Pirus Explained

Pirus
Founder:	Sylvester Puddin Scott, Vincent Benson Owens
Founding Location:	Compton, California, United States
Years Active:	1969–present
Ethnicity:	Primarily African American
Activities:	Drug trafficking, robbery, extortion and murder
Allies:	Bloods^[1]
Rivals:	Crips

The Pirus are a subset of the larger Bloods gang alliance, an organized crime group in the United States.^[2]

Etymology

The name "Piru" is derived from the Piru Street Boys, a gang which was founded in 1969 by Sylvester Scott and Vincent Owens in Compton.^[3] The Piru Street Boys are considered the forerunners to the Bloods,^[4] which is why the terms "Piru" and "Blood" are often used interchangeably. However, this interchangeable use of the terms is inaccurate,^[5] as many non-Piru gangs such as the Denver Lanes and Brims were also instrumental in the formation of the Bloods.^[6]

Furthermore, the Pirus are an alliance of street gangs within the larger Bloods alliance, meaning that not all Bloods sets will identify as "Pirus".

History

In 1969, a gang called the Piru Street Boys was founded by Sylvester Scott and Vincent Owens. According to some sources, the Piru Street Boys were initially associated with the Crips,^[7] but later had a falling out. However, other sources dispute any alliance, claiming that the Piru Street Boys were victimised by the Crips.^[8] Nevertheless, by 1972, the Piru Street Boys formed an alliance with other smaller street gangs such as the Brims, Bishops and Denver Lanes, which also opposed the Crips.^[9] This alliance became known as the Bloods, as the members of this alliance called each other "blood".

Eventually, more Piru sets would form. There are 15 known Piru sets within the Greater Los Angeles area.^[10] Piru sets have fought against each other. For example, the Mob Piru and Fruit Town Piru developed a rivalry by the late 1990s, which resulted in the murders of several Mob Pirus associated with Death Row Records.

Piru sets

• Cedar Block Piru^[11]
• Elm Street Piru^[12]
• Fruit Town Piru
• Lueders Park Piru
• Mob Piru^[13]

In popular culture

• The song "Piru Love" from Bangin' on Wax (1993) by Bloods & Crips makes references to various Piru sets, including Holly Hood, Elm Street and Lueders Park.
• The song "M.A.A.D City" from good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012) by Kendrick Lamar makes references to the Bloods, being Pirus particularly with the line "If Pirus and Crips, all got along" in the song.
• In the song "Strange Clouds" from Strange Clouds (2012) by B.o.B. featuring Lil Wayne, Lil Wayne references the Piru: "Piru, gangsters, outlaws" at the end of his verse.

See also

• African-American organized crime
• Gangs in Los Angeles
• List of California street gangs

References

1. https://info.publicintelligence.net/BloodsStreetGangIntelligenceReport.pdf Bloods Street Gang Intelligence Report
2. Web site: 2010-04-06 . Pirus . 2023-03-16 . en-US . The Pirus is an umbrella street gang alliance (under the larger alliance, Bloods).
3. Book: Covey, Herbert C. . Crips and Bloods : a guide to an American subculture . 2015 . 978-0-313-39929-9 . Santa Barbara, California . 27 . 768800412.
4. Web site: Carlin . Michael Douglas . 6 November 2019 . Piru Origins, Precursor to the Bloods . 2023-03-16 . centurycity.news . en.
5. Web site: Piru Meaning & Origin Slang by Dictionary.com . 2023-03-16 . Dictionary.com . en-US . Some people incorrectly interchange the terms Piru and Blood, believing that the two terms mean the same thing..
6. Web site: Gann . Brian . 9 June 2011 . The Bloods (1972 -) • . 2023-03-16 . Black Past . en-US.
7. Book: Cawthorne, Nigel . The World's Most Evil Gangsters . John Blake . 2010 . 9781784184339 . Their origins lay in the Piru Street Boys, who once wore the blue bandana of the Crips gang and were known, for a short time, as the Piru Street Crips.
8. Web site: Flores . R. D. . October 1997 . Crips and Bloods . 2023-03-16 . www.ojp.gov . Other gangs began to form to defend themselves against the Crips. Two of these gangs were the GnG Mob, Brims and the Pirus..
9. Web site: Bloods Street Gang Intelligence Report . Commonwealth of Virginia Department of State Police . 4 . The local sets of anti-Crips included the Piru Street Boys, the LA Brims, the Denver Lanes, the Inglewood Family, the Swans, and the Pueblo Bishops.
10. Web site: 2010-04-06 . Pirus . 2023-03-16 . en-US.
11. Web site: Lee . Chris . June 25, 2008 . The Game gets back to roots . July 20, 2024 . Los Angeles Times.
12. Web site: Roberts . Randall . Priya . Krishnakumar . January 19, 2018 . Rap's Main Street: The music of Rosecrans Avenue . July 20, 2024 . Los Angeles Times.
13. Web site: Phillips . Chuck . August 1, 2003 . As Associates Fall, Is ‘Suge’ Next? . July 20, 2024 . Los Angeles Times.