YLO Disciples

The concept of “YLO” came about in 1971 invented by the Young Lords as they used “YLO” to represent “Young Lords Organization.”  By the mid-1970s the Young Lords started to decline in numbers and this led members to looks elsewhere for membership.  YLOs decided to click up with Spanish Cobras and Latin Disciples by 1976 even though Spanish Cobras generally did not like Young Lords and considered them sellouts.  These YLOs instead were embraced by Cobras and Disciples and this how this particular group of YLOs became the “Young Latino Organization.” The concepts of YLO were heavily adopted by Spanish Cobra Ray Rolon or Colon.

In the year 1976, the YLO Young Lords latched onto the Spanish Cobras and Latin Disciples and basically became a branch of each organization.  There was now the establishment of the “Young Latino Organization Spanish Cobras” or “YLOSC” and the “Young Latino Organization Latin Disciples” or “YLOLD.”  This was how these Young Lords pretty much flipped to being Disciples and Cobras.  The YLOLDs were placed at the intersection of Francisco and Wabansia in the Logan Square neighborhood while YLOSCs were placed at Richmond and Cortland in the same neighborhood.  The YLOLDs were led by “Monkey” and “Lil Man.”

In the year 1978, Spanish Cobras and Latin Disciples united with Imperial Gangsters and Latin Eagles, now the new term was “United Latino Organization” or “ULO” and the “YLO” term would then be used for the young members or “futures” that wanted to join the Cobras or Disciples.  These kids were very young and in grammar school or junior high age at the oldest.  Being YLO would give these young kids an opportunity to prove themselves before actually being taken into ULO and being a Cobra or Disciple.

In the late 1970s, the YLOs in the Logan Square neighborhood had a lot of fun gang banging under the YLO banner and went above and beyond to prove themselves to the older Cobras and Disciples.  The kids that would eventually become YLO Disciples were the YLOs from California and Cortland in Logan Square, this can be viewed as the very first section of YLO Disciples but the YLO Disciple name and separate organization was not yet established and by the time it was the YLO Disciples were at California and Cortland.

By 1979, the Cobras and Disciples were now ready to have them but the young bucks in Logan Square decided they were better on their own as a heavily allied and separate gang that they now called “Young Latino Organization Cobra Disciples.”  These kids developed a nifty handshake that consisted of throwing up the Spanish Cobras and the pitchfork.  The YLO training camp of the late 1970s proved to be too much of a success because these kids got too independent and even stole the name of the training camp and old alliance away from the Cobras and Disciples.  Spanish Cobras and Latin Disciples still often acted like the YLOs were still low ranking Cobras and Disciples in an attempt to get them to flip by saying things like “Y be LO when you can be a D (or C)?”  Even though the Cobras and Disciples had some jealousy they still remained allies with these kids and watched their backs.

In the year 1980, the YLOCD became even more independent as they felt they did not all need each other anymore.  Some of these kids wanted to follow Spanish Cobra concepts more closely while others wanted to follow Latin Disciple concepts more closely.  This disagreement led to the gang being split in half.  The kids that wanted to follow Disciple concepts became known as the “Young Latino Organization Disciples” or “YLOD” and were led by Chicky D, Fish, Spider D and Toro D.    The Spanish Cobra supporters became known as the “Young Latino Organization Cobras” or “YLOC” and were led by “Flaco C,” “Negro C,” “Javier C,” and “Papo C.”  The very first section of YLO Disciples would be Richmond and Cortland in Logan Square.  The YLODs had no central leadership at this time but were instead checked on by Thomas “Outlaw” Ross, a legendary Maniac Latin Disciple member.  Ross also gave the YLODs one of their first guns a .22 caliber rifle.

One of the earliest rivals of the YLODs was the Moos Boys that claimed California and Wabansia area right outside of Moos Elementary.  In the year 1980 the Moos Boys invited an Imperial Gangster to their section at California and Wabansia.  Even though YLODs were tight with Imperial Gangsters they considered it disrespectful that the Imperial Gangster would not take off his sweater when passing through YLOD neighborhood.  When the Spider D, Chicky D, Fish and Toro asked the IG to remove his sweater he refused which was a total act of disrespect to the YLODs.  The YLOs blamed the Moos Boys for this and left to return with reinforcements because the Moos Boys numbered 10 deep in front of that restaurant they hung out at at California and Wabansia.  When the YLODs returned there were now 7 of them.  Being slightly outnumbered and the Moos Boys using weapons caused the YLOs to retreat especially after Spider D was hit with a tire and fist full of rings by Gallo, the leader of the Moos Boys.  The YLODs then summoned Thomas “Outlaw” Ross to bring in reinforcements and that’s when 5 carload of MLDs and some MLDs on foot to Fairfield and Wabansia outside of Gallo’s house.  During this fight Gallo’s mom’s house windows were bashed out and police arrived.  After this the Moos Boys began to withdraw from California and Wabansia and this is how YLODs took California and Wabansia in 1980 and became one of their main sections.

