Satanas (gang)

Filipino-American street gang

Criminal organization

Satanas

Satanas gang logo

Founded| 1972; 53 years ago (1972)[1]
Founding location| Los Angeles, California, United States
Years active| 1972–present
Territory| Los Angeles County, 805 County, California, Orange County, California, San Diego County, California, Inland Empire, the Philippines
Ethnicity| Filipino American
Activities| Gang violence, murder, drug trafficking, theft
Allies| Temple Street (gang)
Rivals| Avenues, Bahala Na Gang[2]

The Satanas gang (aka Ese Te Ese, or STS) is a Filipino American street gang in Southern California, founded in 1972. It is believed to be the oldest Filipino-American street gang in Los Angeles.[3]

## History

[edit]

Satanas was a clique from Temple Street since the 1920s that went solo in the 1970s.[4] In 1972, a car club group started in the Los Angeles area by some Filipino Americans[1] who had formed a cultural bond in a city where they were a minority.[4] At first the club was exclusively for Filipinos.[5] They soon branched out to other California cities including San Diego, La Puente, Cerritos, Oxnard[6] Long Beach,Norwalk, North Hollywood, West Covina, Chino, Chino Hills, Santa Ana, San Gabriel, Buena Park, Delano, Palmdale, Anaheim, Vallejo, and San Jose and have reached other states on the east coast like New Jersey and New York, and the Philippines.[7]

Some other Filipino gangs such as the Demonios and Diablos (not the Mexican gang of the same name) claim their roots to Satanas, having originated amongst second generation STS members and younger siblings of individuals who were members of STS; the founders of many other Filipino American gangs were originally members of Satanas.[8][9]

Since there were cultural similarities between Filipinos and Mexicans, many of Ese Te Ese's older members and leaders allied with Chicano gangs in its early years within their surrounding neighborhoods. Accounts of Los Angeles gang history often placed both Filipinos and Mexicans side by side with each other during various street wars.[10]

## Notable crimes

[edit]

### Francisco Gamez and Luis Silva

[edit]

In December 1982, eight members of the Satanas gang were found guilty in a trial for the killing of Francisco Gamez and Luis Silva who were not gang members but were mistaken as ones. Gamez and Silva chased two cars each carrying four members of Satanas. Gunshots had been fired from the two cars just behind the Gamez home. Gamez and Silva gave chase for at least two miles. At the end of the chase, Gamez was shot in the head and Silva was shot in the back, shoulder and head as he tried to escape.[11]

### Manuel Rodriguez

[edit]

In November 1989 Manuel Rodriguez, a member of the Lemonwood Chiques gang, was shot and killed by Arnell Salagubang, a member of the Satanas gang. Salagubang and Manuel Rodriguez had been arguing in front of Channel Islands High School. Salagubang pulled out a small caliber handgun and shot Rodriguez in the head. Salagubang fled the scene, but a witness was able to get his license plate number. The witness turned the information over to the police who arrested Salagubang the next day.[12]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Gang Training Manual, City of Glendale Police Department, Glendale, CA (2010). page 11. "The "Satanas" gang was formed in 1972..."
2. ^ Philippine Gang Member Convicted in 2 Slayings Robert W. Stewart, Los Angeles Times (July 17, 1985)
3. ^ Pyong Gap Min (2001). The second generation: Ethnic identity among Asian Americans. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press. ISBN 9780759101760.
4. ^ a b Alsaybar, Bangele Deguzman (2007). "4". Youth Groups and Youth Savers: Gangs, Crews, and the Rise of Filipino American Youth Culture in Los Angeles. University of California, Los Angeles. pp. 78–80\. ISBN 9780549485322. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
5. ^ Bangele Deguzman Alsaybar (2007). "4". Youth Groups and Youth Savers: Gangs, Crews, and the Rise of Filipino American. Youth Culture in Los Angeles (dissertation). University of California, San Diego. pp. 81–85. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
6. ^ Fleming, Leonard N. (August 29, 1993). "Community Ready to Confront Gangs". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
7. ^ Newton, Michael (2008). Gangs and Gang Crime. Info Base Publishing. p. 77\. ISBN 9781438117249.
8. ^ "Colonia Chiques Gang". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014.
9. ^ "LA Sheriff Dept meets Community regarding Asian Gangs". Forumasian.com.
10. ^ Alsaybar, Bangele D. (January 1999). "Deconstructing Deviance: Filipino American Youth Gangs, "Party Culture," and Ethnic Identity in Los Angeles". Amerasia Journal. 25 (1): 116–138\. doi:10.17953/amer.25.1.p5274h67q1l1077k. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
11. ^ Stewart, Robert W. (July 17, 1985). "Philippine Gang Member Convicted in 2 Slayings". Los Angeles Times.
12. ^ "Deliberations Begin in Gang Slaying Case". Los Angeles Times. May 16, 1990.

## External links

[edit]

* Youth Groups and Youth Savers: Gangs, Crews, and the Rise of Filipino American Youth Culture in Los Angeles
* FilAms in crossfire as LA gang violence rages
* Family Denies Slain Man a Gang Member
* Leader of Violent California Gang Sentenced, FBI

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