The island is becoming a dumping-ground for criminals convicted in the United States and deported back to homes they left as infants with around 60 U.S. deportees currently living in Samoa.
“Tattooing — it’s making money legally and its using god’s gift,” said Sam Faamausil, a former gang member who learnt his trade while in a U.S. jail.
It was Faamausil’s former California gangster life which bought him a prison sentence and then deportation in shackles back to his birth country Samoa — a country he couldn’t even remember.
He was dumped at the airport completely alone with no money.
“After the third day after sitting there with no food no clothes I thought, oh it’s time to kill yourself and when I went to the bathroom to hang myself a taxi driver came inside the bathroom,” said Faamausil.
The taxi driver took pity on him and saved his life.
Around 60 American deportees in Samoa have a similar story, banished by U.S. authorities to the motherland in exchange for less jail time.
But there have been no palm trees and pina coladas for many of them, just more punishment.
“They hate Americans, they hate anyone who dresses like a gangster from America. I’ve been to the hospital four times, the beatings the Samoans give they are really savages,” said Faamausil.
Strict village structure is designed to keep control.
“Samoa is a place where they’ll greet you with open arms, it’s a friendly place but if you are going to come over with that particular type of lifestyle they’ll stomp it out real quickly,” said Mical Hickey, businessman.
But there’s not just village justice.
Established criminal groups in Samoa operating under the table are not thrilled to see overt gangster behavior jeopardizing their own operations.
“The younger generation, they don’t respect bringing in the influence in overseas it’s not helping our situation as well so we have to put a stop to it and believe it or not to help the community out as well,” said an unidentified Samoan gang member.
But for Faamausil doing time in the homeland has turned his life around for the better.
“The only thing you are going to get out of gangs, you are either going to be dead, going to jail or missing your family like me,” he said
He said the only gang he belongs to now is God’s gang.
