80 Blocks

From Tiffany's


In 1979 (I was 8 years old) a documentary which was directed by Gary Weis and depicted gang life in the South Bronx was made. The documentary was called 80 Blocks from Tiffany's (which is the distance from the iconic jewelry store and the South Bronx) I just recently watched it and it is erie to see the mentality the youths in the "clubs" had. When you watch it you can see the decay,the lawlessness and despair that encompassed the entire area. The film centers on 2 "clubs" The Savage Nomads and the Savage Skulls. We meet members and they tell us their stories and they love they have for their "brothers"  You see the burned out abandoned buildings.  You meet members with names like "Fly" and "Crazy Joe" who seem quite at home in front of the camera. One of the most compelling parts of the movie is that the neighbors are resigned to the fact that the "clubs" are there to stay and some even sing praises of how they "protect the neighborhood" The documentary can be seen (broken into parts) on Youtube.  Youngins and Oldheads watch this and compare and contrast to what we have going on in our cities today.