In the chronicles of gangster lore and hip-hop legend some gun thugs, drug barons and crime bosses have stood the test of time and their mythologies have towered above their contemporaries. Here at gorillaconvict.com we have written about many of these modern day outlaw heroes and have recognized the part they play in the folklore that has developed around them in the streets and prisons. Much like Robin Hood, Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Bonnie and Clyde, Lucky Luciano, John Gotti and Pablo Escobar they are icons in their own right and have the press clippings and notoriety their status has earned. Ride shotgun with a hood star and see what all the hype is about.
1) Wayne “Silk” Perry, Washington DC
Hitman, Martinez Organization
Claim to Fame: Wayne Perry has been called the Michael Jordan of the murder game. A professional head hitter and stone cold killer. The Washington Post called him one of the District’s most heinous murderers. Jay-Z recently dropped Wayne’s name in his song, Tom Ford. His story has been profiled in Don Diva and As Is magazines, numerous street DVDs and in Street Legends Vol. 1: Death Before Dishonor.
Stomping Grounds: Wayne Perry is the most infamous gangster to ever walk the streets of Washington DC aka Drama City. In the Chocolate City, things were going down by any means necessary and Silk took this attitude to new extremes with broad daylight killings. He would literally walk right up and blow someone’s head off. Murder, robbery, drug dealing and extortion were said to be his business and he took them all dead serious.
Downfall: Silk is the man who protected self-proclaimed Harlem drug lord Alberto “Alpo” Martinez. Working as a bodyguard and hitman for Alpo, Perry met his downfall. Alpo repaid Silk’s loyalty by snitching him out to the tune of multiple life sentences.
Story: He has gone down in infamy as one of the top soldiers from the Murder Capital. It was said that when Wayne was on the streets, certain hustlers wouldn’t even drive nice cars because they didn’t want Wayne to think they were getting money and take their shit. He put fear into the hearts of people in DC like no other during his run. After being buried in the BOP’s Supermax prison in ADX Florence for almost 20 years, Wayne is now in the Washington State system serving out his life sentence.
2) Peter “Pistol Pete” Rollack, Bronx, New York
Gang Leader
Sex Money Murder
Claim to Fame: Pistol Pete acquired a reputation as a ruthless killer, who made millions in the drug game in the late 80s and early 90s. He was known for busting his guns with no conscious, a modern day Billy the Kid. Pistol Pete was quick to draw and quicker to blast someone. He was featured in Don Diva and As Is magazines, in several street DVDs and in Street Legends Vol 1: Death Before Dishonor.
Stomping Grounds: Pistol Pete and the Blood affiliated Sex Money Murder gang were the scourge of the Soundview section of the Bronx back in the day. He was known as one of the most feared and powerful men in New York during the crack era and could get people killed on his word alone. He turned his neighborhood red in more ways than one and continued to exert his influence even after his incarceration.
Downfall: During his incarceration at Rikers Island in 1996 he turned Blood and brought Sex Money Murder into the fold. OG Mack and Deadeye Mackenzie recruited Pistol Pete and he turned his whole area onto the Bloods. He continued to run his drug empire from his prison cell using letters and the phone but cooperators put his name in the mix and he was indicted in North Carolina and eventually in New York City for several murders.
Story: At twenty years old Pistol Pete went down and the charges kept coming. A bunch of his comrades in arms turned on him and now he is serving multiple life sentences at ADX Florence, the BOP’s supermax with limited communication. It was said he was about to get out of the supermax, but the feds reconsidered when America’s Most Evil Gangsters did a recent segment on Pistol Pete and they realized the influence he still holds. Pistol Pete remains a revered figure in New York and by Blood factions all over the East Coast. He is a street star and icon to this day. His name has become a part of hip-hop love in rhymes by gangster rapper Nas.
3) George “Boy George” Rivera, South Bronx, New York
Drug Lord
Obsession
Claim to Fame: Boy George was a multimillionaire by the age of 21. Barely out of his teens, he built himself a reputation as one of the wealthiest drug lords to come out of New York and the youngest to be charged with the kingpin statute. The press called him the Puerto Rican James Bond due to his fleet of cars and all the gadgets he accessorized them with. His story has been profiled in Don Diva magazine, Street Legends and Random Family.
