The gang known as "The Bloods" was formed by many smaller gangs combining. Starting in late 1971, the Avalon Garden Crips, Inglewood Crips and other Crip sets joined forces. They began to expand to non-Crip gang territories such as those held by The L.A. Brims, a powerful street gang that had been formed in 1969. Due to the advances of the Crips, several gangs eventually became part of the Blood family, including the Bishops and Athens Park boys. The Denver Lanes also had conflicts with the Crips, but were outnumbered and eventually became unknown in California for some time.