Grove Street Families

"Grove Street is king! Say it with me, Niggas, GROVE STREET IS KING!!"

-Sweet

The Grove Street Families (a.k.a "Families" or "GSF", "The Grove", or "Groves") is a gang featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Description
The are a black afro-american street gang and one of the oldest street gangs in Los Santos, San Andreas. They are also the native gang of protagonist Carl Johnson. They are the primary enemy of the Ballas, an intense and ongoing rivalry as part of the Ballas-Grove Street War. The Families also maintain rivalries with the two mexican gangs in Los Santos - the Los Santos Vagos and the Varrios Los Aztecas. Their rivalry with the Varrios Los Aztecas is not as intense as it is with the Ballas and Vagos. However, both gangs will still commonly fight. Kendl (sister of Grove Street Leader Sweet) ends up dating an associate (and possible member) of the Aztecas while CJ befriends him - much to the dismayal of Sweet.

Most of their territory can be found in the poorer/run-down neighborhoods of South Central Los Santos in the far east of the city, though they also have small pockets of territory elsewhere - including the rich area of Temple. They are easily identifiable by their green gang color.

They are headed by Sean "Sweet" Johnson and his previous lieutenants and OG's, Lance &quot;Ryder&quot; Wilson, Melvin &quot;Big Smoke&quot; Harris, and Carl Johnson.

As far as street gangs in GTA San Andreas go, the GSF are depicted as more honorable than their rival gangs. Coming from a background of older traditions, they are against hard drugs being sold on their turf as opposed to the Ballas and Vagos. They are well-known, however, for commiting numerous other crimes and violent acts including gun running/arms dealing, gang-banging, gang warfare, murder, gang-related homicide, robbery, vandalism, and street violence.

GSF members drive the Greenwood, Voodoo and Savanna. Their favourite radio station to listen to is Radio Los Santos. They also have three different skins that will walk and drive around their territories.


 * The first member has dreadlocks, wears a green button-up plaid/flannel checkered jacket, beige khaki pants and black and white hi-top sneakers.


 * The second member is slightly overweight, wears a green bandana, green sweater, black jeans and white sneakers.

Initially, in the beginning, Grove members are either unarmed or carry pistols. However, upon completing Ryder's final mission - Robbing Uncle Sam, they also begin carrying TEC 9 sub-machine guns. If the player sprays over all tags in Los Santos, they will replace the pistol and TEC 9 with the Deagle, MP5, and knifes. They can occasionally be seen smoking marijuana and drinking malt liquor while talking and hanging around in groups. Green clothing is a dead give-away and members will often flash their gang handsigns. Upon spotting a Balla, Vago, or Azteca gang member, they will often engage in a violent confrontation (especially if Ballas). Members of the families, like other pedestrians, will often comment on CJ's attire, physical looks or his vehicle.
 * The last member wears a backwards black baseball cap, a green #7 Rimmers basketball jersey, a cross necklace, black jeans and black and white sneakers.

Their territory includes:
 * Ganton (especially Grove Street - considered the heart of GSF territoriy)
 * Playa Del Seville
 * Temple
 * Vinewood Cemetery
 * Santa Maria Beach

History
The Grove Street Families were formed in Ganton (initially in Grove Street) before spreading to the rest of Ganton and other neighborhoods. History before this time period (late 80's) is unknown, and much of what happened to the families during the late 80's is also unknown. However, what is known is that the Families are one of the oldest gangs in Los Santos - this possibly means that they are older than the Ballas (who formed during the 1970's) - giving the possiblity that the Families evolved from the 1960's or even possibly earlier.

While Sweet is adamantly anti-narcotic, Smoke believes that the GSF have fallen from power because of his refusal to sell drugs. Their unwillingness to enter the drug trade has dragged the Grove Street Families out of prominence in the years leading up to the game's storyline. The fact that Sweet insists the gang shouldn't deal in narcotics, the deaths of OGs such as Tony, Big Devil, and Little Devil, and the abandonment of Big Bear, B Dup has largely weakened them from their previous dominant position in Los Santos. Likewise, the splitting of the Grove Families into different enemy sets - the Temple Drive Familes, and the Seville Boulevard Familes has massively increased violence from within the families. The fact that the Ballas are extremely successful at spreading crack cocaine into their territory to weaken the Families (mainly due to Big Smoke secretely supplying them) has led to the sorry state of the GSF upon CJ's return from Liberty City in 1992.

The Families also have a history of a traditional, intense, and bloody rivalry with the Ballas. Specifically when the gang war started is unknown, but the rivalry between the two gangs was in full swing as early as 1987. The start and reason of their rivalry with the Los Santos Mexican gangs is unknown, though their rivalry with the Vagos has most likely developed due to their expansion and growth around their territory along with their heavy drug influence. Despite being divided into different sets, the Families were one big gang before the early 1990's.

