Rikers Island Gang Member Reveals Most DISGUSTING Prison Weapon

The Connect- with Johnny Mitchell

Johnny Mitchell

True Crime

4.3 • 563 Ratings

🗓️ 26 April 2026

⏱️ 146 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, Johnny sits down with Richie Ng, a former member of the Ghost Shadows gang who shares one of the most intense prison stories ever told on the show. At just 16 years old, Richie took a life and was thrown into the chaos of Rikers Island during one of the most violent eras in New York history. What followed was decades of gang politics, stabbings, solitary confinement, and survival inside some of the toughest prisons in the system. But this isn’t just a story about crime… It’s about transformation. After serving 18 years, Richie walked out into a completely different world. Against all odds, he rebuilt his life—launching a business, getting discovered by chance, and eventually becoming a working actor in Hollywood. Then… one mistake nearly sent him back for good. This episode dives deep into: -Growing up as a Chinese immigrant in NYC -Being recruited into gang life at just 10–11 years old -The reality of violence inside Rikers Island -7 years in solitary confinement -Prison hustle, power, and survival mentality -Rebuilding life after decades locked up -How one moment of anger changed everything again -The mindset shift that finally stuck Raw. Unfiltered. Real. Go Support Richie! IG: https://www.instagram.com/therealrichieng/ YouTube: @chinatowngangstories This Episode Is Sponsored By The Following: Mars Men! For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at https://mengotomars.com Hims! To get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, Hair Loss, Weight Loss, and more, visit https://hims.com/connect PrizePicks! Download the PrizePicks app today and pick your first game winner, spread or total as the playoff push rolls on! And get $50 in daily fantasy lineups when you play your first $5 lineup when you use code CONNECT. PrizePicks Predict is a registered FCM offering Team Picks and Culture Picks as event contracts. Trading involves significant risk; not for all. The content provided is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation to trade any commodity interest, or an offer to open an account. The Connect is not registered with the CFTC or NFA. PrizePicks Predict does not endorse or guarantee any statements made by third-party promoters or influencers. Please consult with a qualified professional before making any trading decisions. Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 Opening: Richie's Dark Beginnings 02:00 Gang Life and Running the Streets 05:00 Growing Up Chinese in New York 10:00 Joining the Ghost Shadows 13:00 Gang Violence and Arrest at 16 18:00 Surviving Rikers Island in the '90s 24:07 This Episode Is Sponsored By Mars Men 26:07 Rules, Power, & Survival in Prison 33:00 Family Estrangement & the Immigrant Struggle 40:00 Gang Hierarchies and Racial Dynamics 45:23 This Episode Is Sponsored By Hims and PrizePicks 49:27 First Charges: Court, Sentencing, and Mindset 53:00 The Prison Hustle: Drugs and Power Dynamics 01:00:00 Solitary: 7 Years in the Box 01:10:00 Prison Violence, Staff Abuse, and Punishments 01:20:00 Life in the Hole: Extreme Survival Tactics 01:26:00 Programming, Parole, and Getting Out 01:34:00 Return to the Outside: Rebuilding Life 01:42:00 Business & Hustles After Prison 01:47:00 From Prison to Actor: Breaking into Hollywood 02:00:00 New Life, Second Incarceration, and Growth 02:10:00 Final Reflections and Redemption 02:18:00 Looking Forward: Making Amends and Family Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Did you ever have to shoot someone?
0:01.6	I shot and killed somebody when I was 16,
0:03.1	and that's when I first entered the justice system.
0:05.3	At that time, he was all in the streets.
0:07.0	Killer be killed, survival of the fittest. Everybody was killing people back in the 90s. Everybody. We didn't know the value of life. They didn't care. They gave me a beat down automatically to the staff. Your reputation really preceded you. They wanted me to know that this is not Sing Sing.
0:19.1	We don't tolerate people putting hands on officers.
0:21.4	We will kill you.
0:22.3	There was at least two slashings a day. They wanted me to know that this is not Sing Sing. We don't tolerate people putting hands on officers.
0:21.5	We will kill you. And there was at least two slashings a day. Just in the adolescent wing,
0:26.2	they came up behind him and stabbed in my face. Three dudes jumped on top of me as a safety so I couldn't
0:31.0	chase the shooter. Casualties of war shit happened. Today's guest is Richie Ng, a former Chinese
0:36.3	gang member who's got one of the craziest
0:38.4	prison stories I've ever heard.
0:40.5	Richie grew up in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Chinese immigrant parents, and ran away
0:45.0	from home at a young age to join the Ghost Shadow Street Gang in Manhattan's infamous Chinatown
0:50.8	district.
0:51.7	Then, when he was only 16, Richie got locked up for murder and spent the next 23 years
0:56.6	doing the hardest time imaginable, first on Rikers Island and then throughout the rest of the
1:02.0	New York State prison system, including seven straight years in solitary confinement.
1:07.2	Slashing, stabbings, heroin smuggling, assaults on guards, even throwing shi cups,
1:12.5	Richie was not trying to hear it. But when he did finally make parole, he got out and
1:17.8	became, of all things, a successful actor. To this day, Richie's been a featured player in
	...

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