In the 1970s, every McDonald's coffee came with a special stirring spoon. He was known as one of the most feared and powerful men in New York during the crack era and could get people killed on his word alone. His cars were straight out of a James Bond flick and his illicit wealth attracted the wrong kind of attention from law enforcement with led to his downfall to the tune of a life sentence in the feds. The 70s: The 70s predated the crack war in cities like New York and Detroit. Davis was gunned down at the corner of Columbus and Lawton on Detroit's west side. Uncategorized magazine and profiled in Queens Reigns Supreme and The Dope Game Misadventures of Fat Cat and Pappy Mason. Between the 1970s and the 2000s, a new era of Detroit came into effect, in which the streets of the Detroit ghetto created a number of hustlers in the form of Young Boys Incorporate, Black Mafia Family, Pony Down, Cash Flow Posse, Dog Pound, and many more. Well it's truly wonderful you're so knowledgeable and easily humored. He has been incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, currently housed at USP Big Sandy. Philadelphia 2) Peter Pistol Pete Rollack, Bronx, New York 11. It's amazing the 1970 Census data somehow mirrors my statements; they must be in on the conspiracy. Stomping Grounds: Pistol Pete and the Blood affiliated Sex Money Murder gang were the scourge of the Soundview section of the Bronx back in the day. An infamous drug lord with ties to both major players in the rap industry and a notoriously profitable and ruthless drug crew. He had no business holding as much weight as he did, but somehow he climbed to heights in the urban underworld few his age or skin color have ever achieved. On the afternoon of October 8, 1990, Little Les Milton went into the Broadway clothing store and shot Holloway in the back of the head as he was purchasing a pair of designer Ralph Lauren socks at the front counter. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, Detroit Drug Wars - Intro (1970s - 2000s), Detroit Drug Wars - Gang Banging to Drug Dealing (1970s - 2000s), Detroit Drug Wars - Murder Row Enforcer Chester Wheeler Campbell "The Angel of Death" Detroits Most Feared Assassin (1970s - 2000s), Detroit Drug Wars - The Fall of Murder Row (1970s - 2000s), Detroit Drug Wars - Young Boys Incorporated (1970s - 2000s), Detroit Drug Wars - The Fall of YBI (1990s - 2000s), Detroit Drug Wars - Pony Down vs YBI (1970s - 2000s), Detroit Drug Wars - Davis Family Gang (1970s - 2000s), Detroit Drug Wars - The Best Friends (1970s - 2000s). 2: Original Gangsters. with shipments going out regularly to Detroit and Chicago and New . To both law enforcement and a generation of rappers and hustlers, Supreme is a black John Gotti. Two years later, Butch Jones (a.k.a. Sending out the chilling message from prison, We lose one, they lose one. He was tried and convicted on all counts. One of the members who came back from Boston with Pep was Steven Sealy. Curry shares story with Local 4 Defenders. At the height of Dodge Citys brutal crack epidemic, Rayful distributed 60 percent of the cocaine that flooded the citys streets. 1960s -1970s Early Users. 1) Wayne Silk Perry, Washington DC A convoy of African-American moving trucks protected by police cars. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! It was said he was about to get out of the supermax, but the feds reconsidered when Americas Most Evil Gangsters did a recent segment on Pistol Pete and they realized the influence he still holds. 'The Week That Was:' Should There Be Social Media Restrictions for Kids? As a result of their ability to avoid the spotlight, the Currys wound up being the longest lasting of all the Detroit drug syndicates of their era. They're calling it . 16 Meanwhile, a week after Orr declared bankruptcy, city officials announced that the Detroit public would cover more than half the cost of the Detroit Red Wings' $450 million new stadium, Little Caesars Arena, to be built in People Federal files allege the Curry brothers dad, Sam Sammy Mack Curry, acted as the gangs top advisor and reputedly chipped in with startup cash back in 1978 when the gang was formed. The members of the organization would arrange for large amounts of money derived from the sale of drugs to be transported to Phoenix, Arizona, Mexico and elsewhere for the purpose of purchasing more controlled substances. Much like Robin Hood, Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Bonnie and Clyde, Lucky Luciano, John Gotti and Pablo Escobar they are icons in their own right and have the press clippings and notoriety their status has earned. Their modus operandi was using minors to be couriers of heroin. Holloways drug empire was vertically integrated and cloaked in a web of shell companies, real estate holdings and offshore-banking protections. On the other hand, the actual communities of the Detroit ghetto have seen very little rebuilding as companies and out of towners are buying properties throughout the city. Currently, the city of Detroit has been losing residents year by year. 