
You don't know their name, and We identify 'em by their street Name, relative to their tattoos.
narrator: One popular stamp Incorporates the most famous Symbol of st.
Louis.
they may have the arch Tattooed on their arm and then Have numbers on one side of Theof the arch legs.
narrator: Rico's tattoos Reflect a life filled with With bloodshed.
narrator: The gang also Represents with hand signals.
narrator: In the 3-1-4, Even the lid you wear means Something.
The b.
O.
D.
S represent with the St.
Louis blues gear.
The horseshoe posse wear the Indianapolis colts gear.
that's the old traditional Way ofof doing things.
Like, our hats identify our Neighborhood.
All the players know what this Hat mean.
narrator: In the 1990s, Wearing the wrong hat in the B.
O.
D.
's hood was putting your Life on the line.
Psyck learned that lesson the Hard way.
we on our way to see these Girls down in the b.
O.
D.
Neighborhood.
We get jacked for the damn hats, Man By the gááááááb.
O.
D.
S.
narrator: Psyck quickly Retaliated, grabbing a gun and Hunting down his attackers.
and they knew it was me.
I used to wear a red ski mask.
I had a lowrider, Gray lowrider.
I used to wear a red ski mask And drive around in it.
narrator: Psyck won't reveal What happened, but he admits That the b.
O.
D.
S took revenge, Ambushing him outside The horseshoe.
Psyck was pinned in With no escape.
I'm backed up in traffic, Dropping this damn girl off, And some cats run out This alley.
The b.
O.
D.
S run out this alley.
Man, they tried to gun My car up, man.
narrator: The b.
O.
D.
S opened Fire, but psyck managed To get away.
Psyck gives credit to his Attackers, whom he suspects He knows.
this was a perfect plot; I'll give it to them.
It wasit was real Strategic of 'em.
Whoever put that down I think that was rainbow.
narrator: That was especially True when it came to dorsey, Whose main mission was Maintaining his power.
narrator: The boys of Destruction, The b.
O.
D.
S, were the most Feared gang in st.
Louis, Thanks to their charismatic Leader, dorsey brandon.
he was very smart, you know.
He was a hustler And very manipulative.
He would cause havoc on the Street with other rival Gang members.
narrator: Dorsey had narrowly Survived seven bullets To the chest, he believed, At the hands his archrival, The horseshoe posse.
and he was supposed to be On what they consider The "low-low.
" narrator: Dorsey wasn't About to lay low.
He needed to restore his Reputation as the toughest Gangster in hustle city.
Dorsey had been back out on the Streets for two weeks when he Went to the rose lounge, A popular nightclub.
narrator: The nightclub Bordered horseshoe posse Territory.
rival gang members would Come because it's set on the Perimeter of dorsey's Neighborhood and right on the Boundary line of other Gang-infested areas also.
narrator: Rainbow can't say Just how it began Old secrets die hard But someone started trouble With one of dorsey's friends.
The b.
O.
D.
's leader wasn't going To stand for that kind of Disrespect.
narrator: Dorsey was outside The club when a truck drove up And someone fired off two Rounds.
he died a tragic death, You know.
He died by the same The same things that he Practiced on the street.
I was able to respond to that That shooting, that scene, And when he died, he had, like, A smile on his face.
narrator: Dorsey was only 18 years old.
News of his murder quickly Spread through the gateway city.
after his death, there was A lot of r.
I.
P.
S, remember Dorsey and "p's," a lot of "b.
O.
D.
S" where you would see: "r.
I.
P.
Dorsey.
" "boys of destruction.
" narrator: B.
O.
D.
Went on the Warpath to avenge their Fallen leader.
For weeks afterward, the gang And their horseshoe posse rivals Carried on the most violent Street war st.
Louis had Ever seen.
the homicide rate skyrocketed With the gang violence.
In '93, we had the highest Homicidehighest murder rate.
narrator: That year, the Number of murders jumped to 267, A record for st.
Louis.
Rainbow, now 16 years old, Tried to take his brother's Place as the b.
O.
D.
Leader.
narrator: Rainbow was tough But didn't have his brother's Fierce charisma.
he started establishing How they say, "collect his Own bones.
" But he was not dorsey.
He didn't carry that weight That dorsey had of viciousness D everything else Or leadership.
narrator: In 1995, Authorities caught up with Rainbow, arresting him on drugs And weapons charges.
He was sentenced to seven years Behind bars.
