Insane Unknown Gang History

Almighty Insane Unknown Nation

The Insane Unknowns started on Leavitt & Schiller and were an off shoot of the Latin Kings. Their racial make-up at the time was Hispanic & White and as the 80's rolled in they even had some black members.

Their White membership was mostly from their Halsted & Wrightwood branch and their Black membership was mostly from their Lathrop Homes Housing Development branch & K-Town branch.

The 12th Street Players had nothing to do with the UPK. The UPK was formed in K-Town and it was a Unity between the LK/IUK and the Chicago Players not 12th Street Players.

Back to top

Sawyer School Gang 1962

What they saw was about 25 guys from Sawyer, but what they didn't see was on the north and west side of the school was about 300 more. I'm not exaggerating that number, there was a boat load. A couple guys went after each other and then all of a sudden guys running from the both sides of the school came pouring out. They beat these kids with bats, chains, beat their cars headlamps, tail lights and glass out. Those guys took off running into a neighborhood they didn't know, into the apartment building across the street and where ever they could find safe shelter. Neighbors called the police, but by the time they got there it was over. And I do mean over. By the end of the night the police sent these kids limping out of the neighborhood, and they never returned again. The legend from that night really grew, and nobody messed with them. They just stood around every night doing the same stuff they always did which was basically nothing. After a couple years, guys were now in their 20 to 21 age group and started not showing up. It was almost pitiful to see, but in 1969 Jay was out there, at an age of 25 or so, with a following of 16 year Old’s. He finally he drifted away from them; it just wasn't the same anymore. Jay joined the Army in maybe 1965 or 66, but was told to leave. He couldn’t take orders. Then he moved to Michigan with his mother and was there for a year and a half, but came back to the neighborhood. Word is he got a girl pregnant and took off. That's our Jay. A interesting story from the early 1970's was that he was walking down Kedzie Avenue with a small group of his pals, and they were talking about the glass in business doors with the chicken wire in the middle of it. They were saying you can't break through it. Jay said he could with his fist. Well they bet $10 that he could not put his fist through the window at a realty office at 55th and Kedzie. Jay said get your money ready. He made a fist and popped it right through, shredding is skin to hanging bits and blood all over. He wrapped it in a towel, grabbed his $10 and went on his way. He is now inmate B51400 at the Menard Correctional Center for life due to a murder he did.