Mongrel Mob
The Mongrel Mob is a New Zealand gang formed and organised in Hastings, largely from the 1970s. The group offers a surrogate family for disenfranchised young men and is known to be increasingly active in organised crime. Members are predominantly from New Zealand's Māori or Pacific Islander community. The gang currently operates in many cities within New Zealand; some of the best known chapters include Mongrel Mob Hastings, Mongrel Mob Porirua and Mongrel Mob Rogues. Mob members are notorious for their tattooed faces and red bandannas .
It is believed the term "mongrel mob" originated from the comments of a District Court Judge in the Hawkes Bay in the late 1960s, when he referred to a group of men before him as "nothing but a pack of mongrels"[1]. The name stuck, and later, similarly named groups sprang up around the country, forming their own independent chapters.
Today there is a network of more than thirty Mongrel Mob chapters throughout New Zealand. They are especially active in Rotorua, Auckland and Hastings .[2][3][4] The Mongrel Mob's main rival is a gang called Black Power and there have been several very public and violent clashes between the two gangs over the years.
In 2007, the Mongrel Mob were involved in the shooting of the 2-year-old daughter of patched Black Power member Jhia Harmony Te Tua in Wanganui. A dispute between members of the two gangs at a rugby league game lead to the drive by, which was planned to kill Jhia's father; however a stray bullet hit the two year old girl. Several members of the mob appeared in court over the matter. [5]
In 2009, members of the mob chased down and ran over a teenager in his garden, in the mistaken belief that he was associated with the rival "Tribesmen" gang. The victim died of head injuries in the ambulance taking him to hospital. The school T-Shirt he was wearing was yellow, the rival gang's colour. Six men face charges over the incident; one is charged with murder.[6][7][8]
The Mongrel Mob was featured in a Sky One documentary called Ross Kemp on Gangs in which British actor Ross Kemp interviewed several current and former prominent members of the gang. Note: The documentary has never been released on New Zealand television. The documentary revealed many older members' dissatisfaction with the fact that the different Mob chapters are now involved in drug dealing.
The gang’s colours are predominantly red and black. The patches usually feature a swastika and a Bulldog wearing a German Stahlhelm which supposedly is an image intended to offend as it is a British Bulldog wearing the helmet. The patch is worn on the back of "patched members" – those considered loyal and trustworthy within the gang. The patch can also be tattooed on the member's body.
Prospect - a person who is loyal to the gang but is not a "patched member" yet and must normally do errands or Missions to show his loyalty to his gang. A Prospect normally has a "patched member" to report or CLOCK IN to. This "patched member" normally decides when it is time for the Prospect to be "patched".
The hierarchy goes as follows: Captain Or President, Vice President, Sergeant at arms, Patched members, Prospects.and even in some cases they use younger blood gangs as Prospects
References
- ^ TRUERED - The life of an ex-Mongrel Mob gang leader, page 2, by Tuhoe 'Bruno' Isaac with Bradford Haami, published by True Red Pukekohe N.Z. (2007). web site www.true-red.com
- ^ Gang shackles define life on the Ford Block - New Zealand Herald, Tuesday 25 July 2006
- ^ Police seize Mongrel Mob arms cache - New Zealand Herald, Friday 10 March 2006
- ^ Police say Mongrel Mob still criminals - Daily Post, Thursday 14 December 2006
- ^ source one news and nz herald website.
- ^ Murupara teen killed over colour of his t-shirt - residents, TV3 News, 29 January 2009.
- ^ NZPA, Five Face Charges After Teenager Killed In Hit And Run, voxy.co.nz, 16 February 2009.
- ^ NZPA, Murder Accused's Identity Remains Secret, voxy.co.nz, 16 February 2009.