The story
An intentionally archaic (or fanciful) spelling of crew, from the name of "The Mistick Krewe of Comus", the first such private organization.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
krewe
Today it means: A private organization in New Orleans or elsewhere that exists to stage a Mardi Gras Ball, Mardi Gras Parade, or both. Full definition →