gangsta

Young urban thugs with low prospects in life because of low education, self-esteem, self-respect, contempt for society, lack of parental discipline and the influences of American racism and disenfranchisement and who then engages in law bending activities, criminal and risky behavior.

Like their Sicilian-laborer immigrant counterparts from the earlier half of the 20th century, they share similar backgrounds. Both early 20th-century Sicilian thugs and contemporary urban American thugs come from poverty, low or no education, contempt for successful others and disenfranchisement from more influential families, belief in superstitions, and a belief to escape their position in society is to take it forcefully from the success of others. They often feel the success of others can be attributed to negating them the same opportunities to be successful and not from their own actions. They accomplish their drain on society through intimidation, cohesion, and murder. They display their new found financial social status through flamboyant displays of wealth obtained through illegal activities until a bigger thug comes in and forcefully replaces the previous one violently.

But unlike their Italian counterparts, they lack the rigid organizational structure and influence that has been used successfully with business and government. They have little to no leverage against the larger state and federal government.

I'd love to be a gangsta, but I dun't no nuthin bout politics, all i nos is how to scare chumps wit my gun."