Imperial Gangsters - Chicago Gang History

Founded	Founded in 1970 in or near Logan Square
Formerly known as	Imperial Spanish Gangsters
Affiliations	Folk Nation — c. 1979 – 2000 or later; Almighty — c. 1979 – 2000 or later; United Latino Organization — 1978 – c. 1992;
Colors	Black and Pink
Primary ethnicities	Latino (Puerto Rican)
Symbols	Pink Panther, Shotgun, and 7 Point Crown
Symbol usage	Rounded 7 point crown with a “G” in the middle
Status	Active

The overall Imperial Gangster history needs to be told in parts in order to bring it all together. Over time I have been getting more and more of the story.

The first part of the story begins in the mid-60s when a group of Greek, Norwegian, Polish and Ukrainian 11-12 year old kids were hanging out at corner of Race Avenue and Damen Avenue in the southern part of the West Town community. These boys were congregating in an area that was between Gaylord hood and C-Note hood with the Lazy Gents nearby as well. All three gangs picked on these kids because they were not Italian and/or their parents were immigrants or these kids were European immigrants themselves. The boys also hung out at the YMCA that was at the corner of Grand Avenue and Leavitt Street. Because these youths spent so much time along the Grand Avenue area they began calling their group “Mighty Grand.” Mighty Grand would eventually fight with Playboys Ventures and Pulaski Park (P.V.Ps) and Latin Kings along with Taylor Jousters, Gaylords, C-Notes and Lazy Gents. Mighty Grand had a big issue with white power type of gangs like Jousters, C-Notes, P.V.P and Gaylords. Mighty Grand bonded with the Harrison Gents of nearby East Village as the two became allies early in existence as they both formed in the same area at around the same time.

In the year 1969, Mighty Grand members moved the West Humboldt Park neighborhood in the northwest side of the community. This are was mostly a white neighborhood and was filled with Gaylords at the time. The Latin Kings were just east of this area close to Humboldt Park. Mighty Grand settled at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Division Street near the Daniel R Cameron Public School at address 1234 N Monticello Ave, Chicago, IL 60651 (Potomac & Monticello). Youths that attended Cameron tended to join Mighty Grand and at the time there were mostly white students in attendance, Mighty Grand recruited white youths and some African American youths. Mighty Grand adopted the Klansman as their symbol to mock their enemies the Gaylords and the white power paradigm. Mighty Grand also used the crown to mock Latin Kings. Mighty Grand was now going by the name “Mighty Grand Gangsters.” Older Mighty Grand members were now high school age and were attending Kelvyn Park High School. When Mighty Grand came to West Humboldt Park they unified with Simon City as allies against Latin Kings.

In the year 1970 at Kelvyn Park High School. The Hispanic population of Logan Square was growing significantly during this time and there was a rise of Hispanic youths attending the high school. The high school was heavily populated by white gangs like Gaylords for example and the streets all around the high school were controlled by the Gaylords. Many groups of whites and high school staff often victimized and/or treated many Hispanic students unfairly and this is what drove a group of Hispanic youths to form the “Imperial Spanish Gangsters” in 1970 in the high school so they could group together and deal with issues as a club. The Imperial Spanish Gangsters did not have territory claimed outside of the school it was more of a club for dealing with issues during school hours.

In the year 1971, kids from the Logan Square neighborhood by Drake and Palmer and Armitage and Drake looked up to the Imperial Spanish Gangsters like older brothers and in 1971 the youths joined the Imperial Spanish Gangsters and put the organization on the streets at the original sections of Armitage and Drake and Drake and Palmer. These were of course the young members of the group, and they were led and assembled by Carlos “Little Mexico” Quintanilla. Little Mexico and his friends were attending Kelvyn Park high as freshmen at the time which originally connected them with the Imperial Spanish Gangsters. The biggest reason of all for Little Mexico and his friends starting up the Drake Street turfs was constant harassment from the Taylor Street Jousters from the Belden and Kimball area that would bully, assault, and even lift up the skirts of female members of the youth’s families. Their families were threatened and assaulted by the Jousters, and this became an urgent reason for the youths to become part of the Imperial Spanish Gangsters. This also made the Taylor Jousters the first enemies of the Imperial Gangsters. Shortly after the Gangsters had heavy animosity with the Gaylords. In the beginning the IGs only fought with white gangs but many original IGs were white including the beloved “Alley Cat” who was very close to Little Mexico.

