The INFAMOUS Bus Wars as Told by Mike featuring "Tommy"

Рет қаралды 7,055

Күн бұрын

Join us as Mike provides viewers with an overview of the Infamous Bus Wars which took place during the late 90's to the early 2000's while eating Dim Sum in HK. He will also be interviewing a key figure by the name of "Tommy Q" who was directly involved in the bus wars.
Contents of this video:
00:00 - Intro
00:36 - Bus Wars Overview
22:44 - Interview with Tommy
39:29 - Outro
Below are several links to articles regarding the bus wars:
www.washingtontimes.com/news/...
nymag.com/news/intelligencer/...
www.nytimes.com/2004/02/21/ny...
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**DISCLAIMER**
We are not professional historians, photographers or videographers. We are just a bunch of like minded people with a mission to preserve a piece of history about NYC Chinatown's underworld. We condemn all forms of crime and don't encourage/condone this type of behavior. This channel is simply for educational purposes as told from individual perspectives.
#nyc
#nypd
#chinatown
#asiangangs
#buswars
#nyc
#buses

Пікірлер: 73

@keviny.9596 2 ай бұрын

I remember as a kid riding a bus and the driver say's he knows Tommy , and this is the legendary guy. LOL

@dominickong384 2 ай бұрын

Yeah, those buses/vans were always packed and overloaded, and driven at breakneck speed, with passengers barely hanging on to their seats. I was told to avoid sitting next to the door.

@jimcheung3527 14 күн бұрын

I just subscribed to this channel after watching the insider video and had to see this first. I remember the vans being around as early as 1989. It had to be that early because my mom would try to save a buck by having me sit on her lap and the driver wouldn't charge for me because I wasn't taking up a seat. I lived 4 buildings from 8th ave on 57th st in Brooklyn and took a van to chinese school on Mott St every Saturday morning. School started at 10am, and the convienence of walking out of the apartment building and walking a few steps rather than 5 blocks to the nearest subway station was indescribable. Also, being able to leave at 9:05-9:10 to catch the 9:15 van (they departed every 15 minutes back then and were rarely full) and make it on time. Heck, if I was running late, I could catch the 9:30 van and still make it to Chinatown by 9:50. And on the return trip, vans would be waiting on canal st between mott and Elizabeth st (or maybe it was between mott and mulberry) and parking spots were at such a premium that a van wouldn't leave, even if it was full, until the next van from their corresponding company (there were 3 competing companies back then) arrived to take the parking spot. I was partial to the company that was based on 57th St. I believe the name was D&B. I remember there was one named four seas that i didnt care for

@Romanus- 13 күн бұрын

Saw your interview on Insider and love the content. Really interesting look at how things worked in Chinatown

@phoenixmarine974 2 ай бұрын

I would have LOVED to get on a small bus to go from one Chinatown to another.

@yogitam2372 2 ай бұрын

Great interview Mike. I remember these vans starting up in the 90s. I came home on leave from the Air Force and found these vans more convenient commuting from Flushing to Chinatown. Love how the origin of these vans came to be. So the fighting was over parking. Question for you and the interviewee: I remember hearing about gunshots and shooting between the different Van companies. I think one in particular was down on E Broadway and Market Streets. I don't remember the year. Can you find out about that?

@marleygrant3931 2 ай бұрын

Great video as always Mike enjoy your trip 💯

@gingerfoxxy1 2 ай бұрын

Mike! Great interview! Also, I really like to way you touched on a variety of things back in the day! It’s really nice to see you’re enjoying your stay there in Hong Kong and Macau! Just a little excerpt about the dollar vans: One of my favorite bartenders in one of the Chinatown bars back in the 1990s, used to take the dollar van to Brooklyn Chinatown every night when her 12 Noon to 8 pm shift ended at 8 pm. She loved the fact that she was safe and not having to take the subways at that hour. She worked 7 days a week at the bar and she could be comfortable knowing no one would bother her.

@gingerfoxxy1 13 күн бұрын

Things got out of hand and that was the end of the dollar vans. Another piece of urban history gone.

