Blood In Blood Out: The Violent Empire of the Aryan Brotherhood

Author John Lee Brook's book "Blood In Blood Out: The Violent Empire of the Aryan Brotherhoood", is an amazing work on what has previously been a relatively unknown organization, "the Brand". Created in the late 1940's and early 1950's, white criminals who were charged, convicted and sentenced to penitentiary time congregated together in order to stay alive and not be intimidated by another prison gang/inmate, called, "the Diamond Tooth Gang"; these men actually would glue shards of broken glass on their teeth to come off as crszy and sadistic, causing the other prison gangs to treat them accordingly. Brook introduces the shot callers, Barry "the Baron" Mills, Tyler "the Hulk" Bingham and "Terrible" Tom Silverstein; all are currently locked up in a 23.5 hrs. a day isolation in ADX Florence, Colorado, Marion, Il. &/or Pelican Bay causing problems between the Federal and State hierarchies, but no completely hindering the organization. Many previously unpublished facts regarding, "the Brand" and it's more popular members are revealed in this amazingly well written factual book. Amazing stories of how a gang of a few white inmates came together under the guise of white pride/supremacy, only to end up allied with the Sureno's,"La Eme"/the Mexican Mafia and deciding on being SUPREMACISTS AND THE ONLY COLOR THAT COUNTED WAS RED AND GREEN, BLOOD AND MONEY! Stunning facts that help keep the prose flowing smoothly truly enjoyable.

Super meth labs. Contract killings. Bank heists. Prison stabbings. Extortion. Prostitution. Gun trafficking for Mexican drug cartels. Through the miracle of time - what originates as a group of white convicts seeking protection from minority gangs transforms into a powerful crime syndicate of ruthless thugs crazy enough to scare the hell out of the most dangerous of criminals. With notorious shotcallers leaders Barry "the Baron" Mills and Tyler "the Hulk" Bingham commanding a whole army of skinhead-like gangbangers, the Aryan Brotherhood was successful in building an empire from behind bars in America's most secure maximum-security prisons.John Lee Brooks' "Blood In, Blood Out" works by giving us multiple stories of their business dealings, killings (sometimes horrific, such as Pamela Fleck murder or the torture of Adrian Rooms), and their backrounds before they became "Branded". It's divided in to two parts: first 5 chapters deals with the 2002 arrest and trial of Mills, Bingham and almost 40 other AB leaders on federal racketeering charges (RICO). Heavily-armed U.S. Marshals round up the charged one-by-one mainly in their prison cells. The government's plan is to cut off the head of the snake: put them to death by lethal injection. This is enjoyable as you see Uncle Sam drag a bunch of scummy convict snitches to the witness stand to testify against their former brethren in attempts to lighten their current sentences. Part two has 4 chapters of murder, mayhem and TCB (takin' care of business). With the help of the Nazi LowRiders, a younger ultraviolent white-supremicist style gang - the Brand ventures into gun trafficking for Mexican drug cartels to owning car dealerships and motorcycle shops in multiple states. But its the crystal meth operations that remains their true bread-and-butter.Definately recommended for gangster and gang true-crime junkies but I think its just the beginning. Brooks is certainly a talented author and does what he can for the lightest possible read on a heavy, secretive criminal society. Michael Thompson, an Aryan Brother-turned-snitch featured on the National Geographic documentary that came out several years ago - wasn't mentioned. Neither was Casper Odinson Crowell. I forsee in the future more books on these guys and the Lowriders to come that well go even deeper.Nonetheless "Blood In, Blood Out" is awesome. 4½ stars.

The first thing I'll say about the members of the Aryan Brotherhood is that they were / are definitely NOT stupid--these guys are diabolically brilliant, what with their ability to control the entire prison system from behind prison walls. They were able to out-think the entire federal prison system and ran a multi-million dollar operation while locked in solitary confinement. Although I don't agree with what they did, my hat is off to them for their ingenuity. As the saying goes: "they were definitely the baddest cats on the block." The Aryan Brotherhood was so ruthless, so tough, that other prisoners refused to even talk about them. An excellently documented book.

The author writes a great "nonfiction novel" of America's most feared prison gang. As compelling as the invented dialogue can be at times, at other times it is absurd, and reveals the author's lack of real experience with the culture of prison. Definitely the most entertaining book on the AB that I have encountered, but would have benefited from a little more research.

Very detailed. I would definitely recommend reading if your into gangs & prison literature. The biography of the 3 main characters is very well narrated.

Really good book. A fun read with out getting to heavy or preachy. For the die hard this wont take you there. If you are looking for something heavier check out the National Geographic Special. More of a Crime Drama

Interessante Einblicke in eine andere Welt. Letztlich erschütternd, welch unmenschliche Kindheit die meisten der „harten“ Gangmitglieder hatten, die letztlich zu den aktuellen Lebenssituationen geführt haben. Will man nicht tauschen.

excellent

J'ai commandé ce livre en Anglais (il n'existe qu'en cette langue) et l'ai traduit facilement en Français du début à la fin en quelques semaines en le lisant un peu chaque jour.Cet ouvrage est d'un grand intérêt en comparaison avec d'autres livres sur le sujet (qui pour certains, sortent tout droit d'universitaires et incluent des généralités et des égarements sans intérêts) : ce livre par contre relate des faits concrets, peu connus, des anecdotes et des descriptions très précises de procès, arrestations ainsi que des explications sur la vie des protagonistes.Il est certes difficile de savoir si tout y est vrai mais qu'importe, ce livre demeure au moins un excellent roman.

Lets you know about these guys and stuff you think wouldn't be possible.

You can always depend on british indie publishing outfit 'Headepress' to come up with something special. Just like their Americancounter-culture counterparts, 'Feral House', they deliver the goods on subjects frowned upon in certain mainstreamquarters [both avaliable from Amazon]. This book takes the reader deep into the american prison system and the wayof that world within it. A frightening, absorbing and totally gripping account of the hows, whys and methods of the'Ayran Brotherhood' and their prison empire. If you caught the movie 'American History X' a few years back and were inanyway 'disturbed' by it...then this might not be to your liking, but, if 'in yer face' truth, darkness, reich building and thereality of the human condition and de-humanising that mankind can reach for, violence, money and control, then thisaccount of a spider's web of deciet, back-stabbing [literally] and murder, just may well provide more goose pimples than any horror novel ever could! The business!