In the year 1972, the older Imperial Spanish Gangsters began to leave the group and move on with marriage and starting families leaving the younger Gangsters to take over. At this point the Godfather movie was just released in theaters and gave Little Mexico inspiration to re-organize the Gangsters into an organized crime type of group like the mafia. These high school kids would visit “The Armitage” which was a theater that existed at 3553 W. Armitage Avenue which was right on the corner of Armitage and Drake where these young IGs first started as is where they saw the movie. Under the leadership of “Little Mexico” the IGs were able to establish a relationship with the theater’s owner and offered protection from rival gangs in the area just like what the Mafia does. The IGs acted as ushers in the theater and there was often 50+ members seen in the theater. The youths started dressing like Italian gangsters wearing the long coats, Al Capone shoes, the long coats with the white scarfs and they even twirled around canes. “Little Mexico” also wanted his members to have guns, so now every member at least carried a small pistol (Chicago Tribune, Keegan, P 1, Dec 12 1979). The club was now named “Imperial Gangsters” in 1972.

Within no time the Imperial Gangsters developed a sophisticated syndicate through sales of marijuana, Tick, and extortion of local businesses in exchange for protection. Little Mexico wanted the IGs to be well armed; therefore, the IGs purchased several firearms like .30-06 rifles and shotguns. The IGs ended up with more guns than any other group in Logan Square. The IGs were more sophisticated and advanced in an organized way than most gangs in the area and Little Mexico himself was an honor student with straight As. Carlos and many of the other original IGs were honor students that participated in many extracurricular activities and school organizations. These original members were smart academically and on the streets. The Imperial Gangsters also were a large part of the ROTC program and basically ran the program. Little Mexico himself was a Lieutenant in the program. Imperial Gangsters were strategical and analytical when it came to dealing with their enemies on the streets crafting clever battle plans.

As far as the colors and symbols part of the history is concerned, there has been much debate and different stories told about the origin including some very elaborate tales; however, the decision on the colors truly did not entail much sophistication. The black and pink colors were solely chosen by Carlos Quintanilla and another member because all other color combos were taken by other gangs and black and pink was all that was left. That is the story on that and there is nothing else. The Gangster crown was chosen from the Imperial Margarine logo and that story is correct.

In the year 1974, The Imperial Gangsters would have their first war with another Hispanic gang the Latin Kings because the Imperial Gangsters were growing in numbers setting off Latin King jealousy. The Latin Kings began giving the IGs a hard time which led to violence and a permanent war on the streets.

In the year 1975, the Imperial Gangsters were fighting one day with the Gaylords at Central Park Ave and Fullerton in a major brawl. During the heat of this brawl a plain clothed police officer arrived by his lonesome to somewhat intervene in the fight and did not identify himself as a police officer as he looked like a Gaylord or perhaps was a former Gaylord, in either case Ronald “Mad Dog” Carrasquillo felt threatened by this individual and fired a gun at him killing the police officer on the scene. Carrasquillo had no idea the man was a police officer and the whole situation with the officer there on rather strange terms was questionable at best. Carrasquillo was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder. During the investigation Chicago police were furious hotly pursuing Imperial Gangsters by arresting several members and torturing them in custody as they were tied to wall heaters, chairs and even monkey bars while being tortured and beaten even though the killer was already apprehended at the scene.

In the year 1975, the Stoned Freaks formed at the intersection of St. Louis and Armitage which was a mostly white biker-type of marijuana smoking clique. The conflict between the two groups got heated and led to a shooting death of a Stoned Freak in 1976. The Freaks then moved out of the area toward Humboldt Park.

In 1976 the police aggressively pursued the IGs over gang conflicts and it led to the school becoming involved. Kelvyn Park High School made an abrupt and unconstitutional decision to immediately expel Carlos Quintanilla suddenly. The school staff was aggressive about the expulsion cornering him and demanding he leave the building for good immediately even though Quintanilla’s street endeavors at the time had nothing to do with his education or a cause of any disruption in school. When Quintanilla questioned them on how and why they felt they could do this they physically grabbed his possessions and threw them out the door and told him to “get the fuck out of here!” This treatment was not administered to white students or white gang members, and it just so happened the school had a history of expelling many Hispanic students, Imperial Gangsters, and Imperial Spanish Gangsters with no due process. Quintanilla fought this legally against the Chicago Board of Education by suing the institution and won. The Board of Education was found liable for expelling students unfairly especially Hispanic students.

After all these heated issues Carlos Quintanilla faced, he now had a family and realized raising a family did not coincide with running a mafia type organization forcing him to retire from gang life in 1976.