's main place of operation was the Dexter/Davison neighborhood on Detroit's Northwest side. MAY (DETROIT) - Three individuals from metro-Detroit were convicted of violating various federal drug laws in a massive drug ring that trafficked hundreds of kilograms of heroin and cocaine, and thousands of pounds of marijuana in metro-Detroit, announced United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade. These funds would then be used to purchase assets and pay personal expenses with the goal of concealing the true source, nature and ownership of the funds which had been derived from the organization's drug sales. Whether its trap houses, which explains for some neighborhoods consisting of many vacant lots due to the city demolishing known dope spots, or the occasional road trip crossing state lines. Story: Now serving a life sentence in the BOP at USP Lee, Supreme remains a legend in hip-hop and the streets. They were convicted of the hit a decade later. He recruited the four towering and brutish Brown brothers (Rocking Reggie, Boogaloo, Ghost, & Wizard,) and their Best Friends crew to be his enforcement wing. The Supreme Team. Pistol Pete remains a revered figure in New York and by Blood factions all over the East Coast. Antonio plead ed guilty to conspiracy to distribute drugs. A professional head hitter and stone cold killer. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Downfall: He flaunted a lifestyle as lavish as a New York socialite, like those portrayed on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. * Forgot Password Tags: 1980's, best friends gang, butch jones, crack cocaine, demetrius holloway, detroit, east side detroit, heroin, maserati rick, Members Only, mob hits, pony down, tiny, white boy rick, ybi, young boys Operations within the Curry organization were significantly aided by Johnnys influential contacts outside the drug industry. [1], Y.B.I. Both YBI and Pony Down lasted five years apiece. International Philadelphia By the mid-1970s, handful of kingpins with syndicates made up of family members and trusted associates controlled the lion's share of narcotics distribution in Baltimore. As a teenager Boy George had it all. By the age of 17, White Boy Rick was one of the most powerful kingpins in Detroit. She was beautiful, educated and carried herself in a very high-powered manner. The lanky, mop-topped, almost gawky, fresh-faced 15-year old was Johnny Currys right hand man and that said it all. In the 1970s, Eddie Nash was the wealthiest and most dangerous gangster operating on the West Coast. The brothers' father, Samuel "Sammy Mack" Curry, reportedly provided the seed money for the business in 1978. MAY (DETROIT) - Three individuals from metro-Detroit were convicted of violating various federal drug laws in a massive drug ring that trafficked hundreds of kilograms of heroin and cocaine, and thousands of pounds of marijuana in metro-Detroit, announced United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade. Dwayne Davis (a.k.a. "The victims' heads were placed in brown plastic garbage bags and put next to the bodies, which were lined up side-by-side in the back of a van.". If youd like to recommend a must-see spot in Metro Detroit, fill out our official nomination form here. His headquarters was the Chalk & Cue pool hall on Seven Mile and he opened up a chain of shoe and apparel stores called The Sports Jam, which Foot Locker was considering purchasing for tens of millions of dollars at the time of his death. Detroit Drug Wars - The Curry Brothers (1970s - 2000s), r/CrimeInTheD, A Detroit Michigan based Subreddit to discuss Detroit (and other Michigan cities) Music, Gang Culture, Rappers, Entertainers, News, and Businesses. Born September 9, 1930, in La Grange, North Carolina, Frank Lucas moved to Harlem in 1946 where he entered the world of street crime. An investigation by Miami New Times finds that drug traffickers across South America and the Caribbean are buying planes from South Florida to transport their drugs. Detroit, Michigan He was a contradiction in terms, a Robin Hood for the hood. Unlike the other three defendants, Mr. Daniels appeared for the jurys verdict. Stomping Grounds: The Supreme Team ruled the same Queens streets that later produced platinum selling artists like Run DMC, Nas, Ja Rule and 50 Cent. The drug ring, which was one of the largest in metro-Detroit history, also