to understanand the naturere ofe gangs, german andino hasas spet the past four years visiting gang members in prison and on ththeir home turf. thth man's strtreet name is taylor. andino draws portraits of gang members like taylor and has recently published a graraphic novel about life in poor neighborhoodods. he asks when the gangs came to the area. taylor replies, four years ago. andino says poverty and lack of prospects are key motivations for joining gangs. >>>> they pretty much don't t e anything. all they have is the mara, so --. >> by joining the maras, young men are gradually transformed into dangerous criminals, extorting moneney from people, and yeyegauging inin territotol drugug wars with rival gangs. >> did your gangilill the thieves in this neighborhood? >> sometetimes i feel reallyly close to tse guys. and others, when i see what they are capable of, i feel like these guys are animals. yoyou know? i don't know. >> we join police officers on patrol in a neighborhood controlleded by maras. one of them, jose sandoval, popoints out 18th street gang graffiti. the e esence of the ga