This article is about the New York City gang

Gang

A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...

. For the hairstyle

Hairstyle

A hairstyle, hairdo, or haircut refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human head. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles.-History of...

, see Jheri curl

Jheri curl

The Jheri curl is a hairstyle that was common and popular in the African American community especially during the 1970s and 1980s . Invented by and named for Jheri Redding, the Jheri curl gave the wearer a glossy, loosely curled look...

.

The Jheri Curls were a Dominican gang

Gang

A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...

 which was active in the Washington Heights, Manhattan

Washington Heights, Manhattan

Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...

 neighborhood of New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 in the early 1990s. Taking their moniker, and coiffures, from the Jheri curl

Jheri curl

The Jheri curl is a hairstyle that was common and popular in the African American community especially during the 1970s and 1980s . Invented by and named for Jheri Redding, the Jheri curl gave the wearer a glossy, loosely curled look...

 hairstyle that was of waning popularity in the United States during the time, the gang ran a major cocaine trafficking operation in upper Manhattan which was ultimately based out of an apartment complex on W. 157th St. and Riverside Drive. The gang was led by Rafael Martinez along with his brothers Lorenzo, Julian, Daniel, and Cesar. The Jheri Curls pulled in millions of dollars per year in cocaine sales (allowing the Martinez brothers to live comfortably in Queens), and gang leader Rafael was able to secrete some of the money in properties in the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

.

Despite their seemingly non-threatening name, the Jheri Curls were known and feared in Washington Heights for their extreme violence—Rafael Martinez reportedly shot his girlfriend in the kneecap when she made fun of his limp—and in particular for the murder of Jose Reyes, a 67-year-old resident of the apartment building at 614 W. 157th St which served as the gang's base of operations. Reyes, who was retired from the city's welfare department, had confronted the gang members about their illicit activities and began aiding the police. Soon after, on May 23, 1991, Reyes was shot to death outside of a bank in broad daylight.

Though no one was ever convicted of the crime (two members of the gang were tried and acquitted), Reyes's murder led to increased police investigation of the Jheri Curls and ultimately to the gang's penetration by several undercover officers. In October 1991, Rafael Martinez, his brothers, and other members of the gang were arrested on multiple charges stemming from their cocaine business. Many received stiff sentences, including Rafael Martinez, whose convictions added up to 213 years in prison. The successful crackdown against the Jheri Curls was part of a larger effort in New York City to arrest and prosecute violent Dominican gangs that would ultimately be extended to crews like the Wild Cowboys and the Young Talented Children.