Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a criminal record ; thus pedigreed, having a criminal record; pedigree-man, a recidivist.

1893		Record-Union (Sacarmento, CA) 16 July 4/4: ‘Rebel George’ [...] who is wanted [...] on a charge of swindling by the gold-brick method [...] has a lonmg and sensational criminal pedigree.
1902		N.Y. Tribune 23 Nov. 7/2: The prisoner’s pedigree was being taken by Sergeant Butler.
1912		Salt Lake Tribune (UT) 31 Oct. 8/1: An hour later, after the formality of taking the prisoner’s pedigree [...] Becker was in his death cell.
1923		J. Manchon Le Slang 220: Pedigree-man, [...] un récidiviste, un cheval de retour.
1933		C.W. Willemse Cop Remembers 127: I locked her up finally and after her pedigree had been taken at the desk, she was turned over to the matron.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 154/2: Pedigree. The formal police record of a criminal.
1962		Ragen & Finston World’s Toughest Prison 811: pedigree – A criminal’s record as held by the police.
1986		J. Ellroy Suicide Hill 60: ‘Wanta trade pedigrees?’ ‘Sure. The vehicular manslaughter conviction you already heard about [...]. Y.A. parole and County probation [etc]’.
1989		J. Morton Lowspeak.
1992		Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 103: Pedigree An inmate’s criminal history.

2. thus, a ‘track record’, a reputation.

1964		B. Jackson Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 107: Anyhow, whore, shut up talkin’ to me / ’fore I tell the people your past pedigree.
1970		B. Jackson Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 59: Bitch, it’s best you not fuck with me, / I better run you down some of my pedigree.

3. (N.Z. prison) a memeber of the biker/prison gang the Mongrel Mob.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 137/2: pedigree n. a Mongrel Mob Member.