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Disco's Out...Murder's In!: The True Story of Frank the Shank and L.A.'s Deadliest Punk Rock Gang
Librarian's Note: An alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here
Famous for its revolutionary aspects in musical, political, sexual identity and consumerist ideas, punk rock also has its lesser-known gangster ethos as well, explained here by players in the various punk gangs. The Los Angeles, Orange County, and South Bay punk scenes, populated by blue collar kids who responded to the violence and aggression of punk songs and shows. A number of them formed punk gangs that got into beatings, drug dealing and murder. Among them, no gang was more notorious than La Mirada Punks, or LMP. Says LMP chieftain Frank the Shank after getting arrested by police for murder: "After having my hands in so much bloodshed over the years, I most certainly had it coming. I deserved whatever I got." Unexpectedly Frank was bailed out from prison by his father's friend, a mob gangster.
"Too many people died at the hands of punk rock violence," said Frank. "I got lucky, some didn't. As an ultra-violent punk rock gangster, I admit my part in ruining the scene. L.A. punk was a magical moment of youth expression like no other. And the gangs ruined punk rock. I still have people telling me today that they quit punk because of LMP. I dig graves at a small cemetery just outside Los Angeles. What else would you expect for Frank the Shank?"
Famous for its revolutionary aspects in musical, political, sexual identity and consumerist ideas, punk rock also has its lesser-known gangster ethos as well, explained here by players in the various punk gangs. The Los Angeles, Orange County, and South Bay punk scenes, populated by blue collar kids who responded to the violence and aggression of punk songs and shows. A number of them formed punk gangs that got into beatings, drug dealing and murder. Among them, no gang was more notorious than La Mirada Punks, or LMP. Says LMP chieftain Frank the Shank after getting arrested by police for murder: "After having my hands in so much bloodshed over the years, I most certainly had it coming. I deserved whatever I got." Unexpectedly Frank was bailed out from prison by his father's friend, a mob gangster.
"Too many people died at the hands of punk rock violence," said Frank. "I got lucky, some didn't. As an ultra-violent punk rock gangster, I admit my part in ruining the scene. L.A. punk was a magical moment of youth expression like no other. And the gangs ruined punk rock. I still have people telling me today that they quit punk because of LMP. I dig graves at a small cemetery just outside Los Angeles. What else would you expect for Frank the Shank?"
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2015
30 people are currently reading
552 people want to read
About the author
Heath Mattioli
1 book18 followersHeath Mattioli was born the only son of a Los Angeles police officer on April 27, 1969 in Hollywood, California, USA. An in-betweener, with an eye and ear for authenticity and distinct focus on obsession and criminality. He resides in a historic Spanish gem overlooking the boulevards he fell in love with.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
January 3, 2016
Good god what an amazing read. Even if you are not a fan of punk music, this is just an amazing story of kids just running wild. Between the punks and the gangs in Compton, I wonder what the hell was going on in LA to create this kind of scene of violent youths. This is a first person account that will immerse you in a crazy scene with brutal honesty. I wish I could give this book a higher rating.
October 29, 2016
"Disco’s Out, Murder’s In” is a brutal insider story of LA gang life in the early 80’s. Told through the eyes a surviving gang member. Hell bent on destruction, fueled by drugs and punk rock, with a future-less-future the gang sets out to take out any other rival gang. Fist fights quickly escalate to knife fights and those soon graduate to assault rifle shoot outs. Thank your lucky stars that your version of punk rock didn’t go down this way!
March 25, 2016
"Disco's Out, Murder's In" is a very descriptive and entertaining book about gang life in the early 80s halcyon days of L.A. Punk. I actually devoured it in less than a day, it's a real page turner. I recommend it to fans of non-fiction, true crime and rock & roll.
March 28, 2016
Great one! I knew it was a questionable decision to start this one during the week, but it ended up being totally worth the lost sleep.
October 8, 2016
I very much enjoyed this book. Simple, but strong prose. Evil to the core.
August 16, 2016
Were you a wayward youth in LA County in the 80's?
Did you like punk rock?
If you said yes, this is your history. But, you may need your "readers" to get through the 10pt font.
Wasn't sure I could stomach this book due to the violence. Yet, I couldn't put it down until it was over. The context just made for a gripping story. History, sadly. If you were there during this era and listened to the music, you were a part of this history. You knew these kids. They were your neighbors, your school mates, your rivals, your pals at church who got sent to rehab, and the rebels you smooched at parties.
