Ping On

Ping On
Founded 1970s
Founder Stephen "Sky Dragon" Tse
Founding location Boston, MA
Years active 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s
Territory Boston
Ethnicity Asian
Leader(s) Stephen Tse
Criminal activities Drug trafficking, arms trafficking, fraud, prostitution, human trafficking, illegal gambling, money laundering, extortion, murder, illegal immigration, and racketeering [1][2]
Allies 14K Triad, Hung Mong
Notable members Stephen Tse, John Willis

The Ping On triad was a Boston-based criminal organization. The organization rose to power in the 1970s and continued to operate throughout the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.[3] The Ping On was founded by Stephen "Sky Dragon" Tse who had heavy ties to the infamous 14K Triad in Hong Kong.[1]

History

The Ping On was regarded as a "farm team" for the 14K Triad in Hong Kong. The ambition of Stephen Tse was to come to Boston to set up another hub on the East Coast of the United States. However, it was not directly affiliated with 14K despite Stephen Tse having a history with them. The organization had several allies in the late 1980s, including the Hung Mong which was in operation in New York City.[4]

In 1984, Stephen Tse was jailed for refusing to cooperate with authorities in regards to Asian organized crime in the city.[1] During this time, a large number of Vietnamese refugees had moved to Boston, in particular Chinatown. When Stephen Tse was released from jail in 1986, the landscape of organized crime was very different, and not nearly as one sided as it was when he was last free. Known as the "Boston Chinatown Massacre", in 1991, the first major homicide had occurred in a Boston Chinatown gambling den. Five men were killed execution style as a turf war had broken out in the neighborhood between different factions of gangs vying for power. An international manhunt brought two of the three suspects back to Massachusetts to be put on trial, and they were subsequently were convicted on five counts of murder in the first degree, and attempted murder among other charges. The men found guilty were Nam The Tham and Sinny Van Tran. Nam The Tham is currently housed in the medium security Old Colony Correctional Center in Bridgewater, MA.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "In the Shadow of the Dragon - Boston Magazine". 15 May 2006.
  2. ↑ "The White Devil Kingpin". 18 February 2015.
  3. ↑ "Boston Drug Baron White Devil John Transcends Gangster Stereotypes - The Gangster Report". 15 February 2015.
  4. ↑ "The White Devil Kingpin". Rolling Stone. 18 February 2015.
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