Black Gangs Cornell Square Gangs Pullman Gangs South Side Gangs Taylor Street

Capone Lords

Chicago Gang Map: Old School Gang Map

RICE BOYS:

were on Rice and Pine, Chicago and Central, and on Kostner and Wabansia.

VENTURES:

Crystal and Long under the PVR's

PLAYBOYS:

Wrightwood and Laramie in the mid 80's.

Cragin Park Playboys/pvr's (Playboys/Ventures/Rice Boys unity), they lasted up until the early 90s. The Playboys also had sections on Division Street. There was a big set of PVR at Galewood Park.

UNITED FIVE ORGANIZATION: United Fighting Organization

LITTLE GENTLEMEN SAC: 50's

They ruled Albany Park and beyond in the 50's. Most all became professionals, lawyers, and successful businessmen.

Coal Yard

WHITE KNIGHTS

Young Destroyers

JCLs

BELL PARKERS

RIIS PARKERS

MONROE BOYS

LECLAIRE AND GEORGE

HOWARD STREET GREASERS

ROCKET SENIORS: 1958-1962

Hung out Rogers School park, Louie's Noshery California and Touhy and La Rosa on Touhy and Washtenaw. Enemies Black Top from St Margaret Mary's Prestigians, Bravados, Top Hats from Roosevelt.

JUNIOR ROCKETS: 1962-1966

PRESTIGIANS: 60's

BRAVADOS: 60's

Furies

BYRON AND KOSTNER BOYS

TWELFTH STREET PLAYERS

EVANSTON SAINTS: late 70s, early 80s

There was a gang called the Saints from Evanston. They hung out at the Main street Metra station at about that time.

PULASKI PARK

DOVER LORDS: 1960s

They hung around Broadway and Montrose.

ROGUES: 1960s

ABOs

LOCAL 13

SHABONA PARK BOMBERS

ELMWOOD PARK BOYS

HARLEM PLAYERS

PARK BOYS

FURIES

GRAND AND NOBLE BOYS

CICERO KINGS:

The Cicero Kings were a predominately White street gang that originated in the late 1950's on the West Side of Chicago near Ohio Street and Cicero Avenue. The ethnic makeup of this gang was at first predominantly Italian-American and Irish-American however by the mid 1960's it turned mostly Southern Appalachian White. The emblem used buy the Cicero Kings was a Kings head.

A-BOYS

ASHLAND AND ADDISON

HAPPY GENTLEMEN:

Humboldt Park Jewish.

BRYN MAWR BOYS

JP's & Jr JP's: 1967

from Riis Park

Pastels (girls): 1967

Cascades (guys): 1967

CHICAGO and LAVERGNE: 1966-69

CENTRAL and LEMOYNE: 1966-69

I was part of Central Lemoyne, which is accurate portrayed as a mostly Greek gang of about 20 members. My mother was Greek and all of our mothers would talk to each other in Greek. For what it's worth, I wanted to add some other information. I would say 75% of us were Greek, but we also had about 5 non-Greek members in the "mad Russian", Fat Joe (Irish), Sal L.(Italian), Dominic P. (Mexican), and Richard D. (Polish). We were loosely associated (friends) with the Chicago and Lavergne gang. Chicago and Lavergne would often battle with another larger white gang that you mentioned: Chicago and Lawndale. I was part of the white flight and moved to Elk Grove in 1968. When I visited my old neighborhood and other white gang neighborhoods in 1970 and 1971, there was a dramatic change. Earlier as far as we knew only the African-American and Latino gangs had weapons. Now with the proliferation of guns that seem to occur with white vets returning from Vietnam it seemed that all the white gangs now had weapons. I cannot emphasize what a tremendous change this was in the culture of those gangs. Our tiny gang at Central and Lemoyne never got involved in any sort of criminal activity whatsoever. Now with the spread of weapons, the whole white gang scene became much more dangerous and apt to become involved in criminal activity.

Sincerely Heng Shün

15 to 20 mostly Greek Gang.

CHICAGO and LAWNDALE: 1966-69

ROYAL CAPRIS

Hung out in the Foreman H.S. parking lot. They use to hang at Belden & Ridgeway and hung with the Lawndale Gaylords.

DIVERSEY AND KEDZIE: 1974

They hung out at the pool hall on their corner. Also, Vito's Red Hot Stand on milwaukee and Big George's on Division.

South Side Gangs

MAD LADS:

(very large, very active, and very short lived). The Mad Lads were predominantly white, and wore gray sweaters and berets.

MANIAC DUKES: 70's

Turf: 52nd and Justine. Were the Justine Syndicate and the Maniac Savages. About ten guys.

MANIAC DUKES OF 59TH STREET: 60's

They were East of Damen and West of Ashland.

SEIDALS: 50's

Girl gangs from Back of the Yards which stood for - Ladies spelled backwards.

ECIDONS: 50's

Back of the Yards Girl gang which stood for - no dice spelled backwards!

WINOS: 60s

59th and Damen Street

MUSCADUDDLERS: 60's

See Muscaduddlers of Cornell Square.

MUSCATEL QUEENS: Back of the Yards

Symbol was a crown with abottle next to it.

59TH STREET SUPREME RULERS

KINGSMEN:

they were from around 59th Street.

FULTON PARK BOYS:

Turf was 53rd and Wood Streets.

NIGHTINGALES:

(Midgets were LITTLE NIGHTINGALES) They hung by the grammer school on 52nd and Rockwell.

BURGER KING BOYS:

They hung at the Burger King that used to be on 55th east of Ashland.

51ST STREET ROMANS: 1955-60s

51st St Romans gang started out about 1955 at 50th and Hoyne with 15 members Had a club house in a garage on 50th st just west of Hoyne for a while then moved oN to 51st & Damen hangout was Minosos & J.B Bowling Alley until the late 50's then Joined up with a gang from 51st & Ashland were the membership grew to about 35 and the new hangout was Universal Candies at 51st & Ashland. The gang started breaking up in the early 60's turf was 50th St to 54th St Damen to Western.

63RD STREET IMPERIALS

63rd STREET BEER CLUB

EMERALD KNIGHTS: 60's

Latino: Emerald Knights are named after the street they hung out at which is Emerald. The Emerald Knights were the younger gang under the Latin Souls who evolved from the Village Sharks. 55th and Emerald. On 10-6-1970, The Emerald Knights fought the Devil's Disciples in a gang fight at 56th Street and Sangamon Avenue where three people were wounded and one died.

MORGAN DUKES: 60s

Morgan Dukes were a big group of white dudes that hung around 55th Morgan by Visitation School they fought with the puerto rican gangs from 55th halsted.

MONKEY TOWN BOYS: 60s

WESTLAWN: 60s

Westlawn were white greasers that hung around Westlawn Park & Hubbard High School their rivals were the Sawyer Boys & The Loafers.

HILLBILLY HEAVEN: 60s

Hillbilly Heaven were greasers that hung around 63rd Central their rivals were the 58th st Jungle.

V's:

They hung around behind Gage Park High School.

EVERGREEN PARK GANG: 1957

93rd Street and Chappel

18TH AND CANAL PORT GANG: 1940s

There turf was in Mark White Square around 2900 South Halsted Street.

LADY HEADS: 1972

White and Spanish girl gang from the Cooper Upper Grade School area around West 18th Place.

CHERRY BUSTERS: later 1960s

Aka Cheery Busters. Cherry Busters was a white gang that hung around Hedges school 47th s Winchester, and on 47th - 48th street on Walcott. They wore white jackets with two cherries on the back. The Cornell Dukes were the Cherry Busters prior to becoming the Dukes.

SUBNORMALS: 60's:

From 45th's Normal in Canaryville mostly Irish.

BROTHERHOOD WHITE GANG

Irish gang 60's

CENTURIANS: 60's

From Vittum Park had black & yellow sweaters and fought with the LA,S from Archer Park.

CAPRIS: 60's

There was also a girls gang on 47th st just east of Cicero called the Capris. They wore black & baby blue sweaters the neighborhood was called "Sleepy Hollow" and a lot different gangs would go there to hang out with the Capris and Party which led to alot of fights.

58st JUNGLE: 60's

58th St Jungle was a large gang that hung around Kennedy high school & the village green a dancehall where bands would play and lots of fights broke out between rival gangs.

WHITE NATION: 60's

White Nation or White Berets were white greasers from all over the Southside who wore white berets and fought with blacks and Latinos. There was no leadership just white dudes helping out other white dudes they seen wearing white berets. They hung around 56th-Western in the late 70's. The leader called himself "Mud"because he said if you fought him, that's where you'd end up.

EDWARDS BOYS: 60's

Edwards Boys hung around Edwards School on 48th s Karlov. Their enemies were Little Mexico, Boroughs Boys and The Muscaddulers.

BROTHERS OF BRIGHTON: 60's

The Brothers Of Brighton hung around Brighton Park they wore gray and purple sweaters and fought with the Latin Lords. Hangouts: Dinahs restaurant 43rd and South Richmond across from Five Holy Martyrs church; Gunsaulus school: On whipple between 44th and South 45th Street, Drank beer dice games 16 inch softball, plus mischief. And the Rudy's Mom's Candy Store in the middle of the block on Whipple Street.

BRIGHTON PARK JENTS (SAC): 60s

Hung out around 39th and California Ave near Kelly High School on Chicago’s South Side.

SCOTTSDALE BROTHERHOOD ASSOCIATION: 60s

LAFLIN DRIFTERS: 50s/60s

The late 50's until mid 60's the Laflin Drifters hung around 65 and laflin, by John;s store and Oscars food mart. They were there when the neighborhood was changing in the late sixty's. We hung around Ogden park at night and could get 60 or 70 guys if the blacks came to the loomis side of the park. The Loafers were one of the gangs that were enemies. When the area became integrated the police had a massive amount of manpower in the neighborhood, to keep the race fights from blowing up, this forced the white guys to go elsewhere, we ended up at 51 and damen for a while.

BOROUGH BOYS: 60's

YARD RATS

CRAZY STAS

The Boroughs Boys hung around Boroughs School at 35th s Washtenaw they fought with the Edwards Boys.

SATAN'S HEARTS: 60s

White gang, 54th and South Marshfield.

FLEMINGS: 67 to 75

hung between 63d and 65 th st Cicero west to Lawler park. Existed from 1967 to about 1975. Numbered about 50 at its height.

BEEF RANCH: 67 to 74

Beef Ranch, a group that hung around the restaurant by that name at 63d and Keating. Mostly Italian. Operated from 67 to 74. Numbered about 25 but never had any problems because they were pretty tough.

THE HILL: 68 to 75

The Hill, hung in the alley behind 66th and Keating, near the Cicero Ave hill. 68 to 75. Numbered about 50.

