New Jack and Mustafa Saed debuted as The Gangstas in ECW in 1995, the now two-man team were known for bringing weapons such as guitars, crutches and staple guns to the ring in trash cans and shopping carts. The team went on to hold the ECW World Tag Team Championship two times.
The team split in 1997, when Mustafa left ECW. New Jack found a new partner in John Kronus of The Eliminators, who, like New Jack, was left without a partner after the other half of The Eliminators, Perry Saturn, left ECW. Kronus and New Jack became known as The Gangstanators (a portmanteau of Gangstas and Eliminators) and held the ECW World Tag Team Championship once. With Mustafa gone, New Jack went on to greater fame, continuing to use the Gangsta gimmick. In 1999, The two former teammates began a brief feud when Mustafa returned at Crossing the Line 1999.