Crime Boss Arrested in HK
an6...@anon.penet.fi
LEADER OF ASIAN ORGANIZED CRIME IN BOSTON ARRESTED IN HONG KONG 1/6/94
BY MATTHEW BRELIS AND CHARLES M. SENNOTT
Boston Globe
He allegedly controlled gambling and extortion in Chinatown for two decades
as the leader of the Ping On, but with his arrest Thursday in Hong Kong,
Stephen (Sky Dragon) Tse's last vestige of power over Asian organized crime
in Boston appears gone, law enforcement sources said.
Tse's grasp on organized crime in Chinatown had slipped considerably since
1989, when he fled to his native Hong Kong to avoid gambling charges and the
man he entrusted to run the Ping On's daily operations in Boston was
executed.
The Aug. 11, 1989 murder of Michael Kwong inside his Arlington Heights
restaurant and Tse's failure to exact retribution for it, sounded the death
knell of the POs.
But, law enforcement sources said the final blow to the Ping On came Thursday
with the unsealing of a federal racketeering indictment against Tse, his
wife, and 14 alleged underlings.
Although the power of Tse's organization has been eclipsed by other groups in
the last three years, ''they still maintained a presence in Chinatown,'' said
a law enforcement source, ''so this is a significant indictment.''
Chinatown civic leaders said the neighborhood has been quiet recently.
''There's nothing to fight for down there anymore,'' said Dr. Robert Guen, a
member of the Chinatown Neighborhood Council and board of directors of the
South Cove YMCA.
''The gambling parlors are closed down, there's no more high-stakes extortion
... There's some minor shakedowns, but that's it. You don't see the gangs on
the street like you used to.''
But a law enforcement source said the quiet could be a momentary calm.
''Boston is kind of open right now and up for grabs,'' the source said.
''There may be some type of a power struggle.''
Law enforcement sources said ''Bai Ming'' also called ''Bike Ming,'' the
leader of a Vietnamese gang, has survived numerous recent power struggles to
become the top player in organized crime in Chinatown.
And Trung Chi Truong, who had been thrown out of the Ping On by Tse for his
propensity to commit unsanctioned jewelry store robberies, has been released
from prison and is back in Boston.
A source said Truong has ties to the New York-based Vietnamese gang B.T.K.,
or Born to Kill.
Ming once ran a gambling den with former Chinatown gang leader Wayne Kwong,
but the two had a falling out after Tse's departure, sources said.
Kwong was arrested on June 2, 1992 at his Randolph home on charges that he
dealt heroin and hired Raymond Chow, of the Hop Sing tong in San Francisco,
and two juveniles to come to Boston and murder Ming.
Law enforcement sources said another powerful Vietnamese group that emerged
in Chinatown four years ago was led by Hun Suk. But that group has been
weakened since Suk and an associate fled the area several years ago after
being named as suspects in the Jan 12, 1990 massacre of five men playing
cards at an after hours social club.
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an6...@anon.penet.fi
an6...@anon.penet.fi writes:
>
{.......}
>''Boston is kind of open right now and up for grabs,'' the source said.
>''There may be some type of a power struggle.''
>
>Law enforcement sources said ''Bai Ming'' also called ''Bike Ming,'' the
>leader of a Vietnamese gang, has survived numerous recent power struggles to
>become the top player in organized crime in Chinatown.
>
>And Trung Chi Truong, who had been thrown out of the Ping On by Tse for his
>propensity to commit unsanctioned jewelry store robberies, has been released
>from prison and is back in Boston.
>
>A source said Truong has ties to the New York-based Vietnamese gang B.T.K.,
>or Born to Kill.
>
B.T.K. was weakened in 1992 when some of the important figures were
prosecuted with Federal charges in New York. If Troung asks B.T.K. for
assistant, he may be disappointed.
>Ming once ran a gambling den with former Chinatown gang leader Wayne Kwong,
>but the two had a falling out after Tse's departure, sources said.
>
>Kwong was arrested on June 2, 1992 at his Randolph home on charges that he
>dealt heroin and hired Raymond Chow, of the Hop Sing tong in San Francisco,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>and two juveniles to come to Boston and murder Ming.
>
Hop Sing tong combines the name of Woo Hap Tor and Woo Sing Woo
of Hong Kong.
>Law enforcement sources said another powerful Vietnamese group that emerged
>in Chinatown four years ago was led by Hun Suk. But that group has been
>weakened since Suk and an associate fled the area several years ago after
>being named as suspects in the Jan 12, 1990 massacre of five men playing
>cards at an after hours social club.
Who is Hun Suk ? If he was responsible for the five lives in Boston
Chinatown, he probably won't show up for any power struggle. So, Bai Ming
and Truong will work together and fight for new territories ?
Gambling houses are the sources of income for the gang members, the gangs
and the tongs. Do you think all those gambling houses will be closed? If all
gamgling houses are closed, do you think those gang members will retire
and look for ordinary jobs? NO. They will rob homes, supermarkets, stores
and restaurants.