Check Out 15 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Have Links To Gangs (Number 2 on the list will surprise you)

Some of the biggest and most influential members of gangs, mafias, cartels, yakuzas and triads occasionally become celebrities when their wealth, violence and crazy antics are exposed to the media. Others become celebrities by transcending the gangster lifestyle and focusing on music, acting, sports and other legitimate forms of art and business.

Other than cash money, one of the most important currencies of the gang world is respect. Gangs who manage to recruit or have links to famous superstars love it when these celebrities stay loyal in one way or another to the gang, boosting the squad’s profile while making it a bit easier to recruit new members.

For the most part, when gang members or affiliates strike it rich and become successful celebrities, they tend to stop doing the same things that got them into trouble while in gangs. However, some celebrities affiliated with gangs continue to proudly, and publicly, declare their allegiance to their original crew. Occasionally, celebrities even put themselves at legal risk when a$$ociating with organized crime.

While its doubtful that any of these celebrities with gang ties and affiliations have benefitted from the mafia placing a freshly decapitated horse head on a Hollywood producer’s bed, having connections to the criminal underworld lends an air of mystique to the aura of fame and fortune that famous people project.

15. Chris Brown

The embattled singer and performer has been the subject of a series of violent incidents over the years, including his a$$ault on Rihanna, a fight with Drake that almost blinded San Antonio Spur star Tony Parker and a recent shooting during a live show in San Jose that injured five people.

At an afterparty trailing the BET Awards, Chris Brown was spied forming various gang signals with his hands during the evening, which fuelled speculation that Chris Brown is indeed a long standing member or an affiliate of the Bloods gang.

Also, his entourage includes potential gang members and Brown has tweeted Bloods messages several times on the social media network.