DUNLOPS: 50s

Brighton Park gang from around 1955 until 1959, made the newspapers quite a few times. Stood trial for arson, and assault to commit murder.

ONE WAY GANG: late 60s

One-Way Gang The One Way Boys were from 50th and Morgan and hung out at Wagner Park on 51st Morgan, and so did the Gaylords. Many of the members became Sherman Park Gaylords.

4th REICH TROJANS

CAPRELLS PARK BOYS

INSANE ESQUIRES

SABERS SAC

Our club on Polk and western in Chicago was called the Sabres SAC formed about 1957'. We would have dance socials at our hi school and we were a club of hi school members that had Pinacle tournaments and sports against other clubs.

Our Graduation class of 1960 had its 50 reunion and there are about 15 of us who still live in Chicago or suburbs and have lunch at least once a month. Our lunch club has purple shirts and gold lettering across the shirt pocket, after our school colors Purple and Gold of St. Philip HS. Jackson and Kedzie. The gold insignia reads R.o.m.e.o St? Philips. Romeo and acronym for Retired Old Men Eating Out, we get a lot of fun out of it. 15 old men in purple and gold shirts having lunch at some of our favorite restaurants that are still around.

James coglianese Contact: Email: jcog2@aol.com jcog2@aol.com

ARISTOCRATS: 60's Archer Park

There was also Aristocrats on the southside they hung around Archer Park after the LAs broke up. Some of the old LAs became Aristocrats. They wore gray & black sweaters and some hung out at 47th and Avers. The Aristocrats were fighting with The Latin Lords & Young Savages from 38th s Kedzie that neighborhood was known as "Little Mexico".

WOOD STREET WALKERS

The Wood Street Walkers got their name because they were a bunch of young guys, without drivers licenses, who walked Wood Street. The Wood Street Walkers' turf was Wood Street between 48th and 49th. They got along good with the Cherry Busters and the Muscaddulers. There rivals were the Seeley Boys and the Polish Assasins. They put on the best fireworks display in the neighborhood. The Wood Street Walkers still have a gatherings like a Social Club where they have family get togethers and picnics.

69st Loafers

69ST LOAFERS: 69th Street Loafers

67th STREET BOYS: Italian

AVALON PARK DUKES: 1959

White gang numbering around 25.

GRAND CROSSING LANCERS: 1959

White gang numbering 15.

GRAND CROSSING PARK GANG: 1959

White gang numbering 25.

80th AND HALSTED: 1960

White gang in Auburn Gresham numbering 50.

CRIMINAL GROUP: 1961

Auburn Gresham White gang numbering 7.

83RD AND EMERALD: 1962

White Auburn Gresham gang numbering 18.

77TH AND GREEN STREET: 1962

White Auburn Gresham gang numbering 15.

CHATHAM FALCONS: 1962

White gang numbering 16.

BEHIND THE FACTORY GANG: West Englewood 1950s

On 69th ST. between Damen and Western there are railroad tracks. The factory was just north of 69th and they hung out between the tracks and the factory.

JIVAROS (headhunters): 69th-Laflin, 1950s

DUKES OF HERMITAGE.

Hung around Hermitage Park and 59th and Hermitage.

SAWYER BOYS:

They hung at Sawyer school at 53rd and Sawyer.

WHIPPLE STREET BOYS

ARTESIAN COBRAS:

(a greaser gang who evolved from the 59 Street Supreme rulers, and most of whom were weightlifting fanatics)

The Settlement

Unicorn Patch courtsey of Meilani Marischino of The Facebook page: Back of the Yards - Chicago. A special thanks to Meilani and the Back of the Yards - Chicago - group.

THE SETTLEMENT (1966-1968)

Most of the Settlement guys were Unicorns like Al Cool, Lil Al Cool, Memo, Pinon, and others.

UNICORNS: 50s

They were a gang around the Settlement from the 1950s through the late 70s. Pee Wee Unicorns hung out at Throop Park aka Monkee Park. he older unicorns had the letter U on an all black sweater, same with the JRS, midget's had a emblem of a U with two unicorns facing each other on long sides of the U. midgets had two different sweaters one black with white stripes, the other was party sweater white with black stripes. They got along well with the Cool Gents. Some of the Unicorns had cousins who were Saints.

GREEKS and STIFFETTOS:

1950 girl gangs in the Gage Park area of 55th and Western.

WHITEY'S BOYS GANG:

Harrison High School greaser gang. In 1967, their leader (named Whitey) was shot and killed by the leader of the Villa Lobos after a dance at the Gads Hill Center.

LATIN COUNTS:

Started out as a White gang, 1961, mainly Polish, in the area of 23rd and Whipple, the Harrison High School area. The Latin Counts that hung out 24th & Washtinaw were Italian.

LATIN NOBLES: 1950s

Latin Nobles" on Division & Kedzie back in the 50's were mostly Italian with some Jews.

MADISON-CRAWFORD: 50s and 60s

Madison and Pulaski Irish gang that held that corner in the 50s and early 60s

WHITE KNIGHTS: 80s

Marquette Park. They were the Uptown Rebels of the South Side.

BROTHERHOOD: 60's

Brotherhood hung around Canaryville during the late 60s and early 70s.

BISHOP BOYS: 60s

Bishop Boys hung around Hamline School 48th s Bishop in the early 60s.

RASCALs: 60's

Rascals hung around Davis Square Park they wore black and red sweaters. There first clubhouse, a rented, street level apt. on 45th & Wood St. There second one was on up on Marshfield.

LATIN KAPRI'S: 60's Lady Rascals

HAWAIIAN 37TH: 60s

Hawaiian 37th they hung around 37th Wallace in Bridgeport. They got their name from the cops who busted them one night for under age drinking out in the open. The cops asked them if they thought they were in Hawaii or something.

TOMMY MORE BOYS: 60s

Tommy More Boys were a bunch of Dupers that hung around St Thomas More School, 81st s California they were know for fighting a lot with Greaser Gangs.

RAVENS: 60s

Ravens hung around 47th s Honore in the early 60s most of them were polish and they fought with the Saints from Davis Square Park.

51st BOYS: 60s

51st Boys they hung around 51st Racine in the early 60s and were known for jumping Mexicans walking through their neighborhood.

SABRES SAC: 1950s

Hung out at 52nd & Damen.

SETTLERS SAC: 60s

Right across from Guardian Angel on 45th and Laflin.

SHIEKS SAC: 60s

From 47th & Justine.

UNIQUES: 60s

The Uniques was a mexican gang that hung around the Mexico City Restaurant on 46th Ashland they had black & gray sweaters with Uniques written on the back.They fought with the white gangs such as The Subnormals from Canaryville.

26TH Street Jokers: 60s

JOKERS (mostly non-hispanic) - South Lawndale

CASANOVAS: 60s

The Casanova,s were from Bridgeport in the early 60s they wore black & dark gold sweaters.

RIVER RATS: 60s

The River Rats was a gang in Bridgeport that hung around close to The Shack.

HOUSE OF LORDS: 60s

The House Of Lords from Brighten Park.

PASTEUR PARK BOYS: 60s

Pasteur Park Boys 58th Kostner.

MARAUDERS: 60s

The Marauders were from 26th Albany their rivals were The Latin Kings.

SPANISH CHANCELLORS: 60s - 80s

Spanish Chancellors of 27th Normal,The Four Corner City,The Island We ran Bridgeport, fought with Italians Hitman,Latin Kings,KoolGang,Warlords,Bishops,and the Project Disciples. We RULED Bridgeport! We were The First & Original Gang there! United with 2-6 gang, a Minute. We are Brothers/United were The Saints! We united With Ambrose. We were united with no other gangs.

In Bridgeport in the early 60s, 28th Canal St was known as the island, a Mexican gang called Spanish Chancellors wore black & dark blue sweaters hung out there. Their was also a girls gang The Chantels who hung with them and wore the same color sweaters with Chantels written on the back. They were surrounded and fought with the italian gangs & fought with the Settlement.

LAFLIN LORDS:

Colors: black and blue. There corner was 48th and Laflin. They were 11 guys who never looked for trouble, but it always came to them. No gang ever took one of their sweaters. They never ran from a fight. Members who ran would get beaten up for it. They had friends in other clubs and could get 200 guys together in 20 minutes,if need be. They were allies with the Cornell Dukes, Bishops, and Muscaddulers. They would pull in their friends from other clubs to fight against the Fulton “55th and Damen,” 59th Maniac Dukes.

BISHOP BOYS

FULTON GROUP: 60s

Fulton School - Back of the Yards.

RAMPANETTES: 60s

Rampanettes was the sister club to The Rampants from 18th st.

SOUTHSIDE HEAD, INC

The Heads on The Southside were pretty big for a time. They had a few strong hoods themselves. They were on 55thst -59th-63rd-33rd--83rd-79th and Kelly Park. Eventually, most of the Hoods turned Pope?s. Their colors were black white. Their cross had 5 slashes, 1 on each side top and bottom, one on top of the cross. There were Stone Heads and Party Heads.

Brighton Park Heads of 42nd Street Brighton Park Heads have a facebook group talking about the Brighton Park neighborhood.

DIABLO'S: 60's

79th and Ashland; some of the members were Marty F. Lee J. Slinky & Weasel. They wore jackets with the emblem of a hot rod car and Diablos on the back. There rivals at times were the Loafers.

BELT BOYS:

Early 70's

The Belt Boys were named after the belt... Rail lines where they use to hang out by the rail tracks. Those same young men later moved to Vittum Park and called their name "Insane Popes".

KOOL GENTS:

a.k.a. COOL GENTS, 45th Street Back of the Yards. Cool Gents were like brothers and cousins of The Unicorns , they were from 45th and Laflin. Their sweaters were Black with deep purple stripes ,with an emblem.

SPARTANS: 48th & Hermitage

Ex-Spartan had this to say: See Spartans

LIL SYNDICATE

Back to the Yards, sixties. Photo of Lil Sydicate member on the left. Rest were friends who helped out. The Lil Syndicate were friends with the Saints, Cornell Dukes, and Unicorns & Kool Gents from the Setttlement

Back of the Yards Greasers

Back of the Yards - Dark Side

Dark Side of the Back of the Yards Video

wrote the song to capture the wicked thaughts that must go with a drive by shooting - by Chopper

The Settlment by an ex-Aristocrat

During the 50s & 60s different clubs hung out in there. The Settlers ran the place and the other clubs were the Unicorns, Son's of 45th & the Cool Gents. Some of the Saints from Davis Square hung out in there too. It was located on 45th s McDowall right off Ashland Ave a couple of blocks from Peoples Show. The back part of the building became a daycare center called Guardian Angels. The cobblestone street was still there in the 60s. I lived on the other side of 47th st until I was 16 and then moved around Archer Park. Not to many people from my side of 47th st went to the Settlement. I was in there one time invited by one of the club members. I went because I was curious to see what was in there. They had pool tables a gym & a wreck room. The place was jam packed and I got a lot of dirty looks so I took a quick tour and beat feet. The clubs from the Settlement & the other side of 47th st. did not get along for a long time.

