20 Gang-Related Sports Hats You Should Never Wear in Los Angeles
Ever since the birth of organized crime, outlaws needed a way to quickly identify each other in a crowd. At first, gangs went with more obvious solutions; such as a particular kind of clothing or tattoos that both friends and enemies could easily recognize. Soon, however, it was clear that these accessories could potentially make them vulnerable to raids by law enforcement.
With more and more courts using tattoos to link defendants to specific criminal associations, gangs in the United States were naturally forced to evolve. Today, most gang-bangers in Los Angeles use sports hats to show where their allegiances lie. So – if you’re planning a visit to the city of angels – here are 20 pieces of headgear you should never wear while you’re strolling through a gang-controlled neighborhood!
Number #20 – Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Cap
A favorite among Mexican-Americans, the golden Pittsburgh Pirates’ cap insignia is often worn by members of the Primera Flats street gang. Although they’re relatively small in size, the group still controls large swaths of South Central Los Angeles.
The Primera Flats gang members usually meet in or around Trinity Park, where multiple gun-fights involving rival sets have taken place in the last thirty years. Whether you’re a Pirates fan or simply like the way the hat looks, consider taking this headpiece off if you’re visiting the area!
Number #19 – Michigan Wolverines Football Hat
Perhaps as a reference to the gang’s initials, the M on the Wolverines’ football caps has been adopted by members of the Main Street Mafia Crips. One of the many Crips cliques in Los Angeles, this predominantly African-American gang is well known for their tendency to shoot first and only identify the target once they’re already bleeding out on the pavement.
Like all other Crips crews, the Main Street Mafia remain in a state of war with the Bloods. If you spot a tag belonging to the latter while you’re wearing your Wolverines hat, remember to run for cover!
Number #18 – St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Cap
It might be the red color or the letters on the insignia, but this hat from Missouri is often used by members of both the Black P. Stones Bloods and the Blood Stone Villains. As the name suggests, the two African-American gangs belong to the Bloods alliance.
Although the LAPD made numerous arrests in the last decade, the crews remain particularly active in South Los Angeles. Wearing a St. Louis Cardinals hat anywhere in that area could not only be dangerous, but also get you into trouble with the local police departments.
Number #17 – San Francisco 49ers Football Hat
The black, red, gold, and white logo for the San Francisco 49ers is often associated with the Family Swan Bloods; yet another of the African-American criminal groups that populate South Los Angeles. Surrounded by several enemy gangs, many believe that this crew has managed to survive only thanks to the brutality and ruthlessness of their lifestyle.
As the Crips and the Bloods settle their differences on the streets, wearing a 49ers crest anywhere in the city will drastically increase your chances of getting caught in the crossfire.
Number #16 – Boston Red Sox Baseball Cap
Considering the Red Sox’s huge popularity among baseball fans, the common man might struggle to link the team’s crest with any kind of criminal activity. Nevertheless, these hats are usually worn by both members of the Los Angeles Brims and a variety of other gangs in the Blood Alliance.
As such, Red Sox fans should be extremely careful when in Los Angeles. This is especially true if they’re exploring the westernmost parts of the city.
Number #15 – North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball Hat
With the light-blue lettering and the intricate designs, gadgets from the North Carolina Tar Heels are an obvious choice for any Crip-related clique. Among them, members of the Rollin’ 90s Neighborhood Crips seem to have elected this club’s insignia as their own.
The team’s logo is particularly popular in South Los Angeles and can be easily spotted in the streets that surround Jesse Owens Park. Note that wearing a Tar Heels cap anywhere in the eastern part of the city could attract unwanted attention from the Bloods, whose long-standing rivalry with the Crips has brought violence to several of these neighborhoods in the last four decades.
Number #14 – Florida Marlins Baseball Cap
Another set of primarily blue accessories, items from the Florida Marlins baseball team are extremely popular among members of the Crips. More specifically, younger bangers belonging to the Rollin 50s Neighborhood Crips often use these caps to show their allegiance.
The item choice is related to the F in the team’s logo, which members of the gang link to their group’s initials. Although the Florida Marlins officially changed their name to Miami Marlins in 2011, wearing these caps in public while in East LA could still prove particularly dangerous.
Number #13 – Minnesota Twins Baseball Cap
Following the trend we saw with the last two entries, the blue, white, and red T logo for the Minnesota Twins has also been adopted as the standard for a Crips gang. The caps remain particularly popular among criminals affiliated with the Rollin 30s Crips, who proudly wear the letter as a warning to their enemies.
One of the most powerful neighborhood gangs on the West side of LA, the Rollin 30s occupy and control large territories within the city and the whole state. As a result, wearing a Minnesota Twins cap anywhere in California is an extremely ill-advised fashion choice.
Number #12 – Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Cap
The M in Milwaukee has apparently little to do with the gang, yet the Brewers mitt emblem resembling a hand making a four symbol, have long been worn by members of the Rollin 40s Crips. This African-American crew is still particularly active in Western LA, where its affiliates are known for the violence and brutality of their actions.
Number #11 – Chicago Bulls Basketball Hat
It is almost obvious that the logo for the Chicago Bulls would have been adopted by a Bloods gang. In fact, these hats are the favorite headgear of several cliques in the alliance, whose members often wear them because of the color.
