The Saints effectively produced a facade of
respectability. They came from “good families,” were
active in school organizations, expressed the intention of
attending university, and received good grades. People
generally viewed their delinquent acts as a few isolated
cases of “sowing wild oats.” By contrast, the Roughnecks
had no such aura of respectability. They drove around
town in beat-up cars, were generally unsuccessful in
school, and were viewed with suspicion no matter what
they did.