laundered in excess of $21 million in U.S. currency. Gang Leader They were a true anomaly. Crime and racial tension were high. Drug Gangs Detroit Drug Wars - The Curry Brothers (1970s - 2000s) Unlike the Buttrum brothers and their Pony Down crew who looked to challenge top dog YBI at every opportunity or DFG which did an end-around and went out of state to move the bulk of its drugs, the Curry brothers were content to play second-fiddle to Butch Jones and his Young Boys empire. DEA: Seized Drugs Worth About $150M On Street. News Ghost and Wizard Brown were killed within days of each other in December 1986. Fat Cat was the star of the dope show in the 80s. Today, the hustle of the streets within Detroit is still in effect. April 15, 1989 - almost "go time.". Interview He turned his neighborhood red in more ways than one and continued to exert his influence even after his incarceration. Claim to Fame: At his peak Rayful sold 2000 kilos a week, reaped gross profits of $70 million a month and ran an operation with over 150 soldiers to support him. The lieutenant that Davis sent to Boston, James Cooper, better known as "Pep", followed the YBI blueprint and what he learned from his mentors, Dwyane Davis, Raymond Peoples, and Butch Jones in Detroit. Mob Hits Sealy is best known for being gunned down and killed as he sat in Whitney Houston's Bentley in front of a Boston club. Big Ed, Maserati Rick, Pony Down, a group of youths that were quite similar to YBI of the 70s, D. Holloway, who was more of an old school hustler with multiple revenue streams, and the Chambers Brothers, whose ambitious hustling tactics led them high profits, but also led them to their downfall. The East Side might seem to be the most active section, while the West Side may seem more laid back, flashy, and breeds hustlers. When Little Man married Cathy, he went from just another big time dealer to being practically untouchable. No matter how much we love our modern life in the Motor City, theres something uniquely exciting about checking out vintage photographs of Detroit. Podcasts Detroit In the Chocolate City, things were going down by any means necessary and Silk took this attitude to new extremes with broad daylight killings. Downfall: At the age of 15 White Boy Rick was meeting with Detroit police and federal agents and getting paid for information. By Christian Cipollini On February 6, 1975, a near collision between Chester Wheeler Campbell's Oldsmobile and an on-duty Keego Harbor patrolman's car would crack open the unbelievable tale of the era's most dangerous enforcer to the drug lords and mob factions of Detroit. Flamboyant and charismatic, the Puerto Rican drug baron was one of a kind. Detroit Holloways kingdom of cocaine began showing cracks by late 1986, as the Brown brothers branched out from muscle work to wholesale distribution and declared war on their former boss. Always having a private jet on standby, Holloway frequently went on lavish gambling-spree weekends in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, famously winning or losing millions at the dice and blackjack tables in single sittings. Lucas uncle had allegedly screwed the Curry brothers on hotel reservations in Las Vegas for the Marvin Hagler-Tommy Hearns fight the gang had attended fight weeks earlier. Within a matter of months of walking free, Holloway planted his flag, building a mammoth wholesale cocaine operation with reach into every nook and cranny of the business in the state of Michigan. Get more stories like this one delivered right to your email. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Most know of the activities of Detroit kingpins, especially out of state law enforcement and authorities who for the past few decades have had to deal with plenty of Detroit residents who make the out of state trip to double or triple their profits, which has been occurring since around the 1980s. Before he played the dad on Home Improvement, he was caught at Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport in possession of over 650 grams (1.4 pounds) of cocaine. The man was cut from a different cloth.. Do you mean, you weren't around because you weren't possibly born yet [[ 1982 ) or because you grew up someplace else? His story has been told and retold in numerous books, magazines and DVDs. Around mid-1984, the over two dozen Curry-owned heroin dens scattered throughout the city virtually all became crack houses. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. He was also part of the Medelln Cartel; the ruthless Columbian drug trafficking organization known to bring in more than $60 million a day. Hitman, Martinez Organization. But then rumors began to circulate that word of the impending raids had leaked .