Golden Dragon massacre
Encyclopedia
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 gang
s, the Joe Boys and Wah Ching
came to head when a botched assassination
attempt by the Joe Boys at the Golden Dragon Restaurant led to the death of five people, including two tourists, and injury to 11 people, none of whom were gang members. The assassination attempt was a result of the death of another Joe Boy Felix Huey, who had died in a shootout with Wah Ching members at the Ping Yuen projects earlier that year.
The Golden Dragon Massacre led to the establishment of the San Francisco Police Department
's Asian Gang Task Force.
Five men from the Joe Boys were arrested and convicted for the crime, with three of them still serving prison sentences. An ex-Joe Boys member, Bill Lee
, wrote about the incident and his life as Joe Boys gangster in his book, Chinese Playground: A Memoir.
, noted for its dim sum
and the Golden Dragon massacre. It closed in January 2006 because of a failed inspection of the restaurant, and is now the Imperial Palace Restaurant. The Golden Dragon also owed a year's worth of paychecks to its employees.
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...
, on September 4, 1977, inside the Golden Dragon Restaurant. At 2:40 AM a longstanding feud between two rival Chinese 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...
s, the Joe Boys and Wah Ching
Wah Ching
Wah Ching is a Chinese American Triad Society and street gang also known as "Dub C" originating in San Francisco during the early 1960s. At the time, Wah Ching was organized into one enormous gang...
came to head when a botched assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
attempt by the Joe Boys at the Golden Dragon Restaurant led to the death of five people, including two tourists, and injury to 11 people, none of whom were gang members. The assassination attempt was a result of the death of another Joe Boy Felix Huey, who had died in a shootout with Wah Ching members at the Ping Yuen projects earlier that year.
The Golden Dragon Massacre led to the establishment of the San Francisco Police Department
San Francisco Police Department
The San Francisco Police Department, also known as the SFPD and San Francisco Department Of Police, is the police department of the City and County of San Francisco, California...
's Asian Gang Task Force.
Five men from the Joe Boys were arrested and convicted for the crime, with three of them still serving prison sentences. An ex-Joe Boys member, Bill Lee
Bill Lee (author)
Bill Lee is a Chinese American and a former member of the San Francisco Chinatown gang that was responsible for the 1977 Golden Dragon Massacre....
, wrote about the incident and his life as Joe Boys gangster in his book, Chinese Playground: A Memoir.
Restaurant
The Golden Dragon was a restaurant in San Francisco's ChinatownChinatown, 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...
, noted for its dim sum
Dim sum
Dim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates...
and the Golden Dragon massacre. It closed in January 2006 because of a failed inspection of the restaurant, and is now the Imperial Palace Restaurant. The Golden Dragon also owed a year's worth of paychecks to its employees.
See also
- List of massacres in California
- Golden Dragon Restaurant (San Francisco)
- Bill Lee (author)Bill Lee (author)Bill Lee is a Chinese American and a former member of the San Francisco Chinatown gang that was responsible for the 1977 Golden Dragon Massacre....
External links
- Bamboo Tigers
- Notes Underworld, AsianWeekAsianWeekAsianWeek was a widely circulated publication of Asian American news, across all Asian ethnic groups, providing coverage of Asian-American issues such as the killing of Vincent Chin, Asian American college admissions, and quotas on Chinese students in competitive San Francisco examination schools...