[/quote]All 10 men are older than typical gang members, who are usually in their teens or early 20s. Eight of the men named in warrants this week are in their 30s, and the two others are in their late 20s.

Bruce Ferrell, a retired Omaha police officer and chairman of the Midwest Gang Investigators Association, said Friday that he knows most of the men involved, including Liggins. He's watched them rise in the ranks, though he said street gangs have no formal hierarchy.

Instead, Liggins and his counterparts gained power and notoriety because of the many crimes they've committed and subsequent prison terms they've served.

The younger gang members look up to them, and their neighbors, meanwhile, fear them.

“They aren't elected, but because they've done 'work' for the gang, they get a status,” Ferrell said. “Respect from gang members means fear and intimidation, and their reputations horrify people.”

Even though the men have grown older, they're not retired, Ferrell said.

“They may not be out doing the shootings every day, but they are committing crimes in conjunction with their gangs' activities,” he said.[quote]