Grove Street Families: Difference between revisions

The Grove Street Families are headed by [[Sean Johnson|Sean "Sweet" Johnson]] and his previous lieutenants, [[Ryder|Lance "Ryder" Wilson]] and [[Big Smoke|Melvin "Big Smoke" Harris]]. While Sweet is adamantly anti-narcotic, Smoke believes that the GSF have fallen from power because of his refusal to sell [[Drugs|drugs]].<ref name="Smoke and GSF">'''Big Smoke''' (''talking to Sweet Johnson about the possibility of selling drugs''): "But our principles are making us bitches, man. Every day, Ballas getting stronger, and you and I get weaker. You and I get poorer, man". (From the San Andreas Introduction DVD)</ref> Their unwillingness to enter the drug trade has dragged the Grove Street Families out of prominence in the years leading up to the game's storyline. The fact that Sweet insists the gang shouldn't deal in narcotics, the deaths of OGs such as Tony, Big Devil, and Little Devil, and the abandonment of [[Big Bear]], [[B Dup]], the Temple Drive Familes, and the Seville Boulevard Familes has led to the sorry state of the GSF upon CJ's return from [[Liberty City in GTA III Era|Liberty City]] in [[1992]].

There are at least two other distinct sets of the Families: the '''Temple Drive Families''' and the '''Seville Boulevard Families''', both of which were originally one with the Grove Street Families, but split up from the GSF during the five years of Carl's absence. Earlier in the game, they are not on good terms with each other,<ref name="Families Unity">'''Big Smoke''': "Emmet's Seville Boulevard Families, we ain't too close these days, but nonetheless, I'll take you to see him". (From the [[Nines and AK's]] mission)</ref> which is why the gang has weakened. Carl will occasionally make reference to '''Orange Grove Families'''; gang graffiti tags with the initials "OGF" also exist in the game. This was the gang's original name, though Rockstar changed the name before the release of ''San Andreas''.<ref name="Orange Grove Families">{{cite web | url = http://uk.gamespot.com/ps2/action/gta4/news.html?sid=6110735&print=1 | title = Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Weekend Update: Thug Life by Torres, Ricardo| work = GameSpot | accessmonthday = February 9 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref> Some references to this remain in the game, including graffiti that can be seen around Los Santos, tattoos that CJ can get with the name Orange Grove Families, and phrases that CJ will shout out while fighting other people.

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File:Families_4_Life_Graffiti.jpg|Families 4 life graffiti.

File:Families_Graffiti.jpg|Families graffiti.