Stomping Ground: His Bronx, New York heroin operation grossed $250,000 a week. Boy George was the master of the Bronx universe. He carved out an empire and flooded the streets of Manhattan and the South Bronx with high quality heroin with the brand name Obsession.
Downfall: He flaunted a lifestyle as lavish as a New York socialite, like those portrayed on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Flamboyant and charismatic, the Puerto Rican drug baron was one of a kind. His cars were straight out of a James Bond flick and his illicit wealth attracted the wrong kind of attention from law enforcement with led to his downfall to the tune of a life sentence in the feds.
Story: Equal parts gangster, CEO and gentleman, Boy George juxtaposed street smarts, innovative marketing and ruthless efficiency to create a heroin empire, while other kids his age were still worrying about what clothes to wear or what girls to date. As a teenager Boy George had it all. He has been incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, currently housed at USP Big Sandy.
4) Howard “Pappy” Mason, Queens, New York
Enforcer, Gang Leader
Fat Cat Crew, The Bebos
Claim to Fame: In one of the most violent eras in New York city history Pappy Mason rose above his peers to cement his reputation as one of the most feared men in the five boroughs. He was an enforcer for the premier drug dealer of the day, Lorenzo “Fat Cat” Nichols, and leader of his own gang, The Bebos. Pappy was known as the crazy guy that crazy guys were scared of. He has been featured in F.E.D.S. magazine and profiled in Queens Reigns Supreme and The Dope Game Misadventures of Fat Cat and Pappy Mason.
Stomping Grounds: Originally from the Jamaican Crown Heights area of Brooklyn, Pappy made his name in Queens when the South Jamaica crack wars were in full swing. He held down “The Block” for Fat Cat and his crew and had his own spot in Forty Projects, where the Bebos held sway. When Pappy was in the streets dudes were shook and wouldn’t dare to cross him.
Downfall: When Fat Cat got locked up on a violation by his parole officer, Pappy Mason killed the PO in retaliation. He eventually took it one step further and had a New York City police officer killed when he got locked up. Sending out the chilling message from prison, “We lose one, they lose one.” He was tried and convicted on all counts.
Story: Pappy Mason was a diehard drug game soldier. When the crack vial spawned violence and bloodshed in the mid-80s he was the baddest man on the block and his name has been lionized in verse by Jay-Z, Nas and 50 Cent. His story has been covered in numerous DVD’s and books like Copshot. He is currently doing life at ADX Florence.
5) Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, Queens, New York
Crack Lord, GangLeader
The Supreme Team
Claim to Fame: Supreme is a towering street legend immortalized in both hip-hop and hood lore. An infamous drug lord with ties to both major players in the rap industry and a notoriously profitable and ruthless drug crew. To both law enforcement and a generation of rappers and hustlers, Supreme is a black John Gotti.
Stomping Grounds: The Supreme Team ruled the same Queens streets that later produced platinum selling artists like Run DMC, Nas, Ja Rule and 50 Cent. Supreme was one of the most notorious street figures out of Southeast Queens and his name has transcended New York City due to the countless namedrops of his crew, the Supreme Team in hip-hop and popular culture.
Downfall: After serving a 10 year bid in the late 80s and early 90s Supreme got out, went legit and made a film, Crime Partners, with the backing of Irv Gotti and his Murder Inc. record label. But the feds couldn’t let Supreme live. They investigated him and Murder Inc. for years, eventually convicting Supreme on a bogus murder for hire case. His downfall was that he was a larger than life figure who couldn’t outlive his past.
Story: Now serving a life sentence in the BOP at USP Lee, Supreme remains a legend in hip-hop and the streets. Don Diva, F.E.D.S. and As Is have all told his story as has numerous DVDs and BET’S American Gangster series. Before 50 Cent became a megastar its alleged Supreme has him shot and rumors allege he had a hand in Jam Master Jay from Run DMC’s demise also, but this has never been proven. Check out his full story in The Supreme Team: The Birth of Crack and Hip-Hop, Prince’s Reign of Terror and the Supreme/50 Cent Beef Exposed.
