The shocking truth behind the headlines, and the links between UK and U.S. gangsters Although organized criminal groups have been an ever-present menace, in the last decade gangs have snowballed into one of the most terrifying problems today. Seducing disillusioned youngsters into their ranks, vicious crews have declared open war in a desperate attempt gain control of the lucrative drug trade. Murder, kidnapping, and intimidation have become all too common. This chilling guide examines the rising, bloody tide of gang violence that threatens to engulf communities around the world. In south Manchester, the feud between the Gooch Gang and the Doddingtons became so vicious that peacekeepers from the Crips and Bloods flew in from Los Angeles to broker a deal. In the U.S., the Crips now boast some 35,000 members—Caucasian, Latino, Asian, and African American—while the Bloods have made an alliance with the old-time Lucchese crime family, once one of the Five Families of New York and still a pillar of the Cosa Nostra.