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Florencia 13, also known as the South Side Florence 13 or F13, is an infamous Hispanic Sureño street gang, with cliques spread throughout Los Santos County of San Andreas. They originated after World War II, during the late 1940s, in Florence Avenue street. Florence Avenue street was later renamed to Roy Lowenstein Boulevard in the 70s due to rising racial tensions. The name Florence is pronounced Florencia in Spanish, and that's where the gang got its name from. Florence is also a woman's name. This resulted in the gang adopting a 50's "doo-woop" song, "Florence" by The Paragons. The song was often requested by the gang members to let everybody know that Florencia members were posted up. The gang was first formed in the '40s as a neighborhood patrol to protect the Hispanic demographic against the much larger African-American street gangs at the time. Florencia 13 adapted the number 13 during the 1960s, which corresponds to the alphabet letter "M," signifying their affiliation with the Mexican Mafia. Many early members of the Mexican Mafia were recruited from the Florencia gang as Florencianos(Florencia gang members) earned a reputation for their fierceness while battling with much larger black gangs. Florencia 13 claims multiple, if not the major part, Mexican Mafia members, affiliates, and soldiers. An Era of Violence Trinidad "Trinny" Iglesias was one of the earlier affiliates of Florence. He's believed to be one of the most monstrous members to be recruited by the Florencia 13 gang. He gained notoriety after assaulting an estimated amount of 14 police officers. On May 22, 1971, Deputy Gary Saunders was shot multiple times in the chest by Iglesias. Iglesias is believed to have shot Deputy Saunders after a physical altercation following a foot chase with Saunders' gun. He's also believed to be the prime suspect in the shooting of a Huntington Park Narcotics Officer, who was shot in the head while using a urinal in a public bathroom. Trinidad Iglesias, although violent and notorious for his act, has never been documented as a true and confirmed Mexican mobster within his correctional tenure. Due to a political bill released within this time arch, he was released from prison in 1975. Photo of various "Florencia 13" gang members was taken sometime in early 1970's at the bank building at Florence Ave & Holmes Ave. This photo was used in a number of trials and sentencing hearings to prove that the suspect or subject was an active gang member. Beef with East Coast Crips (ECC) Florencia 13's conflict with ECC is believed to be LS's most significant street gang conflict. The beef is believed to have begun over a theft. East Coast Crips from the Six Pacc are believed to have taken an undisclosed amount of drugs that belonged to a Florence member. At the time, Florencia and East Coast Crips were doing business together. ECC members had access to the vehicle with the drugs and stole the drugs, distributing them among their members. This has resulted in Arturo Castellanos, a Florencia 13 shotcaller, to "green light" the East Coast Crips from his cell in Pelican Bay State Prison. Following the green light, F13 members have turned the streets into a warzone with dozens of murders. With East Coast Crips being the largest black gang on the east side of Los Angeles, and F13 being the largest Latino gang on the east side of Los Angeles, it didn't take long for the war to intensify, and at times become racial. The war has come to a stop recently, in 2019, after a truce was called between the notorious Florencia 13 and the East Coast Crips. 76th Street Malos Clique Malos (MLS) were a small tag crew that first appeared on the walls of Roy Lowenstein Boulevard. The crew was absorbed by the infamous Florencia 13 gang during the peak of the ECC conflict. They quickly became front line soldiers for the Florencia 13 gang. MLS have gone through numerous injunctions, federal investigations, and they've lost many of their members to East Coast Crips. Malos also had notoriety for their relentless methods of distributing drugs, including lacing drugs with numerous agents to make it more addicting, and in some cases, more lethal. Recently, their shotcaller, Edwin "Trouble" Barajas, was arrested and sent to LS County Jail, awaiting trial for charges related to federal racketeering, narcotics and firearms. Florencia 13 Today The gang today continues to grow. It is one of the three largest gangs within Los Santos. Florencia 13 continues to finance itself primarily through narcotics trafficking. The gang is known to have ties with multiple Blood street gangs nearby and therefore inherit various cultural similarities and relations with African-Americans. Some Florencia cliques on the western side are known to be sharing turf with Harvard Park Brims and Swan Lake Bloods. Florencia has gone through numerous gang injunctions over the past few years, and dozens of arrests, but the gang grows stronger every day. In 2009, the FBI executed one of the most significant federal gang takedowns; Operation Joker's Wild was centered on the famous Florencia 13 clique "Jokers," about ten individuals from the street gang were consecutively prosecuted on firearms and narcotics-related charges.

This thread will showcase the development of David "Shady" Garza.