As time would pass the Mighty Grand Gangsters would start referring to themselves as “Gangsters” only and as the neighborhood changed racially they began recruited more Hispanics into their group. In the year 1976, the white population had completely moved out of the northwest West Humboldt Park which meant Gaylords left the area. Gangs from other neighborhoods moved into northern West Humboldt Park like Spanish Cobras, Maniac Latin Disciples and Insane Unknowns. The gang climate was changing and Imperial Gangsters were interested in the area and Mighty Grand now had possible interest in becoming part of what the Imperial Gangsters built; however, they did not initially want to join the nation. Imperial Gangsters and Mighty Grand sat down and worked out becoming one nation that would take on the “Imperial Gangsters” name but it was kind of like two different clubs under one banner. Mighty Grand now changed their name to the “Cameron Gangsters” but were under the overall Imperial Gangster nation. Each group of Imperial Gangsters had their own leadership for some time until they eventually become more of one group.

In the year 1976 the Imperial Gangsters settled in the Hermosa neighborhood at Kostner and Cortland. This section became well-known by white gangs nearby like Youngblood Freaks, Gaylords and PVRs. The Imperial Gangsters here engaged in a violent war with the Rice Boys in 1977, White Knights, Gaylords, Karlov Boys and sometimes Latin Kings from outside the area. The Imperial Gangsters of Cortland and Kostner became the first Hispanic gang to settle on these streets and the white gangs were furious and teamed up on them but the IGs here stood strong and fought legendary gang wars against these many adversaries until 1982.

In the year 1978 Imperial Gangsters, Spanish Cobras, Maniac Latin Disciples and Latin Eagles created the “United Latino Organization” (ULO) which unified these street gangs against Latin Kings and the rival “UFO” which consisted of 5 large white gangs that included the Gaylords. The Imperial Gangsters would also follow the Folks alliance from its beginnings and by 1981 members were claiming it in the streets.

Imperial Gangsters in the suburbs

In 1979, the Imperial Gangsters opened one of the first Chicago based Hispanic gang chapters in history when they opened in the suburb of Franklin Park (The Jungle). These Imperial Gangsters would become legendary as they managed to prevent any other gangs from growing in that area and they viciously battled rival gangs from nearby Maywood and Bellwood. These IGs battled the Latin Kings that had settled on these streets first but managed to outlast the Latin Kings as these Kings left in the 1980s. These IGs controlled the drug trade from the Sin City Strip along Mannheim Road and Grand Avenue. in these buildings IGs shot down rivals immediately as they watched the area day and night. These IGs made lots of noise in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s until police crackdowns suppressed most of their activity but they still control these buildings presently. Imperial Gangsters would spread to the suburb of Northlake in the early 80s branching off from Franklin Park as they took control of the King Arthur condominiums located at the border of Northlake and Franklin Park near Grand Avenue and Wolf Road. This was all part of a Grand Avenue connection between the suburbs and the city. Imperial Gangsters have a permanent legacy in both these suburbs.

In the same year of 1979, Imperial Gangsters opened territory in the Apache Park area of the suburb of Des Planes in the northwest suburbs. These Imperial Gangsters moved in at the same time as Latin Kings and battled with them viciously. The Des Planes chapter led to the formation of the Rosemont Imperial Gangsters located in the apartment complex along the suburb’s border along Touhy Avenue. The two suburbs combined were a major force to be reckoned with and no other gangs could ever have any stake in the Touhy and Barry apartments since the early 80s. The Apache Park Imperial Gangsters moved into the townhouses south of Apache Park and still claim that whole area while Latin Kings are north of Apache Park.

By 1982, Imperial Gangsters were present in the Du Page County suburb of Bensenville living in the Hamilton Avenue townhouses next to O’Hare Airport. These suburban IGs would become legends as they heavily battled Latin Kings from that community. When the whole subdivision was razed in the mid-2000s, the Imperial Gangsters never left Bensenville and still have a presence currently.

It was in the year 1980 when Imperial Gangsters first opened territory in the suburb of Cicero. This group moved in around 19th and Cicero Ave. The Imperial Gangsters of Cicero became very close allies with Two Six and lessor but still tight relationship with the Two Two Boys. All three of these groups were Folks. In 1989, these Imperial Gangster flipped to Two Six thus closing Cicero Imperial Gangster operations.

In the year 1979, Imperial Gangsters first started to refer to themselves as “Almighty” as this more of less unofficial alliance first started with Latin Eagles and Simon City Royals. Relations with Simon City Royals dates back to their old relationship with Simon City that spawned into a friendship with Simon City Royals.

In the year 1980, a ranking incarcerated Maniac Latin Disciples named Victor “King Vic” Gomez” and Imperial Gangster leader Ronald “Mad Dog” Carrasquillo of the Imperial Gangsters drew up a constitution for a way to govern the “Latin Folks” behind prison walls. The Latin Folks consisted of all the Hispanic gangs that were part of the Folk alliance that included all four of the ULO organizations. This established alliance would become known as the “Spanish Gangster Disciples” or “La Tabla.” This establishment was approved and sanctioned by Larry Hoover who was the leader of the Black Gangster Disciples and the Chairman of the Folk alliance. This new order also allowed King Vic to appoint more gangs into the Folk alliance as they also joined SGD.

