Gang culture is famed for its brutality and violence. Their involvement in crimes such as drug trafficking and extortion often leads to shootouts with police or all-out street wars with rival gangs. In movies and TV shows, there's usually an initiation process for members—a sort of ceremony or ritual whereby they commit themselves to the organization and prove that commitment with a symbolic act. In 'The Sopranos' for example, new mob members draw blood from their hands and swear a pledge to their new "family," but this is pretty mild compared to many real-world initiation ceremonies.
When it comes to notorious gangs like the Yakuza, the Bloods, and the Sinaloa Cartel, new recruits are subjected to horrific torture, or asked to commit terrible crimes to prove themselves. From brutal beatings to cannibalism, you won't believe what people go through to join these criminal enterprises.
Click through the gallery and find out what it takes to become a member of the world's most notorious gangs.