Alongside the red shirts and the baggy pants, the Chicago Bulls basketball hats clearly signal a gangbanger’s affiliation with the large LA criminal group. You should tread lightly around gangs and avoid them whenever you can.
Number #10 – Chicago White Sox Baseball Cap
Another rather common insignia in the streets of Los Angeles, the white “Sox” logo on this team’s black caps is a recurring part of the South Los 13’s uniform. The S on the hats stands for South Central – one of the gang’s first neighborhoods – but also signals the group’s affiliation with the Sureños criminal alliance.
Armed and dangerous, the South Los 13 are one of Los Angeles’ most feared gang. Whenever you’re visiting the city, these are people you definitely don’t want to be associated with.
Number #9 – Philadelphia Phillies Baseball Cap
A white P on a red field stands for Philadelphia Phillies, but has also been used as an unofficial crest for the Piru gang. The criminal group is one of the founding members of the Blood Alliance and thus remains at war with the Crips, the Sureños, and other minor cliques in the city.
The Pirus are particularly active throughout Los Angeles, Fresno, and the entire state of California. Wearing a Philadelphia Phillies hat in these areas might be dangerous, as confrontations between rivals are often sudden and gunfights erupt without any clear warning.
Number #8 – Kansas City Royals Baseball Cap
At first glance, the Kansas City Royals logo seems to perfectly fit the needs of the Los Angeles Kitchen Crips. The blue colors are similar to those historically used by the major criminal alliance, while the letters KC are often associated with Kitchen Crips; making these caps an obvious choice among the clique’s members.
Just like any other Crips, the Kitchen subsets count a long list of enemy gangs whose members might feel inclined to hurt anyone they see wearing these tags.
Number #7 – New York Yankees Baseball Cap
If you ever stepped into the most dangerous parts of South LA, you likely saw members of the Neighborhood Crips gang sporting a New York Yankees hat. These caps are extremely popular among African-American gangsters, who often use their dark blue color and white letters to reveal a cult-like loyalty to the Crips.
While the Yankees might be – at least in the eyes of some fans – one of the greatest baseball teams in America, wearing the team’s cap in Los Angeles is definitely a bad idea!
Number #6 – Los Angeles Angels Baseball Cap
A large capital A with a halo on top, the crest for the Los Angeles Angels means something entirely different to those familiar with the city’s underground criminal world. The logo is primarily used by outlaws in the Athens Park Bloods, although other bangers representing the Blood Alliance have also been spotted wearing it.
Considering the violent nature of these people and that of their rivals, Los Angeles Angels caps have long been and still remain a no-go throughout most of the city.
Number #5 – Oakland Athletics Baseball Cap
Another capital A – although this one doesn’t feature the blue colors typical of the Crips Alliance – the logo for the Oakland Athletics baseball team soon became a prime choice for criminals in the Avalon Gangster Crips. This historic clique can be found along LA’s Avalon Boulevard, where the group specializes in both violent and petty crimes.
Fans of the A’s should pay particular attention to what they’re wearing while in the city, as their favorite team’s official logo could get them into trouble with many of the local gangs.
Number #4 – Texas Rangers Baseball Cap
The T on the Texas Rangers’ crest stands for the team’s home state, but is also associated with the Eight Tray Gangsters; one of LA’s best known African-American Crips gangs. Members of this group are particularly famous for their violence, which often leads to gruesome killings as well as in-gang fighting.
You should refrain from wearing a Texas Rangers cap anywhere within the Great Los Angeles area, while paying particular attention to the people around you if you ever need to cross the eastern part of this city.
Number #3 – Seattle Mariners Baseball Cap
The Rollin 60s Neighborhood Crips are widely considered one the largest gangs in Los Angeles. The criminal group has been around since the mid-70s and its members often use caps from the Seattle Mariners baseball team to show their allegiance. Many believe this choice has to do with the S on the caps themselves; a letter the criminals associate with Sixties.
Due to the age of the group and the brutality of their MO, hatred towards The Rollin 60s has spread to encompass the entire city. As such, you should never wear one of these hats while you’re visiting friends in LA.
Number #2 – Houston Astros Baseball Cap
With their large white H and the orange background, the Houston Astros caps have long been a favorite of the Los Angeles Hoover Criminal Gang; Perhaps, the most hated gang in all of Los Angeles. The logo was chosen because of its affinity with the group’s name and their association with the color orange. Either way, wearing a Houston Astros cap in LA will at best get you the stink-eye from a few people and might turn you into the victim of an assault.
Number #1 – Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Cap
The LA tag on the Dodgers’ merchandise is an homage to the city of Los Angeles, rather than to a specific creed, and is thus used by criminals belonging to several of the settlement’s associations. Both African-American outlaws fighting for the Crips and Latinos that are embedded with the Sureños can be seen wearing this logo, perhaps in an effort to honor their roots.
Since both the Crips and the Sureños remain particularly active throughout the State of California, wearing a blue Dodgers hat in or around LA could potentially have catastrophic consequences.
This was our list of 20 gang-related sports hats you should never wear in Los Angeles!