In the year 1985 the Imperial Gangsters made a comeback to the Hermosa neighborhood as they arrived at Fullerton and Kildare. The Imperial Gangsters had immediate rivalries with the Gaylords and Stoned Freaks in the area. Imperial Gangsters united with Spanish Cobras and Latin Eagles in the area. Once war erupted between Imperial Gangsters and Spanish Cobras in the area the IGs of Fullerton and Kildare flipped to Spanish Cobras, thus, ending the Hermosa operations for the Imperial Gangsters a second time.

Beginning in the year 1985, bad blood first started brewing within the north side Folks which began the background for what would later come as all ULO allied gangs would eventually split. In the year 1985, Imperial Gangsters began to feud among themselves as Spaulding and Armitage IGs began conflicting with IGs from Kimball and Cortland. Imperial Gangsters from Kimball and Cortland under the leadership of Tea Bags were put together when they collaborated with Crazy Willie of the Spanish Cobras to open a section together known as Cobra Gangsters or CGs. This did not sit well with IGs from Spaulding and Armitage, so Fat Jose from the Spaulding and Armitage IGs worked with Pee Wee of the Maniac Latin Disciples to create the Gangster Disciples or GDs (no relation to the Gangster Disciples gang). This was a brief war that resulted in the SGD board stepping in to resolve this issue in 1986. Even though this was resolved it started the beginning of bitterness between the ULO allies. As a result of this Talman and Wabansia MLDs were formed and Western and Cortez Imperial Gangsters were formed in the aftermath.

In the late 1980s, Imperial Gangsters first became “Almighty” which helped IGs identify better with Insane Popes, Simon City Royals and Latin Eagles as these groups had been hanging out since 1979 in an unofficial alliance loosely called “Almighty.” Now Almighty got a little deeper because of the Imperial Gangsters as they drew their allies the Latin Eagles, Simon City Royals and Insane Popes closer.

in 1989, a argument happened at a party with the Western and Cortez Imperial Gangsters. One of the MLDs got into it with “Flaco G” of the Imperial Gangsters and this led to the MLD shooting Flaco G dead at the party. Angry feelings ensued but a war was not initiated as an agreement was reached. The real anger came months later when another MLD shot and killed another Imperial Gangster and the IGs threatened war if MLDs did not turn over the shooter, the MLDs refused and this started a very nasty war between Maniac Latin Disciples and Imperial Gangsters. This became the first major Folk against Folk war on the northern part of the city.

The war with the Western and Cortez Imperial Gangsters was nasty over the next two years as several shootings went down between them. Very frequently Western and Cortez Imperial Gangsters would take shots at MLDs right after school at nearby Roberto Clemente High School, this led to “Flintstone G” of the Imperial Gangsters making an attempted assassination until he ran out of bullets then he ran home and cut through the gangway at Augusta and Cortez where an MLD was waiting in the alley for him and shot him dead.

At about New Years Even of 1991, going into 1992, the Imperial Gangster and Maniac Latin Disciple war ended for the time being. The war was ugly when it happened and it led to issues with Insanes as well as Imperial Gangsters began having feuds with Insane Campbell Boys, Spanish Cobras and YLO Cobras, relations were not looking good with fellow Folks and the Almighty family did not exist yet and there was conflict with Maniacs and Insanes. It was then rumored that there were discussions in prison between Imperial Gangsters and Latin Kings over the possibility of IGs flipping to the People alliance, however, much of the IG nation was infuriated with such a possibility and this never happened according to the rumor. One thing that did happen in 1992 was the closing of Western and Cortez as the wars with Insanes and Maniacs became very intense.

The IGs did open solid territory in the suburb of Franklin Park “The Jungle” in the year 1979; however, the Cicero chapter had to close down by the late 1980s but Franklin remained strong.

The Imperial Gangsters would eventually become big in the Belmont-Cragin area I think starting in the early 1980s which has become one of their stronger territories up to present day.

Known sections of the Imperial Gangsters

Albany Park neighborhood 1990s and 2000s

Sections of Albany Park

Bernard & Leland

Monticello & Leland (Murder Land)

Belmont-Cragin neighborhood 80s-present

Sections of Belmont-Cragin

Fullerton to Grand, Mango to Central Ave (Belden City) 1980s-present years

George to Diversey, Central to Linder

Altgeld & Lavergne

Altgeld & Parkside 1990s-present years

Deming Pl & Leclaire