The United Blood Nation

The United Blood Nation, simply called the Eastcoast Bloods (not to be confused with the West Coast L.A. Street Gang) is primarily a street gang, formed in 1993 within the New York City jail system on Rikers Island's George Mochen Detention Center. GMDC was used to segregate problem inmates from the rest of the detention center. Prior to this time period, the Latin Kings were the most prevalent and organized gang in the NYC jail system. The Latin Kings, a Hispanic Latino street gang, were targeting African-American inmates with violence. These African-American inmates, organized by some of the more violent and charismatic inmates, formed a protection group which they called the United Blood Nation, in imitation of the West Coast gang. Though they closely resemble the Bloods found on the West Coast, the United Blood Nation or Eastcoast Bloods is unaffiliated with them, and therefore didn’t originally share any of their rivalries or their allies. Several of the leaders of this recently created prison gang formed nine New Blood sets to recruit in their neighborhoods across New York and New Jersey.

By 1996, thousands of members of the Blood street gang were establishing themselves as a formidable force among gangs and continued a steady drive for recruitment. At this time, the Bloods were more violent than other gangs but much less organized. Numerous slashings (razor blade or knife attacks) were reported during robberies and discovered to be initiations into the Bloods. This ritual became the trademark for the Bloods. Bloods recruited throughout the East Coast and began spreading their drug networks rapidly. Blood gangs can now be found in the New York City area, Upper New York state, New Jersey (especially South Jersey), Baltimore, Hagerstown, South Carolina, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Montreal,Texas, and Virginia

Recently, the new Blood gangs have become a favorite target of law enforcement because of their connection to violence. Bloods will commit violence against other Blood sets if it will award a profit, whether money or territory. Also, there is no direct regional or national leadership or any connections to Los Angeles gangs.

Bloods will burn an upside down triangular shape that resembles a dog paw on their upper arm. The three circular burns, usually from a cigarette, can be found on a member of the Bloods. This is not practiced by the original West Coast Bloods. Some Bloods will have a tattoo of a dog, usually a bulldog, like the Mack Trucks logo. Bloods will also use the acronym M.O.B. (Member of Blood) to identify themselves. This can be seen as a burn scar or sometimes a tattoo. These too are distinctive only for the United Blood Nation Eastcoast Bloods gang, and not their West Coast version. However, one similarity both coasts share the use of the color red, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bulls, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox caps and jerseys (they would wear), also both keep their bandanas or red flags to the right, and they would also wear Chuck Taylor All-Stars.

source: wikipedia