All, Bizarrely, in the Family
Generations of family members belonged to the Boyz, fathers, uncles, sons, cousins, said Sal. Once they boasted of more than a thousand members. According to Sal, the Boyz have been reduced to traces and pieces, still a threatening but diminishing presence. They only have a few members today, he said. But they are very dangerous. The guys in this new generation still feel the need to prove themselves. They were very good at creating an environment of violence and fear, and they still do that.
Advantage Over Their Rivals
Sal is not predicting a date for their demise. But after 30 years, he is convinced their denouement is in sight. Mar Vista Gardens was their base, their power to violence, Sal said. Mar Vista Gardens is what made them different from other gangs. Other gangs didnt have a safety net they could run to, such a large, handy place where they could hide out. I am very confident their time is coming to an end. When I was growing up, everybody feared them. Around the (Culver City) high school they still do. And they should. That was a fertile recruiting ground. One attitude on campus was, If I leave them alone, theyll leave me alone. That only worked some of the time.
Postscript
What people need to remember, said Sal, is that the Culver City Boyz may not what they were, but they are dangerous.
