Tong Riots

[Reference: Tong Riots mentioned in letter 10 regarding New York.]

The tong wars in the early decades of the twentieth century led to New York city's highest murder rate within a limited geographic area.

Although the tongs were originally benevolent societies, they degenerated into American-style gangs struggling for control of Chinese gambling and opium trades.

By the 1930s, however, these gang-like societies had restructured themselves into organizations dedicated to helping immigrants. (Courtesy of Museum of the City of New York).