Gangs in Chicago

Chicago is considered the most gang-occupied city in the United States, with 150,000 gang-affiliated denizens,[1] representing more than 70 gangs.[2] Gang warfare and retaliation is common in Chicago. Gangs were responsible for 61% of the homicides in Chicago in 2011.

Tag by the West 49th Street and South Paulina Street set of the Gangster Disciple Nation on West 50th Street and South Hermitage Avenue, Chicago IL

History

Hispanic-on-Hispanic homicides increased in the summer of 1971 due to the Latin Kings gang election meetings.[3] In July 2021, federal agents participating in Operation Legend arrested 27 Black Disciples gang members associated with drugs and gun violations in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.[4]

Purported causes

Former Chicago Police Superintendent, Garry McCarthy, blames Chicago's gang culture for its high rates of homicide and other violent crime, stating "It's very frustrating to know that it's like 7% of the population causes 80% of the violent crime... The gangs here are traditional gangs that are generational, if you will. The grandfather was a gang member, the father's a gang member, and the kid right now is going to be a gang member".[5]

Policing strategy

Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel disbanded the Chicago Police Department's anti-gang unit in 2012 in order to focus on beat patrols, which he said would have a more long-term solution to violence than anti-gang units.[6][7]

Composition

Most traditional Chicago street gangs, known as nations, fall under two main factions, called the People Nation and the Folk Nation. The People Nation has most, if not all gangs under the "Almighty" moniker. The Folk Nation has most gangs divided into various sub-factions, the majority of which are a part of an alliance called Latin Folks which are further divided into groups called Familias. There are nations that are independent of both the Folk and People Nations, such as the Black Soul Nation.[8][9][10]

Street gangs that are independent of Folks and People but retain similar identifiers and symbolism as well as maintain a hierarchical structure in membership are known as war crews. They do not identify as nations though they will engage in traditional gang activity and may conflict with nations as well as other crews. Street gangs that do not retain any semblance of traditional nations or war crews are known simply as cliques. Each individual gang is divided into sets which are territories spanning blocks or neighborhoods that may be divided further into subsets. There are currently at least 70 active Chicago street gangs, with 747 factions that have been identified.[11][12][13]

Active gangs

Currently active street gangs in Chicago are:


Folk Nation


Latin Folks Familias


Almighty Familia

  • Almighty Ambrose Nation
  • Almighty Brazer Nation
  • Almighty Harrison Gent Nation
  • Almighty Imperial Gangster Nation
  • Almighty Insane Pope Nation
  • Almighty Krazy Getdown Boy Nation
  • Almighty Latin Eagle Nation
  • Almighty Simon City Royal Nation


Gangster Familia


Insane Familia

  • Insane Ashland Viking Nation
  • Insane Campbell Boy Nation
  • Insane C-Note Nation
  • Insane Deuce Nation
  • Insane Dragon Nation
  • Insane Guess Boy Nation (renegade Insane)
  • Insane King Cobra Nation
  • Insane Latin Jiver Nation (renegade Insane)
  • Insane Majestic Nation (renegade Insane)
  • Insane Orquesta Albany Nation
  • Insane Outlaw Gangster Nation
  • Insane Racine Boy Nation (renegade Insane)
  • Insane Spanish Cobra Nation
  • Insane Two-Two Boy Nation (renegade Insane)
  • Insane Young Latino Organization Cobra Nation


Maniac Familia

  • Maniac Latin Disciple Nation
  • Maniac Campbell Boy Nation
  • Maniac Young Latino Organization Disciple Nation


No Familia

  • Allport Lover Nation (defunct)
  • Aztec Soul Nation
  • Black Disciple Nation
  • Black King Cobra Nation (No relation to Black Cobra Souls, Mickey Cobras, Insane King Cobras, Insane YLO Cobras or Insane Spanish Cobras)
  • Boss Pimp Nation
  • Hoodlum Nation
  • Insane Gangster Satan Disciple Nation (formerly Insane Familia and Gangster Familia)
  • Insane Gangster City Knight Nation (given prefix by Insane Gangster Satan Disciple Nation)
  • La Raza Nation
  • Latin Dragon Nation
  • Universal Latin Lover Nation
  • Latin Soul Nation
  • Latin Styler Nation
  • Milwaukee King Nation
  • Morgan Boy Nation (defunct)
  • Ridgeway Lord Nation (defunct)
  • Spanish Gangster Disciple Nation


