Latin Kings

For those of you that follow this page over time, you might get a little flustered that I keep changing the history.  Please do not be discouraged by this because this is the result of me finding out more historical information on the Latin Kings as time passes.  Please remember, just like a scientist, research develops over time and trial and error occurs.  Just like any science, it takes time to perfect a project, and this surely has taken me many years to learn the details of the Latin King history. This is a slow development and tracking down original Latin Kings and/or people that knew them and know the story has been very taxing.  There are several variations of the story, but I try to only acknowledge variations that multiple people state was the founding story and not just one person unless that person was a solid member in the older days.  Not all variations are correct and there is always one truth. The Latin King history is challenging to track to say the least, but I have a passion for it and am always excited to learn more.  I enjoy being as detailed as possible about the early history of the Latin Kings and sometimes it has led me to misunderstandings of the history or as led me to false info.  Rest assured my research methods on collecting the Latin King history have improved over time and will continue to improve to weed out the bullshit.

When it comes to the Latin King foundation there have been several pieces of information that has flown around the internet, been written in documents and books and has been passed down through oral tradition.  What I have noticed is each piece of history tends to not make sense or connect with the little info given in pieces.  I have begun to learn that each most of these pieces has relevance and much of it is truthful but the way it is told and passed down doesn’t add up.  I am here to connect the dots and make sense of it all and culminate all pieces of the history into one big history.  This is how the Latin King history is, it is spread out in multiple locations in Chicago and with various dates.

Here is general list of pieces of the history that have been passed around for decades:

Latin Kings were founded by Papa King/King Papo

Latin Kings were born out of the Noble Knights

Latin Kings motherland is Humboldt Park

Latin King motherland is New York City

Latin Kings motherland is Little Village (the Boulevards)

Latin Kings were born on 18^th Street

Latin Kings came from the Imperials, Skulls, Noble Knights

Latin Kings were born from the Royal Kings

Latin Kings began in 1954

Latin Kings began in 1964

Latin Kings were started on Laflin and Van Buren

Latin Kings were started in Chicago in 1940

Latin Kings go back to the 1920s or 1930s

There appears to be a lot of different versions of the history, and it has caused confusion over the decades.  I admittedly, was also caught up in the confusion but after many years of reading text, piecing together articles, hearing stories from old school and original Latin Kings and from dropping in on online forums and Facebook groups I have finally begun to piece it together.  Along with my knowledge of the neighborhood histories and conversations and viewing text from old school white greaser gang members as well I have been able to piece it together and find dead on matches between the stories of old white greasers from the 50s and 60s and stories from old/original Latin Kings.  In 2024 the revelations have been becoming clearer and clearer.  Am I all there yet?  I will not say with confidence I am completely there, but it appears 2024 has brought me so much closer to the real history.  I will keep re-writing as I get updates, or perhaps this is the final update and I have found all I can?  Only time will tell, but learning the Latin King history is one of my passions.  Now I will break this history down in timeline fashion and cover the pieces of the history in chronological order.

First, I will address the legend that Latin Kings go back to the 1920s or 1930s.  There are zero records or plausible stories that are in detail of any entity called the “Latin Kings” in Chicago or anywhere else in the United States. Some have said the roots of the Latin Kings go that far back mostly to New York City.  I have heard of a “Lion Tribe” or “Sun Tribe” group that started around the early 1930s in New York.  This was supposed to be a group of multiple Hispanic ethnicities getting together to deal with racial issues Hispanics faced while newly arriving in New York City during the Great Depression.  Allegedly they passed their beliefs down to a group called the “Latin Crowns” at some point.  Although the names seems heavily tied to Latin King literature and symbols such as the lion, crown and sun I cannot verify this information at all.  I have zero articles, full stories or any details besides the founder of the Sun Tribe and/or Lion Tribe was a “Lord Bomba.”  I have no idea what borough or region of New York City this would have come from either; therefore, I am just going to leave this here and not go any further because I have nothing else.  I need much more detail for me to back up that this is all true and/or has anything to do with that Almighty Latin Kings.

