- published: 03 Dec 2015
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A gang is a group of recurrently associating individuals with identifiable leadership and internal organization, identifying with or claiming control over territory in the community, and engaging either individually or collectively in violent or other forms of illegal behavior . Gang members are typically "jumped in" or have to prove their loyalty by committing acts such as theft, violence or even murder. Gangs are prominent in the larger cities in the United States, in prisons and jails while many branches of the original gang are present in small towns and suburbs. American gangs originated in the city of Chicago and the surrounding areas. These gangs were competing with one another during the prohibition era and would often beat or even murder an opposing gang member for attempting to sell or distribute illegal liquor on their "turf". This resulted in retaliation and eventually a "war" between the opposing gangs. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen. In the United Kingdom the word is still often used in this sense, but it later underwent pejoration. The word gang often carries a negative connotation; however, within a gang which defines itself in opposition to mainstream norms, members may adopt the phrase as a statement of identity or defiance.