People Nation

  • Almighty Bishop Nation
  • Almighty Black P. Stone Nation
  • Almighty Familia Stone Nation
  • Almighty Four Corner Hustler Nation
  • Almighty Gaylord Nation
  • Almighty Insane Latin Brother Nation
  • Almighty Insane Latin Count Nation
  • Almighty Insane Pope Nation
  • Almighty Insane Unknown Nation
  • Almighty Laflin Lover Nation (defunct)
  • Almighty Latin Angel Nation
  • Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation
  • Almighty Latin Pachuco Nation
  • Almighty Latin Stone Nation
  • Almighty Noble Knight Nation
  • Almighty Party Player Nation
  • Almighty Puerto Rican Stone Nation (defunct)
  • Almighty Saint Nation
  • Almighty Spanish Lord Nation
  • Almighty Spanish Vice Lord Nation
  • Almighty Stoned Freak Nation
  • Almighty Twelfth Player Nation
  • Almighty True Warlord Nation
  • Almighty Vice Lord Nation
  • Almighty Villa Lobo Nation
  • Chi-West Nation
  • Fourth Generation Messiah Nation
  • Mickey Cobra Nation
  • Taylor Jouster Nation (defunct)


Independent Gangs


Crews

  • 103rd Street Crew
  • 35th Street Crew
  • 61st Boys
  • Adidas Boys
  • Bad Boys
  • Born Legends
  • Crazy Latino Boys
  • Goonie Boys (defunct)
  • Homicide Boys
  • Krazy Ass Latinos
  • Latinos Outta Control
  • Lynch Mob
  • Mafia Family (defunct)
  • Maniac Players
  • Nike Boys
  • One of the Boys
  • Outlaws
  • Polish Mafia
  • Slag Valley Boys
  • South Deering Boys
  • Southwest Boys (formerly a Gangster Two-Six future crew)
  • U-Boys
  • Vietnamese Clan
  • West Lawns (defunct)
  • Winchester Boys
  • Wolcott Boys


Transplanted Gangs

Bloods

  • Outlaw Loko Bloods (founded by Oriental Lazy Boyz)

Crips

  • various gangs (defunct)

Norteños

  • various gangs (defunct)

Sureños

  • Barrio Pobre
  • Brown Pride
  • Florencia
  • Mexican Posse


Independent Transplanted Gangs

  • Akrhos (founded by Akrho Pinoy)


See also

References
  1. "Chicago Most Gang-Infested City in U.S., Officials Say". NBC Chicago. January 26, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  2. "Chicago Gang Violence: By The Numbers". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  3. "Latin Kings 1971-72 Election Meetings". Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  4. CHICAGO BLACK DISCIPLES GANG LEADER AMONG 23 CHARGED IN FEDERAL INVESTIGATION, OFFICIALS SAY ABC7 Chicago, July 19, 2020
  5. "Gangs and guns fuel Chicago's summer surge of violence | PBS NewsHour". Pbs.org. July 20, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  6. "Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is defending his decision in the first days of his administration to disband anti-gang units like the Mobile Strike Force | WBEZ 91.5 Chicago". Wbez.org. July 9, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  7. "Terrorised Chicago residents plead for police crackdown as gang war murders soar". Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2022-01-12. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  8. "Chicago Street Gangs". Chicago Gang History. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  9. "Gang Areas in Chicago". Uic.edu. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  10. "Dedicated to 20th Century Gang History". Chicago Gang History. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  11. "Chicago Street Gangs". Chicago Gang History. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  12. "Gang Areas in Chicago". Uic.edu. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  13. "Dedicated to 20th Century Gang History". Chicago Gang History. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
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