CORNELL DUKES:

Cornell Dukes Sweater Page

Pilsen Gangs 1950-1970s

18th Street Gangs: 1950's had the HOYNE WANDERERS, mostly non-hispanic, but like many Pilsen gangs they were intially mixed like the neighborhood.

18th Street 1960s-1970s: ARCONS, SEMANONS, RAMPANTS, SPARTANS, LATIN COUNTS, COULTER COUNTS, ESQUIRES, VIALOBOS, SATIN DISCIPLES, CHANCELLORS, CRAZY TONY GONZALES' gang, and the MORGAN DEUCES.

26th Street: the Latin Kings.

Coulter Count's colors were Black & Blue were from Coulter st and Damen ave which in 68 changed to Latin kings.

18th st: Morgan Deuces Black & Gray , Bishops Black & Brown , Ambrose Black & Blue, Disciples Black & Yellow, Latin Counts Black & Red, SPARTANS Gray & Blue, Via Lobes Black & Green. See Morgan Deuces!

Davis Square Saints Midgets Sweater

DAVIS SQUARE SAINTS:

Back of the Yards starting around 1964: The Saints were at Davis Square in the Back of the Yards, 43rd to 47th/Bishop to Wood, 45th and Paulina; 47th and Hermitage. The Saints started out Polish and eventually became a Mexican gang. Their leader was called Rabbi probably the toughest dude around Davis Square Park.That's when most of the fights were fist fights.In the mid 1980s, there were still quite a few Polish in the gang. Around 1969 or 1970, The Saints and the Dukes were allies against the Sherman Park Gaylords. When the Saint's first started out they were fighting it out with the Ravens who were mostly Polish too. An Aristocrat was at a St. Joes dance when a fight broke out between the Saint's & Cherry Busters. There was chairs flying all over the place. The only common enemy back then were the Black Clubs. The clubs in that neighborhood were always fighting each other on & off. Logo: Lions head with a crown.

TAYLOR AND OAKLEY SAINTS:

In 1963, the Roman Saints were convicted for arson, which caused $250,000 worth of damage to the Chicago Science and Industry Museum. In that same incident, a White Roman Saint was convicted of murder for a stabbing death at the museum. In 1963, the Roman Saints had a clubhouse on the corner of Taylor and Oakley Streets.

NORTH SHORE GREASERS a.k.a PRATT AND SHERIDAN GREASE:

Hung out in Rogers Park at Pratt and Sheridan. They were friendly with the Howard Street Greasers and the Thorndale Jagoffs. Two of their popular hangouts were the Crystal Cue and Howard and Paulina Billards.

A North Shore Greaser had this to say: I was just a kid hanging out at Sliver Sues pinball parlor on Farwell & Clark street in the late 70"s, i remember all the gang bangers that use to hang out there, lots of popes, Simon city royals, Latin kings, I remember all the fights, they would be like brothers to me because I was a pinball wizard and win games for them, so they wouldn't be kicked out of Silver Sues. guys like Tony, red, Timmy, Frenchy, ace, Twat, Ids, etc. They always smelled like peppermint schnapps, or pot, even though I was a jock they were always cool to me, respected for helping them in a sense, felt safe around them and in the neighborhood, they were all cool guys, like you see in the gang movies. These guys were real though. Me and my sister were leaving Silver Sue's one the night Arvella Thomas was murdered. She was a friend of ours and asked us for money to get home, but we didn?t have any. Next morning we went to Silver Sue?s and found out she was killed. So sad she was so nice. I was just 11 years old, but felt older hanging around all those older people.

The gangs from Amundsen were different because just about everyone had a mutual friend or a friend period in another gang. A prime example would be Waters Park on Campbell and Wilson. On any summer night you could easily see 100 plus hanging out including guys from "Grubb"(Welles Park), TJO, Blacktop (St. Mathias), Maniac Drifters, Unknowns, PVP, and a host of others. Gangs were respected for their "Truce Ability". Waters Park is now a forest.

DRAKERS: 1960s

aka Harding Drakers were a bunch of mostly Italian guys that hung on Harding between Division & Chicago, and a little playlot on Pulaski. They didn't really hang at the playlot on Division but they were an offshoot of the Drakers that hung at Grand Park at Drake & Grand. Drakes were greaser gangs in the area of Lawndale and Altgeld prior to the Taylor Jousters. Their rival was the Septors.They hung out around the 700 block of Draker, but as years went by they started hanging on harding thats when they became the harding-drakers.

THE PATCH

BLACKTOP

VIENNA BOYS

TAU GAMMS:

A huge group of guys mostly from Senn HS known as Tau Gamms gathered around Randl's Restaurant at Devon and california Aves nearly every night between 1958-61. A few of the names associated with the crowd were Danny Lonnegan and Freddy Glickstein. Following Tau Gamma's departure, various groups from Mather HS began to locate at the corner from '63 -66. The primary enemies were the Monks from Amundsen and Turf and TJO from Senn High School. Comments by classmates members and newspaper accounts of the time corroborate the existance of group at Devon and California.

SAINTS: 1963-64 - Winthrop Street, Senn H.S.

DURELL'S: 1963-64 - hung out around the Goudy schoolyard

KENMORE BOYS

C-NOTES

INSANE POPES

PALMER BOYS

(Palmer & Sacramento)

BLACKHAWK PARK ASSASSINS

ALMIGHTY GAYLORDS

MAGNIFICENTS: 1950s Lane Tech H. S.

ICOs

ARMOUR HITMEN

DEVON BOYS: 60's and 70's

Devon boys were from Senn High school. In the beginning our name was devon jag offs (DJO). The name was given to us by George R. a member of TJO. WE hung out at Devon and Levitt at the Mobil gas station. WE were friendly with Turf,Delta,and TJO. Later we changed the name to Devon Boys. WLS radio announced us as the second largest hang out on the North Side. Our arch rivals were DC a group father west on Devon at California. We wore blue stocking caps,navy bomber jackets, combat boots or steel toed work boots. In the summer we had brown t-shirts with yellow lettering that said Devon Boys with our number on the back. We ruled the corner from 1965 to 1971. We were the originals, later younger guys took over the name.

DC: 60's and 70's

A group father west on Devon at California.

Dayton Street Dragons: Italian

Dayton Street gang

LEAD PIPE GANG: Waller H.S.

Mohawks:

On Mahawk Street.

BLACK PANTHERS: 1952-1959

Black Panthers that roamed from Montrose to Foster, Damon Ave to the beach and were the type you didn't want your daughter's around but they had cool club jackets with large panthers on the back. This gang pre-dates California's Black Panthers by a decade or so.

SHERRY-BARRY: early 1960s

GREENVIEW BOYS

Greenview Boys are active. Still got originals in play and new guys. They aint ever gonna get rid of us. Greenview and Potomac the Holy City. Got sets also out in the suburbs and Indiana.

Colors: Green and Gold or Green and Yellow Affiliation: Renengade

Photos of Greenview Boys

WISLA S.A.C: 50s and 60s

Polish: their clubhouse was on Ashland just North of Division on the West side of the street.

SIMON CITY ROYALS

SIMON CITY:

The original Simon City was started by Andy Bledron, who died serving in Vietnam. They hung out at Almira Simons Park in the 1960s. In 1965, Simon City fought against their rival - the Septers. In one incident, leader of the Septers was shot. Another early rival was the CNotes.

CICERO COBRAS: 1964

Operated on the West Side, Congress and Cicero, on the West Side of Cicero Avenue. Their rivals were: Egyptian Cobras, War Lords, Casa Novas, Racketeers, and the Independents, all which were Black gangs.

CICERO NOBLE KNIGHTS

Eastside Chicago

ENTERPRISE and ENTERPRIZE II

They also had a younger group with name "Enterprise II" which my younger brother ran with. They all wore colors.

HEGEWISCH BOYS

Wheaton Polish Knights

Cicero Esquires By The Fox

CICERO ESQUIRES: 1967-1972

Including the Little Esquires. They went on to found the 12th Street Players. The Esquires were an all white, mostly Czechloslovakian. The Esquires hung out at Triangle Park in Berwyn at Oak Park Ave and Riverside Drive They had meetings at Circle Park, on 23rd and Oak Park Ave. Colors: green and black.

BERWYN KINGS: 80s

Referred to as Berwyn Greasers. Their rival 2-2 Boys. Killed a 2-2 Boy 5400 Laramie Street. They hung out at the Burger King on 12th st. near Oak Park in Berwyn.

DEFIANT ONES

GUIDO-YONDER GANG: 1962-1965

Known for robberies, home invasion, and torture of North Shore residents during that time period.

Marquette Park Greasers

The Dukes were from 59th Hermitage, I believe. You may have had some Loafers from 69th & Hermitage. The Wino's, 59th Damen, The Cool Gents, 45th Ashland, The Muscaddulers from Cornell Park, Sawyer, Nightingale, Latin Lords, Oakley Park, 59th St Supreme Rulers, Burger King from 55th Justine, and a number of others I can't recall anymore. I went to Hubbard, but hung around Marquette Park (greasers) and Sawyer circa 1967-1973. And yes, the gangs at that time were much more a load than their imposters and wannabee's years later. The guys I hung around with then didn't graffiti like today, use guns, we rumbled. And were bad enough that most of the others left us alone or found out why. Many gangs then did use Graffiti, guns, sweaters, but we never needed to do that and they pretty much left us alone. But on the few times we had a problem, we just could overcome them by numbers of really bad dudes, and usually only needed a one time deal. I hope any insight I gave helps. I still have a wealth of memories of the time. Just sorry to see so many of the guys I hung with never made it past 50 'tho.

Pullman Gangs

Chicago Pullman Irish Gangs

BUMTOWN GENTS: 1960s

Kensington St.

PULLMAN HACKERS: 1960s

The Pullman Hackers were for real, they were some real mean dudes, they didn't even get along with the south Pullman guys. They were from north Pullman. North Pullman went from 103rd to about 107th, then the Pullman Standard factories, than south Pullman went from 111th to 115th both just east of Cottage Grove.

BURNSIDE BUMS: Bums Burnside Bums video Burnside Bums Video

From 87th Street to 94th Street - between Cottage Grove on the west and Stoney Island on the east. The White Triangle. The far southside of Chicago. Their rivals were the Latin Kings, Cobras, Bishops, and the Counts.

PULLMAN POOR BOYS

PULLMAN FLYERS

ULTRA PALS: 50's:

A primarily Italian group that roamed Cottage Grove between 87th and 95th streets and west. Then when the Burnside Bums took over everything moved to the eastside of Cottage Grove in the early 60's.

