Name: The Crazys (CYS)
Also Known As: Varrio Crazys, Crazys 13, CYS
Founding Location: Echo Park, Los Angeles, California
Years Active: Unknown–Present
Territory: Echo Park, Koreatown
Ethnicity: Multiethnic, Asian-American, Hispanic/Latino
Affiliation: Sureños, Mexican Mafia (prison affiliation)
Main Rivals: Echo Park Locos
The Crazys (CYS), also known as Varrio Crazys 13 or West Side Crazys, are a Sureño street gang based in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Members commonly identify with the initials CYS and the number 13.
History
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, The Crazys operated through two primary cliques: the Asian-American K-Town Crazys and the predominantly Latino Mayberry Street Crazys, according to former members. Community reports prepared during the 2013 Echo Park Gang Injunction described The Crazys as having a broader history throughout Los Angeles beyond their Echo Park neighborhood.
Territory
The Crazys claim portions of the Echo Park neighborhood northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Their traditional territory roughly stretched from Glendale Blvd and Benton Way between U.S. Route 66 and Effie Street. Their documented territory is centered along the Glendale Boulevard corridor, including the area surrounding Mohawk Street and Waterloo Street, where investigators repeatedly identified CYS graffiti.
The gang’s territory borders Echo Park Locos, Big Top Locos, and Temple Street. In 2013, Los Angeles County Superior Court approved a permanent gang injunction covering approximately 3.8 square miles surrounding Echo Park Lake, Dodger Stadium, and adjoining neighborhoods. The injunction included six gangs operating within the designated safety zone.
Documented Incidents
1992 Los Angeles Riots
On April 30, 1992, 18-year-old Edward Song Lee was fatally shot while helping defend Korean-owned businesses during the second night of the Los Angeles riots. Lee and several other young men responded after hearing requests for assistance broadcast over Korean-language radio and traveled toward Third Street and Hobart Boulevard.
Lee and three companions were struck by gunfire after being mistaken for looters by armed Korean-American defenders. The other men survived, but Lee died from his wounds. A 2001 Korea Times article identified Lee as a member of The Crazys and reported that his death later inspired former member Peter Lee to become involved in gang intervention through the Korean Youth and Community Center (KYCC).
2010 Tagging War
Community reports prepared during the Echo Park Gang Injunction documented a tagging war between The Crazys and Echo Park Locos during 2010. The report also referenced initiation assaults near Sunset Boulevard and Alvarado Street involving members of The Crazys.
2013 Echo Park Gang Injunction
On September 26, 2013, Los Angeles County Superior Court approved a permanent gang injunction naming The Crazys as one of six gangs operating in the Echo Park area. The injunction also included Echo Park Locos, Diamond Street Locos, Big Top Locos, Frogtown Rifa and Head Hunters.
The civil order established a 3.8-square-mile safety zone. It prohibited documented gang members from publicly associating with one another while restricting possession of firearms, narcotics and graffiti tools within the designated area.
Allies & Rivals
The Crazys have maintained a longstanding rivalry with Echo Park Locos. Community reports prepared during the Echo Park Gang Injunction documented repeated graffiti exchanges and a 2010 tagging war between the two gangs throughout Echo Park, particularly near Mohawk Street and Waterloo Street.