General Davis, who in the 1970s created and ran the South Side Corleones gang at age 15, was born and raised in Syracuse’s Brick City in a single-parent household. Now 56, he believes he was a product of his environment. “It was no big deal to walk out of your home and see a fistfight or a gun shootout or …

What would have kept you from joining a gang? “Move.” Quante Wright says it’s the only thing his mom could have done to prevent him from joining Brighton Brigade. “Move me out of that environment. When I came off my porch,” he said, “all I saw was drug dealers.” Looking back, Wright notes three catalysts that propelled him into gang …

Last month readers of The Stand Newspaper met Quante Wright in our collection of Fatherhood Q&As. Readers may also recognize his name from headlines in The Post-Standard for stories on his success with earning an associate degree in spite of his past. Next several stories followed on how he was fired, violated parole and spent Father’s Day Weekend in jail. …

Brenda Muhammad returns to school to tell stories through lens of a video camera When South Side resident Brenda Muhammad enrolled in the Documentary Film & History graduate program at Syracuse University, her goal wasn’t to obtain a job in the field or increase her chances of advancing her career. At 52, Muhammad does not fit the traditional profile of …

Nominated by Rachel Levens from Tucker Missionary Baptist Church Q: What did it feel like when you became a father? A: It was the best feeling of my life. I always asked God if I could have my first child before I turned 30. I had my son when I was 27. He came right when I wanted him. He’s …

Growing up, Quante Wright’s mother always stressed the importance of education. “I told him, you get up and go to school, no matter what,” Annie Wright said. Wright earned his GED in 2004 while serving time in Jamesville Correctional Facility. Next he began to take classes at Onondaga Community College from 2004 to 2006. “School gave me balance,” he said. …

RICO stands for the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. It was a groundbreaking piece of legislation passed in 1970 with the goal of financially crippling the Mafia. However, it evolved to have a variety of applications against identified street gangs. Targeted activity may include illegal gambling, bribery, kidnapping, murder, money laundering, counterfeiting, drug trafficking and a host of other …

At about age 10, Quante Wright started his first salesman job, selling M&Ms for the Fountain of Life Church on South Avenue. He worked on commission, making 25 cents per $1 bag sold. Later he cut out the church and bought candy directly from the distributor. He employed his sister and nephew, who would each sell up to two boxes …

Syracuse Healthy Start promotes awareness of infant mortality In a sign that South Siders are embracing the idea of good health, exercise and nutritious eating, about 75 people turned out in Kirk Park recently for the neighborhood’s annual fitness walk. Syracuse Healthy Start, a program run by the Onondaga County Health Department to promote healthy pregnancies, launched Syracuse Stroll five …

The first Taste of South Ave attracted community members to learn about different groups’ efforts in the neighborhood. Bill Denham, co-owner of B&B Cocktail Lounge located at 310 South Ave., planned the event as a response to ones like the Taste of Syracuse, but also wanted to create an atmosphere of unity for the neighborhood. “I just wanted to bring …