Did you like punk rock?
If you said yes, this is your history. But, you may need your "readers" to get through the 10pt font.
Wasn't sure I could stomach this book due to the violence. Yet, I couldn't put it down until it was over. The context just made for a gripping story. History, sadly. If you were there during this era and listened to the music, you were a part of this history. You knew these kids. They were your neighbors, your school mates, your rivals, your pals at church who got sent to rehab, and the rebels you smooched at parties.
November 15, 2015
Great book. Highly recommended!
August 12, 2016
"Bands were telling you to destroy society. LMPs took this message literally."
Disco's Out...Murder's In!: The True Story of Frank the Shank and L.A.'s Deadliest Punk Rock Gang by Heath Mattioli and David Spacone is a killer read. Quite literally. Some of the scenes unnerved me, took my breath away as the writing cuts like a well used knife. Sharp with raw edges. Just because this is a punk rock story doesn’t mean it can’t be smart and it is. Clever the way the authors pull you in from the first scene. So intense that I had to read that scene more than once.
Though I was involved in the LA punk scene this is not the movement I remember. I heard about the gangs and saw some harsh things but nothing ever as violent as what the authors depict in this book. I am thankful I didn’t enter the darkest corner as I would have gotten out much earlier than I did. When we were hanging out at Oki-Dog no-one was getting tortured or abused. Or maybe I was too naive and clueless to notice? Young and dumb could have gotten us teens killed but we were too busy enjoying our new found freedom and the scene that was our escape from our suburban lives at home.
The writing is super clean and to the point. This gritty bit of storytelling is action packed, dark, disturbing, gripping from start to finish and mesmerizing in an unsettling way. Like a bad accident on the freeway that you can’t look away from.
Disco's Out...Murder's In! is true hardcore punk rock and the scenes play out in vivid color. Got swept up in the narrative and the reality that this could have really happened. Or not?
Quote ~
I looked at the mod on the ground and watched his breathing become shallow. I couldn't articulate what I was feeling. Intimate stories of homicide from other LMPs had desensitized me. The veterans of my gang looked at death no differently than an ass beating, a simple act of murder. Strangely enough, it wasn't the blood that tickled me the most ..."
December 28, 2016
To say I enjoyed this book, would be a massive understatement! Going to read again over holidays. High recommend it!
June 18, 2016
Learned about this book while cruising through the usually insane and vile comments section of a punk music website.
Wow. This book is friggin’ brutal. I thought I witnessed my fair share of insanity growing up in the tri-state area and going to countless punk shows in and around NYC. Guns drawn (although never used), brass-knuckles falling out of skinhead girl’s flight jackets, hammers and ax handles tucked into the back of jeans, steel-toes, empty 40 oz. beer bottles, neon beer signs – I’ve seen plenty of people end up on the wrong end of an ass-kicking in and around shows. But that all pales in comparison to what’s in this book. Even having a wee bit of knowledge about the violence in the Cali scene didn’t prepare me for what Frank the Shank lays out over the course of the book.
It's like Clockwork Orange without much of a story arc. Like a Quentin Tarantino movie where you’re horrified at what’s going down but still find yourself laughing as well. It's one long mosh part that never really lets you get a chance to catch your breath until the last few pages (which are pretty friggin’ devastating as well). I think you get the point.
"What records are you listening to?" I asked.
"Punk music, it's all that matters - throw everything else away."
“The scene became a punk rock Vietnam; everybody had enough and wanted out, except the ones who couldn’t let go.”
Wow. This book is friggin’ brutal. I thought I witnessed my fair share of insanity growing up in the tri-state area and going to countless punk shows in and around NYC. Guns drawn (although never used), brass-knuckles falling out of skinhead girl’s flight jackets, hammers and ax handles tucked into the back of jeans, steel-toes, empty 40 oz. beer bottles, neon beer signs – I’ve seen plenty of people end up on the wrong end of an ass-kicking in and around shows. But that all pales in comparison to what’s in this book. Even having a wee bit of knowledge about the violence in the Cali scene didn’t prepare me for what Frank the Shank lays out over the course of the book.
It's like Clockwork Orange without much of a story arc. Like a Quentin Tarantino movie where you’re horrified at what’s going down but still find yourself laughing as well. It's one long mosh part that never really lets you get a chance to catch your breath until the last few pages (which are pretty friggin’ devastating as well). I think you get the point.
