New York proved to be a challenging environment during the late 1960s and 1970s. After arriving from France in 1965 with plans to launch a small agency, Jean-Pierre Laffont eventually found himself working as a solo correspondent. By 1969, he had become the inaugural foreign correspondent for the Paris-based Gamma Agency, though he maintained a preference for self-directed personal projects over formal assignments. Laffont was born in French Algeria in 1935 and was later honored as a Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honour in 2023 for his 60-year career in photojournalism. But soon found myself working alone, i’d moved there from France in 1965 with a reporter friend and a plan to start a little agency.
In 1972, reports in the New York Times regarding Bronx-based gangs targeting drug dealers drew Laffont’s attention. He noted that the violent reality of the era often left victims at the base of five-story buildings. Seeking to document these groups, specifically the notoriously dangerous Savage Skulls, Laffont teamed up with a French cameraman to visit Fox Street in the Hunts Point area. Upon their arrival, the gang members, recognizing they were not there to conduct formal interviews, permitted them to observe their daily activities, famously inviting the pair by stating: “If you want just to look at our life, you’re welcome.” Reading the New York Times in 1972, I would see stories about gangs in the Bronx that were killing drug-pushers who targeted young people in the area. The police would find their bodies on the kerb at the bottom of five-storey buildings they’d been thrown off. We stopped and wound down the window and they immediately came over wanting to know who we were, as soon as we spotted members of the gang on the sidewalk.
Laffont spent significant time within the gang’s territory, gaining access to their basement clubhouse, where they kept weapons and listened to music. He observed that the teenagers, aged roughly 13 to 20, spent much of their time on a local basketball court. Though they rarely played the actual game, they frequently engaged in roughhousing that the photographer likened to “little cats.” The iconic image of the group was captured spontaneously; when Laffont offered to photograph them, the members instinctively lined up against a fence, showcasing their signature sleeveless denim vests adorned with skulls and crossbones.
Despite the dangerous atmosphere, Laffont experienced a surprising rapport with the members. While he lacked fluency in English and struggled to communicate beyond broken phrases, he noted that the gang members, mostly of Puerto Rican descent, were relaxed around him, even handling firearms in his presence. On one occasion, the photographer even captured a scene showing gang members sharing a friendly conversation with police officers, who acknowledged they could not provide protection for his project. Laffont never met the gang’s leader during this time, as the individual was hospitalized following a shooting. Especially at night, but I enjoyed taking pictures of everyday life around me, it could be a dangerous city.
The impact of this photography project resurfaced years later when a woman contacted Laffont to identify her mother in one of his images. The woman explained that the photograph was the only one she possessed of her mother, who had recently passed away. Laffont provided prints for the funeral, noting that the experience served as a poignant reminder that time marches on and that the youths he captured in 1972 eventually moved beyond their gang years.
Reflecting on his career, Laffont emphasizes that the era of his specific working style has evolved, placing the onus on a new generation to redefine the profession. He advises young photojournalists to remain humble, curious, and observant, and to study the masters of the medium. His work documenting these groups is featured in the book “Jean-Pierre Laffont: Rebels with a Cause,” published by Damiani.
