Frogtown Rifas

Frog Town Rifa (VFTR), also known as Frogtown 13 are an American-Latino street gang located in the neighborhood of Elysian Valley, based in Central Los Angeles, California. Their neighborhood is centered between the Los Angeles River (LA River) and the Riverside Dr./Golden State Fwy (5FWY), between the Glendale Freeway and Arroyo Seco Pkwy.

The Elysian Valley, was dubbed Frogtown, due to thousands of Western American toads covering the streets after heavy rain, especially during the 1930s to the 1970s. Every block in this varrio is bordered by a dead-end (cul-de-sac) street, along the riverbed of Los Angeles. The Elysian Valley is west of the Cypress Park area, which is home to the Cypress Avenues, a subset of  The Avenues a ruthless Latino street gang,

The Frogtown Rifas is also noticed for being linked to former member Emilio Rivera (Lefty), who is a Mexican-American actor, best known for his roles portraying Latino gangsters in movies such as “A Man Apart” and “Friday after Next” as well as “Sons of Anarchy”.

Allies & Rivals

The Cypress Avenues (CYSS), allegedly emerged from the Frogtown Rifas and populated in the Cypress Park area of Northeast, Los Angeles. The Frogtown Rifas have been known to feud with The Rascals, The Crazys, Big Top Locos (BTLS), Diamond Street Locos (DST), Echo Park Locos, and the Head Hunters (HHS).

These ongoing rivalries have resulted in several innocent victims being shot especially Latino males, provoking multiple gang injunctions, approved by the courts. The Frogtown Rifas have been engaged in past feuds with the Tooner Ville Rifa 13, a notorious Latino street gang, both varrios are affiliated with The Mexican Mafia.

Links

• Mexican Mafia Graffiti on the Rise
• The Gangs of Echo Park
• Police make arrests in L.A. River bike path robbery