While we all know that the first trailer of GTA 6 is on the way, we cannot deny that the last game from the series, GTA V, is still up and running. GTA 5 has a lot of elements that made it a blockbuster game at the time of its launch, and GTA Online played a major role in keeping the game alive. That being said, the gangs in GTA 5 have always been a center of attraction due to their reckless behavior and ability to increase the richness of the gameplay.
There are more than a dozen gangs in GTA 5 operating in different regions. Some of them deal in drugs, some in weapons, and some have their hold in both segments. A lot of gangs from GTA 5 have also appeared in the Online edition of the game. In this post, we will have a look at the major gangs in GTA 5 and mention their hideouts.
The Altruist Cult
The Altruist Cult can be dubbed one of the most dangerous gangs in GTA V. They are a generation of baby boomers possessing a firm belief that all other generations after them are a cause of problems in the world. The gang members are not tech-savvy, that’s for sure.
Still, they maintain a website (typical baby boomer mentality), and some of them can be seen driving cars. As for the game, Trevor, a popular protagonist of GTA, can be seen mentioning the Altruist Cult as friends in the mountains. Members of this gang also practice cannibalism and other creepy stuff. The gang can be found in the game near the Chiliad Mountain State Wilderness.
Armenian Mob
You can identify the Armenian Mob members from a mile away as most of them have some common traits – dress suits, leather jackets, thick accents, and gold chains. If the Armenian Mob is defeated five times in the game, then the player will be blessed with a message that has abusive words followed by a simple sentence – we will kill you.
This means that the player has a bounty on his head, and now he has to fight a whole syndicate in order to keep breathing in the game. Rumors have it that the gang is based on the Armenian Power gang, and the members even have an identical accent and style. The Mob is located at the Rogers Salvage and Scrap, based out in La Puerta.
Ballas
The Ballas in GTA V is a vastly spread African-American street gang. They have traditional rivalries with The Families in the game. In case you are a player who goes to the Ballas’ territory and is found staring at them, even that can result in retaliation as the Ballas have zero tolerance level. In addition to that, the dogs of Ballas can also attack you, primarily if you are playing the missions with Franklin.
The members of the gang can be found walking dogs, drinking, and driving vehicles in the game. Most of the time, they can be found standing in a group of 3 to 5. They commonly carry weapons like knives and pistols. The Ballas can be found in two major locations in the game – Los Santos and Davis.
Bonelli Crime Family
The Bonelli Crime Family is an Italian gang led by Enzo Bonelli. The organization consists of members from different races, like Asians and African Americans. Hitman Franklin Clinton, who is also a playable character in GTA V, assassinated the leader of the gang in 2013.
As for the history of the gang, they gained a lot of power in the early 2000s by making the lives hell of all the union bosses in construction businesses, and Enzo Bonelli emerged as the leader of the Mob in the mentioned era. This is one of the gangs in GTA V that don’t hold any permanent territory.
Grove Street Families
The Grove Street Families, or The Families, is a gang that made its first appearance in GTA San Andreas. They are an African-American gang and one of the oldest players in the streets of Los Santos.
Undoubtedly, they are the sworn enemy of the Ballas and are not on good terms with two more gangs in the game – Varios Los Aztecas and Los Santos Vagos. The leader of the gang is Sean ‘Sweet’ Johnson, followed by lieutenants Melvin ‘Big Smoke’ Harris and Lance ‘Ryder’ Wilson. The main headquarters is located in Gantos, and other locations include Santa Maria Beach, Glen Park, Temple, Vinewood Cemetery, etc.
Korean Mob
Korean Mob, also known as the Kkangpae, is a South Korean criminal organization that plays the main antagonist in ‘A Superyacht Life‘ mission. The name Kkangpae is a literal translation of Thus in the Korean language and is prominently used for unorganized street gangs.
They react in an identical way as the Ballas and shoot the player if they are in a member’s proximity. The gang consists of both young and old members, usually carrying pistols and knives. They also indulge in attacking the Hen House business located in Paleto Bay. Most of the members of the gang can be easily found in Ginger Seoul in Little Seoul.
Los Santos Triads
The Lost Santos Triads is a large Chinese gang led by Wei Cheng, who is the father of Tao Cheng. The gang was formerly addressed as the Wei Cheng triad and made an appearance in 2013. Tao Cheng has a meeting with Trevor in order to initiate a partnership but ditches him to go with the O’Neil brothers due to his reckless behavior.
