The History of Chicago Gang
Chicago based gangs can now be found in all fifty states and in many cities within Canada. These gangs, their affiliations and rivalries, are widely emulated in many communities by thugs, young and old, with or without any connection to Chicago or the original gang they claim. Regardless, this Chicago based street gang phenomena is rooted in historical origins that can be illustrated in a brief, but accurate, explanation.
Gangs have been around Chicago since the early 1900s, but they really kicked off in the 1960s & 1970s. Vice Lords, considered the oldest and second largest street gang, in Chicago, started then late 50s by a group of youths incarcerated in St Charles, “The Illinois State Training Center for Boys. They are also the 1st gang to incorporate. It is rare, however, to encounter a gang member claiming to be just a Vice Lords. They will claim Cicero Insane Vice Lords, Conservative Imperial Insane Vice Lords, Mafia Insane Vice Lords, Traveling Vice Lords, Undertaker or Unknown Vice Lords, or Four Corner Hustlers.
The Gangster Disciples are, undoubtedly, the largest street gang, and may probably be the largest gang in the United States. During the late 60s and early 70s, the Gangster Disciples, often called the GDs, formed from a group of smaller street gangs in the Englewood section of Chicago, into the Black Gangster Disciple Nation. After David Barksdale’s death, split into Gangster Disciples, and Black Disciples, with the Black Gangster forming later. They where actually formed to combat the Black Stone Rangers, who later became known as the Black P Stones and El Rukns (the Foundation).
Hispanic gangs also formed in the 60s and 70s. Some where actually white softball teams, like the Ambrose and Two Sixers. The Latin Kings are the largest Hispanic gang in Chicago and according to their charter, the ALKN, also known as the Almighty Latin King Nation, was founded in the 6th decade of the 20th century. A lot of Hispanic gangs formed for protection from other gangs, mostly the white gangs, who formed to combat the Hispanics moving into their neighborhoods, much like the depictions of the movie ‘West Side Story’.
People and Folks, the long traditional way that gangs in Chicago have aligned is clouded in legend and folklore. There are, however, different stories about how they got started. One explanation is that People was formed around 1974 in Menard prison to combat the Aryan Brotherhood, some of whom where the prison guards. Another is they where formed in Stateville prison in the mid 70s, by ‘Lord Gino’ Colon of the Latin Kings, Bobby Gore of the Vice Lords and Jeff Fort of the Black P Stones. This sounds like the most logical explanation since Jeff Fort and Gino Colon where both at Stateville prison during that time frame. Folks started later in the 1970s, approximately in 1979 when the Black Gangster Disciples and their allies from the South Side of Chicago, along with the Simon City Royals, (a white gang) and their allies from the North Side, met in a warehouse on 47th street. The Chicago Police raided the warehouse and made over 90 arrests. The Folk Nation, according to gang legend, was formed to combat the alliances of the People Nation. Even though People and Folks still exists (People still use the 5 pointed star and everything is to the left, and Folks still use the 6 pointed star, Star of David” after David Barksdale, and everything to the right), this alliance is shaky at best, and Chicago Gangs, mainly Hispanic and White, are now aligned under 4 new factions. These factions, or alliances are known as Almighty, Maniac, Insane & Gangster.
There is much more o the history of Chicago gangs like how Larry Hoover, leader or Chairman of the Gangster Disciples, in his attempt to control Latin Folks, allowed the Spanish Gangster Disciple concept to develop. David Ayala, leader of the Two Sixers, didn’t want to be under Gangster Disciple rule so he changed the name to OCG, Our Continued Growth, thus also allowing black gang members to sit on the governing board since the word Spanish was no longer used. This is also when he, Ayala, formed the 4th family, the Gangster Family. These gangs, predominantly, Black and Hispanic gangs, are carefully organized and structured.
Recently, the Chicago gang situation has experienced an influx of California Gangs like the Bloods, Crips, Surenos, Nortenos, and MS13. Although these California gangs have been developing in Chicago, like they are across the US, they have not been able to fully establish themselves as formidable criminal entities in Chicagoland because of the historically entrenched gangs. Even with the long history of Chicago gangs and the many generations of its members, the future of Chicago gangs will be interesting to watch, to say the least.