"What records are you listening to?" I asked.
"Punk music, it's all that matters - throw everything else away."
“The scene became a punk rock Vietnam; everybody had enough and wanted out, except the ones who couldn’t let go.”
March 17, 2017
Scary! Crazy, crazy good story that fills in a blank chapter in L.A. Punk history: There were punk gangs, as real as the cholos they respected and kept their turf distant from, all priding themselves on racial inclusion and other punk values (the chapter where the Oi! movement in England gives these guys a kick in the ass and something to aspire to is interesting) . . . but, still, there were real tussles that ended up in bludgeoning, death, and scores to settle or scenes to keep in line.
It's crazy! "Why such a scene descended on L.A. it was their great misfortune to find out ... " is the sort of vibe, as though in England, New York, or name-a-place there just wasn't the combination of elements to build units with soldiers, pecking orders, get-yer-backs, and what have you.
Thrilling and upsetting. A compelling read, if for no other reason than your understanding of punk is incomplete.
And Frank's the one to live to tell the story ...
Highly recommended! But, not for everybody.
Sorry, chumps!
It's crazy! "Why such a scene descended on L.A. it was their great misfortune to find out ... " is the sort of vibe, as though in England, New York, or name-a-place there just wasn't the combination of elements to build units with soldiers, pecking orders, get-yer-backs, and what have you.
Thrilling and upsetting. A compelling read, if for no other reason than your understanding of punk is incomplete.
And Frank's the one to live to tell the story ...
Highly recommended! But, not for everybody.
Sorry, chumps!
December 28, 2016
This book caught me off guard. This was absolutely true for the time; The threat of violence, the gangs and the feeling it was all going to end a la nuclear holocaust. Anybody who questions this behavior, obviously was an outsider. Hardcore Punk rock in Los Angeles was scary shit. Read the blogs, do your research. Many people lost their lives. I grew up in Norwalk and lived a very similar story. I wasn't quite as violent but many of my pals were. Most are dead now or locked up. Thank you for writing this. Thank you Feral House for putting this out. 5 stars!
April 21, 2016
Great read but will take some time to fully digest. Recommended.
September 24, 2024
Not sure how much of this is factual, and not exaggerated nostalgia. But its entertaining. More about gang violence, then the music. But Mike Ness and El Duce make interesting cameos.
March 4, 2018
Very readable and engrossing look at the gangland side of the first wave of Los Angeles hardcore. As other reviewers have noted, it's only a good editor away from a five-star rating.
However, like all autobiographies, there is the bullshit factor. The question is, how much bullshit? There's a long tradition of reformed criminals exaggerating their misdeeds and minimizing their mishaps. LMP seems to have had suspiciously long undefeated streak, and if you multiply LMP's body count by the number of other gangs in their ecosystem, you would think it would have drawn a little more attention at the time. I also find the almost total absence of Black Flag (and the complete absence of the Circle Jerks, unless I blinked and missed it) strange. Not that I think this is phony, just not necessarily the whole truth so help you god.
And did you know that Erik Estrada played the leader of a street gang called the Mau Maus in the 1970 movie The Cross and the Switchblade?
However, like all autobiographies, there is the bullshit factor. The question is, how much bullshit? There's a long tradition of reformed criminals exaggerating their misdeeds and minimizing their mishaps. LMP seems to have had suspiciously long undefeated streak, and if you multiply LMP's body count by the number of other gangs in their ecosystem, you would think it would have drawn a little more attention at the time. I also find the almost total absence of Black Flag (and the complete absence of the Circle Jerks, unless I blinked and missed it) strange. Not that I think this is phony, just not necessarily the whole truth so help you god.
And did you know that Erik Estrada played the leader of a street gang called the Mau Maus in the 1970 movie The Cross and the Switchblade?
July 22, 2019
Not sure how to review this. It certainly scrubbed any remaining nostalgia I had for the punk scene in the 80s. The amount of casual, stomach-churning misogyny and homophobia in this book makes for a hard read, as does the casual way graphic assault and murder is handled. I would’ve like a more verifiable, documentarian approach. A lot of this sounds like tall tales told over beers but other accounts have verified some of these stories. If you want a deep dive into the dark underbelly of LA punk, this is a decent, somewhat repetitive read that is hardly about the music at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2017
Entertaining. Not the best writing. I wonder how much of it is true, and ultimately if you'e an adult, you wind up not liking most of the characters. But it does capture a scene that as an east coaster in the 80's could be caught by Thrasher magazine. There is also at least one funny story regarding a major Hardcore personality.
