The Crips were founded in South Central L.A. on the principles of self-protection and pride. But insiders tell a story of escalating turf battles, danger, violence - and ever-diminishing unity - as the gang grew in size and power.

Episode 1, Crips

Factual

True Crime

Each episode of Kurt Sutter's Outlaw Empires tells the complete story of an iconic American outlaw dynasty - directly from the mouths of people who were on the inside. Through their no-holds-barred accounts, the series takes an unvarnished look at moment-by-moment experiences that were not only pivotal for the organizations themselves, but life-changing for the individuals telling the stories.

Outlaw Empires

Series 1

Stories of iconic American outlaw dynasties - directly from the people on the inside.

From the 1800s to the early 1970s, Irish street gangs waged war for control of Boston's underworld. By 1972, they had called a truce. One man, James "Whitey" Bulger, emerged from that truce to become a lethal and legendary force. His disappearance and saga of betrayal made him one of the world's most wanted men.

Episode 2, Irish Mob

This little-known empire was established in the California prison system as a way for members from Northern California to fend off violence from the Mexican Mafia. Nuestra Familia has become renowned for its unparalleled secrecy and highly regimented recruitment and training methods, a virtual gangster university.

Episode 3, Nuesta Familia

American soldiers returning from WWII longed for the excitement and shared purpose of battle. They banded together in motorcycle clubs, spawning an outlaw dynasty that has grown for generations. The dynasty lives to this day, though it has moved beyond just the exhilaration of the ride, to include violence and criminality.

Episode 4, American Bikers

They're the most notorious crime empire of all time, bound by profound bonds of blood and family. How the Gambino family became one of America's most powerful crime syndicates, only to be taken down by one of their own members, is among the most gripping tales in modern history.

Episode 5, Italian Mafia

An unexpected outgrowth of the racial desegregation of the late 1960s, the Aryan Brotherhood had its origins in American prisons, where inmates joined forces to protect themselves from other racial groups. But as the decades passed, it widened its influence outside of prison walls, and cultivated an empire of crime that uses drugs, weapons and intimidation to gain influence.

Outlaw Empires

Episode 1, Crips

More like this...

British Gangsters: Faces of the Underworld

Gangster No.1 - The Freddie Foreman Story

Britain's Notorious Prisons