The Brand identity

The Aryan Brotherhood began as a prison organization in the 70's, when race riots were common in prison. It's members call it 'The Brand' and branched out from white prison supremacy to dealing narcotics, racketeering, extortion, murder. They've created a criminal organization that rivals the mafia's. When Gotti wanted to punish the black guy who punched him out in prison, he went to the Brand. Now 40 people have been indicted and four are currently on trial.

The Aryan Brotherhood launched a campaign a decade ago to become the most powerful criminal organization in the world, a former high-ranking member of the prison gang told a federal jury Tuesday.

This New Yorker article is full of shocking details about the organization.

Upon entering a new prison, Brand members would often carry out a “demonstration” killing or stabbing, in order to terrorize the inmate population. The Baron reportedly ordered that one foe be “taken out in front of everyone, to let these motherfuckers know we mean business.” Indeed, rather than conceal its murders, the gang flaunted them even in front of the guards, as if to show it had no fear of repercussions, of being shot or sentenced to life without parole. “We wanted people to think we were a little crazy,” Thompson said. “It was a way, like Nietzsche said, of bending space and reality to our will.”