Introduction and Background Information The City of New York is one of the oldest and the biggest metropolitans in the world. Apparently, the city has faced many social evils, especially city gangs and related violence throughout history (Hortis and Jacobs 3). The problem of city gangs in New York has a considerably long history going back to the early 19 th century. It is imperative to note that many factors, especially support from political elites, have influenced and facilitated the growth of the city gangs. Ostensibly, people from almost all races and backgrounds in the city of New York have a history of participating in street gangs. Initially, a majority of gang members came from European descendants. Later, the compositions of many street gangs were members of the Hispanic and African American descents. This paper discusses the gangs of New York City throughout history. Some of the key areas of discussion include history, key gangs, challenges faced in dealing with gangs in the city, and possible solutions to the problem. History and Development of Gangs of New York City The culmination of the American Revolution in the late 18 th century saw the emergence of social problems and the emergence of gangs in the US. However, the gangs were relatively not serious and were made up of young people fighting for territory. The early 19 th century saw the emergence of dangerous and more serious and organized gangs that were formed in various cities (Howell and Moore 1). Early Gangs in the Northeast The Northeast region of the US, especially the Ellis Island in the City of New York was a key immigration route. As such, many immigrants from Europe settled in New York and the Lower East Side where factors such as overcrowding, and political/economic/social disorganizations facilitated the emergence and development of street gangs (Howell and Moore 2). The development of the gangs happened in three distinctive stages where the initial stage was composed of relatively young members, more structured gangs characterized the second phase, and membership from black and Latinos predominately characterized the third phase (Howell and Moore 2). The First Wave of Gangs in New York City During the late 1700s, gangs that were composed of teenagers and the youth thrived in the city of New York. Key gangs during this time included The Smiths’ Vly gang, the Bowery Boys, and the Broadway Boys, the Fly Boys, and the Long Bridge Boys. Although a majority of the gangs were of European origin, especially Irish, blacks formed some. It is worth noting that multi-ethnic gangs were common in areas where ethnic segregation was not extreme (Howell and Moore 2). Most of the gangs in the late 18 th century had minimal or no criminal tendencies. They majorly worked in saloons and dance halls, as well as dockworkers and other informal enterprises. Nevertheless, the oftentimes would be engaged in violent activities, especially during territorial warfare (Howell and Moore 2). In 1820, there was an emergence of extremely dangerous gangs because of the lack of order and poor urban planning. The gangs created chaos and caused violence in the slums, saloons, and entertainment joints