This triggers a war between Trevor and the O’Neil brothers, and he eradicates most of their members in the game. The leader of the gang is no more, due to Trevor going mad about their deal with the O’Neil brothers. However, the other gang members can be found in the game at Little Seoul.
Los Santos Vagos
The Los Santos Vagos, also known as the Northside Vagos, are a street gang in GTA V and can be considered as one of the oldest running gangs. The formation of the gang dates back to the 1970s and 1980s, and they are based in the easters and northeastern neighborhoods of Los Santos. Before 1992, the gang single-handedly controlled the northern East Lost Santos.
The gang has serious rivalries with other gangs in GTA V – Ballas, Families, and Aztecas. They can be said to be the largest and one of the most powerful Latino street gangs ever seen in GTA V. The gang members are more than violent and attack in large groups from multiple directions. They can be found in Los Santos.
Madrazo Cartel
The Madrazo Cartel, or the Madrazo Crime Family, is a Mexican-American drug cartel run by Martin Madrazo. The gang primarily consists of Hispanic men from Guatemala. The members can be seen donning Flying Bravo polo shorts consisting of different colors and designs.
The gang made its appearance in the GTA V at the Marriage Counseling mission. Following this, Martin beats Michael down with a baseball bat and asks him to pay $2.5 million for a house destroyed by him.
Moving forward in the game, Martin can be seen asking a favor from Michael, to kill his cousin Javier Madrazo. The primary location of the gang was La Fluente Blanca or Los Santos city limits.
Marabunta Grande
Marabunta Grande is one of the fiercest gangs in GTA V, comprising Salvadoran members. Their primary business is drug trafficking, and they are at war with the Varios Los Aztecas over the same. The gang makes its first appearance in the Father/Son missions, where Jimmy decides to get in the good books of Michael by selling a boat to the gang, and they decide to steal it on a truck.
The gang also makes its appearance in the air arms trafficking side mission, where they are bringing weapons and moving them out with the help of trains. Most of the members of the gang can be found in East Los Santos near El Burro Heights and Vespucci Beach.
O’Neil Brothers
The O’Neil Brothers are basically a family of inbred redneck meth dealers. They have a major rivalry with Trevor Philips due to the Tao Cheng Episode. Almost all the major members, or you can say brothers, in the gang get killed because of the rivalry between the O’Neil Brothers and Trevor.
However, in the events of GTA Online, we can see that some of the brothers from the family have reestablished the gang and are a part of the Cayo Perico Heist, where the player is supposed to steal their demolition charges.
The initial members of the gang were Earl, Elwood, Don, Dalton, Chester, Wynn, and a lot more to mention. The gang is located in Grapeseed, Blane County.
The Lost MC
The Lost MC can be dubbed one of the most notorious gangs in GTA V. They have active members on both the East Coast and West Coast. The vice president of the Alderney chapter, Johnny Klebitz, is the protagonist in The Lost and Damned. He also plays a minor role in GTA V after becoming the president of the gang.
As for the history, the MC was founded in 1964 by eight US Marines who met each other during the Vietnam War. The MC comes into a war-like situation against Trevor Philips Enterprises over the purchase and sale of drugs and weapons.
A vast number of Lost MC members are killed by Trevor following the war. The headquarters of the gang is located in the East Vinewood Clubhouse.
Varios Los Aztecas
The Varios Los Aztecas is a gang founded in the 1980s and are the arch rivals of Los Santos Vagos. They can be said to be an extremely proud and violent gang consisting of Mexican members. Despite being the smallest gang in number, they hold some of the best weapons, and all the members are heavily armed.
They have a hand in gun-running businesses and stay away from drug dealing. Cesar Vialpando can be seen leading the gang in GTA V, followed by lieutenants Sunny, Gal, Hazer, and Jose. The main location of the gang is El Corona.
Wrapping Up
These are the gangs in GTA V that play a significant role in the development of the story and have also appeared in the GTA online in multiple missions. For example, in the First Dose missions of GTA Online, you have to go to war against the Lost MC. And there are more missions where you get to see other gangs taking part as well.
And, if you’re someone who wants to create their own ‘gang’ in GTA with their friends, there’s a way. Check out our post on how to make a crew in GTA Online to know more!
