This show outlines the saga of Fresno's F-14 Bulldogs, unique for being a large but independent gang. The primarily Hispanic gang participates in drug trafficking, murder, theft, and illegal firearms. Incidents portrayed include the 2006 shooting of motorcycle patrol officer Brian Nieto, the execution of female witnesses to a rape, and the resulting crackdown by the Fresno Police Department. The Fresno Bulldogs, also known by the abbreviations F-14 FBS and BDS, are a violent, primarily Hispanic criminal street gang located in Fresno, California. They are considered to be one of the largest Hispanic gangs in Central California with membership estimated to be between 6,000 to 12,000 in the city of Fresno alone. They are engaged in a wide range of criminal activity and have been subject to many high-profile cases over the years. They wear mostly red but do not align themselves with Bloods or Norteños. History The Fresno Bulldogs can be traced back to the 1960s but did not become an independent street gang until the 1980s. Their Independence developed in the California prison system during the prison wars of 1984-1985 when they were still Norteños under the control of La Nuestra Familia. The gang was known as F-14. The F signified Fresno and the 14 signified the fourteenth letter of the alphabet. By the mid-1980s the F-14 set rebelled against La Nuestra Familia, which led to a violent war in the California prison system known in gang folklore as "The Red Wave". In 1986 the F-14 began using the bulldog name and mascot of Fresno State University including the paw print and bulldog head image in their graffiti and tattoos. They also bark to one another as a call sign, and address each other as "dog"—giving the Bulldogs a separate identity from the Norteños, despite their common red gang color.[6] They also adopted Fresno State apparel as de facto uniforms; causing a tenfold increase in royalties to the university from licensed merchandise sales from the 1990s to late 2000s (decade) Location The Fresno Bulldogs originated in Fresno, California but have been slowly extending their reach into neighboring areas. They are also in some of the minor cities outside of Fresno, but with less frequency. There are several thousand members in the gang but the vast majority of them live in Fresno County and the Central Valley area. The relocation of gang members has started to expand their influence and control into these other areas. There have been reports of Fresno Bulldog drug trafficking as far north as Wyoming and as far south as Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Culture Having rebelled against the hierarchical structure and shot-calling directives model of the Norteños, Fresno Bulldogs pride themselves on not having any centralized leadership. Similarly, the Fresno Bulldogs do not have any allies and are one of the few Hispanic gangs in California that claim neither Sureños nor Norteños affiliation. Each Bulldog set operates totally autonomously. Initiation into the Fresno Bulldog gang happens in one of three ways: To commit a serious criminal act, like murdering an enemy, getting beat in for 30 seconds, or being absorbed by the gang through association or being born into it. Fresno Bulldogs gangs include Lewis Street Dogs, Parkside Bulldogs, Northside Bulldogs, Triple Six Bulldogs, Bond Street Bulldogs, College Street Bulldogs, McKenzie Street Bulldogs, Calwa Bulldogs, Daisy Park Bulldogs, Food Town Bulldogs, East Side Bulldogs, West Side Sunset Bulldogs,Pleasant Street Bulldogs,Pinedale Bulldogs, 5th Street Bulldogs, Floradora Street Bulldogs, DAG Bulldogs,Grant Street Bulldogs, Thomas Street Bulldogs, Sanger Bulldogs, Parlier Bulldogs, Selma Bulldogs, RTL Bulldogs. There is also Bulldog Clicks which include Cyco life, Primos, and the ATM Click. While Fresno State Bulldogs apparel is standard among all sets, different initial-letter baseball caps from Major League teams whose team color is red are worn for differentiation: the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, St Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, or Washington Nationals.

• published: 11 Apr 2014
• views: 131745