Ballas: Difference between revisions

Information regarding the founding of the '''Ballas''' or the date in which they were formed is unknown. However, they have been around since the 1970's.<ref name="Ballas">{{cite web | url = http://www.gtasanandreas.net/gangs/ | title = GTASanAndreas.net Gangs page| work = [http://www.gtanet.com GTA Net] | accessmonthday = February 9 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref> They have maintained a traditional, intense and bloody rival with the [[Grove Street Families]]. Specifically when the gang war started is unknown, but the rivalry between the two gangs was in full swing as early as 1987. The reasons or date of their rivalry with the [[Varrios Los Aztecas]] and [[Los Santos Vagos]] is unknown. However, it is likely due to territorial reasons due to the close proximity of territories. The Ballas were responsible for the death of [[Beverly Johnson]] (mother of [[Sweet]] and [[Carl Johnson]]) in 1992 just before CJ's return. The Ballas used a [[Greem Sabre]] vehicle to hit the [[Johnson House]] with the intent to kill Sweet (leader of the Grove Street Families). However, Sweet was not home and his mother was hit instead. The Ballas also establish underground ties for drug supplies with Grove Street OG [[Big Smoke]] before CJ's return - a secret relationship which is initially unknown to Sweet, CJ and the Grove Street Families.

The Ballas are the [[Grove Street Families]] primary enemy and most influential gang in [[Los Santos in GTA III Era|Los Santos]]. In the beginning of the game they are the largest and most powerful street gang in Los Santos. They are involved in drug dealing/manufacturing (especially the crack cocaine trade), gang-banging, gang warfare, murder, prostitution, gun running/arms dealing, street violence, vandalism, and degeneracy. They are enemies with all Family sets (especially the [[Grove Street Families]]) and the Varrios Los Aztecas, and have establish ties with the [[San Fierro Rifa]], and the [[Loco Syndicate]] for narcotics, and the [[Russian Mafia]] for weapons. Their relationship with the Los Santos Vagos is largely "hit-or-miss" and presumably rocky; this is because the Ballas and Vagos are natural enemies on the streets (and will act with hostility upon spotting each-other), but briefly collaborate for mutual interest in the drugs trade - especially in relation to [[Big Smoke]]'s crack empire. The Ballas also collaborate with [[CRASH]], primarily for street intelligence.

 

They attempt to finish of the Grove Street Families during the first mission [[Sweet and Kendl]] through a drive-by shooting on Sweet, CJ, Big Smoke and Ryder after leaving Beverly Johnson's funeral but miss and are only successful and destroying Big Smoke's car. The OG's must then make it back to Grove Street in one piece on bicycle while avoiding the Ballas car.

 

The Ballas are some of Los Santos' most notorious and successful drug dealers and suppliers (especially crack cocaine). Unlike the Grove Street Families, the Ballas have no reservations about making money by selling drugs; the spread of crack cocaine into the Grove Street community is part of their strategy to wipe the GSF out.

 

During the early game, the ballas are very successful at spreading crack-cocaine into [[Ganton]] and [[Grove Street]] in an attempt to weaken the Grove Street Families. By doing this, they turn members into weak and hopeless addicts while influencing high-ranking members with the money that can be made from drugs - taking them away from gang-banging (as is the case with [[B-Dup]]). However, one of their crack houses on the [[Idlewood]]/Ganton border is destroyed by CJ and [[Ryder]] on Sweet's orders during the mission [[Cleaning the Hood]]. This decreases their crack influence. The Ballas eventually suffer a major loss when many members of the "Rollin' Heights Ballas" and the "Kilo Tray Ballas" are killed in a drive-by shooting that involves Sweet, Big Smoke, Ryder and CJ during the mission [[Drive-By]]. The Ballas then eventually lose [[Glen Park]] to the Grove Street Families in a gang war during the mission [[Doberman]]. This puts the Ballas on a more equal footing with the Grove Street Families and their position as the dominant and most powerful gang is threatened. The Ballas attempt to regain their dominance by wiping out the Grove Street Families through a gang war on Grove Street itself in the mission [[House Party]]; however, Sweet, CJ and other Grove Street members are able to successfully defend their territory and the Ballas fail. A high-ranking member and OG of the "Front Yard Ballas" called [[Kane]] is then killed along with many other Ballas during a Ballas funeral at [[Vinewood Cemetery]] at the hands of Sweet, CJ and other Grove Street Family members during the mission [[Los Sepulcros]].

 

 

The Ballas make no major presence and have no more significance in relation to the games story for the rest of the middle game chapters. However, the Ballas do make one minor appearance during one of the middle game missions. During [[Pier 69]], CJ, [[Cesar Vialpando]], and the [[San Fierro Triads]] ambush a drug deal between Ryder (on the behalf of Big Smoke) and the Loco Syndicate in [[San Fierro]]. Many Ballas make a presence during this mission to provide protection for Ryder. CJ and Cesar are successful at disrupting the drug deal and Ryder is killed along with his Ballas protection. For the rest of the middle part of the game, the Ballas make no more appearances until the "Return to Los Santos" missions/chapter is unlocked towards the end of the game.

 

Following the release of Sweet from prison and the return of Carl "CJ" Johnson, the Grove Street Families win back their territory from the Ballas (specifically Ganton, Glen Park, and parts of Idlewood) during the missions [[Home Coming]], [[Beat Down on B Dup]], and [[Grove 4 Life]] and put an end to the remaining drug influence in Grove Street by killing the dealers. That same year, the Crack Palace operated by Big Smoke is destroyed and Smoke is killed in the final mission [[End of the Line]], causing the Ballas to lose a lot of drug influence on the streets and if the player chooses, can take over all of their territories in Los Santos (as part of the gang war mini-game), completely wiping out the Ballas for good.