Bloods, street gang based in Los Angeles that is involved in drugs, theft, and murder, among other criminal activities. The predominately African American gang is traditionally associated with the color red. It is nationally known for its rivalry with the Crips.
The gang was formed in the early 1970s as the Crips spread throughout Los Angeles. Various gangs—notably those around Piru Street—refused to join the Crips and instead banded together for protection. Within this loose alliance, many of the gangs remained independent, and infighting was not uncommon. However, they were united in their opposition to the Crips. They eventually took the name Bloods and adopted the color red to distinguish from the Crips’ blue. Members of the Bloods also embraced other unique identifiers, including various hand signs and physical markings, notably a “dog paw” tattoo or brand—three circles often made from the heated barrel of a gun—that is sometimes called Triple Os.
During the 1970s, the Bloods began to expand throughout Los Angeles, though their numbers were significantly less than those of the Crips. This contributed to the Bloods becoming particularly aggressive in their recruitment, and they developed a reputation for violence. Like their rivals, the Bloods began to focus on drugs with the rise of crack cocaine in the 1980s. The shift helped the gang spread beyond California. In the early 1990s the East Coast Bloods (also called the United Blood Nation) was established by prison inmates at Rikers Island, New York, and it became a significant presence, especially in New York City, where they outnumbered Crips. By the early 21st century, there were upwards of 20,000 people affiliated with the Bloods across the country.
The Bloods intense rivalry with the Crips was well documented in popular culture. The 1988 film Colors notably focused on the two gangs, and subsequent movies as well as books and songs chronicle the rivalry.