Aside from those sociological observations, episodes of Gangland offer collective portraits of different gangs in different cities. Two shows--"Crip or Die" and "The Blood"--tell the story of the longtime rival gangs Crips and Bloods in Los Angeles and their bloody war in neighborhood streets. Brutal and gruesome, the show tells a number of stories of arrogance and impulsive actions that took the lives of many innocent people. "Maniacal" is the story of the Maniac Latin Disciples out of Chicago, waging a war with rivals for drug turf in the city's Humboldt Park. The Maniacs are among the few gangs talked about in Gangland with a female membership as destructive as the gang's men. "Deadly Triangle" focuses on Asian gangs in America, including Chinese tongs, which began as protectors and enforcers for different industries (a garment industry tong, for example). "Texas Terror" concerns the Texas Syndicate, a very different kind of crime organization comprised of everyone from common street thugs to white-collar lawyers, all involved in the lucrative drug trade. --Tom Keogh