Prior to 1992, the Families also controlled the southern portion of East Los Santos, Idlewood, and Willowfield.

Carl Johnson's Return
While Carl's return does help revive the GSF to a certain extent, Ryder and Smoke's betrayal of the gang, coupled with an ambush on Sweet and other high-ranking members by the rival Ballas gang and the police, and the abandonment of CJ from Los Santos, the gang's influence in the city is destroyed as they are left without any leader, OG's, and most of their members are either dead or in hiding. Consequently, the Ballas and Los Santos Vagos seize all of GSF's turf in Los Santos - including Ganton and Grove Street. Sweet is imprisoned, and Carl is forced to continue working for C.R.A.S.H. away from Los Santos. However, Sweet's release from prison, courtesy of Mike Toreno, and CJ's second return allows the gang to rise again (now co-headed by Carl and Sweet Johnson) and regain most of their lost turf from the Ballas and Los Santos Vagos. Depending on the player's actions, it is possible to take some or all of the Ballas' and Vagos' turf for the GSF, causing the GSF to potentially become the largest and most powerful gang in Los Santos. If the player successfully takes over the entire turf in Los Santos, then their turfs will no longer come under attack.

Sets
There are three distinct sets of the Families:
 * Grove Street Families (GSF): Ganton (Carl Johnson - the protagonist's set)
 * Temple Drive Families (TDF): Temple, Vinewood Cemetery, Santa Maria Beach

The sets get their name from their territory. For example, the Grove Street families get their name from their formation in Grove Street, Ganton. The Seville Families get their name from their territory - Playa Del Seville and the Temple Drive Families get their name from their main turf - Temple. All sets are part of the "Family" banner, and all wear green. The differences are based on different territories/neighborhoods and possibly a different approach to the drugs trade. It is known the Grove Street Families are heavily against drug trafficking, but it is possible that the Seville Boulevard and Temple Drive Families are involved with narcotics due to them splitting from the Grove Street Families, though this is never mentioned in the game. Either way, they eventually reunite as allied sets with the Grove Street Families resuming the position of the most dominant, active and powerful set meaning that any narcotics business the other family sets were involved with would have ended.
 * Seville Boulevard Families (SBF): Playa Del Seville

Historically, all sets were originally one with the Grove Street Families, but split up from the GSF during the five years of Carl's absence. Earlier in the game, they are not on good terms with each other, primarily because of Grove Street's opposition to drug dealing, which is one reason for why the gang has weakened, but as stated, they are later allied and reunited again.

Interestingly, the grove-on-grove violence is only referenced in the games storyline. If the player actually walks into Playa Del Seville or Temple, the families there will react exactly the same as they would in Ganton and Grove Street. CJ can even recruit members in these areas. The only actual hostiltiies between family sets occurs during the mission Sweet's Girl, in which the Seville Boulevard Families react with hostility to CJ. It is unknown why the different family sets do not react with hostility outside of this mission.

Terms and Slang

 * Grave/Graves/Grave Street: Disrespect
 * Gay/Gays/Gay Street: Disrespect
 * G-Street: Secondary name of gang
 * Blood: Greeting/Respect
 * Family: Greeting/Respect
 * OG/Original Gangster: High-ranking, influential and well-respected member. One that has put in alot of work
 * BK/Balla Killer/Balla Killa: Disrespect term used by Grove Families for Ballas
 * VK/Vago Killer/Vago Killa: Disrespect term used by Grove Families for Vagos
 * AK/Azteca Killer/Azteca Killa: Disrespect term used by Grove Families for Aztecas
 * Hood: Neighborhood
 * Homie/Home boy/Home girl: Contemporary street slang - a friend.

Members and Associates

 * Sweet - Leader/OG
 * Carl Johnson - Second-in-Command/OG
 * Big Smoke - Lieutenant/OG (deceased)
 * Ryder - Lieutenant/OG (deceased)
 * Brian Johnson - Possible OG (deceased)
 * Big Bear - OG
 * B Dup - OG (formerly)
 * Big Devil - OG (deceased)
 * Little Devil - OG (deceased)
 * Tony - OG (deceased)
 * Denise Robinson - Member and fanatic (even though she does not wear green attire)
 * Emmet - Former weapon supplier (associate of the Seville Boulevard Families)
 * OG Loc - Associate and friend of many OG's including leader Sweet. Jeffrey grew up on Grove Street but lacked the physical capability or mentality to join the Families.
 * LB - Supplier/Associate (although not physically seen, he was mentioned multiple times by Ryder)
 * Three Deep - Associate/Possible member (although not physically seen, he was mentioned once by Big Smoke)

