Jean-Pierre Laffont Photographed the Savage Skulls in 1970s Bronx
In 1965, Jean-Pierre Laffont, a photographer from France, relocated to New York, where he documented the Savage Skulls gang in the Bronx. While perusing the New York Times in 1972, he encountered reports of gangs eliminating drug dealers who preyed on youth, with police discovering bodies at the bases of five-story buildings. Laffont became the inaugural foreign correspondent for the Paris-based Gamma Agency in 1969, although he favored personal projects. He also captured images of the Savage Nomads and the Dirty Dozen, alongside the Savage Skulls, regarded as the Bronx's most perilous gang. Despite the city's dangers, particularly at night during the late 1960s and 1970s, he relished portraying everyday life. His iconic photograph of the Savage Skulls is considered his finest work.
Key facts
- Jean-Pierre Laffont moved from France to New York in 1965.
- He became the first foreign correspondent for the Paris-based Gamma Agency in 1969.
- In 1972, he read New York Times stories about Bronx gangs killing drug-pushers who targeted young people.
- Police found victims' bodies at the bottom of five-storey buildings.
- Gangs mentioned include the Savage Nomads, the Dirty Dozen, and the Savage Skulls.
- The Savage Skulls were described as the most dangerous gang in the Bronx.
- Laffont preferred personal projects over assignments.
- The late 1960s and most of the 1970s were a difficult time for New York.
Entities
Artists
- Jean-Pierre Laffont
Institutions
- Gamma Agency
- New York Times
Locations
- New York
- United States
- France
- Paris
- Bronx