Notorious SF: Golden Dragon Massacre
At 2:40 a.m. on September 4, 1977, a long standing feud between Chinatown gangs Joe Boys and Wah Ching led to a botched assassination attempt at the Golden Dragon Restaurant, 816 Washington Street. Members of Joe Boys were enraged after Wah Ching vandalized the graves of Joe Boys members. Five innocent bystanders, including two tourists, were killed and 11 injured when Joe Boys descended on the Golden Dragon to avenge their dead. Known as the Golden Dragon Massacre, the incident led to the formation of the San Francisco Police Department's Gang Task Force. San Francisco native and former Joe Boys member Bill Lee writes about the Golden Dragon Massacre in his 1999 memoir "Chinese Playground." Lee was not involved in the event, but four of his blood brothers were sent to prison for their roles in the murders. Following the tragedy, this latest battle in Chinatown's long history of gang warfare sent the famous neighborhood's economy into a nose dive. Lee went on to become a successful high tech recruiter.

Copyright 2002 Hank Donat
mistersf.com home