91ST BOYS:

91st/Brandon, South Chicago "Purple City" aka "Fallen Soldiers".

95th STREET SAINTS

Hung around Genoa park

95th STREET GENTS: 60's

The 95th street Gents were white, mostly from the Beverly Hills area west. Many went to Mendel CHS on 111th in Roseland.

Aces

Burnside Bums Business card

Old School Black Gangs

Original Black Gangs

The Black gangs listed were very street active from the 1950s through the early 80s. These gangs would eventually merge making up the Main 21 and Main 25, the Black P Stone (a.k.a. Blackstone Rangers and El Rukins) and the Black Gangster Disciple Nations (a.k.a Growth and Development and 21st Century), respectively. Some of the West Side gangs merged with the Vice Lords.

IMPERIAL CHAPLAINS: 1956s

Imperial CHAPLAINS Juniors and the Imperial Chaplian Seniors were located on Homan and 16th Streets. Their members were credited for starting the Vice Lords and the Imperial Knights. Most of the Black Filmore District 1950 gangs were suppose to be offshoots of either the CHAPLAINS or the Egyptian Cobras. Also, they started the Junior and Senior CHAPLAINS, numbering 30 and 30 Seniors, respectively.

CAMMANCHES: 1961

North Lawndale: numbering around 40.

ROYAL GENTS: 1961

North Lawndale: numbering around 35.

KEDZIE LORDS: 1962

North Lawndale: numbering around 45.

ALBANY LORDS: 1962

North Lawndale: numbering around 30.

SUPREME GANGSTERS: 1960s

Englewood. Larry Hoover's first gang prior to the merger and the formation of the Black Gangster Disciples. Their rivals were the Blackstone Rangers, Jive Five gang, and the Eastside Disciples. Later on in gang history, a merger between the Disciple sets and the Supreme Gangsters produced the Main 25, otherwise, known as the Black Gangster Disciples.

JIVE FIVE: late 60s, early 70s

They took their name from a legendary Chicago Jazz group - the Jive Five. Their turf was on the West Side, west of Cicero at Congress parkway. They fought the Supreme Gangsters, Mad Black Souls, and other local gangs.

ENGLEWOOD DISCIPLES: 1958s

A.K.A. Eastside Disciples, their turf was around Halsted and 63rd Streets, and their leader was David Barksdale. There rivals were the Supreme Gangsters and the Blackstone Rangers. Colors: black berets.

Disciple chant: HE WHO WALKS THIS LAND OF DANGER BEST NOT BE A BLACKSTONE RANGER, WALK WITH CAUTION WALK WITH FEAR MIGHTY DISCIPLES ALL UP IN HERE.

BLACKSTONE RANGERS: 1958

Started in Woodlawn by Eugene "Bull" Hairston around 63rd and Blackstone. This was Jefferie Fort's original gang which ended up growing into the largest gang in the City of Chicago, making Jeff Fort a legendary leader. One legendary item to note: the old Blackstone Rangers escorted Martin Luther King while marching through Marquette Park. Colors: red berets. The Blackstone Rangers also had a presence in the Uptown area: Winthrop Avenue.

Blackstone Ranger saying: "Look out stranger.....Here lurks danger......if you're not a Blackstone Ranger!"

73rd and May: Cossimoses The First A living Conscious Pharoah addresses the Stone Nation on the importance of love and unity and what being a Ranger means to him Black P Stone Speaks Out video.

CLOVERS: 1951-1956

West Side Social Club and singing group - Clevertones. This social eventually evolved into the Vice Lords.

VICE LORDS: 1950's

Vice Lords Leader: Jim Allen Speaks Out

KING CLOVERS: 1957

Filmore District - rivals Egyptian Cobra's.

EGYPTIAN COBRA'S: 1950s

Filmore District - West Side. The oldest Black West Side gang in Chicago. Their original hang out was Bryant School on West 13th Street and Kedvale, and Franklin Park. Their rivals were: Vice Lords (Douglas BLVD and Springfield Avenues), Spanish Counts (Filmore and Springfield Avenues), Imperial Apaches (Cha Cha Girls) (Douglas BLVD and St. Louis Avenue), and the Imperial CHAPLAINS (Homan and 16th Streets). Roosevelt Road was also the place for the Egyptian Corbas, located around Kedzie, California and Roosevelt.

IMPERIAL ROMAN COBRA'S" Mid 60s

Their turf was on Keeler, South of the Congress Expressway. They boasted 600 members. There rivals were the other Black West Side gangs, the Cicero Cobra's, and the Spanish Cobra's. The gang consisted of Pee Wees, Juniors, Seniors, and Royal Imperial cobra's who were in their late 20s.

COBRA STONES: Late 1960s

Their turf was Cabrini Green. Their main rival was the Gangster Disciples. The Mickey cobras considered themselves part of the Main 21 - Black P Stone Nation.

Their turf was Seward Park, Elm and Orleans Streets.

VENETIAN LORDS: Mid 60's

Wendell Phillips High School. Rivals Del Vikings.

DEL VIKINGS: mid 60's

They shot a member of the Venetian Lords in 1966 at Phillips H.S. Part of the Black Gangster Disciple Nation. Truf: Stateway Gardens.

AFRICAN SNIPER GANGSTERS: late 1960s

Their turf was the Cabrini Green housing project on the North Side. Their rivals were other Black gangs and the Harrison Gents. They eventually became Black Gangster Disciples.

DOUBLE SIX KINGS: 1960s

69th Street and Normal Avenue on the South Side. In 1969 they turned into a Blackstone Rangers sets.

SIX TREYS: 1960s

Their turf was on the west side of 63rd Street and Ashland Avenue. They eventually became Disciples.

SATAN LOVERS: 1960s

Their turf was east of 63rd Street and Ashland Avenue, Ogden Park. Their main rival was the Six Treys. The Satan Lovers would eventually become Blackstone Rangers.

DICTATORS: 60s

Ogden Park area gang whose main rival was the Satan Lovers.

MAD BLACK SOULS: early 70s

Their turf was Pulaski and Congress Parkway. Their rivals were the Jive Five and the Four Corner Hustlers. Turf: Madison and Sacramento, 140 South Albany, WIlcox and Sacramento, Jackson and Pulaski, 4000 West Wilcox.

CICERO STREET TRAVELERS: 70s

ROMAN SAINTS of Douglas Park: 70s

a.k.a Black Saints. The Roman Saints of Douglas Park boasts 700 to 800 members, from ages 9 to 25 years old, in a 1970 Chicago Tribune article. Their turf was between Albany and Foyler Streets.

Their main enemies were the Cicero Vice Lords and the Casanova Cobra Stones. Many battles were fought on the West Side between these three gangs that the Lawndale Community called for a truce and had each gang come up with a treaty.

SOUL BROTHERS: 60s 70s

Odgen and Trumbull area: rivals of the Roman Saints. June 13, 1971, five Soul Brothers were walking in the 1900 South Trumbull when some Roman Saints opened fire on them hitting all five.

GOON SQUAD of Douglas Park: 60's70s

Part of the Gangster Disciples. A Douglas Park gang consisting of members from the age of 11 to 18 years old. Bitter rivals of the Vice Lords. In 1969, in fight between the two gangs, a Nun - Sister Haas - was killed by a stray bullet.

KENTS or STONE KENTS:

active area: 21st to Cermak/California to Marshall BLVD., 2100 South Marshall BLVD., 2800 South 21st Street.

JEFFERY MANOR DISCIPLES

LON CITY DISCIPLES:

Active area: Avalon Park - 1232 East 83rd; 1023 East 82nd Street.

MORROCAN TRIBE:

Active area: 39th to 47th/Cottage Grove to Lake Michigan; 900 East 47th Street.

FOUR CORNER HUSTLERS: 1972

Started in the Filmore District by a King Freddy, the Four Corner Hustlers branched out to 35th Street and Michigan Avenue. Their main rival was the Vice Lords. Later on the Four Corner Hustlers would merge with the Vice Lords and become VL 4 CH.

BLACK ASSASSINS: late 60s, early 70s

Waller High School/Lincoln Park area/Cabrini Green. Their rivals were the Young Lords, Blackstone Rangers, Deuces Wild, and the Cobra Stones.

DEUCES WILD: late 60s, early 70s

Their turf was Cabrini Green. Their rivals were the Cobra Stones.

MAD LADS: 1969

They were around 72nd Street and Racine Avenue, not to be confused with the Mad Lads - a White gang from Gage Park High School.

MUSCALEROS: 1959

Their turf was Wolcox Street and Pulaski Avenue.

SATAN HELPERS: 1959

Madison and Kedzie Avenues.

IMPERIAL KNIGHTS: 1959

West Town: numbering 25.

Their turf was Homan Street and Douglas BLVD.

SOUL KINGS: 1970s

A.k.a Mad Black Souls and Black Souls. They had sets at Maxwell Street and Halsted Avenue, and Cabrini Green, Hermitage Manor CHA (1700 West Lake Street), and had a presense at Cooley High School. They were once busted for stealing a WWI water-cooled machine gun. Their rivals were Black P Stones, Vice Lords, Jive Fives, and numerous other West Side gangs.

SAXON'S: 60's

Black: 59th and Throop area.

VAMPIRES: 1960

Near North Side: numbering: Seniors 30, Midgets 30.

BRAVES: 1960

Near North Side: Senior Braves numbering 45; Junior Braves numbering 26.

DEVILS DISCIPLES: 60s

63rd and Ashland area. They fought against the Gaylords at 55th and Ashland and the Satan Lovers. They eventually became Gangster Disciples.

STIMULATORS: 1963

Near North Side: numbering 19.

ENGLEWOOD VALIANT GENTS: 1960

Seniors numbered 30; Juniors numbered 35.

ENGLEWOOD SAXTONS: 1963

They numbered around 25.

ARMOUR SQUARE EXECUTIVES: 1959

Numbers around 40.

ARMOUR SQUARE REBELS: 1961

Black gang including: Senior Rebels numbering 25, Junior Rebels numbering 20.

GRAND BLVD VANGUARDS: 1958

Numbered around 25.

GRAND BLVD DEMONS: 1958

Numbers around 22.

OAKLAND RAVENS: 1962

Numbers around 20.

OAKLAND NOBLES: 1959

Includes: Senior Nobles numbering 30, Junior Nobles numbering 30, and Midget Nobles numbering 40.

GRAND CROSSING COMMANDOS: 1962

numbering 18.

ROSELAND JETS: 1961

Black gang numbering around 20.

SUPREME BARONS: 1970

Burnside: rivals Gangster Disciples

WARLORD RANGERS: 70s

Kenwood area - Hyde Park

444's: 70s

Kenwood area - Hyde Park

HELEN MACK GANG: 50s

Busted for selling Herion to G-Men in 1958.

