He wants the jets to stay cool so they don't get angry do something stupid before the rumble between them and the sharks.
Riff
Riff leads the Jets, Bernardo leads the Sharks.
The Jets (Leader: Riff; formerly Tony) and the Sharks (Leader: Bernardo)
Tony, The thing is Riff the leader of the Jets said in 'The Jets Song' is that 'when your a jet your a jet all they way meaning you may leave the gang but your still a Jet anyway.
Riff leads the Jets, Bernardo leads the Sharks
The Mercutio of West Side Story is Riff.
Riff
Riff
Riff Lorton is a key character in "West Side Story," a musical inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." He is the leader of the Jets, a white teenage gang in New York City, and serves as a close friend to Tony, one of the story's protagonists. Riff is characterized by his loyalty and determination to assert his gang's dominance over rival groups, particularly the Sharks, a Puerto Rican gang. His actions and decisions drive much of the conflict in the story.
According to wikipedia Tony the co-founder of the Jets street gang kills Bernardo leader of the Sharks in a fit of rage at the fight at the end of Act I after Bernardo stabs Riff (the Jets leader) with a switchblade.
The Jets are racists.
The Jets are racists.