NYC Gangs, Off-Track Betting & More Set for Tonight's MetroFocus on THIRTEEN

The award-winning series MetroFocus premieres new episodes in the New York and tri-state region weeknights at 5 p.m. on WLIW21, 5:30 p.m. on NJTV and 6 p.m. on THIRTEEN. All episodes are available at metrofocus.org following the broadcast.

The episodes description for tonight, Friday, May6 follow below. Please note episode descriptions are subject to change. Please visit metrofocus.org for the latest information.

Friday, May 6 at 5:00 p.m. on WLIW21, 5:30 p.m. on NJTV and 6:00 p.m. on THIRTEEN: Gangs of New York: The INSIDE STORY - On Wednesday, April 27th, over 700 law enforcement officers conducted a bust in a New York City housing authority complex in The Bronx. This one bust led to the arrest and indictment of over 120 suspected gang members. Despite this success and the success of similar sweeps in the city, gang-related violence has increased, accounting for half of 2015's 1,042 shootings and 40% of its 318 murders. Shanduke McPhatter, a rehabilitated gang member, is the founder and the executive director of the nonprofit organization Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes, which works with formally incarcerated men and women to help them transition back into society. We discuss the increase in gang violence, G.M.A.C.C., and what steps are being taken to combat the city's gang problems.

Beating the Odds in Newark - You've probably heard of "The Three Tenors" and the "Three Musketeers," but what about the "Three Doctors?" As part of our ongoing initiative "Chasing the Dream: Poverty and Opportunity in America," MetroFocus contributor Mike Schneider talks to Dr. Sampson Davis about how a pact between him and his friends when they were teenagers helped him survive the mean streets of Newark and achieve his dream of being a doctor.

NYC's Kentucky Derby Blues - Love horse racing? Live in New York? Want to place a bet? You can't! Not anymore. Tomorrow is the Kentucky Derby, but as some prepare to bet on those competing on the track, we'll look back on New York in the 1970's when the city was the only place outside of Nevada to legalize off-track betting. During that time, OTB parlors generated millions of dollars in bets each year, before it was wiped out in 2010. Filmmaker Joseph Fusco covers the rise and fall of this notorious chapter in his new documentary "Finish Line: The Rise and Demise of Off Track Betting.