6) Kenneth “Boobie” Williams, Miami, Florida
Street Boss Gangster
Boobie Boys
Claim to Fame: Boobie and his crew built an $80 million dollar drug empire that smuggled over 5 tons of cocaine from Panama and the Bahamas. He was the namesake of the gang and the alleged mastermind behind the Carol City organization that left a trial of bodies on Miami’s streets. The rapper Rick Ross has chronicled Boobie’s exploits in verse and continued to keep the legend alive.
Stomping Grounds: Miami police linked as many as 35 murders and 100 shootings to the Boobie Boys as they unleashed what the papers called an eight year barrage of murder and mayhem on the city in the 90s. A Decade of Death the newspapers called it, as the savage drug gang killed to establish their turf and retaliate against rivals with AK-47 blasts.
Downfall: Warring with other drug factions in the Miami-Dade area the Boobie Boys left death in their wake as AK-47s sprayed rapid fire cutting down all in their path. By turning their neighborhoods into virtual narco zones and killing fields, the Boobie Boys hastened their own demise.
Story: Boobie and all his comrades are now serving life sentences in the BOP. Mostly at USP Coleman in Florida. They have been mentioned in countless rap songs, interviewed in magazines like Don Diva and had documentaries like MIYayo put out by the rapper Rick Ross, glorifying their exploits in the drug game. They are true street legends from the crack era in Miami, modern day Tony Montana’s. Check out their story in Street Legends’s Vol. 2: Original Gangsters.
7) Lorenzo “Fat Cat” Nichols, Queens, New York
Drug Lord, Hustler
Fat Cat Crew
Claim to Fame: As the Southside of Jamaica Queens became ground zero for hip-hop hustlers, the mythology and legend of Fat Cat has grown and taken on an Al Capone type level. Fat Cat was the star of the dope show in the 80s. He had more money, more bling, more cars and more power than all his contemporaries. He was the first and most successful of the crack era gangsters. Numerous rappers like 50 Cent and Nas have dropped his name in verse.
Stomping Grounds: The Southside of Jamaica Queens and more specifically “The Block” on 150th Street, was where Fat Cat held reign. The area brought in millions annually due to the drug trade and Fat Cat pocketed most of these ill-gotten gains. In a time dominated by the Italian mafia, Fat Cat got his and set the stage for the rappers and the burgeoning hip-hop scene with his attitude, mentality and style.
Downfall: Fat Cat was too big and too known. He made too much money and had too big a profile. He got busted and continued to run his empire from prison, he had his parole officer whacked for violating him and killed at will, trying to take out all the witnesses against him. He was eventually tied to the murder of the New York police officer with Pappy Mason that shocked the nation and ushered in the current War on Drugs.
Story: Fat Cat is serving a life sentence in the New York state prison system for multiple 25 to life charges despite cooperating with the feds in the Pappy Mason murder case. Fat Cat and his supporters dispute this but he was in the BOP Witsec program for over 20 years before being shipped to the state to finish out his time. He has been profiled in numerous magazines like King and F.E.D.S., books and DVDs and most likely is never coming home. Check out his story in The Dope Game Misadventures of Fat Cat and Pappy Mason.
8) Freeway Ricky Ross, Los Angeles, California
Godfather of Crack
Freeway Boys
Claim to Fame: Freeway Rick go so rich, so fast that he used to tell people that God put him on earth to sell cocaine. He’s been called the Wal-Mart of Crack and was the biggest black drug dealer of recent history, he was a trailblazer in the crack trade and reaped millions as an unknowing pawn of the CIA, who used the millions he generated to fund the CIA sponsored Contra war. Several rappers have taken Ross’ name as their stage monikers to capitalize off his notoriety.
Stomping Grounds: At the birth of the crack epidemic in LA, Freeway Rick found himself at the helm of a multimillion dollar criminal enterprise. By the mid-80s Ross was LA’s Godfather of Crack. Jumping into the role of drug lord with a passion he used his sharp mind to organize a criminal operation that franchised crack outlets across the nation like McDonald’s.
