Hell’s Angels: The Hell’s Angels are one of the most famous gangs in the world, becoming a household name after numerous run-ins with violence and crime that have cemented their devilish reputation. Embedding himself into the gang for a year to research Hell’s Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga, Hunter S. Thompson revealed surprising, intimate details about the destructive lives and rituals of Hell’s Angels members. Hunter’s research ended when he was randomly stomped by a few gang members. He wrote that the initiation ritual to become a Hell’s Angel involved “a bucket of dung and urine…collected during the meeting, then poured on the newcomer’s head in a solemn baptismal.” Even worse, members are expected to avoid laundering their freshly desecrated gear.

Chinese Triads: The Triads rule the underground in much of China, including Macau and Hong Kong. Their traditional initiation rites follows an elaborate set of rituals involving a lot of sacred items from the gang, also requiring a lot of space to perform correctly. Even though security problems curtailed the detailed ritual for modern inductees, the shortened version of Chinese Triad initiation kept one of the most unsavory parts of the ceremony. Those new to the Triad have to drink a potent concoction that contains the blood of other new recruits mixed with his own plasma.

Aryan Brotherhood: Part of the civil rights movement during the 1960s resulted in the desegregation of prisons, with inmates of all races serving their time in the same jail. Instead of state-sanctioned segregation, the inmates took matters into their own hands and segregated themselves into racially-exclusive gangs. One of those is the Aryan Brotherhood, which started in San Quentin prison in 1964. Within prison, the criminal activities of the gang include male prostitution, drug smuggling and extortion. New members of the Aryan Brotherhood must ‘make their bones’ before sharing in the profit and power of the gang. This initiation requires murdering rival gang members and even prison workers to get in.

MS-13: Mara Salvatrucha 13, better known as MS-13, likely started in El Salvador before spreading throughout the rest of North America. The FBI believes that around 10,000 members exist in the U.S. and up to 40,000 operate in Guatemala and Honduras. Men joining MS-13 endure initiations like being jumped in or committing severe acts of violence. One child recruit was only 11 when he was jumped in by five of the strongest MS-13 gangsters, who beat the kid unconscious. Females wishing to join MS-13 undergo the most horrifying initiation within the gang, involving several full-fledged MS-13 males forcing themselves on the female recruit as part of a ‘sexed in’ ritual.

Ku Klux Klan: One of the most controversial organizations in US history, the Ku Klux Klan is infamous for its racist views towards African-Americans. The group has committed despicable acts of violence and racism with the goal of “purifying” American society. Besides their white robes and hoods, the Klan is known for their public activities that include parades and most notably cross-burning. A sacrilegious act for sure, the supposedly Christian members of the Klan justify cross-burning by describing it as “lighting” the religious symbol and not destroying it. The purpose? Intimidation. This display of symbolism was meant to threaten and terrorize the African-Americans that lived nearby the burning grounds. The act was also featured twice in the highly controversial but critically-acclaimed silent film The Birth of a Nation, which was criticized for its interpretation of US history.

Taitung Crime Syndicates: What’s the best way to determine who’s going to be the new leader of your crime syndicate? Throwing firecrackers at the candidates, of course! A practice known as “bombarding Master Handan”, this eccentric ritual originated from the Taiwanese Lantern Festival. Citizens of Taitung County chuck firecrackers at a shirtless man representing Master Handan, the god of wealth. Throwing these small explosive devices at him would supposedly bring people wealth and prosperity. In honor of their culture, gangs in Taitung adopted the ritual in the 1970s. The person that would endure the barrage of firepower thrown at them for the longest was considered to have what it takes to lead the group. Police put a stop to all the fun as the act was banned in 1984. The ritual was eventually brought back, this time as a way to demonstrate economic might: industry owners would spend thousands of dollars on firecrackers to throw at the unlucky Master Handan as he roamed about their businesses.

Numbers Gang: With roots that extend to the late 1800s, the Numbers Gang originated in Johannesburg as a prison gang under the authority of its creator Nongoloza, who dreamed up the laws and structure of the Numbers Gang. Separated into the 26s, 27s and 28s, each branch has specific duties that must be fulfilled. Part of the initiation rituals involve separating potential Numbers Gang members. An established gangster asks what the new recruit would do if it was raining and he had only one umbrella. If he answers that he would share his umbrella, he’s designated for sex work. If the recruit answers that he would step into the rain with the fellow gang member, the new initiate must then attack a prison guard and endure the subsequent beating without making a sound.

The Latin Kings: Considered one of the most dangerous gangs in the United States, the Latin Kings started in Chicago during the 1940s and has spread to at least 34 states throughout the country. Part of the gang’s activities have included consorting with known terrorist groups, stealing military weapons and even the cannibalism of a disobedient member of the crew. A significant rival of the Latin Kings are the Gangster Disciples, another crew with a large east coast presence. Part of the initiation for new Latin King gangsters involves hunting down members of the Gangster Disciples by flashing GD hand signals. Whoever responds to the hand sign is automatically targeted for a drive-by shooting and the new Latin King recruit is expected to participate in the kill.

Knights Templar Cartel: Composed of the remaining members of the now-defunct criminal organization La Familia Michoacana, the Knights Templar Cartel is a notorious gang known for keeping their members in check through an ethical code based on religious discipline, mirroring the European Knights Templar of the Middle Ages. They preach respect towards women and children while prohibiting drug use and killing. So, what makes them so feared? One of their initiation rituals involves new members eating the heart of a child procured through their own network of organ-trafficking. It’s a grisly act performed to prove the new recruit’s loyalty to the gang. There’s something inherently evil about eating a human heart, let alone a child’s. Not a single soul would want to mess with a gang who initiates its members through cannibalism.

United Blood Nation: The history of New York’s United Blood Nation can be traced to Rikers Island prison in 1993, where Deadeye and OG Mack started gathering fellow inmates together. This chapter of the gang grew quickly, becoming one of the largest in the New York state prison system, including at least 500 members. The next largest prison crew are the Latin Kings with 345 or more members. In order to join the Bloods, members have to prove their loyalty to the gang by successfully pulling off the ‘blooding in’ part of the initiation. ‘Blooding in’ happens when a new recruit draws the blood of another inmate, usually by slashing the face with a boxcutter. Blood members identifying an opportunity by yelling “013” before the attack, telling the new recruit to go ahead and draw some blood.