The Apollos

The Apollos is the account of the teenage gangs from District Heights, Maryland, a suburb of Washington D.C. This area was a breeding ground for violent youth activities in the 1950s and early 1960s. The Apollos chronicles the gang activities and culture, beginning with the Parkland Demons and the Bachelors, and finally their evolution to the Apollos. The main characters, Tony Damano and Big John Anderson, co-leaders of the Apollos, led hundreds of youth in the gang world during tumultuous racial and cultural times. Often violent and sometimes humorous, this story begins with the gang members, as adults, burying one of their leaders. They gather one last time to remember the old days and tell their story.