Downfall: He was arrested by the Freeway Ricky Ross Task Force and sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. After winning his release, due to police corruption Ross sought his redemption, but fell victim to the drug game and got a life sentence. After almost two decades in prison Ross got his case overturned and is now back in the real world, using his expertise to change lives and make his fortune.
Story: An epic and controversial figure, Freeway Ricky has single-handedly been blamed for the crack epidemic. He moved tons of cocaine, made millions of dollars and supplied the Crips and Bloods with enough product to saturate and infect every inner-city neighborhood across the nation with crack. With drive-bys, gang proliferation and the crack plague his legacy Freeway Rick has turned his life around and now is doing all he can to overturn his legacy as a drug dealer. His story has been told in numerous magazines, books and DVDs and countless rappers have name-dropped him in verse.
9) Rayful Edmond, Washington DC
Kingpin
Rayful Edmond Crew
Claim to Fame: At his peak Rayful sold 2000 kilos a week, reaped gross profits of $70 million a month and ran an operation with over 150 soldiers to support him. In the high profile and glamorous life he led, champagne flowed like water, trips to Las Vegas, New York and Los Angeles were commonplace and $50,000 shopping sprees at Trump Plaza were the routine. 60 Minutes called him the $300 million dollar man.
Stomping Grounds: To his hometown of Washington dc, during his 1980s reign as the city’s biggest cocaine dealer, Rayful Edmond was public enemy number one. At the height of Dodge City’s brutal crack epidemic, Rayful distributed 60 percent of the cocaine that flooded the city’s streets. Historians have blamed the crack storm that engulfed DC on Rayful.
Downfall: Rayful was the president and CEO of what authorities called the largest network for cocaine street sales in Washington DC. As a teenager he did business with Colombian cartels and ironically destroyed the same Northeast neighborhood he grew up in, but at the same time helping residents by paying rents and buying clothes and food for them. He was a contradiction in terms, a Robin Hood for the hood.
Story: Edmond has emerged as one of the most recognized people of the last 50 years in Washington DC. His story has been told and retold in numerous books, magazines and DVDs. Rayful was DC’s gangster legend until he tarnished his reputation by snitching after getting busted again moving more cocaine into the city from his prison cell then he did or the streets. He is currently serving a life sentence in the BOP’s Witsec program. Check out his story in Rayful Edmond: Washington DC’s Most Notorious Drug Lord.
10) Richard “White Boy Rick” Wershe,
Detroit, Michigan
Kid Kingpin
Best Friends Associate
Claim to Fame: Very rarely does a teenager attract the attention that White Boy Rick garnered during his heyday in the streets; he became a local pop culture touchstone as he rocketed to stardom in the vicious and brutal urban underworld of Detroit in the mid-1980s. Not only was he a teenager, but he was white and these unlikely circumstances led him to the top of the black underworld at the age of 17.
Stomping Grounds: White Boy Rick came to dominate Detroit’s streets in the rough and rugged crack era. A time marked by massive bloodshed and death as a result of the burgeoning cocaine trade. By the age of 17, White Boy Rick was one of the most powerful kingpins in Detroit. Associating with a colorful cast of drug and gun thugs that held sway in the city like Maserati Rick, the Chambers Brothers, Best Friends and D. Holloway.
Downfall: At the age of 15 White Boy Rick was meeting with Detroit police and federal agents and getting paid for information. Yanked out of high school, he was groomed as a high profile drug dealer and transformed into the notorious White Boy Rick. When the feds no longer needed him they cut him loose and busted him for drug trafficking. He got in the game as an informant, turned into a legend and is now serving life because of his notoriety in the Michigan State system.
Story: His story has been profiled in numerous books, magazines and DVD’s. With all the conflicting mythology White Boy Rick remains a controversial and intriguing figure to this day. He has been connected to rap stars Eminem and Kid Rick who are attracted to his infamy and iconic status. It’s said that during his trial in 1988 he was rocking Armani suits and had throngs of teenagers packing the courtroom and chanting his name. He has gone down as an infamous street legend of epic proportions.