Public Enemy Number One - a
racist gang, also known as PEN1 (sometimes pronounced penny),
PEN1 Skins, or PEN1 Death Squad is only one of the many
California gangs but has been a staple in the world of white
supremacy in Southern California since the mid-1980's.
Originally modeled after the hard-line Nazi Skinheads of Europe,
PEN1 members have become more criminally active and less
politically oriented in the past several years. Today
Public Enemy Number One is poised to make a major impact
in the world of white gangs.
Background and History -
Public Enemy Number One
PEN1 was formed in, and had
mainly operated out of, the Orange County area since the
mid-1980's. They were formed as a politically active gang
of disenfranchised white youths who emulat4ed Nazi Skinheads
from England and other European and American Nazi and Socialist
organizations.
PEN1
and
737
PEN1 members may be characterized
by their white supremacist tattoos including swastikas,
lightning bolts, and other Nazi and white supremacist symbols.
Gang-specific tattoos include the word "PEN1," "PDS," which
stands for PEN1 Death Squad; and "737," which stands for PDS on
a telephone keypad.
For the last several years, an
increasing number of PEN1 members have been incarcerated in the
California Department of Corrections (CDC) where they have begun
to form alliances with other prisoners who share their white
supremacist philosophy and hold a position of power within the
world of incarcerated white inmate. These white inmates
include members of the Aryan Brotherhood (AB) and Nazi Low
Riders (NLR) gangs - two violent white supremacist prison gangs.
PEN1has gradually moved away from
the philosophies of the white supremacists of Europe upon which
they were founded. They are now modeling themselves after
those seasoned white prison gang members with whom they have
been in contact within prison. Although PEN1 members still
espouse a white supremacist philosophy, their main goal now is
monetary gain through the sale of drugs - primarily
methamphetamine - both in and out of prison and to increase
their control of the criminal activity of the white gang
members. PEN1 members have been involved in property
crimes, weapons violations, and acts of violence and extortion.
Like the AB and NLR, PEN1 members will associate with southern
Hispanic gang members when money is at stake. Black and
northern Hispanic gang members are their sworn enemies
