Savage Nomads
The Savage Nomads were a mostly Puerto Rican and African American street gang started in the South Bronx area of The Bronx, New York during the late 1960s, gaining popularity in the 1970s.[1][2] The gang was involved in a number of running battles with rival gangs Seven Immortals, Savage Skulls, and the Dirty Dozen. The Savage Nomads were alleged to be involved in numerous small crime activities in the New York City area.
1981 photograph by Frank Espada of man holding Savage Nomad jacket, photographed in Hartford, image held by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture | |
| Founded | August 5th, 1970 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Benjamin Melendez (Founder)
1952 - 2017
|
| Founding location | New York City |
| Years active | 50 years |
| Territory | The Bronx, New York and Hartford, Connecticut |
| Ethnicity | Mostly African American and Puerto Rican |
| Activities | Small crime |
| Rivals | Seven Immortals, Savage Skulls |
| Notable members | Iran Nazario |
History
The Savage Nomads were founded on August 5th, 1970 by Benjamin Melendez, who was nicknamed "Yellow Benji".[3] The members were mostly Puerto Rican and African American, but they had one teenage Jewish girl.[4] One notable member is Iran Nazario, who was convicted to 27 years for a drive-by shooting and firebombing.[5]
Like the Savage Skulls, gang members would appropriate Nazi symbolism to project "how menacing and terrible they were." This included wearing swastikas, wearing Nazi helmets and having positions called "Gestapo" within the gang's ranks.[6]
In 2017, after many Savage Nomads members were released from prison, the gang made a resurgence, with 2 homicides being linked to them.[7]
In popular culture
In 1979, the gang was one of many featured in the documentary film 80 Blocks from Tiffany's.[8][9][10]
References
- Savage Nomads and Savage Skulls: 1979 documentary on street gangs of the South Bronx
- Gangs of New York: The Savage Skulls and Savage Nomads, October 4, 2010.
- CUSTODIO, JONATHAN (3 June 2023). "The 'Black Benjie Way': Bronx Peacemaker Whose Killing Led To Gang Truce Honored With Street Naming". The City.
- Brozan, Nadine (9 May 1972). "For Hundreds of Girls in City, Street Gangs Offer a Way of Life". The New York Times.
- Rierden, Andi (23 February 1997). "The Law, Order And Life On the Streets". The New York Times.
- Soraya Nadia McDonald (June 21, 2015). "Kanye West once wore the Confederate flag. What does he think about it now?". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- "GANG OF PAST PART OF PRESENT". Hartford Courant. 25 August 2021.
- "Savage Nomads and Savage Skulls: 1979 documentary on street gangs of the South Bronx". DangerousMinds. 2011-01-31. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- "AllMovie | Movies and Films Database | Movie Search, Ratings, Photos, Recommendations, and Reviews". AllMovie. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- Phanor-Faury, Alexandra (October 25, 2010). "Director Gary Weis on His Influential, Long-Lost Doc '80 Blocks from Tiffany's'". BlackBook. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012.