THE PROFILES DESCRIBE AND DISCUSS THE CONSTELLATION OF FACTORS AND VARIABLES THAT HAVE INFLUENCED AND PRECIPITATED THE EVENTS AND OCCURRENCES OF AN 8-YEAR GANG HISTORY THAT BEGAN IN NEW YORK CITY, IN THE BOROUGH OF THE BRONX, IN 1971. THE NEW YORK GANG OF THE 1970'S NO LONGER RESTRICTS ITS VIOLENCE TO ENEMY GANGS, BUT NOW STRIKES OUT AT THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. WITH NAMES LIKE THE SAVAGE SKULLS, BLACK ASSASSINS, BLACK SPADES, TURBANS, REAPERS, AND BACHELORS, THE GANGS HAVE INCREASED IN MEMBERSHIP IN THE 1970'S AND HAVE BECOME EMBROILED IN DISORDER, VIOLENCE, AND SENSELESS CRIME THAT THE STATE BEGAN CREATING PROGRAMS DIRECTED SOLELY AT THEIR CONTROL AND ELIMINATION (E.G., THE YOUTH GANG UNIT). THESE MODERN BRONX GANGS ARE ORGANIZED STRUCTURED GROUPS WITH IDENTIFIABLE MEMBERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP AND OPERATE ACCORDING TO STRICT RULES, CODES, ALLEGIANCES, AND TREATIES. AUTONOMIES WITH VARIOUS LEVELS OF ADVISERS PEACEMAKERS, SPOKESPERSONS, COUNSELORS, AND MEMBERS, THE BRONOX GANGS CONDUCT ACTIVITIES FROM CLUBHOUSES LOCATED ON 'TURF' OVER WHICH THE GANG HAS ABSOLUTE CONTROL. RECRUITMENT IS USUALLY VOLUNTARY, INITIATION RITES ARE NOT PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT--BUT ONCE INITIATED, MEMBERS ARE OFTEN REQUIRED BY FORCE TO REMAIN. ALTHOUGH YOUNG CHILDREN AND A MIDDLE-AGED GANG ADVISER ARE OFTEN RETAINED, THE TYPICAL MEMBER IS 16 TO 23 YEARS OLD, BLACK OR HISPANIC, MALE, AND FROM A LOW SOCIOECONOMIC, CROWDED AREA. HOWEVER, FEMALE AUXILIARIES OFTEN EXIST WITHIN GANGS, WITH THESE FEMALE MEMBERS ACTING AS SEX PARTNERS, INTELLIGENCE GATHERERS, AND WEAPON CARRIERS FOR THE MALE MEMBERS. OF THE TOTAL GANG MEMBERSHIP, 10 TO 15 PERCENT ARE HARDCORE. THE 1970 STREET GANGS ARE MORE ANTIPOLICE AND ANTIESTABLISHMENT THAN THE GANGS OF THE 1950'S; BETTER ARMED, ESPECIALLY WITH FIREARMS; MORE VIOLENT, WITH GANG RAPES AND HOMICIDES BECOMING COMMON; MORE DIRECTED AT PROFIT-MAKING FROM GANG CRIME; AND INCLINED TO USE GUERRILLA TACTICS. THE BOOK INCLUDES A CHAPTER ON POLICE AND GANG CONTROL AND APPENDIXES PRESENT STREET-GANG ARGOT AND TERMS, NAMES, MEMBER ALIASES AND NICKNAMES, SEVERAL GANGS' ANNUAL REPORTS, AND A STREET-GANG PROFILE SHEET. REFERENCES, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)