@Stefano1475 2 ай бұрын

Excellent, have been waiting for this post! 👍🏻

@chinatownboy7482 2 ай бұрын

Uncle, if anyone needs you to explain what chicken feet is, then they should not even be watching. Great content. As usual, very informative. Amazing how much you were able to fit in, with such a short video. It's like the CliffsNotes on racketeering. Well done.

@gingerfoxxy1 2 ай бұрын

I love chicken feet. My grandma made them all the time!

@alicebellamio5491 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing the great stories, your eyes seems very alert to Surroundings。

@MAZZ007 2 ай бұрын

It's a habit that whenever I'm on the street, I do the same thing. 🥲

@josephgee2515 2 ай бұрын

@@MAZZ007😄 Stays with us for life Bro. G Parking also.

@2LiveTrew 2 ай бұрын

It's called having sense.

@UncleHoCM 2 ай бұрын

Chinatown buses..crazy ass driving on the brink of disaster at every turn, but you'll get there way sooner than Greyhound lol.

@Lord_Sully 2 ай бұрын

Saw your interview on the insider. Great channel!

@tonyjkd8010 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing. I remember those days in chinatown to the bowling alleys in queens and a few house parties. Enjoy hearing your stories.

@jimmybest9105 2 ай бұрын

Always want to hear more. Thanks Mike

@GoodToBeGold08 2 ай бұрын

Waited for these stories. Thanks for quality content Mike

@chinatowngangstories 2 ай бұрын

More details coming. Stay tuned.

@heijimikata7181 2 ай бұрын

@@chinatowngangstories Would you be interested in making charts marking the line of succession in the Tongs and the leading figures in the gangs that represented them on the street? The Italians have done many charts on their Mobs so it’d be nice to get something from Chinatown too.

@curiousity_strikes3854 2 ай бұрын

thank you for sharing your stories. I would like to recommend for me to better understand the stories a bit more, I suggest adding English subtitles. My cantonese is horrible as a second generation immigrant. thank you!

@spiketown22l 2 ай бұрын

Great interview 🔥🔥🔥

@tubelilous 2 ай бұрын

I took those "dollar can" but I think it was $2+. Often it's slightly cheaper and quicker between the China Towns. The drivers / company also shared information on which bridge is less congested. The more runs you can do, the more you make.

@2LiveTrew 2 ай бұрын

It started at $1.00 then $1.25 then $1.50 then $1.75 then $2.00, etc.

@waynechen8524 2 ай бұрын

I took a purple van from Flushing to Confucius plaza back in the 90’s

@cafelate9515 2 ай бұрын

They were the red vans not purple

@2LiveTrew 2 ай бұрын

⁠@@cafelate9515yea but eventually with all the graffiti and grime made it purple

@UncleHoCM 2 ай бұрын

Everyone, every race jumped on the Chinatown busses that ran the East Coast route. DC to NY, $15, Just the tolls cost more than that. Can't beat until they got cracked down on and they were running unlicensed drivers with busses that had safety flaws...lol. smh.

@Biscuitolivia3561 2 ай бұрын

What were the Ghost Shadows doing in the late 90s and early 2000s? Only thing I know is they started a chapter in queens they were going at it with the MMP gang

@2LiveTrew 2 ай бұрын

We dont speak about things after 2000's because it's still "fresh". Come back in 25 more years, maybe someone will talk then.

@marlonkwan8659 2 ай бұрын

They were still running in 2008 but not parking on canal by east broadway

@shirleychan7494 2 ай бұрын

Around 2002, I knew one tax guy( Cantonese) telling us he is doing this type of business- van between Chinatown and Brooklyn. I ride subway instead of van. I am wondering if the service is till exist. I knew the rout to Flushing and Bensonhurst, but don’t know about the route to Brooklyn.

@Hotsaucedeluxe 2 ай бұрын

Maybe not gang related but about 10 or so years ago, there were vans that started at Confucius Plaza and one day another shuttle service showed up using Greyhound buses charging a dollar and they got into fist fights.