February 20, 2017
I could not put this book down.
June 13, 2017
4.5 Stars.
Music, gangs, murder, this book has it all! Recommended!
Music, gangs, murder, this book has it all! Recommended!
October 1, 2020
I dont like bad people. Hard to read about such a hateful person.
October 29, 2016
This is a pretty fascinating read. Not sure how I feel about it on many levels. First of all, I find a lot of this hard to believe. Anytime I read one of these types of autobiographies it's always distorted to the teller's side of things and exaggerated beyond comprehension. So especially with this book, with it's myriad tales of murder, mayhem, assaults, rapes, and assorted felonies that seemingly went unsolved it's a little bit of a stretch. Almost every story and adventure involves Frank and his gang completely destroying everything, stealing everything, winning everything, gaining all the respect, getting all the girls, coming out on top and never getting caught. Very "Trumpian", indeed. That having been said, let's assume it is all true. If it is, the degree to which these kids applied their attitudes of hate, death, and destruction with no remorse was extremely problematic. Furthermore, confusing these feelings with being punk is even more problematic. A continuous theme throughout the book is that Frank admits to helping destroy the scene. But firstly, punk was never about killing, hating, raping, and assaulting. Punk was always more about inclusion. It's these side factions that grew out of punk and tried to hang on the peripheral that were decidedly not punk. So in reality, him and his gang didn't really destroy the scene. They were never a part of it to begin with. They were only latching on to something good and ruining it. Secondly, admitting to destroying the scene should not be the main focus of your remorse here. Feeling remorse for al the hurt and death you caused (if true) should be the main focus. The lack thereof really discredits any hard feelings you have for ruining the scene. If you truly felt remorse for ruining the scene, then feeling no remorse for killing innocent punks because they "got in the way" or some other childish reason, cancels out your previous admittance.
Regardless, like I said, this is a fascinating read, if only to see how cold blooded gangsters mentalities work on a day to day basis. This book is and was never about punk. The punk music and bands mentioned in here could easily be replaced with any other types of music or any other idealism really. The mayhem was not done for the love of punk. That is just an easy excuse. It was done due to a lack of morals and ethics and feelings and just a immature desire to cause trouble that was never checked or reined in. So in that regard this book works as a interesting case study. Again, assuming that these stories were all real.
Regardless, like I said, this is a fascinating read, if only to see how cold blooded gangsters mentalities work on a day to day basis. This book is and was never about punk. The punk music and bands mentioned in here could easily be replaced with any other types of music or any other idealism really. The mayhem was not done for the love of punk. That is just an easy excuse. It was done due to a lack of morals and ethics and feelings and just a immature desire to cause trouble that was never checked or reined in. So in that regard this book works as a interesting case study. Again, assuming that these stories were all real.
February 13, 2017
This was a great book. Lots of messed up gang violence going on in LA at that time with detailed descriptions of the bloodiest moments caused by the La Mirada Punks.
August 29, 2016
Overloaded with so much criminal violence, hard to believe. No jail time ever? Provides answers to many crimes that have probably been sitting unsolved. Suspiciously detailed accounts that were recalled years later. Lots of name dropping of bands when the L.A. punk rock scene was new and exciting.
July 16, 2020
Great book
This is a good book if anyone wants to read about the history in LA. It’s crazy to read about all this that was happening in the 80’s, come fast forward all the places they mention a cool amount of them I’ve been too.
Cool history & overall a really good read
This is a good book if anyone wants to read about the history in LA. It’s crazy to read about all this that was happening in the 80’s, come fast forward all the places they mention a cool amount of them I’ve been too.
Cool history & overall a really good read
August 29, 2017
Cocky but necessary chapter in American punk/hardcore and crime memoir niches.
December 21, 2021
This book appeared as a result of a google search made in the wake of some heated discussion on the supposed dangers of gangster rap. Not that it has much to do with that - or possibly the opposite...
Frank ("the shank") is just a kid. Throughout the book, I need to constantly remind myself of the fact that he's about the same age as my kids (they're 13 and 15) and that the sex and drugs and violence he runs on, he runs on while being "just a kid". That in itself is as scary as it gets.