Mission Appearances

 * GTA San Andreas
 * The Introduction
 * Big Smoke (mission)
 * Sweet & Kendl
 * Tagging Up Turf
 * Cleaning the Hood
 * Drive-Thru
 * Nines And AKs
 * Drive-By
 * Sweet's Girl
 * Catalyst
 * Robbing Uncle Sam
 * House Party
 * Doberman
 * Los Sepulcros
 * Reuniting the Families
 * The Green Sabre
 * Home Coming
 * Beat Down On B Dup
 * Grove 4 Life
 * Los Desperados
 * End of The Line

Trivia

 * If CJ recruits GSF members, they will shoot at the other gangs on first sight. Also, while in a car, if CJ crashes it or runs over pedestrians, they will shout at him.
 * CJ has the ability to respond positively or negatively to GSF members if they speak to him. However, unlike pedestrians, they will not attack him if he answers negatively.
 * If CJ recruits unarmed GSF members, they will always automatically receive a pistol.
 * If a gang territory is under attack, and you lose it, it will become inhabited by both GSF and the rival gang that attacked it.
 * The Grove St. gang member with the dreads is based on Larenz Tate's character O-Dog from "Menace II Society", while the gang member with the green sweater is most likely based on Ice Cube's character Doughboy from "Boyz N The Hood".
 * There are also two other Grove Street gang members that are seen in the mission cutscenes "House Party", "Los Sepulcros" and "The Green Sabre". One member has a bald head and wears a dark green jacket, dark green khakis, and a lighter green t-shirt underneath. The other member has a taper fade haircut and wears a green long-sleeve chore jacket and dark blue jeans. He is also seen DJ'ing at OG Loc's house party. They are only seen in the said mission cutscenes (the later member only being seen in House Party) and it's unknown why they're not seen in the streets outside of the cutscenes or in the missions (Pictures of them are in the Gallery).
 * In the beta version of the game, the Grove skins looked different.
 * The first member wore a white tank top, dark green khaki shorts with white knee-high socks and sandals, and a short "military cut" hairstyle.
 * The 2nd member looked similar to the first member except he also had a green bandana tied around his face and lighter green khaki shorts.
 * The 3rd member was slightly overweight, wore black jeans, white sneakers, and wore a green hoody with the hood up and a foward green baseball cap underneth.
 * The Grove Street Families consider the Ballas to be their sworn enemies and the two were often at war for territory before the GSF's loss of prominence in the city, and again after they begin their revival. This rivalry is often thought to be inspired by Los Angeles' Bloods and Crips gangs. Violence in Los Angeles hit a peak during the early-nineties crack epidemic, a situation mirrored in 1992's Los Santos.
 * The green color for the Grove Street Families was influenced by the Hibernian Football Club in Edinburgh, Scotland (headquarters of Rockstar North). Hibernian Football Club has maintained a famous rivalry with the Heart of Midlothian Football Club (also located in Edinburgh) - whose color is, interestingly enough, purple and burgundy.
 * Two of the Grove Street gang member character models have known names Tony (The member who has dread locks and wears a checkered shirt) and Tarnell (The member with a green bandana and green sweater) both of these are multiplayer characters.
 * There is a beta screenshot of a GSF member that wears a green hoodie with the hood up, a green hat under that, and was overweight, but not to the extent of the obese GSF character model.
 * If you recruit GSF gang members and other GSF gang members attack you, your recruited members will fire at the attacking gang members but will miss every shot. This was probably as a way to avoid friendly fire when gang members move into the crossfire at a shootout.
 * If you recruit a GSF member while equipped with a camera CJ will have the option to ask them to take a picture of the player.
 * If you recruit GSF members and take a photo, they will stand still, look at the camera, and flash gang handsigns.
 * Holding down the command buttons will cause CJ to tell the recruits that they may go.
 * If the player has successfully sprayed all 100 Gang Tags, the GSF members will receive knives, MP5 Submachine Guns, and Desert Eagles. They will only be able to do drive-by's with the MP5's, and Desert Eagles. However, recruiting an unarmed member will automatically equip him with a 9mm. Pistol.
 * The Grove Street Families were originally going to be called the "Orange Grove Families" (or "OGF"). It is unknown why Rockstar Games changed this. It is probably from this to speculate that the original gang color could possibly have been orange rather than green. Beta graffiti and dialogue still remains in the game. For example, if you travel around South Central Los Santos - you can see "OGF" graffiti. CJ will shout out dialogue relating to the "OGF" and "Orange Grove Families" when confronting enemy gang members, and CJ can also get a tattoo in Los Santos on his upper back that relates to the "Orange Grove Families".
 * In Cesar Vialpando's 'Big Smoke's Cash' side missions, the members of the Grove Street Families drive the target vehicles. This possibly means Big Smoke hired them to work for him and the Loco Syndicate.