| Founded | Late 1960s/early 1970s |
|---|---|
| In | Hawke's Bay |
| Years active | 1960s-present |
| Territory | Nation-wide |
| Ethnicity | Mixed, predominantly Māori and Polynesian |
| Criminal activities | Drug dealing, assault, murder Theft |
| Rivals | Black Power, Road Knights |
The Mongrel Mob is a New Zealand gang, originally formed in Hawke's Bay in the 1960s and early 1970s.
The gang offers a surrogate 'family' for young men, most of whom are often alienated from their family via joining. Members are from New Zealand's Maori, European or other Polynesian ethnic groups, with Maori or part Maori predominating. The gang currently operates in many cities within New Zealand; some of the best known chapters include Mongrel Mob Hastings, Mongrel Mob Porirua and Mongrel Mob Notorious. Mob members are notorious for their tattooed faces and red bandannas.
The name "mongrel mob" originated from the comments of a District Court Judge in the Hawkes Bay in the late 1960s, when he referred to a group of men before him as "nothing but a pack of mongrels".[1] The name stuck, and later, similarly named groups sprang up around the country, forming their own independent chapters.
Today there is a network of more than thirty Mongrel Mob chapters throughout New Zealand. They are especially active in King Country, Opotiki and Hastings .[2][3][4] The Mongrel Mob's main rival is a gang called Black Power and there have been several very public and violent clashes between the two gangs over the years.
The gang’s colours are predominantly red and black. The patches usually feature a swastika and a British Bulldog wearing a German Stahlhelm which supposedly is an image intended to offend as it is a British Bulldog wearing the helmet. The patch is worn on the back of "patched members" – those considered loyal and trustworthy enough to be in the gang. The patch will also be tattooed on the member's body.
A Prospect is a person who is loyal to the gang but is not a "patched member" yet and must normally do errands or "missions" to show his loyalty to his gang. A Prospect normally has a "patched member" to report or "clock in" to. This "patched member" normally decides when it is time for the Prospect to be "patched".
The hierarchy goes as follows: Captain or President, Vice President, Sergeant at arms, Patched members, Prospects. In some cases they use younger blood gangs as Prospects.
Ross Kemp on Gangs had an episode about New Zealand gangs which heavily featured the Mongrel Mob.