Gang history in my hometown (Tacoma content)

[sunvalleylaw]

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/06/01/2620710/dim-alcoholic-arsonist-left-indelible.html *link now fixed*

This article popped up for me today and reminded me of the crazy stuff that happened in my hometown when I was a kid. This restaurant, which my parents took us to once in a while, and another tavern, the "Back Forty", were burned to the ground by the local mob. Turns out the sheriff was involved in it too, being on the take. My Dad was a fairly new Superior Court judge at that point, and straight as an arrow. So this round of gangster activity in our town, a working class, port and pulp mill town at that time, was quite shocking. I thought that stuff happened only in old gangster movies. Also, sometime around then, my Dad was assigned the case of some bank robbers who robbed a bank in Parkland (toward Mt. Rainer from Tacoma) and who had phoned in death threats on my Dad and his family. We had 24/7 protection from the sheriff department (we lived in the county), and we were restricted from the phone for a while. I recall being friendly with the deputies as they sat in their units outside our house as we were picked up for school, etc. That all passed, and soon we had our freedom back. Anyway, this article reminded me of crazy times, and how amazed I was that stuff like this could happen in my home town.

[Tig]

The link seems to be broken, but your story of the past threats is incredible yet scary.

I remember my grand dad being offered bribes and free furniture if he bought a certain manufacturer's radio system for the Houston PD (he was a captain and head of the communications department) and he flatly refused. They then threatened to burn his house down and he said they'll be picking up bodies if anyone tried. He had a starlight scope and plenty of fire arms that were auctioned off after cases were tried. Talk about a straight arrow!

The past generations are full of people with strong character and moral fiber that we should all use as examples to live like.

[sunvalleylaw]

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/06/01/2620710/dim-alcoholic-arsonist-left-indelible.html

Here, try this new one above.

Yeah, that was pretty crazy when the threats happened. My Dad during one of his judicial campaigns was told to drop off a case of scotch at the local paper (this one above). He refused.

In this same town I was robbed at apparent gun point as a store clerk. That is a whole 'nuther story. Tacoma was pretty rough back then. It is much improved now. Despite Tacoma's rough edges as I grew up during rough economic times in a port/timber/pulp town, I have a lot of loyalty for that old place.

[mrmudcat]

"The past generations are full of people with strong character and moral fiber that we should all use as examples to live like."


NAIL ON THE HEAD BROTHER!!!


Little pulp towns are pretty damn rough around the edges anywhere period!!!! We have a few in the south crazy sum-bitches.........lol............ I grew up in one, i'm sure to no ones surprise!

[piebaldpython]

Wow.....great article and story. Hmmmmm...I wonder if it's actually easier to be "mob-infested" or controlled by some power-hungry-SOB in a smaller town than say a big-city??

Being from Philly, we of course have our own colorful mob-related history too.

SVL and Tig......I admire both of your fathers for flying the straight and narrow despite the very real possibility of harm to themselves, their family and their property.

[NWBasser]

When I was younger and growing up in Mount Vernon (bridge collapse place), we knew to avoid Tacoma.

Especially the Hilltop neighborhood, where the evening news reported on shootings with great regularity.

One of my high school friends moved from Tacoma to live with his grandmother in Mount Vernon to avoid the drugs and violence. He told stories of carrying a .38 in his school pack.

In recent years, I've done environmental assessments there and the improvements to the city are amazing from what it was.

One effect of the improvements though is that much of the violence has moved to the suburbs of Parkland and Spanaway.

[sunvalleylaw]

Yes that was occurring in the late 90s when I was still living in Tacoma. The Crips and bloods had been closed down pretty much but the crime moved out to Parkland and Spanaway where all the meth labs were still flourishing. Parkland and Spanaway and Lakewood are also close to the military bases and so there is an impact there as well.

Downtown Tacoma and the west side has improved quite a bit.

Before the Tacoma spur when you came into Tacoma on Pacific Avenue he used to be greeted by Elmo's adult bookstore. now that area is full of a college, the Chihuly glass museum and other awesome stuff.

[R_of_G]

Very interesting Steve. I wasn't at all familiar with Tacoma's history. Thanks for posting.

I just finished reading Dennis Lehane's Live By Night, which although fiction, deals with much of the rich mob history of Tampa, my hometown of the last 22 years.

Before that I lived in central New Jersey. Anyone with a television knows that mob stuff. :)

I'm not sure about the history either area has with street gangs, but I do love reading about history so it'd be interesting to investigate further.