Strike a Chord: Coney Island Warriors Look Out for Disaffected Youth

For some, avoiding gangs in New York City can be hard. But one group in Coney Island has turned to an iconic film to help try and keep young people away from violence. They are called the Coney Island Warriors and they dress in brown leather jackets with a burning skull emblazoned on their fronts. They take their inspiration from the cult movie, The Warriors, about a group of youths who travel from The Bronx to Coney Island to escape a local gang. But the group's president, Wally Small, says they play an important role in the neighborhood.

"We protect each other and the community," says Small.

And Wally says by adopting the symbols of a gang, even ones from a movie, they become attractive to lost kids in the area. "Ever heard of a wolf in sheep’s clothing?" He asks. "We wanna look like the wolves to attract the younger ones who want to be wolves."

Small says he flirted with gang violence once but seeing the film and starting the club saved him.

"If it wasn’t for this club I probably wouldn’t be here right now," he says. When I ask him where he thought he would be, he replies: "In jail."

Now they patrol the boardwalk in full costume. Just like a gang they’re staking their territory but instead of offering violence and drugs, they offer members like Leticia Ovalle support and friendship.

"It’s not just a group, it’s a family. These are my brothers and sisters," she says.

Ovalle had heard of The Warriors movie but she actually knows the real thing- she used to be in a New York gang. Now she’s out and she wants to help people like herself. And while most of the group have day jobs, they’re out here every weekend. But for them that’s the way it has to be so they can stay together and stay true to the legacy of the film. Although they say Warriors fans do get overexcited when they bump into them on the boardwalk. Wally Small mimics the famous scene from the film when the Warriors' rival gang catcalls to them: "Warriors come out to play."

They usually reply, 'we are out to play' and continue on their way up the boardwalk, just like in the movie.