The Tong wars were a series of feuds between gangs of Chinese immigrants in major U.S. cities (notably San Francisco and Los Angeles) between the 1850s and the 1920s. The various Tongs of the time were involved in various organized crime activities. The Tongs ran brothels, gambling parlors, opium dens, and sometimes trafficking in sex slaves. Although Tongs have long either been affiliated with or simply been Chinese gangs (also known as Triads), it is not necessarily true that all members of a Tong are part of a gang. Tongs themselves are (at least today) often presented as "Business Associations" with business owners in the community often members of the Tong. While members of a Tong may be behind various Triads, many times other members of a Tong are members because the Triads insist that their business join the Tong -- and pay the membership fee. This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... This article is about the largest city in California. ... Organized crime is crime carried out systematically by formal criminal organizations. ... Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ... Gambling (or betting) is any behavior involving risking money or property (making a wager or placing a stake) on the outcome of a game, contest, or other event in which the outcome of that activity depends partially or totally upon chance or upon ones ability to do something. ... Opium is a narcotic analgesic drug which is obtained from the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L. or the synonym paeoniflorum). ... Sexual slavery is a special case of slavery which includes various different practices: forced prostitution (which can include religious prostitution) single-owner sexual slavery slavery for primarily non-sexual purposes where sex is common or permissible In general, the nature of slavery means that the slave is de facto available... This article needs cleanup. ...
As established Tong organizations were drawn into the dispute, the two rival groups struggled for the allegiance and financial support of Butte's Chinese.
There is a story in a 1928 thesis by Ching Chao Wu, that the tongwar erupted when a rival tong, the Bing Kung Tong tried to establish itself in Butte over the objections of the established Hip Sing Tong.
The various Tongs of the time were involved in various organized crime Organized crime is crime carried out systematically by formal criminal organizations.
The Tongs ran brothels, gamblingGambling (or betting) is any behavior involving risking money or property (making a wager or placing a stake) on the outcome of a game, contest, or other event in which the outcome of that activity depends partially or totally upon chance or upon one's ability to do something.
Tongs themselves are (at least today) often presented as "Business Associations" with business owners in the community often members of the Tong.
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