Tongans aren’t a very numerous group in the US, but they’re pretty tough cookies. I wonder what the RICO charges were for (I would imagine it was drug smuggling).
per KSL link above:
Their crimes included robberies, assaults and use of firearms during crimes of violence committed in support of an ongoing criminal organization.
Jurors at the time feared retaliation and wanted assurances from the judge that they would be safe. A note from a juror asking for such assurances nearly caused a mistrial in the case. The seven men were among 17 suspected TCG members indicted in 2010 under RICO, which prosecutors call a powerful tool for dismantling and disrupting street gangs.