MONTELLO GANG

1992

This piece came about as one more reaction as to how the inner-city crack epidemic infused daily life. The faux brick wall recounts any number of facades evidencing bullet impact and graffiti. The names applied as "R.I.P" are of a co-worker and the brother of a co-worker; both killed in separate incidents on the same block..it being the block they grew up on. To my knowledge, neither of these young men were gang members, as they along with their family members stood apart from such activity. However, I did suspect one of them of being a 'user', though not a 'pipehead' (addict). Their dis-enfranchisement from gangs may well have been cause to warrant their deaths in the neighborhood.