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Vespucci 13 is one of the largest Sureño gangs on the West Coast. The gang calls Magellan Avenue it’s home. The gang’s presence dates back to the mid 1900’s, but is slowing down in numbers due to rapid gentrification. History: In the late 1940’s Los Santos’ development of freeway 405 forced Mexican American communities to move out west towards Vespucci, Del Perro, and Morningwood. As a result of the waves of lower income immigrants the Vespucci area earned the moniker “Ghetto by the Sea.” The area was known by the locals to be one of the cities largest tourist traps due to it’s easy access to the beach. Above sits Fernando Barela and Raymond Ayala from left to right. In the 1950’s Vespucci had a second wave of mass immigration with the population almost doubling. In this second wave came Fernando Barela and Raymond Ayala. Both were in their early teens when they met at Vespucci Middle School. Immediately the two grew a close bond and began to push marijuana and heroin for Ayala’s older cousin, ‘Magic’. The two were very successful in their trade and made a name for themselves. By the time they had graduated highschool they had younger family members selling for them. In 1964 they had amassed a group of almost thirty teenagers. It was then that the two decided to adopt the moniker Vespucci 13. The name clearly pays homage to both the Mexican Mafia and the area in which they lived. There have been several Vespucci 13 members who have affiliated themselves with the eMe such as Rene Blajos and Emilio Montoya, and the two groups keep a close relationship both in and out of the prison system. In the 1990's Vespucci 13 was one of the targets of a large gang injunction. Three gangs were tagged in the Far West Los Santos Gang Injunctions, and their activity on the streets was very low throughout this period. The gang injunction however did reach it's end and the gangs began to openly gather outside and resume to their ghetto lifestyles. Vespucci today: Vespucci trece is currently being led by Peter “BANDIT” Loyola and Tomas “SPOOKY” Ordonez. The gang has been losing power and numbers as a result of the rapid gentrification of far West Los Santos hoods, however there are quite a few active members spread among the organization's five cliques. The gang is known for its involvement in trafficking drugs for several organizations such as La eMe and Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations (MDTO’s). The key drugs pushed by the neighborhood are marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. Vespucci 13 is no stranger to robbery. All sorts of robberies seem to go down in Vespucci, whether it be armed, home, or vehicular. Active Beef: CULVER CITY 13: The beef between Vespucci 13 and Culver City 13 is remarked as one of the largest current beefs in all of Los Santos both in measure of time and lives. Culver City Highschool and Venice Highschool were always bitter rivals in terms of sports. In the late 1960’s both neighborhoods claimed the same corner and had local drug dealers post up and deal drugs off of it. The two gangs did not like that the other had their dealers pushing on the corner they claimed as their own. Drug dealers from either gang were getting jumped back and forth until the fights grew larger. To protect the dealers and the claimed ‘turf’, members from both groups would stand on the block and press their rivals. The gangs were quick to involve themselves in massive brawls and fights, however guns were resorted to after only a few months. The homicide rate on the far west side of Los Santos shot up, and has yet to fall back down to where it once was. Each side has lost a lot of members and the beef seems to have no resolution because most current members of either gang have family who've been murdered by the other side. The picture above shows disrespect to the Del Perro 13 gang by crossing out DP13 tattoos and replacing them with Vespucci related calligraphy. 187 SMAKAS refers to penal code number 187 referring to murder, and "Smacks" being the DP13 gang diss. Del Perro 13: The static between Del Perro 13 and Vespucci 13 has been long going ever since the 1950's. The tension between the two groups originated as a school rivalry, however during a lowrider show in 2009 it escalated. Attending this show was a high respected Vespucci 13 member, Daniel Cortez, and a Mexican Mafia tax collector who were discussing politicks in Del Perro when several members of the Del Perro 13 gang recognized Cortez's tattoos. The Del Perro members instantly began pressing Cortez about his affiliations and where he was from before allegedly disrespecting the tax collector during a verbal altercation. During this altercation the tax collector stated his affiliation to the Mexican Mafia, and a Del Perro member disrespected said affiliation which was taken as disrespect to the Mexican Mafia. Del Perro 13 was ultimately greenlit by the Mexican Mafia and for months were the targets of a string of shootings. The best known attack in this web of murder is referred to as the Virginia Park incident. Isaias Lopez and Jose Romo-Soto were shot by Vespucci 13 members, killing Romo-Soto and gravely wounding Lopez. Lopez, on what he thought was his deathbed, attested that an African-American Vespucci 13 member was the driver and shooter involved in this incident. The shooter was eventually caught. Lopez ended up living and was marked as a snitch. This incident further alienated the two gangs and increased the already hostile tensions. The conflict between the two gangs has lived on for over 70 years and is still being acted on in modern times. Thread credits go out to @XIKand @Miggs