Now, I will address the legends that the Latin Kings date back to the 1940s decade.  I have heard before that the Latin Kings started in the exact year of 1940 or other sources say just some time in the 1940s.  I have found zero evidence the “Latin Kings” or any other groups that became part of the foundation date that far back in time, especially in Chicago.  Most of the early foundation of the Latin Kings comes from within the Puerto Rican community in Chicago but prior to World War II the Puerto Rican population was extremely low; furthermore, there was the absence of barrios where several Puerto Ricans would have gathered.  Even the Mexican population of Chicago was very low prior to the war.  Many social problems that later drove the Latin King formation did not exist as prior to the war; Chicagoans did not view Hispanic people as a threat to their existence as far as competition for employment and housing.  It is also a known fact that no Puerto Rican gangs existed in Chicago prior to 1947 and any Mexican gangs were simply south side zoot suit groups that never lived beyond a few years at most and never carried a club name.  Not only have I never found any evidence of 1940s Latin Kings, the legends themselves are very bland and no one can even spin a detailed tale of the 40s.

One may ask where the 1940s legend comes from.  If so, many make this claim, it has to have some truth, right?  I can say there is some truth to it, the story just isn’t told correctly or fruitfully enough.  The 1940 legend I strongly believe is simply linked to the birth year of Ramon “King Papo” Santos’ birth year which was 1940.  Ramon “King Papo” Santos has been hailed as the founder of the nation which is true; therefore, many legends maybe so honoring of Santos that’s why they say 1940 is when it all began because that’s when Santos was brought to this earth.  Santo’s birth year is the only piece of evidence I can find on Latin King foundation going back to 1940.  Perhaps the New York City “Latin Crowns” group started in 1940?   I do not know; therefore, for now I can only say 1940 is significant because Ramon Santos was born.

Legend has it that Ramon Santos was a member of the “Young Lords” in New York City before he moved to Chicago.  If it is true, that he was a Young Lord then he would have lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn NYC because that’s where the Young Lords were located.  The Young Lords were the younger guys from the older “Phantom Lords” gang from Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  The Phantom Lords began in the later 1940s in Brooklyn then by about the earlier 50s they formed the Young Lords for the younger guys.  I found multiple 1950s news articles from New York newspapers talking about the Young Lords and Phantom Lords, this is info that is rather easy to access on the internet; therefore, I am not posting the articles because it is not necessary, if you want to verify, please look them up but they were from Brooklyn.  Young Lords were also located in Hell’s Kitchen in lower Manhattan and in the South Bronx.

The true roots would date back to 1947 in Chicago when the earliest Puerto Rican migration wave came to Chicago.  Beginning in 1947 the United States began offering visas to thousands of Puerto Rican laborers (mostly male) to come to the United States to work in the many industrial factories now blossoming with employment opportunities.  This mostly male migration wave were impoverished farmers from Puerto Rican small villages that often needed to work their lands hard for small incomes.  The United States offered better opportunities for income and many Puerto Rican males came to the United States to work for a certain period before returning to Puerto Rico to be with their families.  Some of these men would be gone as long as ten years or more.  Most of the Puerto Rican migrants landed in New York City but some came to Chicago as early as 1947.  Among these earliest arrivals to Chicago were two World War II veterans Juan “Hacha Vieja” (I don’t know his real last name) and Antonio “Maloco” Jimenez Rodriquez.  Juan Hacha Vieja moved from Barrio Mula in Aguas Buenas in Puerto Rico.  Juan was given the nickname of “Hacha Vieja” because he was good with the machete when he farmed the mountain coffee fields as a small boy.  Juan and Antonio met in Puerto Rico and Juan would get to know Antonio’s cousins and brothers.  In the late 40s Juan and Antonio migrated to Chicago after the war and began an organization that had no official name but was a club that was centered around assisting the newly arrived Puerto Rican community especially in the “La Clark” or Clark Street barrio in Chicago and any scattered Puerto Rican people living in Lincoln Park or around the city.  Juan and Antonio soon discovered their arrival in Chicago was not welcomed by not only the white community but also the African American community and other Hispanic groups.  White, Hispanic, and African American gangs and clubs would often attack Puerto Rican men walking to their jobs beating them viciously. These early Puerto Rican arrivals also faced harsher discrimination in Chicago and were subject to unfair treatment, homelessness, and subjected to squalled living conditions.  Juan and Antonio had lots of heart and were alphas that stood out in the Puerto Rican community; therefore, they acted as guardians and guides for newly arrived Puerto Rican families in the late 40s and all through the 1950s.  Juan and Antonio put the “Hachas Viejas” club together; however, there was no formal name, colors, or anything else.  All that would happen when obtaining membership was Juan would give his last name to other members who would add “Hacha Vieja” to their name.  For example, if I was a member I would be Zach “Hacha Vieja” Jones.  These men in this group would provide a list of services for Puerto Rican people that would begin with making phone calls and writing letters to family members or family members of other newly arrived Puerto Rican people down to Aguas Buenas and Caguas Puerto Rico to assist them with relocation to the United States.  Once the migrants would arrive the Hachas Viejas assisted them with locating housing, employment, and any other needs.  If these families faced discrimination, violence or fell victim to slumlords the Hacha Vieja group stepped in as alphas to address these issues even if they needed to resort to violence.

