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Pony Down Crew: The Family Cartel Behind Detroit's $100 Million Drug Empire

Hood Archives

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Before the Chambers Brothers. Before BMF. There was Pony Down.
As Detroit's auto industry collapsed and forty thousand jobs vanished, one man built a $100 million heroin empire from the wreckage. Leroy 'Gun' Buttrum didn't stumble into the drug game — he engineered it. Family-run, corporate-structured, operating in plain sight while the feds watched and waited.

This is the story of Detroit's most overlooked criminal organization. The blueprint they built didn't die when they went to prison. It spread.

DISCLAIMER: Hood Archives does not condone or glorify criminal activity or violence. This content is for historical and educational purposes only.

20 Comments

@lexdee523 4 months ago (edited)

You hear about "The Chambers Brothers" you hear about "YBI" you hear about "BMF" but the Pony Down Crew who was just as relevant in the "D" as the other three mentioned, you knew of them but you hardly hear anything about them. I appreciate you shining the light on them. I'm a Detroit native and I'm familiar with them all.

@EricNight-t3z 4 months ago

It's about time someone talked about these guys. They where the foundation to Fenkel crews! 1000

@chedoggy1604 4 months ago

Crazy reliving this era, and how the devils with precision decimated tha D....Thorough job bruh!!

@Jewel_of_God333 4 months ago

Wow! This brought back so many memories

@israelsimpson9538 2 weeks ago

This my family Uncles through my Auntie Fenkell Ave 41- Rip Uncle Gun-Rip -Uncle Snake-Rip-Grandma Geneva Rip Grandpa Leroy..Pony Down 41 East to West Worldwide 👟👟👟👟🌍🌎

@EricNight-t3z 4 months ago

Need to do something on Boss Hog, Chilli Moe both from the Pony Crew

@SilkESamDETSES 3 months ago

I'm 58, pony down existed at the same time as YBI.

@Niyahjordanisback 4 months ago

I’m 47 and this is the first time in my life I’ve seen a story on Pony Down. Good job!

@WestDallasQue212 4 months ago

Early morning crew👨🏾‍💻

@James-1684 4 months ago

Need more of these on them

@derekwest6271 4 months ago

Pony Down about time they talking about them

@Sherrod-e1t 4 months ago

Fenkell & Sorrento if you know you know

@deonthompson6485 4 months ago

We don’t die we multiply PONY DOWN

@MackMack-j9c 4 months ago

AH PONY DOWN BABY!!!

@BlackLegends-t5o 4 months ago

This was a fascinating and well-researched documentary. The storytelling, historical details, and insight into how such a large criminal organization operated made for a very compelling watch. Great narration and editing that kept the story engaging while highlighting the real-world consequences involved.

@GoldenHunni 4 months ago

As soon as I saw pony down I clicked so fast

@EricMallett-w1l 4 months ago

Get down or lay down if you lay down you stay down. We had friends took to the alley and never seen again

@justinduncan1672 4 months ago

My best friend in highschool told me his brother's were in pony down and now I'm seeing a story about these guys!

@FranklinBurrus 2 months ago (edited)

The thing that strikes me the most in this entire series is that no matter what crew or what city, all of these men were able to get a hold of literal metric tons of cocaine. We never talk about who supplied it to and who profited.

And it’s the same story: certain parts of these cities are abandoned, and what given in place of support are drugs. These kingpins are merely middlemen in a larger game.