Street robbery is widely seen as the epitome of acquisitive instrumentality, yet recent research suggests that the crime may be designed more to send a message than to generate capital. Drawing from in-depth, semistructured interviews with active offenders, we find that moralistic street robbery is a response to one of three types of violations. "Market-related" violations emerge from disputes involving partners in trade, rivals, or generalized predators. "Status-based" violations involve encounters in which the grievant's essential character or normative sensibilities have been challenged. "Personalistic" violations flow from incidents in which the grievant's autonomy or belief in a just world have been jeopardized. Discussion focuses on the data's implications for deterrence and the spread of urban violence.