With dorsey dead and rainbow in Prison, the b.
O.
D.
S were shaken To the core.
But their rivalry with the Horseshoe posse was as strong As ever, and killings were Becoming everyday events.
Piper took over leadership of The b.
O.
D.
S and struggled to Keep the gang together.
narrator: But piper found Himself in the crosshairs.
In 1999, he was hanging out With friends outside a local Garage when a rival gang member Walked straight up to him And opened fire.
narrator: Piper was paralyzed From the waist down but, Even today, won't give up The shooter.
narrator: Piper spent the Next year learning how to walk Again, but his injuries did Nothing to slow down his Gangbanging.
narrator: Piper was hanging Tough, but the gang was under Assault from all sides.
several other of the members, Elite guys, were killed.
And then the police were very Effective in getting rid of the Rest through law enforcement Matters: You know, getting Cases, sending them to prison.
narrator: As rival gangs Muscled in on the b.
O.
D.
's turf, Anarchy became the norm.
By 2000, there was a new creed In the hood: "anywhere, anyone, anytime.
" narrator: The boys of Destruction were a headless Snake with no real leader, And the st.
Louis gang war Was increasingly chaotic And violent.
nar2005, after Serving five years in prison For weapons and drug violations, Rainbow was free and back On the street.
He tried to go legit, But trouble seemed to find him.
That November, rainbow was Pulled over by a cop on A routine traffic stop.
narrator: Rainbow severely Beat the officer, stopping only When he was physically pulled Off the cop.
Rainbow fled and was on the lam For two days before turning Himself in.
He was sentenced to another 15 years in prison for Assaulting a police officer.
Today the long-standing rivalry Between the b.
O.
D.
S and Horseshoe posse is changing.
Though the b.
O.
D.
S still Sometimes represent with the Color blue, both gangs have Severed their ties with The l.
A.
Gangs.
narrator: Instead of shooting It out, they play by new rules: "red and blue make green.
" narrator: The gangs that now Work together to deal drugs Are also coming together to use.
a lot of guys who are going To be shooting at each other Duringhe day, they may be Sharing the same needle At night.
There's really rhyme or reason To it.
you see them on the same Street.
One of them got a blue bandana On his head.
One of them got a red bandana On his head.
They stand out drinking and Getting high.
So it can't be aboutit can't Be about the red and blue.
narrator: The breakdown of The old rivalry means the Streets are even more chaotic.
The new generation of b.
O.
D.
S Roll with no conscience.
narrator: As st.
Louis Works to rebuild its old Neighborhoods, b.
O.
D.
Territories are disappearing.
narrator: The battle lines Are being redrawn With a vengeance.
understand that even though They may be losing their Identity, they're still out There: Young people doing Shootings and killing Each other.
the gang members here, You know, as far as loyalty is Concerned, it doesn't go deep At all.
There have been incidents where We believe that fellow gang Members have killed each other.
narrator: Piper often visits His old neighborhood and with The help of a federal probation Program, is trying to stay sober And complete job training.
narrator: It's an uphill Battle.
and a lot of these guys, Since they've ver worked Legitimate jobs, they don't Understand that type of Commitment.
Their commitment is live fast And die young.
narrator: Piper is no longer Active but says he'll always be A b.
O.
D.
, though he's critical Of the new generation.
narrator: Rainbow also says He'll be a b.
O.
D.
As long as he Lives, though his days behind Bars have given him plenty of Time to think.
narrator: Rico says being A b.
O.
D.
Is a birthright that he Can't escape.
narrator: But he's decided To leave the old hood behind.
In 2007, he moved to A north side neighborhood, A place his mother hoped Would keep him away from gang Violence.
She was wrong.
narrator: Rico has decided To get a day job and is trying To stay straight.
But temptation and risk are Everywhere.
This particular night, his new Neighbors are keeping an eye on Rico and his b.
O.
D.
Brothers.
narrator: It's been this way In the hustle city for decades, And there is no sign that The bloodshed is slowing.
well, the gang activity in St.
Louis is fluid, and it's You might s it's just as fluid As the mississippi river We're located next to.
It's a situation that's Constantly changing and Constantly evolving.
The gangs are always lethal.
You should never, ever play them Cheap.
it's a noticeable Difference, the feel of it.
I mean, justthey just doing it For nothing now.
Like, now they don't do it For the neighborhood.
It's not really a neighborhood Thing.