Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow, born Kwok Cheung in 1960 in Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, is a Chinese American

Chinese American

Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...

 former triad member who once was the second-highest ranking member of the American branch of the Hong Kong-based triad Wo Hop To

Wo Hop To

Wo Hop To is Triad group based in Wanchai, Hong Kong. The name translates to "Harmoniously United Association" or "Harmonious Union Plan" and is thought to have been founded in 1908 in Sai Ying Pun as a secret political organization in opposition to the Qing Dynasty...

. Before his association with Wo Hop To, he was the leader of the Hop Sing Boys, a San Francisco

San Francisco, California

San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

 Chinatown

Chinatown, San Francisco, California

San Francisco's Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest Chinese community outside Asia. Since its establishment in 1848, it has been highly important and influential in the history and culture of ethnic Chinese immigrants to the United States and North America...

 street gang that has been described as "enforcers for the Hop Sing Tong

Hop Sing Tong

The Hop Sing Tong is a Chinese American Tong that was established in 1875.-Branches:The Hop Sing Tong has several branches in the United States including in:* Boise, Idaho - 706 Front Street ...

", where he was involved in the Golden Dragon massacre

Golden Dragon massacre

The Golden Dragon massacre took place in San Francisco, California, on September 4, 1977, inside the Golden Dragon Restaurant. At 2:40 AM a longstanding feud between two rival Chinese gangs, the Joe Boys and Wah Ching came to head when a botched assassination attempt by the Joe Boys at the Golden...

 in 1977.

Convicted in 1995, Chow was sentenced to 24 years on six counts of gun-trafficking. When Peter Chong was captured, he cooperated with authorities and testified against his former boss in Wo Hop To and was released after serving 11 years on his sentence. He now professes to live a law-abiding life, and is currently the head of Hung Moon Ghee Kong Tong, a fraternal association

Tong (organization)

The word tong means "hall" or "gathering place". In North America a tong is a type of organization found among Chinese living in the United States and Canada. These organizations are described as secret societies or sworn brotherhoods and are often tied to criminal activity...

 in San Francisco sometimes referred to as the Chinese Freemasons.

He is a former associate of Norman Hsu

Norman Hsu

Norman Yung Yuen Hsu , born October 1951, is a convicted pyramid investment promoter who associated himself with the apparel industry. His business activities were intertwined with his role as a major fundraiser for the Democratic Party, and he gained notoriety after suspicious patterns of bundled...

, later convicted of fraud, whom he reportedly kidnapped in order to extort money that Hsu had lost in a business transaction.