BASEMENT ASSASSINS: Marquette Park

SEVEN DEUCES: Marquette Park

They are Gangster Disciples from 72st west of Marquette Park.

Satan Lovers by Freddie C.

There was also a branch of the Satan Lovers in Cabrini Green, mostly around 1000 block on Larrabee and also 1100 block on Cleveland. As you said they were under the Blackstone umbrella. I remember once a Satan Lover got shot be mistake by a Duece. The story in the Sun Times said Satin Lovers. THAT WAS SO FUNNY!!! The Satan Lovers were a Good Gang. There wasn't any attacking civilians, robbing civilians, or scaring civilians. They were more of a protector on our block. They kept everything in check. They regulated, in other words, if others wanted to come into our area with some BS they soon found out they were in Satan Lovers territory. Satan Lovers were not too cool with the Stones (or was it the Cobra Stones) in that building near Seward Park. That was so long ago, but they did get along with the Deuces Wild, and like I said they were a part of the stones at least the ones on the South Side. I can remember one night seeing what looked like a couple hundred guys chillin between 1017 Larrabee and at 502 Oak. I saw someone I knew. I asked, ?what's goin on?? His answer was, ?Satan Lovers!? They were sharp dressers with well trimmed fros, went to Waller and Cooley in the late 60s Early 70s. LOVERS RUN IT!!!

My big brother was deep off in it. I remember always thinking these guys are different. They were so cool. They had all the ladies and everybody gave them respect. I always wanted to be one but he wouldn't let me.

MANIAC DRIFTERS:

Started by a guy named Bobo and several other of the guys from Mcpherson School around 1970. There were some real good guys in this club. They hung out at the snack shop on the corner of Damen and Lawrence. The younger Drifters like the Samuel Brothers started the Seeley and Ainslie Gaylords after the Drifters broke up...

BASEMENT BOYS:

1968(included BASEMENT GIRLS and JUNIOR BASEMENT BOYS): Here is what an ex Basement Girl had to say about their club: "We hung out in the cold weather in the basement while the guys practiced in the band and in the alley of the house on Damen & Montrose. The guys were in a band called the Astetic Vistas. My ex was the guitar player. They played at USO, churches, and various places, We all had all lot of fun. There were some unexpected gang fights. I started in 1968 and in approx. 5 years everyone got married, mostly to each other, thats when the Junior Basement Boys started the end." The Junior Basement Boys would eventually become Seeley and Ainslie Gaylords.

THORNDALE JAGOFFS/THORNDALE JARVIS ORGANIZATION:

Joe Ganci/Thorndale-Jarvis Organization. A Chicago Newspaper wrote an article about the "Thorndale Jarvis Organization" in which a Chicago Policer referred to the gang as a "bunch of jag offs", from that time forward they changed their name to the "Thorndale Jag Offs". A retired member had this to say:

"When I was a teenager in Uptown in the 60's the TJO's and Turf were very active at Senn High School and the surrounding communities. The Turfers wore steeled toed work boots in all seasons and were known as garden variety street brawlers. I think most of them got that out of their systems and went on to a more normal lifestyle.

A neighborhood guy had this to say:

The TJO's were legendary in their time. I remember the leaders, but will leave out names in this forum. The TJOs were involved in burglary and a variety of criminal enterprises, similar to the Simon City Royals of recent decades. A prominent member, made the headlines in 1975 when he was part of a spectacular escape at the Cook County jail.

Long prison terms for a number of key members pretty much ended the reign of the TJOs in the mid and late 70's as I recall. In early 1963 I believe Chicago magazine did a story on street gangs in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. The Simon city gang was in its infancy at the time and got some mention in the article. In the hot summer of 1966 gangs were in the news on a daily basis. The old Chicago American did a lengthy series on Chicagos street gangs in either July or August of that year. That paper became Chicago Today in 1969, it was a tabloid similar to the Sun Times. Before the paper folded in 1974 veteran reporter Jack Mabley did a story on a SCR branch active around Hamilton elementary in the Lake View neighborhood."

Senn H. S. graduate had this to say: I grew up on Thorndale & Kenmore and saw TJO start up. I think they started around 1962. The guys that started calling themselves the TJO weren't even from the neighborhood to begin with. After a few altercations on the street between TJO with toughs from the neighborhood, the stores put bars on their windows around 1963. Anyone still standing from the first few altercations melded together into one. They hated being called jagoffs, which was hysterical since that is what they called themselves. They did not have jackets.

In October of 1984, in what was left of the TJO leadership, 3 former members of the TJO were involved in a shootout with Chicago Police in the restaurant parking lot of Carson - The Place for Ribs. 30 shots were exchanged, some fired by an Uzi.

In 1964 at Senn High School, TJO was already an established "club". At the time as I remember they were simply refered to as Thorndale.

An original TJO had this to say:

1. Joey G died of stomach cancer in prison, not in a shootout. 2. Joey and another Thorndale member escaped from Cook County together. 3.Dave died of cancer. 4. TJO ran Bob's at Senn, not the Turfers. 5. The bars and gates were put up on the storefronts after TJO left. We protected the businesses. One of the Deli owners told me he wished we were still around because after we left he kept getting robbed. 6. We didn't paddle prospects to join the gang. That is what Turfers did. We jumped them in. If you couldn't take an ass whippin' you didn't qualify.

JARVIS STREET GREASERS: 70s

DEVON BUMS:

A former Bum stated: my regular crew formed our own "gang", the Devon Bums, to resist some pressure to become Howard Street Grease due to an influx of TJO and Turf. We were good kids who just wanted to enjoy our youth. I knew many of the Grease and some Turf and TJO. The Bums were tiny and never very violent or criminal but we were actually the dominant group on Devon between Ridge and Western and most of the neighborhood all the way to Peterson. I'd have to say the center of our Turf was Granville and Hoyne, the corner of Angel Guardian Orphanage.

THE TURF:

The Turf was big in the sixties. Most of them were jocks on the football team. They hung out at Hayt Elementary School on Granville and St Gertrude?s. TJO was another big one. There were some decent guys in it that finally grew up and got jobs and moved. Some like Gary and his brother Dave and others went to prison or died of drug overdoses. You knew what gangs hung where. Turf was at Bob's, the green and white had mostly black kids and black athletes at the time, I went there. There were a few girl gangs as well, the Chicago Sisterhood, not well known, hung out at Sifties or this restaurant on Clark and Granville Most of these "gangs" were mostly social clubs but towards the mid sixties, there were a lot of throw downs involving racial lines or someone entering the wrong territory. I nearly missed having a young TJO beat me up because I was on Thorndale and he didn?t know that I was dating one of the old boys in TJO. Initiation for the boys was a paddling by the members but even that got more violent. A guy I knew joined TJO and came to school the next day with both eyes blackened, a tooth missing, and fractured ribs. Dave enjoyed these initiations. Even with the girls, if you left or crossed the sisters, you would have to face each of them in a fight and usually all at the same time.

BRYN MAWR:

Some of them hung out at a place called "The Green and White" that was across the street from Senn H.S.

IRISH CLOWNS:

The Irish Clowns were hanging around Damen & Winnemac, Damen & Montrose, Welles Park, John C Coonley School & A few other places.. I don?t believe they ever held a corner as they hung & partied with several older clubs: Basement Boys, Maniac Drifters, Early Seeley and Ainslie Gaylords, Coonley Boys, etc. There was some kind of a unity similar to the U F O. It was called United White Front, which started in the late 70's primarily as a front to stand off the Montrose & Paulina Latin Kings & the Latin Eagles who were the only threat to the hood at the time. I believe this unity started about the time Honkey R.I.P from s/a was killed. Whether it was related or not, I'm not sure. But there was also a point in the late 70's when they went to war with the Lawrence & Rockwell Popes who I thought were a part of the United White Front or whatever it was called as they had the Kings just west of them on Lawrence also.

By 1980 the Irish Clowns were pretty much history. Many still hung around the neighborhood, flipped into other clubs, and went with McQueeny on his adventures.

Other major players in the Irish clowns were Maddog Schraeder... Rowdy Rhoadie, Hillbilly, The Eanes Bros.

The Clowns did wear sweaters Green and Gold. You could still see older guys styling them at the downtown St Pat's Parade at late as 1990 when the parade was still a big street party. They became a legit social athletic club in the 80's when many became cops, fireman, govt workers or went to college. They are still around as a SAC with sports teams and charity work.

COAL YARD GANG:

Ex-Coal Yard Bob said: The Coal Yard Gang was at Lakewood and Wolfram, near Southport and Lincoln Avenue. Just a local white gang originating in the early 60's. Mostly just taking care of local business. I was mostly a partier. I was too small, and often found myself in over my head way too many times.

We had some associations with SCR at Fullerton and Southport, Wrightwood Boys and PBC's, Paulina/Barry Corp, and Insane Unknowns from Lincoln/Wrightwood area. Our colors were Black and White.

Drugs f*cked everything up. That brought in guns. Few people remember the true meaning of respect. I remember Lennies across from Lane Tech. I can still taste that greasy bag of fries, ten cent pin-ball games. It was neat place. Everyone was safe there. Even girlfriends could meet you there.

SAYRE SCHOOL BOYS

SAYRE PARK BOYS

KEELER AND IRVING PARTY PEOPLE

LELAND AVE PARTY PEOPLE

INSANE HOODS

WILSON BOYS

PARK 9ers

BYRON AND KOSTNER BOYS

Hells Devils

Logan Square Heads

STONED YARDERS

STONED FREAK NATION: SFN, Insane Freaks, Freak Love Video

DRUMMOND BOYS

GUZZLERS

CORTLAND STACYS

The Stacy's eventually became Maffot and Campbell Gaylords.

PREATORIANS

MEDILL MADMEN

MONKS

KOZY KINGS: 70's

Hung out at Koz Park. They eventually became Simon City Royals.

TOKERS

HEADS

UNKNOWNS

MARQUEE'S: Mid 1950s

Their corner was Fullerton and Cicero.

SAXON'S: Mid 1950s

Their corner was Belmont and Cicero.

ASSYRIAN EAGLES: 1980s

Their turf was north of Lawrence and Rockwell. Active area: Foster Avenue North, Wilson Avenue South, Sacramental BLVD East, Kimball Avenue West.

CORP: Chicago CORP page

THE DEICERS: 1945

Waller High School: Girls club that warmed up the planes in ww2, and were one great gang of roller skaters and got together every sat night.

ARISTOCRATS: 1965

See their page:Aristocrats

PUMPHOUSE GANG: 1960's

Rival to the Aristocrats.

