Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US Und.) a gang; a given group of criminal specialists.

[1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 366: Now did I begin to renew my acquaintance with the Tribe of Rogues, with whom I grew so intimate].
[1678		Scourge for Poor Robin 6: You shall infallibly finde him and his Tribe about the Fag-end of the day at the Rendezvouze].
1822		Morn. Chron. (London) 21 Aug. 3/4: The light-fingered tribe [i.e. pickpockets] mustered in great strength [...] among the crowd at Lord Londonderry’s funeral.
1828		G. Smeeton Doings in London 53: The celebrated Molly Jones, one of the most notorious disciples of the begging-letter tribe.
1871		Galaxy (N.Y.) Apr. 565: Not long since a skinner, sauntering up-town after a day of ill luck in Wall street, managed to bring down two birds with one stone in a manner that greatly increased the credit of his tribe.
1899		W.J. Kountz Billy Baxter’s Letters 71: The tribe got insulted and told the man his place was no good anyhow.
1914		Jackson & Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Sl. 85: tribe [...] Used principally by yeggs and begging bums, though current, too, amongst grafters who operate in cliques. A gang; a class.
1928		M. West Pleasure Man (1997) Act I: Picture any o’ that tribe leavin’ anythin’ behind ’em but unpaid bills!
1931		Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 191: Tribe.– A group of tramps travelling together.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 243: tribe A gang of tramps.
1955		D. Maurer in Cressey & Ward Delinquency, Crime, and Social Process (1969) 830: Mobs are also known as tribes, troupes, or teams.
1993		L. Rodríguez Always Running (1996) 54: ‘She’s being initiated into the Tribe [...] the Animal Tribe’.
1997–2000		College Sl. Research Project (Cal. State Poly. Uni., Pomona) 🌐 Tribe (noun) A group of friends or buddies.
2002		Cypress Hill Sl. Gloss. 🌐 tribe: close friends.