Focus lies on the debauchery of the LMP and Frank's rise to fame within that gang. While the book does manage to fill it's 224 pages with those stories, I think it would have benefited the reader to get another perspective as well. Apparently, Frank did lead parallel lives of sorts, with regard to school and family life. The book is almost completely devoid of (responsible) adults, apart from Indian, .
Very well... The book has a distinct DIY-feel, suitable to the punk context in which it resides, and that is all good and well. I might have some opinions on what I think is lacking (see above). But even with those included, this book is well worth your time if you have the least interest in the punk and hardcore scene of the early 80's, and want to peek "behind the scenes".
Frank ("the shank") is just a kid. Throughout the book, I need to constantly remind myself of the fact that he's about the same age as my kids (they're 13 and 15) and that the sex and drugs and violence he runs on, he runs on while being "just a kid". That in itself is as scary as it gets.
Focus lies on the debauchery of the LMP and Frank's rise to fame within that gang. While the book does manage to fill it's 224 pages with those stories, I think it would have benefited the reader to get another perspective as well. Apparently, Frank did lead parallel lives of sorts, with regard to school and family life. The book is almost completely devoid of (responsible) adults, apart from Indian, .
Very well... The book has a distinct DIY-feel, suitable to the punk context in which it resides, and that is all good and well. I might have some opinions on what I think is lacking (see above). But even with those included, this book is well worth your time if you have the least interest in the punk and hardcore scene of the early 80's, and want to peek "behind the scenes".
May 20, 2021
This was not quite the story I thought it would be. The prose is simple, much like someone regaling you with their exploits IRL, and fucking brutal. No qualms about it; Frank is a shithead, and he knew it. This reads as a bunch of brutalized kids taking their murderous rage out on their very narrow view of the world. It's sad af. While the homophobia, rape, and misogyny horrified but did not surprise me, I was surprised by the mention of them playing "politics" with a well-known white supremacist skinhead gang. The occasional casual mentions of fascist imagery play were... okay, not entirely news--Sid Vicious wore swastikas--but disappointing. I mean, I kind of get it... if you're rebelling against a generation whose self identity is tied into victory over the Nazis, I can see the ignorant desire to shock by embracing that which their parents painted as their opposition.... But UGH! Punk is anti-fascist!!!! However, it's a whole scene that encompassed a number of things that can't be defined in so simple terms.
January 13, 2021
I grew up in East Whittier, just above La Mirada, and got into punk rock when I was about 14, around 86 or so, a few years perhaps after the end of this book. I remember hearing about L.M.P. in the 80s. I was initially thrilled by reading a punk history that includes street names and locations so close to where I grew up (I used to ride my bike in Creek Park as a kid, get high there as a teenager). The thrill soon turned to horror. This chronicle of senseless violence is fucking terrifying. The title is not a lie - there's plenty of murder! This book puts the reader in a very dark and heavy head space, but I couldn't stop reading it. I finished it in four days, often staying up until 5 a.m., and then reread much of it over the next three days. And of course telling and retelling stories from the book to my wife and coworkers. If I had run into these guys back then, wearing my boots, flight jacket, and DK t-shirt, they would have probably stabbed me for being a poser!
April 3, 2021
This guy is single handedly the reason alot of people dislike California in general. This guy stabs or kills someone practicly every time he leaves his house(according to him...), then goes to jail FOR ONE NIGHT and finds god. I cant stand people like this.
This book has some interesting scene history about stuff like Mike Ness and Darby Crash getting picked on and beat up. And the "Suicidals" being more of a joke gang than a threat, most of it seems exaggerated though. Mafia don cholo skater punk prison skins...be all you can be.
Had to force myself to finish this one.
This book has some interesting scene history about stuff like Mike Ness and Darby Crash getting picked on and beat up. And the "Suicidals" being more of a joke gang than a threat, most of it seems exaggerated though. Mafia don cholo skater punk prison skins...be all you can be.
Had to force myself to finish this one.
January 19, 2024
"L.A. punk stood to be a magical moment of youth expression like no other and, for a little while, it undoubtedly was. The gangs ruined punk rock. I still have people telling me today that they quit punk because of LMP. Kids with talent in our scene expressed their anger through music or art. We, on the other hand, took our rage and confusion out on the streets. I'm far from that person today, but as that famous Black Panther said, 'Violence is as American as cherry pie.'"
An utterly wild and dangerous "anti-coming-of-age" story.
An utterly wild and dangerous "anti-coming-of-age" story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews