Manhattan prosecutors said they are breaking up warring gangs by using lump prosecutions — slapping charges on the violent crews terrorizing the northern part of the borough.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office recently indicted the Harlem-based “Fast Life”, “LA World” and “Wuski” gangs, officials said.
“Bringing these indictments and removing individuals from the community who we allege repeatedly endanger the lives of others, including other young people, is a necessary step to achieve lasting public safety,” DA Alvin Bragg said.
The three crews were involved in a nasty gang war, which allegedly caused more than half the gun violence in East Harlem between March 2024 and September 2024, according to prosecutors.
Some 16 members of both crews were allegedly involved in 21 shootings, according to the indictments of the LA World and Wuski crews. Members of the Fast Life crew are also alleged to have been involved in shootings in a separate indictment.
“It’s an impactful case, but also illustrative of the problem that can happen when two gangs are really, really get going,” Assistant DA Pierre Griffith said.
Assistant DAs Chris Prevost and Pierre Griffith argued that by building cases against these crews, prosecutors are attacking the structure that encourages violent crime.
“Gun violence, particularly spikes in gun violence, are often concentrated within certain neighborhoods … it can be linked to particular criminal enterprises within a neighborhood that are engaged in some sort of ongoing feud with another gang,” Griffith said.
A handful of gangs driving up gun violence wasn’t just a fluke, according to prosecutors.
Members of the “200/8 Block,” “6 Block”, and “Own Every Dollar” crews terrorized Inwood and Washington Heights for six years, allegedly having been involved in a combined 18 shootings that took the lives of seven people, according to prosecutors.
They were also responsible for half the shootings in the two neighborhoods for 2024, much like the gangs in Harlem, prosecutors said.
“We certainly see that they can have a disproportionate impact on gun violence in an area,” Griffith said. “So we’re always trying to identify them and bring cases that can hopefully address those issues.”
Prosecutors analyze the social media of alleged gang members and cooperate with on-the-ground members of the NYPD to build their case against both the crews in Harlem as well as in Washington Heights and Inwood.
“We’ve had a lot of good luck and success with the sort of units that we partner with in the NYPD who are focused on gun violence, gangs and criminal enterprises,” Griffith said. “The resources at those areas can bring an indictment.”
In North Manhattan, where the gangs were operating, the amount of homicides has also dropped from 34 to 14 homicides from the same time last year, according to city figures. Shooting victims and shooting incidents have also been nearly slashed in half, according to the NYPD.