San Diego gangster reflects on 35 years of banging (That's Life and Life's Not Easy)

[Sir San Diego]

San Diego Reader is a free magazine published weekly and its found all over the city. I've been picking it up for years, but have never felt moved by any of their stories as much as I was by this one. I'm not originally from San Diego but I have a lot of family here and visited enough between childhood and my teenage years to make me fall in love with the city and its culture.

One aspect that always intrigued me was the gang culture. It was always a part of my visits as a kid because most of my cousins (even the girls) out here belonged to or were affiliated with a set. I had an eye opening experience with one of my cousins getting tortured on one of my childhood visits among other experiences over the years.

Anyway, I enjoyed the story below because its blunt. it doesn't aim to glorify the gang culture and pulls no punches. The author takes full responsibility for his actions and his current position in life. He also shares a lot of history which I personally found useful knowing what little I know as an outsider about San Diego's gang culture. I also feel this would make a good book and who knows what would happen if the author got enough support in comment section on the link below. Check it out and tell me what you think.



That’s Life, and Life’s Not Easy
by Curtis Howard, Nov. 7, 2012

When I was released from prison in June of 2008, I received $200 in cash. They call it “gate money.” It’s the standard issue for all parolees leaving California prisons, and it does not matter how long you have been there.

Gate has been the same issue for at least the past 50 years. It has not been adjusted to fit the current cost of living.

When I was released from Pelican Bay maximum-security prison, more than half of that gate money was spent on my bus ticket home to San Diego. Pelican Bay is located in Crescent City, California. It’s actually the last place on the California coast before you cross into Oregon.

For clothing, I was given beige khaki pants, black Vans, and a white T-shirt. They call this release clothing “dress-outs.” I was charged $30 for them. Keep in mind that it rains nine months out of the year in Pelican Bay, so of course I needed a jacket, but that jacket would have cost me the remainder of my gate money, so I went without. I figured, why buy something that I’m going to immediately dispose of once I get into town? Yes, dispose of.

You see: dress-outs are a parolee’s first problem when returning home. Gang members and law-enforcement officers know your story when they see them, and both are inclined to make contact with you because of that fact. To avoid detection, you need to at least ditch the pants and shoes, and I did get rid of the pants and shoes, but it cost all the money I had left to replace them.

I do have a family, and they had been through this “welcome home” reunion with me before. But after so many times visiting, writing letters, and sending money, they got burned out.

I joined the Crips in 1977 at 14 years of age. From then on, I was in and out of trouble so much that I was forced to bear my own burdens. The first time I was charged with a crime, I was in the eighth grade. It was for strong-arm robbery. I had taken a wristwatch from a fellow student at O’Farrell Junior High, in exchange for letting him “pass go” on the way home from school. I looked at the watch and threw it away. This happened shortly before I joined the Crips. My mom retained a criminal defense attorney for me named George Leibers, and he got me a reduced charge of theft and probation.

Probation was given to me at the onset of my gang career, and I suffered more run-ins with the system as a result of that supervision. More criminal laws did not have to be broken for me to face incarceration, just rules. Staying out past curfew and not going to school were common violations. I started out smoking weed and joy-riding in hot models (stolen cars), and then I escalated to robberies and weapons. My gang life catapulted as a result of going to juvenile hall and the youth authority for those crimes. Everyone there was gang-affiliated and hell-bent on proving themselves.

The Neighborhood Crips gang is located on 47th and Market Street in the Chollas View area of Southeast San Diego. When I joined in 1977, there were hardly any other Crips or Bloods in San Diego, but over the years I’ve watched the ones that are around now come into play or transform. For example, the Southside Bloods of today were once called the 5/9 (Five-Nine) Brims; this was their title when I first became a Crip. Those same 5/9 Brims were themselves the product of a mid-1970s gang known as the Central City Gangsters, located near 40th and Ocean View Boulevard.

The Lincoln Park Piru of today were once called Paul Lowe’s Control (PLC), a short-lived title named for their hangout, a popular liquor store that was owned by a former San Diego Chargers running back who lived in the general area of Euclid and Logan Avenue. It was rumored that Paul Lowe expressed disapproval of his name being used as a gang title. Out of respect for him, PLC became tThe Lincoln Park Piru of today were once called Paul Lowe’s Control (PLC), a short-lived title named for their hangout, a popular liquor store that was owned by a former San Diego Chargers running back who lived in the general area of Euclid and Logan Avenue. It was rumored that Paul Lowe expressed disapproval of his name being used as a gang title. Out of respect for him, PLC became the Lincoln Park Players or the Lincoln Park Boys — I can’t recall the exact order, but I certainly recall the titles.

The Skyline area was once occupied by the Eastside Hanging Gang (EHG), but they reemerged in 1979 as the Skyline Piru. I was at a house party in Encanto when Skyline made their debut as the first Piru gang in San Diego. I remember warning my homeboys at the party that night about their potential to expand. Skyline was such a big area that Piru could eventually outnumber all of us. It was me (Curt Dog), Ken Wood, Tye Stick, Boss Man, and Will Kill. Also, Alvin “Al Capone” Smith, who was eventually killed by that same gang four years later. The Blood that was rumored to have caused his death was then killed by the West Coast Crips the following year.