In the year 1981 Kiki D and Karate Freak joined the YLODs and were not part of the foundation but were early members.  Karate Freak was eventually killed by Chicago Police during a home invasion. Karate Freak’s brother Fish was in charge of the YLODs in 1981 until 1982. In 1981 Chicky D moved to Rockwell and Potomac but eventually ran into issues with the Maniac Latin Disciples and fled the area that same year.  Kiki D took over leadership in 1982 and was a well-known leader for some time in the 1980s until he eventually went to prison leaving Capone D in charge.  After Kiki D’s release I do not believe he ever resumed leadership nor do I know what happened to Capone D.

In the 1980s, both YLO gangs were evenly matched and blitzed their way all across Logan Square claiming lots of new territory as long as long as they respected YLO or any other Folks’ territory, but when it came to People Nation gangs the YLOs had no respect and viciously attacked them.  YLOs savagely battled Latin Kings, Vice Lords and Ghetto Brothers Organization.  The YLO Disciples were accredited with pushed the Yates Boys out of their neighborhood and more toward the Ghetto Brothers Organization.  YLODs were also a fierce competitor for the GBOs which was normally a very feared organization on the streets.

Latin Kings, Gaylords and Spanish Lords tried to destroy the YLOs but both gangs proved they were a major force to be reckoned with.  I do not know what the first set was for either YLO gang and I do not know when each additional set popped up.

Throughout the course of the 1980s and 1990s the YLO Cobras opened sections at Shakespeare and Central Park “Young and Crazy,” Shubert and Avers (Kosciuszko Park), George and Avers, Francis and Stave, Dickens and Tripp “Terror Dome,” Dickens and Central Park “Wild Side,” Cortland and Mozart “Sin City,” Cortland and Monticello and Cortland and Lawndale.  The YLO Disciples opened up sections at Dickens and Hamlin “Death and Hell,”  Keystone and Wabansia “Devil’s Playground,” Karlov and Wabansia “Paisa City,” Palmer and Hamlin, Armitage and Avers (Mozart Park), Fullerton and Springfield and Wabansia and California.  Additionally, the YLODs opened up a section in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood at Keystone and Lemoyne.

In 1992, the ULO was having interralliance feuding especially between the Spanish Cobras and Latin Disciples and by 1997, full scale war was launched between Spanish Cobras, Latin Disciples and Latin Eagles alongside the Imperial Gangsters.  The four organizations then created three separate alliances within the Folk Nation and forced their allies to choose between one of the three, no exceptions.

In the year 1992 Insane and Maniac alliances became official on the streets and more pronounced than before, this would eventually show a divide. The YLO Cobras would naturally follow the Insane Familia, while the YLO Disciples naturally followed the Maniac Familia.  The YLO gangs tried to stay united despite the fact that there was a war, but in the summer of 1992 that relationship would end when the YLO Cobras were hanging out with some Imperial Gangsters on Mozart and Cortland, when the YLOCs permitted the Imperial Gangsters to spray paint their gangster crown with pitchforks painted upside down.  This infuriated the YLODs and Maniac Latin Disciples.  The MLDs and YLODs responded by painting the Spanish Cobra diamond upside down and starting fights with YLOCs at Cortland and Mozart.  This was the first conflict between YLOs.

Please send in old school pics.   1970s or 1980s pics will be especially appreciated!

Questions:

1. What year did each section open up?
2. What was the time line of leaders from 1980-2000?

Known sections of the YLO Disciples past and present

Little Village neighborhood 90s-present years

Sections of Little Village

32^nd & Lawndale 90s-present years

Logan Square neighborhood Established 1976-present years

Sections of Logan Square

Cortland & Richmond Established 1980

Dickens & Hamlin (Death and Hell)

Palmer & Hamlin

Armitage & Avers (Mozart Park)

Fullerton & Springfield

Corland & California Established 1978

West Humboldt Park neighborhood Established 1976-present years

Sections of West Humboldt Park

Wabansia to North Ave, Francisco to California (Motherland) Established 1976-present years

Wabansia to Le Moyne, Keystone to Wabansia (Keystone Playlot, Devil’s Playground, Paisa City) 1990s-present years