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Biography · Biography & Culture

Raymond Washington

1953–1979

United States

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Biography

Raymond Lee Washington (August 14, 1953 – August 9, 1979) was an American gangster, known as the founder of the Crips gang in Los Angeles. Washington formed the Crips as a minor street gang in the late 1960s in South Los Angeles, becoming a prominent local crime boss. In 1971, Washington formed an alliance with Stanley "Tookie" Williams, establishing the Crips as the first major African-American street gang in Los Angeles, and served as one of the co-leaders.

Sources & collection details

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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