| Founding location | New York City, New York, United States |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1950–1965 |
| Territory | United States, New York City Area |
| Ethnicity | Puerto Rican |
| Criminal activities | Drug trafficking, arms trafficking, assassination, bribery, kidnapping, extortion, money laundering, murder, racketeering. |
| Rivals | Bishops Apaches other gangs |
Mau Maus was the name of a 1950s street gang in New York City. The book and the adapted film The Cross and the Switchblade and biography Run Baby Run document the life of its most famous leader Nicky Cruz. Their name was derived from the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya.
Nicky Cruz wrote a book about his experiences called Run Baby Run. Israel Narvaez committed his life to God and wrote a book called Second Chance: The Israel Narvaez Story. David Wilkerson wrote a biography The Cross and the Switchblade and a film of the same name was released.