Shower Posse
The Shower Posse is a Jamaican posse which is involved with drug and arms smuggling. Its home is in Tivoli Gardens in Jamaica, but it primarily operates in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania[1], where it is one of the most powerful posses.[2] The Shower Posse was founded in the 1970s to support the Jamaica Labour Party, with which it maintains close ties.[3] There are differing reports on the origin of the name. One theory is that it comes from the promises of its associated politicians to shower supporters with gifts.[4] Another view is that it is a reference to the gang showering opponents with bullets.[5]
The gang has a strong international presence among expatriate Jamaican communities in North America. In the United States a branch was founded by Vivian Blake and it had a prominent role in the New York City drug trade. The gang also has a large presence in Toronto, Canada.[6]
2010 Kingston unrest
In 2009 the United States began to demand that Christopher Coke, the current leader of the Shower Posse, be extradited to New York, where he would face charges of smuggling drugs and weapons.[7][8] The prime minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding, initially questioned the legality of the request, claiming that warrantless wiretapping had been used to collect information on Coke. However, he eventually relented, and on May 17th of 2010 an arrest warrant was issued for Coke, leading to a state of civil unrest within Kingston, and especially Tivoli Gardens.[9]
References
- ^ James R. Zazzali,Organized Crime: 25 Years After Valachi
- ^ The Mafia in New Jersey - Afro-lineal Organized Crime - Jamaicans
- ^ David McFadden, Jamaica slum controlled by alleged drug kingpin in standoff with police over extradition to US, Winnipeg Free Press, 22 May 2010.
- ^ "Police raise curtain on the 'Shower Posse'" Colin Freeze. The Globe and Mail. May 5, 2010. pg. A.11
- ^ "No remedy for 'Posse'; International drug cartel calling the shots in Toronto's northwest end." Drew Halfnight. National Post. May 8, 2010. pg. A.14
- ^ "No remedy for 'Posse'; International drug cartel calling the shots in Toronto's northwest end." Drew Halfnight. National Post. May 8, 2010. pg. A.14
- ^ "Tension in Tivoli as US awaits word on Dudus's extradition", Jamaica Observer
- ^ "This is not Somalia, we hope", The Gleaner
- ^ "Jamaica Declares State of Emergency". The New York Times. Reuters. 23 May 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2010.