Mau Maus

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For the Kenyan rebellion in the 1950s, please see the Mau Mau Uprising.

Mau Maus is the name of a vicious street gang in New York during the 1950s.

1 Gang
2 Possible References
3 Further References
4 See also

[edit] Gang

The Mau Maus were a Brooklyn Puerto Rican gang operating from at least late 1954 to around 1962. According to Israel Narvaez, he and some fellow friends broke from their gang called the Apaches and created the Mau Maus. The Apaches had succumbed to heroin and Israel and some of the others were more interested in fighting. They also asked permission from a rival gang called "the Chaplins", if they could start a Puerto Rico gang in the area. Eventually the gang was called Mau Mau Chaplins.

The Mau Maus were feared by the other gangs and the police alike. They were particularly violent, always looking for rumbles and fights with their enemy gangs. Some gangs that the Mau Maus constantly clashed with were the Bishops and the Phantom Lords and occasionally the Viceroys. To give an idea of how brutal the Mau Maus were, here is a description of how a potential member could be initiated into the gang: The prospective gang member could either stand against a wall without flinching while a gang member threw a knife at him or be

Around January 1958, a Bishop and a candy store owner were stabbed to death by some of the Mau Mau gang, supposedly in retaliation for the Bishop's knifing and killing of Mannie Durango, a member of the Mau Maus.

One of its best known members was Nicky Cruz, who during his tenure was President, Vice President and Warlord (not at the same time). Nicky was responsible for stabbing 16 people while a member.

Cruz and his best friend Israel Narvaez became born-again Christians in July 1958 after hearing David Wilkerson preach. However, Israel became disillusioned with Christianity and eventually rejoined the Mau Maus. He became their leader again and on February 23, 1959 Israel along with Carl Cintron, Carlos Reyes and Melvin Torres shot and killed Anthony Labanchino, a member of the Sand Street Angels, one of the Mau Maus enemies. Labanchino had apparently beaten Tico, a Mau Mau, for walking with his sister.

Nicky Cruz would later write a book about his experiences called Run, Baby, Run. Eventually Israel recommitted his life to God and wrote his own book called "Second Chance: The Israel Narvaez Story." A film about Nicky's Mau Mau years was made, as well as a best-selling book, both entitled "The Cross and the Switchblade".

Salvador Agron was another member of the Mau Maus, who later led another gang called the Vampires. On the evening of August 29, 1959, the Vampires had a fight arranged at a playground located in Hell's Kitchen. A friend of theirs had been beaten up on by an Irish boy and a rumble had been arranged. Agrón and Luis "Tony" Hernandez took a taxi downtown to meet five other members of the gang. Agrón wore a cape at the time and held a 12 inch Mexican dagger, both borrowed from another gang member. Hernandez carried a black umbrella with a sharp metal point. They arrived at the playground ready to attack. But the Nordics, the gang they were set to fight, didn’t show. Instead, six teenagers who weren’t affiliated with any gang sat in the playground. The Vampires descended on the area with the battle cry, "Where’s Frenchy?" Three escaped without harm; one was seriously wounded. Anthony Krzesinski and Robert Young were killed that evening - beaten with sticks, pipes and fists; stabbed with a knife and an umbrella. The murders would become known as the Capeman Murders after the costume worn by Agron. Paul Simon wrote a musical called The Capeman which appeared on Broadway but it closed due to terrible reviews and equally poor box-office.

[edit] Possible References

There was an early punk rock band from Hollywood named The Mau-Mau's. Some members of the Mau Maus were formerly in the Berlin Brats.

A fictitious political hip-hop group in the 2000 Spike Lee film Bamboozled starring Damon Wayans was called the Mau Maus. Although it is possible that the group took its name from the gang, it is more likely, given the nature of the group, that the name is inspired by the Mau Mau Uprising, a native rebellion in Kenya against the British Colonial presence.