In the trendy bars and restaurants along Avenue B, last week's arrest of Lower East Side rapper Roberto Rosado (aka "Tru Life") was barely noticed if it was noticed at all. The Times and the Daily News ran their obligatory stories– only on account of "Tru Life's" one-time status as protégé of rap music mogul Jay Z. But a few steps away down 13th Street, inside the Campos Plaza Housing Project, the story was anything but trivial. Street-smart kids, moms and youth counselors all knew the violence that had erupted a few days earlier was a bad omen, at the start of a long, tense summer.

It would be easy to dismiss the events of the past two weeks as an isolated incident, the conclusion of a long-simmering argument between a hot-tempered rapper and some guys from the neighborhood. But it's become clear that they hint at much larger problems: a pattern of escalating violence, a burgeoning drug trade and the prospect of a full-blown gang war.

Here's what we know.  "Tru Life," is being held without bail on Rikers Island, having pled not guilty to charges of second- degree murder and gang assault in connection with a knife fight that ended in the murder of a 20-year old man, Christopher Guerrero.  Tru Life's brother, Marcus Rosado, and, possibly, two other men are also being held.  Police believe the trouble began hours earlier at a Midtown nightclub, where gunfire erupted and a suspected drug dealer, Michael Slater, was shot in the stomach. There are many conflicting accounts of what happened. But it seems clear the night's violence was fueled by a bitter feud among rival drug gangs based in New York's housing projects. The tensions have apparently been escalating since the early spring, perhaps even earlier.

At a recent community meeting the NYPD acknowledged they've seen an up tick of violence in the neighborhood.  But they resisted suggestions that they have an "organized gang problem" on their hands. Captain Edward Britton, responsible for policing 23 housing developments and 40-thousand residents, emphasized that violent crime is still quite low, historically speaking. But some mothers in attendance made it clear a series of incidents over several months have them more than a little worried.  These include the pursuit of a teen by men in SUV's brandishing guns, a shootout on Clinton Street and a murder last year at Campos Plaza. 

Reports of increasing violence are not new.  Late last year, residents demanded more police protection after several shootings at the Alfred E. Smith Houses.  Community newspapers and blogs have taken note of several violent episodes at Tompkins Square Park.  Police have been investigating the death of a woman who was reportedly attacked in the park two months ago.  While they're not convinced she was murdered, some park regulars believe a major gang in the area, the Money Boyz, was responsible.

Continue reading Beyond Tru Life’s Arrest: Growing Fears of a Violent Summer