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11be815
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Through all of those different wars, we came to understand each other. The Mason's fellas just wanted to chill in their area and be left alone. The Border Boys basically wanted the same thing. Stinky and Robert just wanted to be able to sell their drugs and make their money. But us, we were on a mission to take over the whole town. Scrooge, former leader of the Rebellion Raiders street gang that once boasted of having some ten thousand members
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aggression
ambitious
conflict-resolution
conflicts
drugs
fighting
gang-addiction
gang-communities
gang-intervention
gang-life
gang-members
gang-wars
mission
money
on-a-mission
rebellion-raiders
street-fights
street-life
take-over
thug-life
turf-wars
understand
understanding-each-other
violence-addiction
war
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Drexel Deal |
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8fd5a26
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The year was 1996, and the date was July 5. It was a Friday night and I had just turned 21 two days prior, which, by the way, was a miracle unto itself. Due to the violent life I was living, this was a milestone and something worth celebrating. But on this beautiful summer evening, I was not in a celebratory mood. Rather, I was in a predatory mood and that was what I was doing: lying and waiting for my prey to arrive.
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career-criminals
casing-out
gang-life
out-laws
predator
prey
stocking
street-robberies
violent-life
watching
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Drexel Deal |
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2e7bfaa
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I could understand why some fella's take drugs just before their crimes: because they need something to help them quiet their minds. However, I don't do drugs nor do I drink alcohol, but the thing that gets me high like a kite is a crime well done. Then there's the scent of freshly fired gunpowder, or the sounds of the empty bullet casings hitting the ground as they are ejected each time I pull the trigger. These two things never fail to get me high; the truth is I'm seriously addicted to violence.
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arm-robbery
bullet-casings
drive-by
gang-life
gangbanging
gangsters
hardcore-gangsters
harden-criminals
high-like-a-kite
senseless-violence
street-life
thug-life
violence-addiction
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Drexel Deal |
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51c1110
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When I first went to prison, I made the best out of it. From the streets, I was hearing reports of Rebellions going to prison and getting do in [beat up]. Our fellas had no say, couldn't even open up their mouths. When I went up there for the first time, I turned that prison into a place that everyone could say that the Rebellions were running it after that. I wouldn't say I did it alone, but I help set the groundwork to give the Rebellions a say in prison. Scrooge, former leader of the Rebellion Raiders street gang that once boasted of having some ten thousand members
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gang-life
gangsters
influence
jail
prison
rebellion-raiders
street-fame
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Drexel Deal |
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c86119b
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When my son Lowell was eight years old, one day he and I had just finished playing. Tired and exhausted, we were lying on the bed talking. He sat up in the bed and started to trace his finger over the scar behind my neck. He asked me with concern in his voice, 'Daddy, how you got this cut behind your neck?' I hesitated for a while, wondering how much I should tell him, or if I should even tell him at all. I decided to tell him some of it, leaving out the part about the shooting. So I told him, 'I got that from fighting with one of my friends.' Lowell didn't respond right away. After a moment of silence and tracing his finger over the scar, my son said something to me that I had never even considered up to that point. He said, 'Daddy, your friend tried to kill you!
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friends-fighting
gang-life
internal-fighting
internal-warfare
rebellion-raiders
senseless-fights
senseless-shootings
street-life
war-within
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Drexel Deal |
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2d4c032
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When I snatched the gun out of his hand, it fired because the hammer was already pulled back. It made the thunderous sound that the .357 magnum is known for. Even though the sound itself was deafening, it was like beautiful music to my ears. Just a few short seconds ago, the odds were greatly stacked against me. Now the tides had turned. The odds were now stacked against them, and they knew it. When I turned around to face my pursuers, they were in an all-out retreat. All I saw were their backs.
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fight-for-life
gang-life
gang-members
gun-shot
internal-fighting
internal-war
retreat
senseless-fights
senseless-shootings
street-life
thug-life
war-within
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Drexel Deal |
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ae84e72
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The gang that I'm a part of was best known for its unity. But right now, it was quickly disintegrating, not from forces without, but from within. We were turning our guns on each other. I had already survived two such encounters that could've been fatal. Instead, both times I just limped away with a shot to my left leg. I wonder how unlucky can one leg be, to be hit twice with a .357 magnum. But who's complaining? My left leg is as good as ever and I'm alive to fight another day. Gang life, internal fighting, war within, friend enemies, hand guns, gang wars, gunshot, being shot, close encounters, close call, gang members, gangs, .357 magnum, fire arms, unlucky The gang that I'm a part of was best known for its unity. But right now, it was quickly disintegrating, not from forces without, but from within. We were turning our guns on each other. I had already survived two such encounters that could've been fatal. Instead, both times I just limped away with a shot to my left leg. I wonder how unlucky can one leg be, to be hit twice with a .357 magnum. But who's complaining? My left leg is as good as ever and I'm alive to fight another day.
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being-shot
close-call
close-encounters
fire-arms
friend-enemies
gang-life
gang-members
gang-wars
gangs
gunshot
hand-guns
internal-fighting
unlucky
war-within
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Drexel Deal |