RIIS PARK a.k.a. RIIS PARKERS:

There was a large group of guys, mostly Italian who hung at Riis Park and that's what they called themselves, 'Riis Park' They were not a street gang in the 'classic' sense or understanding of what most people invision when you mention the term street gang, but they all fought as a unified group or gang when outsiders came around and started trouble. They had their fights with the Italians from Sayre Park as well as Sayre school and 'The Bank' at times and were friends with 'The Bench' from Stienmetz.

NorthWestSide Polish Mafia

(Humboldt Park field house and Boat house)

CHEETAHS: all girl gang 1957-1960

white jackets with black Cheetah and trim and members club name. about 10-15 members. Janet, bonnie, Lovey, Pat, Barbara, Mary where a few of there names.

EL PHIDERO'S: Girl's gang 63-65

I went to school at Schurz one year then to foreman in the early 63-65 and in 66 to note damn catholic girl?s school. I was in a group called the El Phidero's white jackets and purple sewed on lettering.

SNOWFLAKES: 70s, Foreman H. S.

The Snowflakes were a girl gang that hung around with the Gaylords in the early 70s.

DYRANS: 1963-1965

Schurz High School: All had to have blonde hair and wore white from head to toe.

REAPERS:

Active area: Armitage and Western; Milwaukee and Campbell. Mixed White, Black and Latino gang.

HUBS: 60's

They would tag walls around Kimball at Diversey and around Belmont.

APOSTLES: 50-54

The Senn High School area.

KIMBALL LAWRENCE BOYS:

The Kimball Lawrence boys hung out at Napoli?s Restaurant during the 60s and attended Roosevelt and Von Steuben HS. They had at least one major battle against a Latin gang at the Alba Dance Club on Lawrence Ave during the early 60s that became part of north side folklore.

DELTA

From 1956 to 1960 our president at the time was Angelo Lardas. we also became brother clubs of the Sons of italy from Chicago.

BETA: 60's Senn High School

GARGOLYES: 60's Senn High School

GHOST SHADOW:

Asian gang, Senn High area.

SHARKS: 1948-1953

Chicago Little Hell Gang - Italian Sharks

ASHLAND VIKINGS:

Late 1960's: Mostly Polish gang started to counter Black gangs on Taylor Street. Members of the Ashland Vikings wore cross tatoos on their wrists. The Ashland Vikings eventually became a Latino gang. Turf: Wood to Racine/Deversey to Grand; 945 North Ashland, 1347 Erie.

PG3 - PARTY GROUP 3: 87-95

Irish gang, used to hang out in Hayt School Yard, on the North Side in the Edgewater neighborhood.

Capone Lords

CONQUISTADORES:

Started in 1961 by a group of guys from Amundsen High, who had to defend themselves against another area gang called the "Preatorians", who they had got into a fight with at a party. They formed their gang as a mutual protection "society". Most of the original guys graduated in 1962. Some ended up joining the Marines.

RICAN BOYS:

Malden and Wilson was the corner of the Rican boys. Later they turned to Spanish Cobras.

A-BOYS:

Aboys went to Portage Park School and Olv. We hung out around Portage Park until we realized we were sitting targets for wimps to try and get reps by fighting us. Our boys were unstoppable and unbeatable resulting in battery cases and lawsuits for facial reconstructing. We were on Lamon and Cullom and old Popes showed us how to throw bricks at cars and staying close to home. Jefferson Park Cnotes and Royals never left without a losing visit. Rocker tried recruiting bonehead but he was our entertainment aka lilboz 1984 to 89.

HOLSTEIN PARK BOYS: late 70s, early 80s

FALCONER LORDS: 1980s

Falconer Lords from Falconer school. They use to wear those black satin jackets that said Wanderers on back.

SCEPTERS: 1960s

Included: Scepterettes. Mozart Park 3840 Armitage was their headquarters. The Scepters ended in 1969, and the remaining guys joined the Lawndale and Altgeld Gaylords.

From a an ex-Scepterette:I was a Sceptorette back in the mid 60's 7th/8th/9th/10th grades. I graduated from Mozart and KP HS. I still remember the Septors and where we hung out at Mozart Park. Sometimes the school grounds. We would frequent the Armitage Theater on Sundays. Good place for some to make-out. I remember Officer Sacco who use to chase us up through the gang-ways, but never able to catch us. We kept in him in good physical condition....lol. I too remember Simon City Boys, Chicago Ave Gang. I was there waiting on the bench in Mozart Park the night the big rumble took place between the Septors and Simon City. We kiss and hugged our guy?s good bye as they went off to war. Back then it was pipes, crow bars, fists, and knives. I do not remember guns. Not like now. I think it was a territorial issue. One of our girls liked a SC guy. When found out - one of the SC girls attack her with a razor blade - a weapon carried in our purse along with a sharpen rat tail comb. Had to for protection just in case, which I never used. Some how I got along with everyone. To all my sister Sceptorettes - I have not forgotten you and our special bond. Love to all past on and living. Gayle "Scribbles".

ALLEY BOYS:

During the 1980's and 1990's, there was a small street gang called the Alley Boys, that centered around Ashland and Olive on the North Side. The gang was White and Hispanic and involved in battery, petty shop lifting, assault, theft, burglary, self defense, damage to property, trespassing and minor drugs. One time, Brian K. fought a Latin King in an alley with 'Kings' perched on garage tops just watching. Hence, the gang name. The Alley Boys were almost ambushed a couple of times by the Latin Kings on Halloween. Nonetheless, Rafael C. focused the gang on remaining 'people.' TJO's weren't considered a threat to the gang as many TJO's were respected brawlers. The Alley Boys 'stung' suburbanites who ventured into the city to start fights.

Other members included Mike Sutton, G K, John Toth, Noel Quintana, John-O, Chris Aguda, Bobby. Honorary Members included Chris K, Rodney C, etc. Victor was shot dead by the Latin Kings so we made him an Honorary Member too.

Uptown Rebels

Uptown Rebels

Uptown Rebels Sweater

Montrose and Malden

Uptown Rebels

hung around at Malden-Wilson alot. There main turf was probably Clark to Broadway from Montrose to Lawrence, with a few more north of Lawrence probably all the way to Foster. I remember they made the news in 76 for chasing blacks off Foster Ave Beach. Members went to Lake View HS and Amundsen HS.

Christian Picciolini Novel

Romantic Violence: MEMOIRS of an American Skinhead - by Christian Picciolini

JAHN DUECES: Insane Deuces History page

PBC: 1970s: Paulina Barry Community

Paulina/Barry/Community 13: Paulina and Barry was their corner.Active area: Damen to Southport/school to Deersey; 1600 West Barry; Ashland and Nelson. After Psycho from the Insane Deuces was killed, the PBC became a big enemy of the Insane Deuces. Colors: black and white - sweaters with black trim.

BELDING BOYS

We were a big group of about 40 guys from Belding park and grade school on Tripp ave. between Cullom and Berteau. Most of us were from Belding but some from St. Edwards too. We were around during that Gaylord/Pope war so some of the 70's Kilbourn G/L guy's should remember us from Belding. Some of our guys became KP G/L. One night about 3 car loads of Popes showed up after the park closed and told us they were there to recruit us into the Popes. What they didn't figure on is we were a bunch of softball heads full of beer. Funny how that shit works. Us Belding boys didn't have a lot of money so we all went to Starks warehouse and all bought the same sweaters. Black with red trim. No belts but otherwise pretty cool.

Belding and St. Eds is where a lot of Popes went to grade shool too but they all hung around Kolmar or Independance. They were'nt welcome at Belding park. I do remember the day Larkin died. Same neighborhood. My neighborhood. Most of us went on to Schurz.

BELAIRS:

Bel-Aires Gang page

NOBLE KNIGHTS

The Noble Knights started in the area of Division and North in the early 1960s. Their turf was bounded by Division Street and North Avenue, Western and Damen Avenues. They fought the Jokers at various times. In the early sixties, the Noble Knights were a fast growing gang.

JOKERS

An orginal Joker stated: he started the Jokers in 1956 with his friends, who were 11 and 12 years old at that time, and they were one of the first gangs in that area of Humboldt Park. Their turf was Lafayette School on the corner of North Washtenaw Ave. and Cortez Street. After they started in the late 1950s, Chi-West and the Hirsh Street Lords started in the early 1960s. All of these guys went to grammar school together and remained friends up to today. Their enemies were various Latino gangs starting up in the Humboldt Park area at that time, like the Young Lords, Latin lords, along with the Noble Knights. The Jokers consisted of the Pee Wee and Junior Jokers, no senior Jokers. A 1966 Chicago Tribune article stated that the Jokers were equally as violent as the Blackstone Rangers and the Disciples.

Duke had this to say: I am Duke, a former Joker in the early 60?s. The Jokers? turf was bounded by Western Ave, Chicago Ave, Division St, and Humboldt Park. Our ?corner? was at Cortez and Washtenaw, at Lafayette School, where we played softball and hung out a lot at the East end of Humboldt Park. There were Senior Jokers, Junior Jokers, and Jokerettes. The Joker?s territory was invaded in about 1963 or 1964 by the Latin Kings one night and a general war erupted that lasted for several weeks, with several members of the Hirsh Street Lords and Chi-West joining in our defense. Some of us enlisted in the Marines when our neighborhood began to fall, including myself. Just to throw some names out there: Morel Brothers, Ustrak Brothers, Charlie M., Red, DuBose, Terry, McCarthy Brothers, Dilt, Duke, One-arm Herbie, Onopa, Sonny and Jeff, et al.Greetz.

HIRSH STREET LORDS

(Hirsch & Spaulding - Lowell school yard)

BANKERS:

The bankers were a bunch of Italian guys from North and Linder.

MASONS

a bunch of guys that hang at the church steps at Lemoyne and Mason. Most went to St. Petes, St Angelas and Young school. Most were good fighters, alot fought out the park at Hirsch and Laramie.

Stooge Brothers

Chi-West Tony Rome Card

CHI-WEST:

Chicago and Western: Chi-West Gang

COLT 45'S:

A handfull (about 6 or 8) of mostly Polish toughs that lived between North Ave and Division and Western & Damen. They didn't hang on any particular corner in that neighborhood for the obvious reasons, but they did gather on the porches of the buildings they lived in and roamed between them.

DEMONS: 1956

West Town: White gang numbering 25.

CARDELLS: 1958

East Garfield Park: White gang numbering around 20.

WRIGHTWOOD-RACINE: 1060

Lincoln Park: White gang numbering around 10.

EAGLES: 1960

Lincoln Park: White gang numbering around 10.

TRIOS: 1961

Lincoln Park: White numbering around 63.

