# Do gangs buy life insurance for their members? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860 "2017-07-22T02:46:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/1 "2017-07-22T02:46:42Z")
Seems like it would be an easy way to cash in on inevitable turf wars. Why isn’t this done more often? Or is it? ---
**Author:** ![edwardcoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cab0a1/32.png) [@edwardcoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwardcoast)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/2 "2017-07-22T03:12:45Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Seems like it would be an easy way to cash in on inevitable turf wars. Why isn’t this done more often? Or is it? Because life insurance policies require you to be legit. You need to show documentation for legal income, be subjected to a paramedical exam, etc. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/3 "2017-07-22T03:13:34Z")
You need to be able to provide proof of an insurable interest to buy life insurance on another person. It’s rather difficult to supply employment records such as paystubs and tax forms if you manage a staff of crackslingers on the corner. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/4 "2017-07-22T03:59:41Z")
What about those TV ones that say “All we need is a social security number and a signature”? ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/5 "2017-07-22T04:19:37Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Seems like it would be an easy way to cash in on inevitable turf wars. Why isn’t this done more often? Or is it? According to Freakanomics a couple of years ago, most gang members are making less than minimum wage, and living with their mothers. I’m not sure there is a lot of margin there. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/6 "2017-07-22T12:33:22Z")
You mean Sinatra and Clooney _lied_ about that Cool gangster lifestyle ? ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/7 "2017-07-22T12:54:35Z")
Lots of parents of gang members take out life insurance on their kids. Anecdote only, but at least where I work this is true. If they are over 18 and have been convicted of a felony it can be almost impossible to get life insurance for a while after that conviction. If they are under 18 only a parent or guardian can take out a policy on them. A Grandparent in some states. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/8 "2017-07-22T14:17:12Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > What about those TV ones that say “All we need is a social security number and a signature”? Those aren’t million dollar policies - they’re smaller ($50k-$100k) policies with higher premiums that typically won’t pay benefits for 2-5 years after you take them out (they’ll refund your premiums instead of paying). ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/9 "2017-07-22T14:33:19Z")
I think policies typically exclude death or injury that occurs while participating in illegal activity. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/10 "2017-07-22T18:37:01Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > Those aren’t million dollar policies - they’re smaller ($50k-$100k) policies with higher premiums that typically won’t pay benefits for 2-5 years after you take them out (they’ll refund your premiums instead of paying). They may not even pay that much. Very cheap policies are often “burial insurance” - they pay a few thousand dollars, enough to cover the cost of a decent funeral and not much more. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/11 "2017-07-22T19:02:21Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > Those aren’t million dollar policies - they’re smaller ($50k-$100k) policies with higher premiums that typically won’t pay benefits for 2-5 years after you take them out (they’ll refund your premiums instead of paying). Usually it’s 25k max on a guaranteed issue policy like that. And it will always have a modified benefits period, though that is typically only for death by illness. > [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > I think policies typically exclude death or injury that occurs while participating in illegal activity. This is not true anymore for the most part and even where it is true contestability periods are only 2 years from policy effective date in all 50 states. After you have a policy 2 years the policy has to pay no matter what. ---
**Author:** ![Rama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@Rama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rama)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2017, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/12 "2017-07-23T11:00:41Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > I think policies typically exclude death or injury that occurs while participating in illegal activity. Is it illegal to wear the wrong colors? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2017, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/13 "2017-07-23T11:05:44Z")
> [@Rama](#): > > Is it illegal to wear the wrong colors? If life insurance companies are anything like health insurance companies, they’d give it a shot. ETA: What are the gangs gonna do? Sue the insurance company? Attack the executives who live several states away without a support network? ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2017, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/14 "2017-07-23T11:56:46Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > ETA: What are the gangs gonna do? Sue the insurance company? Why not? [Gangs file lawsuits.](http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/insane-clown-posse-win-appeal-in-fbi-gang-lawsuit-20150918) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2017, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/15 "2017-07-23T12:01:08Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > You mean Sinatra and Clooney _lied_ about that Cool gangster lifestyle ? Well, sure. But the Sharks and Jets really do dance in the streets of NY. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-gangs-buy-life-insurance-for-their-members/791860/16 "2017-07-23T15:24:36Z")
> [@Rama](#): > > Is it illegal to wear the wrong colors? “And he was just running a late-night lemonade stand, your honor.”