@Akrafena 2 ай бұрын

Came from the Insider interview

@MadGuitarNorbi Ай бұрын

I read a book twice which is the story of Johnny Kon. A Shanghai born gangster who went to HK at age of 8 and then many years later as he climbed the levels ended up sending a lot of heroin and cocaine to the U.S. mainly to NYC. I don’t find anything about him on Google. I mean in the book we can read his whole story, but only question is if any of the hosts knew/know him and if could talk about him.

@cafelate9515 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for this story but the story is very short. Could we hear more about the history and the stories of how a small Van business turn to mini vans and then all of them gone to mini buses

@AllenLouie-dc1qv 2 ай бұрын

Once company B was left and no competition the FBI and everyone else left them alone even though the van business was illegal?

@chinatowngangstories 2 ай бұрын

In a way, yes.

@heijimikata7181 2 ай бұрын

Classic FBI. Once something more important comes up, they pretty much put the other things to the back of their mind until it becomes a potent threat again. That is if you don’t have a vendetta with some of the active agents.

@Romanus- 13 күн бұрын

@@heijimikata7181it’s allocation of resources. Same as regular cops. They put more people on priority cases and the less important ones get less people or none if it isn’t considered a threat large enough to warrant the resources

@kuangtien3980 2 ай бұрын

Dalton Leong was an Actor / Martial Artist / Pool Player from SanFrancisco who had a couple bit roles in the Kung Fu Series . I believe he was an associate of gang members in N.Y. , Chinatown. He died in some type of Chinatown shooting . Does anyone know the true story concering his tragic death ?... Dalton Leong had recently been scheduled for a Broadway acting role before his untimely death .

@LIbertyorDeath419 2 ай бұрын

See if you can interview the leaders who were involved in the gang wars in Macau in the '90s. Safe travels.

@raysummers2075 Ай бұрын

Did you guys get along with the yakuza or did you ever have issues with them?

@chinatowngangstories Ай бұрын

No issues with the Yakuza

@climatescientist 2 ай бұрын

hi, any stories about Mmp from queens during the 90s? thanks

@vipautonyc-chucheroworld-jimmy 2 ай бұрын

Jason's crew was only a Flushing thing. they only lasted a few years.

@climatescientist 2 ай бұрын

@@vipautonyc-chucheroworld-jimmy got it, thanks. did they disband or go to prison ?

@vipautonyc-chucheroworld-jimmy 2 ай бұрын

@@climatescientist they were not hardcore like that at all, one guy became a sushi chef on Broadway, another started a car performance shop on Horace Harding. Many members were rich Taiwanese kids that went on to very productive lives.

@climatescientist 2 ай бұрын

@@vipautonyc-chucheroworld-jimmy great thank you for the update!

@2LiveTrew 2 ай бұрын

@@vipautonyc-chucheroworld-jimmyit only makes sense, alot of them were recruited at specialized high schools and are very intelligent business saavy people

@Shishkebarbarian 2 ай бұрын

this needs subtitles for the interview

@pkgs1979 2 ай бұрын

Lol in my time train fare is 23 cents 😅😂

@hunggar398 2 ай бұрын

LOL...the good o days. Hey, missed you in Chinatown when you came up. Let me know when the next time is..... Go back to Winnie (new one) for some drinks.

@pkgs1979 2 ай бұрын

@UnityisKey1 29 күн бұрын

🙌🙌🙌

@user-zu2ge9vs6y 2 ай бұрын

How you guys remember what happened 20-30 years ago? I dont remeber what happened or what i did a month ago

@pariwatwatthammasiri7099 2 ай бұрын

Something might be wrong on your brain you should go check

@2LiveTrew 2 ай бұрын

Lol same here

@Akrafena 2 ай бұрын

These men were in gangs and gangwarfare, hard to forgor

@oluwaseyidada7641 Ай бұрын

These kinds of events you don't forget...

@DfrUBCxgs4eAMepTu5ZdK3wgRKBd6B Ай бұрын

It just happens. It's not like there's any specific method. I remember my life going back to age one and a half, including tons of stuff from the 70s and 80s. Obviously not everything, but quite a lot.