F-S-L Brentano Boy's

Irving Park Heads

Lady Gents/Harrison Gents

HARRISON GENTS: 1960s

The Harrison Gents original corner was Flournoy and Western, Harrison just west of Western to Damen. They were originally a Irish White greaser gang up until 1969 when they became Irish and Hispanic. One of their rivals was the Taylor Street Jousters. The HG's were also in the Uptown area of Kenmore and Sheridan to Montrose to clark in the 70's.

Ashland and Beech Gents (late 1960s) - a very large mostly Latino section.

Harrison and Western Gents - (early 70s) - a very large mostly Black section.

In 1969, the Harrison Gents were involved in a large gang fight with the Young Lords at 2852 Clybourn Avenue. The CPD estimated that there were between 50 to 75 people fighting. Three CPD officers were injured attempting to break up the gang fight.

In the early 70s, the Harrison Gents also did battle with Cobra Stones.

The Harrison Gents were never given as much credit as they deserved for being a large gang.

Harrison Gent Photos from Uptown 1970s - Rob Rehak collection

Uptown Harrison Gents mid-70s: Two Girl Harrison Gents mid-70s Uptown

Harrison Gents Wall Tagging: Harrison Gents Wall Tagging - Uptown mid-70s

Harrison Gents Graffiti: Harrison Gents Graffi - Uptown mid-70s

DOMINOES: 1960

Area of Grand and Noble.

Gallant Counts: 1960

Area of Carpenter and Hubbard

Noble Artesians: 1960

Area of Chestnut and Noble

SENTINELS

Hung out on Touhy and California at Pauls Drive-In from 1963-1969 on Morse Avenue. At least half of us went to Sullivan High School. The other half went to Mathers High School.

ERIE DUKES: 1950s

The ERIE DUKES was a gang on Erie St, close to the Erie Chapel church. The Gentile brothers were part...

REVELS: 50's/60's

Senn High School. The Revels hungout at the "Ridge House" on Ridge Ave.  Bryn Mawr (Bryn Mawr/Broadway) basically broke up as a club, and numerous members aligned with the Revels.  A good number of us are still around, and we get together for a bash each year.

Racine Boys

Active area: Racine to Throop/18th to 17th; 1750 South Throop; 48th and South Throop; 19th and Racine. Colors: light blue and black.

Taylor Street: Little Italy Gangs

BRIGADIERS: 1945

Italian gang from the West Side. There turf was in the area of Paulina and Congress Streets and has been replaced with the UIC campus. There rivals were various Black West Side gangs. One gang fight that the Brigadiers were involved in caused a street riot that left two Black gang members beaten and one shot and killed.

TAYLOR MAJESTICS: 1965

Italian gang from the Taylor Street area. Also they were affiliated in the Cass High School area - Little Hell. They fought Black gangs in the Cabrini Green area.

TAYLOR STREET DUKES: 1950s

The Taylor Dukes also hung around on the same corner with the Nobles, and the Jr. Dukes. Imagine the large crew of guys on one corner, The Dukes girls were the Taylor Corvettes. The Dukes had 3/4 Length Jackets, Dark Blue, with a light blue 2" line around the shoulder and under the arm, They had a patch over the chest I believe the left side with a coat of arms made from the Pall Mall Cig packet.

A Taylor Duke hangout was Original Nuthouse on Vernon Park and Carpenter.

TAYLOR SHARKS:

Italian mid 1960s. Hung around 24th Street and Central Park Avenue. There rivals were: Latin Kings and the Ridgeway Lords. Members of the Taylor Sharks were arrested for shooting members of both rival gangs.

TAYLOR BARRENS:

The Taylor Barrens were one of the roughest gangs in the neighborhood. They also had girls in their club known as the barrens. 40's & 50's still are around old but respectful.

TAYLOR NOBLES:

The Taylor Nobles were also a very rough crew of guys who hung around at the WALL, , located at Taylor St and Troop St. The gang was Italian, Mexican, some Irish, and Greeks. They also had girls in their club, they are also still around and respectful. How rough were these guys they had a run in with some mob guys, the mob guys lost the fight, and accepted an apology later.

TAYLOR BISHOPS:

The Taylor Bishops four blocks west of the Dukes and Nobles, hung around in a pool hall.

TAYLOR MONARCHS: 1950s

TAYLOR CORSAIRS: 1950s

TAYLOR ROMANS: 1950s

Their hangout was the corner of Loomis and Taylor Streets.

Taylor Street Neighborhood:

Now all the listed gangs meet every second Sunday at a Hotel in the western suburbs of Chicago for Breakfast, and have a big Christmas dinner once a year at a restaurant on Taylor St. You are looking at guys that are now in their sixties and seventies and still around and meeting.

Taylor Street was called the farm club, of you know who.

The wall was a housing project that was 95% black and no one ever fought with each other, we just accepted one another.

There were several other groups of guys in the neighborhood, Polk & Aberdeen (The Shack), Taylor St. & Halsted, Taylor St. & Ashland, Polk & Loomis, none of the groups in the neighborhood fought with each other.

The Collier magazine did an article on the Dukes in the fifties photos were taken of the group at the wall, also Mike Royko did a bull story on the Dukes, no truth at all to what he wrote.

TAYLOR JOUSTERS: TAYLOR STREET JOUSTERS

TAYLOR VICOUNTS: Sixties

They had a club house at Taylor and Western.

ROYAL LORDS:

Their hang out, the pool hall Taylor and Bishop on the corner.

TAYLORDS: 60s

A member had this to say: The Tay Lords were part of a car club. Some of the members of the car club called themselves the Tay Lords. They were actually called the Road Panthers and wore jackets with the Road Panthers loco. They would meet in the empty lot left after Crerar Elementary School burned down in 1956 ((at the corner of Flournoy and Campbell?). He attended this school as his elementary school as I did until it burned down. Sometimes 20 or 30 cars would show up. And they used to drag race on the street where the old Nabisco factory was on Polk ST. The drag races would start at Pork and Campbell. My brother had a 55 Mercury Montclair with a four barrel carburetor. They would do this on Saturday nights. There were big drag races on Des Plaines between Roosevelt and Taylor too.

42 Gang:

They hung out at the Survivor’s Club on Taylor and May in the early 60’s.

Italian Chicago

Cicero Gangs

ARCH DUKES: 60s and 70s

ROMAN LORDS: 60s and 70s

We lived in CICERO IL; Back in the mid 60's to mid-70's. We used the saying Always Surrounded before it was popular because we were. North & South of us were black East Mexicans & PR’s. . Cicero was a collection of corners more than Clubs, there were the ROMAN LORDS,& Arch Dukes, but even we were bound by the neighborhood we held. I was a ROMAN LORD, we had a great organization with strong leaders but drugs tore it down. Like I’m sure they did in your day. I met a few of the 20th Century Bowl GL's from Belmont & Cicero in 66, I wanted the RL's & GL's to get to to know each other but being 13 and so far away it was hard to keep in touch with those cats.

PARK BOYS: 70s

JAW JACKERS: 70s

SHACK: 60's

From 31st and Morgan was mostly Polish and fought with the Italian gangs in Bridgeport.

Bridgeport gangs

Old Dutch Restaurant

32ND AND MORGAN: early 50s

Made big news in 1955 during the Sieboda murder trial which happened in front of the Old Dutch Restaurant, 3200 block of Morgan St.

38TH AND PARNELL: early 50s

Rivals to the 32nd and Morgan gang.

DUNLOPS: 1950s

McKinley Park area gang. They were investigated for the 1957 Grimes sister's murders, but were cleared by the police.

GARAGE BOYS: 60s

The Garage Boys from Canaryville

THE KUP: 60s

The Kup were greasers that hung on 34th morgan they sided with The Shack to fight the italian gangs in Bridgeport.

POOLHALL BOYS: 60s

The Poolhall Boys hung around the Poolhall that was two blocks west of Ashland on 47th St.

ARMOUR PARK BOY'S: Irish

Bridgeport. Rumors are they are still in existance today.

MA BEEFY BOYS:

82nd and California Streets: An ex-Beefy Boy had this to say: I met two of the guys in college and the first weekend down there we got into this big fight with a bunch of wrestlers and I jumped right in and the two guys I helped out turned out to be members of what they claimed was the last white street gang in Chicago, the Ma Beefy boys. They hung out at a bar on California, nest door was Long John's beef, and in there worked an old lady with giant breasts known to them as Ma Beefy tits, this is where the name came from. They also hung out at Groucho's disco. The guys I knew were Lithuanian, and the other one was half Italian half Jewish. They were some tough kids. I went up to their hangout a couple of times, they even gave me a Ma Beefy boys t shirt. Of course I was half nuts back then and would fight at the drop of a hat, and they liked that, cause they were like that too. Their turf was next to the Tommy Moore boys, and if I remember right, they were always getting into fights with those guys.

Irish Bridgeport Stone Greaser

IMPERIALS: 1958-1966

I lived in the very area you mentioned about street gangs, corner of Leland and Malden (1958-1966). The gang I belonged to was the Imperials, joined in 1960, was active for 2-3 years, our turf was the Wilson/Broadway area but roamed between the Lake and Western ave, Wilson to Lawrence Avenue. I joined this gang while a student at Stockton Elementary school(7th grade) on Lawrence Ave. as a protection mechanism against other gangs after getting beat up and stabbed a couple of times. We did a lot of things together (ie go to the lake and swim, a few Cub's games, played football, softball) all pretty much non-violent. We did have a few fights, no guns, just knifes, brass knuckles, chains, and bass ball bats. All more for display rather than use, but some fights were very violent. After a couple of years, the gang started to turn very violent and committing crimes, usually late evening and weekends which I refused to participate (money for drugs), went against my Appalachian early childhood training. I was finally arrested on a winter day in 1962 by an old Irish cop nicknamed "Big John" (he had forewarned me before several times) for fighting, harassing folks, pan-handling and throwing snowballs through the bus and L train windows. Purse snatching was becoming quite the sport for the gang at that time. From that day, I learned a lesson, quietly left the gang and changed my life style. I was now a sophomore at Senn where a number of Imperials had started school (we did not wear our colors at school, kept a low profile there), I only know of two of us that made it past the sophomore year, soon afterwards, I was the only one. I was approached in my junior year to join another gang at Senn which I hung with at times, but never joined, but that time I had become very independent and remained that way.

Our colors were a shiny black baseball style jacket, on the back was a green dragon with some orange, yellow and red highlights. IMPERIALS was in a semi circle over the dragon..Hope this helped out some..

SONS OF ITALY: 1950s

Hung out around Ogden park or 67 or 69th street near Racine.

31st Boys: 60s

Bridgeport Club who hung out at 31st s Wallace. The 31st Boys had a saying: "You heard about the east and you heard about the west, Now let me tell you about the best, A little south of Chinatown, Were the baddest guys all around."

