Debating the Warrior Gene

The Mongrel Mob feature in an episode of BAFTA award-winning BBC documentary Ross Kemp on Gangs, in which Kemp explores the history of the gang, formed in Hastings in the 1960s. He follows members into clubhouses around the North Island, and examines their feud with the Black Power gang. Members spoken to by Kemp, attribute their blood lust to a Maori fighting tradition. The programme, which has appeared on UK television, has caused controversy, specifically in debate about the historical “warrior” culture the Mob identify with. The episode will not screen in New Zealand as TV1 says it was never cleared for international distribution.