Mau Maus

Research published in 2018 established that the gang was formed in 1957 by Puerto Rican youths who lived in the Fort Greene Housing Project in Brooklyn, New York.

The first leaders were Juan Seda as president, Israel Narvaez as Vice-President and Carlos Reyes as Warlord.

Cruz and his best friend Israel Narvaez became born-again Christians in July 1958, after hearing David Wilkerson preach.

He became their leader again and on February 23, 1959, Narvaez, along with Carl Cintron, Carlos Reyes, and Melvin Torres, shot and killed Anthony Lavonchino, a member of the Sand Street Angels, one of the Mau Maus' enemies.

Salvador Agrón, a member of the Mau Maus,[2] later led another gang called the Vampires, who were responsible for a well-known New York tragedy when on the evening of August 29, 1959, they killed two innocent teen bystanders, mistaking them for rival gang members.