The 31st Boys were just a handful of guys that were mostly Italian. Frank S. was there leader. A couple of the guys had older brothers that were in the Casanovas. That was an older club from the early 60s. There were a couple Croations in the 31st Boys one was called Mogee. That's what the Italians use to call the Croations in Bridgeport.

ARCHER SQUARE GANGS - 1960s:

LA's, Aristocrats, the Shack, Chinatown:

The LAs hung around Archer Park they wore black & white sweaters they fought with the 58th st jungle, Little Mexico, Centurians and The Settlement after the LAs broke up The Aristocrats hung around Archer Park then came the Popes who took on the colors of the LAs. The 26th st Boys hung around Naps Bowling Alley in Bridgeport they fought with The Shack from 31st Morgan & The Settlement. The Settlement was a social center located at 45th McDowall the gangs that hung out there were The Unicorns, The Sons of 45th & The Cool Gents.The Settlement had alot of enemies, the gangs from 18t, the gangs from Bridgeport, Chinatown, LAs,Village Sharks & Emerald Knights and most any gang that didnt hang around The Settlement or Davis Square Park.

ARCHER PARK: First the L.A.'S then the Aristocrats and then the Popes. One of the Aristocrats was shot & killed in the park by a Spanish Cobra. The Spanish Cobras were from a sect out of Vittum Park. That was after the Centurians were gone.

CORNELL SQUARE REBELS - 1950s:

Cornell Square Rebels

Cornell Square Rebels See Cornell Square Rebels

Demographics of Back of the Yards:

Back of the Yards

CORNELL SQUARE SAINTS: early 60's

They hung out near the swings in the park in the early 1960's. Most of the kids went to LindBloom High School.

Cornell Square gangs: 60s

The Rebels were first at Cornell Park then came the Muscaddulers and then the Cornell Dukes. The Cherry Busters hung around at Hedges School a couple of them use to be Muscaddulers before they broke up.The Cherry Busters were a gang before the Cornell Dukes got started.

51st and Wolcott Rebels Spike's Candy Store

Cornell Square Spikes Candy Store - Where the Rebels hung out in the 1950s.

(Click image to enlarge)

SPANISH REBELS: 1959

Not to be confused with the Cornell Square Rebels of the same time period. These Rebels were Latino and held turf in the Taylor Street/Independence Park area. Their main rival was the Spanish Counts.

REBELS: 1974

Armitage and Kedzie Rebels hung out at a pool hall on their corner.

SPANISH KINGS: 1962

West Town: numbering 20.

LATIN ANGELS: 1962

West Town (Crystal & California): numbering 40.

JUNIOR SINNERS: 1962

West Town: numbering 20.

TROJANS: 1962

West Town: numbering 13.

GENTS: 1963-64

Black jackets with white lettering, and the cane and top hat. I think this set was led by a guy named Dale S. Mostly southern guys, they hung out in the park between Foster Ave. and Lawrence.

LATIN 6 TREY PANTHERS:

Latin 6 Trey Panthers but were aka 6 Trey Panthere or Latin Panthers. Their turf was a small part of the area known as Bucktown. Their area was the North side of Armitage Ave and East of Western Ave and extended a few blocks North and East from that intersection where they occupied Holstein Park on & off for a few years.

SPANISH COUNTS: 1959

Latino gang in the Fillmore District. Their turf was Springfield Avenue and Fillmore Street.

COOLIE LEMOS: 60s and 70s

Hung around Eckert Park area north of Chicago Ave around Noble. They were the gang responsible for the infamous attack on the Mozart & Division Latin Kingswhich killed their leaders Kino and Luckey and left a few others shot up as well. That pretty much knocked them down a few notches. Their next in line leader Watussi was found shotgunned in the Humbolt park lagoon not to long afterward to put an end to their terrorizing the area.

RIDGEWAY LORDS: 60s

Active area: 26th to 31st/Pulaski to Kosner; 27th and Kedvale; 2800 South Kedvale; 2800 South Komensky. Latino and White gang.

CULLERTON BOYS A.k.a. Cullerton Duces:

19th to 22nd/California to Rockwell.

YOUNG LORDS:

Became the Paragons. The young Lords started in the late 1950s in Lincoln Park. Their original club was located at 2512 Lincoln Avenue. Cha Cha was the big leader of the Young Lords and was part of the group that took over the McCormick Theological Seminary around 67 or 68 in an effort to get a playground at Halsted and Armitage.

Cha Cha tells his club's history in his own words: Lords and Eagles in YouTube video.

PARAGONS

Wore black and purple sweaters black with a purple stripe.

HADDON BOYS: 60s and 70s

A.k.a Familia Haddon boys. They started on the corner right behind the building the Good Time Inn, south side of Division two doors East of Leavit. Christian was their president and Papo was their war counselor. Their rivals were the PVP Playboys and Chi-West.

Ex-Haddon Boy President had this to say: I went to Chopin from 63 and 64 as I remember Friday was always rumble Friday. I started up the club and we called ourselves Haddon gents. I organized the Haddon Boys just for protection from the PVPS (Kong), and from the Chi West those rumbles went on for many years because we had to protect the few P.R. kids at Chopin who were always under fire. It was me, my Little Bro, Baby, Lefty, Cano, Papo, Papajoe, Raymon, Brillo, Buzzy and Tacobender. By 69 we had around 25 members and that summer my oldest bro almost got killed by the C-Notes on Ashland and Ohio. Other Latin Gangs would come as backup many were shot or killed. Kong was shot and killed by one of the Haddon Boys after that July. The second was celebrated by the Haddon Boys and the PVP?s with a gang fight; one July 2nd a miss shot by one of our own cowboy shot coco's leg off (one of our own). The following year the PVP?s shot one of ours, Cano, 13 times but he made it through ok. We shot some of them then they shot some of us. We burned their homes they burned ours.

My family went to P.R. that summer. When I came back the summer of 70, my boys told me that they were hanging out on Division just off of Levitt and that they called themselves the Haddon Boys. I stayed with the Haddon Boys until 76 and just got fed up with all the court cases I had and with drug addiction and dropped out of the gang. That?s why I said I was the founder it was the roots. At that time no one ever said who was the pres but Cris was a good friend of mine. To bad much pain we all caused. In my book (my defense), I talk a bit about life in the hood and these things. Too bad that there was to much pain just for being white, black or brown.

SABIN BOYS: Levitt & Schiller

WARLORDS: La Familia War Lords

Colors: Black and Orange.

LATIN SOULS

MIGHTY GRAND: 60's

Latino. Grand and Hoyne.

LINKS: Early 50's

South Side Italian gang.

VILLA LOBOS (LONE WOLVES): 60s

They had a chapter on 47th s Racine. Pilsen area. The Latin Kings tried to takeover 18th Street in the 60s and all the clubs on 18th st, except the Villa Lobos, went up against them. The Villa Lobos were tight with the Kings. That was before all that peoples & folks Alliance.

LAZY GENTS: 60's

White and Latino. Symbol: Top Hat White Gloves and a Cane. The allied with the C-Notes and the Gaylords and formed the GCG.

CHINATOWN DRAGONS: 60's

Chinatown Dragons was a Mexican gang that hung around the Dragon Q poolhall in Chinatown they wore black & green sweaters and fought with the Settlement and gangs from 18th st.

CHINATOWN DUKES: 50's

aka Sons of Chinatown rival of the Cornell Square Rebels. Chinatown Dukes that was a white gang mostly Italians.

CHINATOWN COACHMAN: 50's

CHINATOWN NOMADS: 50's

Chinatown Nomads a chinese gang.

CHINATOWN ARISTOCRATS: 50s

Started on 28th and Princeton in about '53 or '54. They had a small clubhouse on the corner there. Their logo was a top hat, cane, and white gloves. A guy known as Pope, designed and painted the logo. The guys hung around the corner until '56, when they graduated H.S. and all went into the Marines. The Aristocrats and other gangs from Archer Avenue would fight gangs from Taylor Street on occasion.

VILLAGE SHARKS: 60's

The Village Sharks was a Puerto Rican gang from 55th s Halsted. They wore black & burgundy sweaters they later became Latin Souls.

INSANE UNKNOWNS:Insane Unknowns Gang

Chinatown Gangs

Chinatown was a mixture of Chinese, Italians, Croations & Mexicans. But they had their own ethnic gangs. The Dragons were Mexican, The Coachmen & Dukes were Italians and some Croations, The Nomads were Chinese. Two-Six were from 26th st. The kings were closer to 21st and they were tight with the Villa Lobos. The Ridgeway Lords were big around 27th s Ridgeway in the 60s.

Latin Hoods 1979

Ghetto-Brother's Mural 1970s

Yates Boys Organization

Turf: North to Armitage/Humboldt to Kedzie.

Ghetto-Brother's Organization

Maniac Latin Hoods

Stave and Francise. Rivals Maffot and Campbell Gaylords.

IMPERIAL GANGSTERS

K-C stood for Kostner-Cortland where it started 1972- 1983. In the alleys. Offshoot of Palmer/Drake K-D stood for Kostner-Dickens. It was a party house. 1974-1978. Imperial Gangster Nation History.

Latin Lovers

Maniac Latin Hoods Gang

Latin Kings Watusi Card 1970s

Yippies Card

Young Men's International Party

Ravens Gang

PBC - Paulina/Barry Corp

Brighton Jents SAC

K-Town Lords

The K-Town Lords was a predominately Hispanic street gang that originated in the early 1970's on the Northwest Side of Chicago near North Avenue and Kostner Avenue. The colors used by the K-Town Lords were blue/red. Sweaters were blue with red olympics (chops). Their claim to fame was stabbing to death a 14 year old Gaylord named Harpo. After that, they had the Gaylords and the UFO - United Fighting Organization - after them and they went extinct after numerous beatings.

Debbie Kozlarek/Carolyn Vandermolen Murder Case

Nearly four decades later the case remains unsolved, but through the power of the internet, small but significant details of the case have been gradually emerging. Feel free to contact us at Carolyn and Debbie Murders to offer your theories, suggestions, questions, or memories. We may never bring Debbie and Carolyn's murderers to justice in this world, but we will not give up trying.

Jeff Fort - Teacher Speaks Out

Jeff Fort - Blackstone rangers Beginnings

Pitchfork Gangster Disciple Symbol

The pitchforks represent oppression!!!! In a matter of speaking they feel like they already live in hell without a choice! Using what they believe GOD/ and or SATAN left them to fight oppression and "come up" out of it! I do not remember the exact "literature" from the GD book of Knowledge, but David barksdale taught to use the "pitchforks" as a tool NOT a weapon to OVERCOME oppression! and find a better life! VERY anti-government, but sad to say on some levels I can relate! They get a lot of there "lit" from the poet that did "Dante's Inferno" and his quest out of hell!! The rest is Mason Secresy, &military codes!

Gary, Indiana Gangs

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