1/18/2009:
On this date in 1956, Police Chief D. F. Schoeneman told The Bismarck Tribune his department had broken up a juvenile gang called the Griffons. They were also investigating reports of several other gangs operating in the Bismarck area.
The Griffons' symbol was a depiction of a mythical creature - half lion and half eagle. The boys wore their insignias on the backs of their black leather jackets, and female members had them affixed to their purses and other objects.
Schoeneman said the Griffons had not engaged in illegal activities. However, he was signing a complaint charging one 17 year-old member with contributing to the delinquency of minors by making and selling blackjacks, small but dangerous weapons that, when swung at opponents' heads, could render them unconscious or even dead. Technically, making blackjacks was not against the law in 1956. However, possessing one was chargeable as a felony in North Dakota.
By Merry Helm
Source: The Bismarck Tribune. Jan 18, 1956: 1.