The Aryan Brotherhood is notoriously one of the most famous and violent prison gangs in the United States. It was believed to have been founded in the San Quentin prison in California by an Irish clan of men, further emulated into belief by the popularity of clovers in the gang members tattoos (examples pictured below). Today there is somewhere around 30,000 members. As I said in my previous blog, the people carrying out the violence are the warriors of the New World Order. Consider the Aryan Brotherhood the frontline, the most well-known, the lieutenant generals of the Ra-Ho-Wa. They model the behavior that many carry out on their own.
Common Aryan Brotherhood member tattoos
Now moving onto who the key important people in the Aryan Brotherhood are, and a little history about each of them. There are three men who are considered the leaders of the Brotherhood: Barry Mills, Tyler Bingham, and Thomas Silverstein. These three men call the shots, they decide who lives and who dies. They also lead drug runs, robberies, and much more from the comfort of their own cells.
A clip from the famous movie American History X, it shoes an Aryan Brotherhood member carrying out the process of a drug run while in prison walls. This sort of thing happens in prisons quite often, and is a great example of something the Terrible Triumvirate, as the three key leaders were often called, would call on and how secretive and underhanded these tasks could go about.
Beginning with Barry “The Baron” Mills, he dabbled here and there with California prisons and was ultimately arrested to do his 20 year sentence in the San Quentin prison for being involved with the plotting of a bank robbery in Fresno, California. In 1980 Mills assumed position of commander of the Aryan Brotherhood. Barry Mills is known for evoking fear in members, calling for the killing of members within the group as well for those who do not follow his orders. For instance, Gregory Keefer, a former Brotherhood member was ordered to be stabbed to death for owing Mills tax money from drug sales.
Barry Mills
Tyler “The Hulk” Bingham was appointed to being as assistant commander to the Brotherhood in September of 1985. He was originally arrested for racketeering and due to the conspiracy and ordering of killings within his cell is currently serving life in prison with no parole.
Tyler Bingham
Thomas “Terrifying Tom” Silverstein is infamous for his carrying out of murders, considering his death count a competition. Originally arrested for murder, he is the blood seeker of the three leaders. He is currently in solitary confinement, and has been since 1983, for the murder of Merle Clutts, a prison guard. Silverstein, a brutal killer, earned his way into leadership because of his ability to dehumanize and seek kills. This was further represented by his famous murder of Clutts, where he brutally stabbed the guard to death with a shank during shower time.
Thomas Silverstein
BBC News identified him as possibly America’s most dangerous prisoner. Since the murder, because of his known level of danger, he is kept in an underground cell designed especially for him in Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas. Sketches of his cell done by Silverstein himself is pictured below.
Sketches by Silverstein of his cell
The three of these men have created a gang of warriors, or hunters of all other races that go against their belief. The formation of the brother is further emulated through the pledge members are required to recite upon induction:
"An Aryan brother is without a care,
He walks where the weak and heartless won’t dare,
And if by chance he should stumble and lose control,
His brothers will be there, to help reach his goal,
For a worthy brother, no need is too great,
He need not but ask, fulfillment’s in his fate.
For an Aryan brother, death holds no fear,
Vengeance will be his, through his brothers still here."
The Aryan Brotherhood, led by these three men, has become a prison gang whose violence and movements will continue to stretch across the United States, captivating new members and going down in history. It encapsulates members and brings them into a family, a brotherhood, that runs deep for members. To them, violence to progress the movement will be brought about at any cost. Evoking fear in both members involved, but more importantly other prisoners, the Brotherhood will continue and sustain as they will stay infamous as being one of the most dangerous prison gangs today.