The West Coast Crips have got to be the longest-standing Crip or Blood gang in San Diego. I recall them being active as the West Coast Mafia Crips as far back as 1972, when I was just a kid. This was the same time period during which the Crips and Bloods were originating in Los Angeles, making San Diego the next major city to host them after L.A. Incidentally, the Neighborhood Crips, the West Coast Crips, and the 5/9 Brims were all founded by original L.A. gang members.

In 1979, the new gangs started doing more drive-by shootings. This caught us off guard, because the established gangs had built their reputations through fighting only. The new gangs were not the first to carry guns or use them. At least a couple of guys from each gang had been shot, but not killed. These were isolated and/or personal incidents where firearms had been used as a last resort.

I started carrying a gun because the new gangs raised the bar. I had always felt that drive-by shootings were cowardly, so the first time I shot someone I did it face-to-face. Instead of stealing, I started robbing face-to-face, as well. This life inevitably led to trouble with the law. I did time in the youth authority, and at 18 years of age, I was charged with Possession of a Concealed Weapon and committed to the California Rehabilitation Center (CRC) state prison in Norco, California.


For the full story...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2012/nov/07/cover-lifes-not-easy/

 

[Mark Antony]

Good read.

 

[girthbrooks]

with all the dirt he's done, he has nothing to complain about.

to attain the status that he even has now is a blessing.

 

[Sir San Diego]

I really didn't take it as complaining or looking for sympathy. It sounded like he knows his bad decisions are the reason his life is in the shape it's in. I'm also not defending him. I just enjoyed the story and his writing style.

 

[the natural mystic]

I am not about that life. I wish him well though.

 

[born illa]

Dope read.

 

[bless]

Good read.

 

[soundwav3]

Found it interesting that their dress out is a plain white t, black vans, and khakis. At least I know what not to wear when in Cali.

 

[cali fresh]

Good read, especially since I live in the area where the dude grew up.

 

[mangudai954]

Just finished reading the article. Good read thanks for posting.

 

[jtplatnum]

interesting article. thanks for posting OP.

dude sounds like kind of an ***...took him 40+ years to realize he was acting like an idiot, but at least he finally figured it out. i wish ppl could figure this stuff out sooner...i especially like the paragraph that easily explains the plight of most chronic troublemakers

"I later realized that parole violations were my responsibility. But at the time, I didn’t want to be held accountable, and I minimized my failings by complaining about how petty it was every time I got busted for not doing what I was supposed to do. As a result, for the next few years, I was in and out of jail, serving small terms for petty violations."

 

[pworld]

Thank you for sharing this with me. I have a brother in california state prison doing a 25 to life bid. But should get out in 6-7 more years on good behavior (doing a total of 25). This read really helped me prepare for what he will endure and make sure i am understanding to it and help as much as i can. Even tho i have no doubt in my mind he will not go back to his own life. But when we assume somebody is good, thats when they need our help most. 

Great post! 

 

[deleted]

Info on the hot air balloon ride?

 

[retro23j]

Good read.

 

[retro23j]

...i especially like the paragraph that easily explains the plight of most chronic troublemakers
"I later realized that parole violations were my responsibility. But at the time, I didn’t want to be held accountable, and I minimized my failings by complaining about how petty it was every time I got busted for not doing what I was supposed to do. As a result, for the next few years, I was in and out of jail, serving small terms for petty violations."

Best part to me.

 

[manny1]

Very good read. Nice post OP.

 

[yeahitsrust]

I saw this in the Reader as well Brolic. Great read and props for posting it up on NT.

 

[Remy LeBeau]

A lot of people only see the sunshine and beaches in Daygo but it's real in the southeast. I went to school with a few dudes from Lincoln and I thank God my mother made sure we didn't live in the southeast

 

[Ox.]

great post man, thanks for sharing, i'ma send this to my brother who is currently locked up

 

[andoneflip]

Good read dude had a crazy life

 

[mjdalegend]

Thanks for sharing the article. Good to see dude turned around his life.

 

[bigkel23]

Great read op. Even my girl was looking at me like "dude ur really reading"

 

[scarsorscabs]

I read, thanks. Very interesting and maybe it's my perception but the article seemed to focus more on his criminal life than his gangbanging. I realize that the two do go hand-in-hand but a lot of his problems with the law resulted from his actions away from the gang. It all started and snowballed from his gang relations and I know that it becomes a cycle in general in the prison system and has been an issue in there as well, many become career criminals but I guess I was just expecting and hoping for more insight into gang culture because it's so foreign to me. But it was a good read.

 

[pyboy28]

wow good story eye opening indeed

 

[georgehimself]

Thanks. Will pick up hard copy on next 7-11 run.