I had previously read that the teardrops were for each killing by that person. Who knows?
TEAR DROP:
The tear drop indicates jail time and is usually found on the harder core gang members or criminals.
Note: Tear drop tattoos are not used exclusively by Asian gang members. The open and closed tear drops are also used by White, Hispanic, and Black gang members.
The open tear drop is supposed to indicate that the wearer has killed someone.
The closed tear drop is supposed to indicate that the wearer has lost a family member, a fellow gang member or close friend.