Hacha Vieja was not a violent group but was considered by the Puerto Rican community to be the first street gang in Chicago.  Hacha Vieja members spent most of their days raising families, working hard in the downtown hotels and restaurants or at the steel mills close to Indiana.  In their spare time the Hachas Viejas drank at local taverns enjoying rum and beer.  Hachas Viejas would eventually purchase club houses and taverns of their own and gather all their members.  In the 40s and 50s Hachas Viejas engaged in many brawls with gangs including a fight with a “Mexican gang” from Halsted and Taylor.  Halsted and Taylor was the founding place of Ambrose so I can imagine that perhaps original Ambrose fought Hacha Vieja, in the interviews with Antonio Jimenez he never stated that gang name but I theorize it was Ambrose.  Hachas Viejas fought Italian, Irish, African American, and Mexican gangs around the city but were sometimes caught off guard because they were not a gangbanging group but seemed to have some of the clout in their barrios as a mafia.  Hachas Viejas were highly respected, feared and loved by the Puerto Rican community and were the influence for later Puerto Rican gangs in the city.  The gangs that were not influenced by Hacha Vieja tended not to last in this city because many lacked the heart, compassion, and integrity of Hacha Vieja.  Many neighborhood kids looked up to Hachas Viejas in the late 40s and 50s which would evolve into the backbone for Latin Kings in the future.  The son of an original Hacha Vieja Marcelo Jimenez and Carmen Tirado Reyes became a Latin King co-founder and one of the prominent Latin King leaders, I do not know which Latin King this was.  The couple also gave birth to Jose “Cha Cha” Jimenez, who would later become the permanent leader of the Young Lords and the biggest face of the Young Lords. The Jimenez family lived in Lake View (Wrigleyville), Wicker Park (North Ave and Winchester) and Humboldt Park after Carmen came to Chicago to join him; before she arrived, Marcelo lived in the La Clark settlement.  This shows this original member lived in multiple communities that later became the birthing neighborhoods of Latin Eagles, Latin Kings, and Maniac Latin Disciples.  This is no coincidence as many Hacha Viejas gave birth to children that would go on to found major street gangs.

To keep the timeline of events flowing let’s pause from the Hacha Vieja beginnings and explore a New York City connection.  Certain legends have stated that the Latin Kings were founded in the year 1954 in Chicago.  I have found no evidence at all that an entity named the “Latin Kings” existed in any shape or form in Chicago.  Furthermore, I have never heard any detailed legends that were relevant that can trace any part of the Latin King history to 1954 Chicago.  The only way I can see 1954 as a startup year would have to trace back to New York City.  Ramon “Papa King/King Papo” Santos was living in New York City at that time and has always been regarded by many as the founder.  King Papo was in the “Latin Kings” in New York City when he was young.  This is an oral tradition about this man and no valid records or stories put him in Chicago before 1960.  It was said Santos was also a Young Lord of New York City back then.  As I stated above the Young Lords came out of Brooklyn and could have formed in 1954 or perhaps 1954 was the year Ramon Santos came to the United States from Puerto Rico to Brooklyn.  I theorize this 1954 legend is linked to the founding of the “Latin Kings” of the South Bronx.  As early as February 18, 1955, this “Latin Kings” gang was in the newspaper for shooting and wounding a boy as he left a basketball game.  14 members of the “Latin Kings” were rounded up by NYPD and two of the youths were charged the most, Raul Benitz and Gerald Fleischman who were two original Latin Kings of South Bronx.  The “Latin Kings” made the paper again in 1955 on August 6, 1955, when they were mentioned as battling a gang called the Cypress Lords over the intersection of 141^st and Cypress.  No Latin Kings were charged instead Cypress Lords were arrested but the “Latin Kings” mention was there, and this was once again in Mott Haven, South Bronx, the same neighborhood as the first article.  This Latin King group would be mentioned on a April 29, 1958 article talking about Gerald Fleischman again, this time misspelling his last name as “Fleischmann.”  Gerald Fleischman was shot at by two African Americans looking for a “Young Sinners” gang.  In the article it stated that the “Latin Kings” were broken up three years ago by police and Fleischman was a former member which shows that the Latin Kings were short lived and already extinct or so underground the police could not detect them.  I can’t prove that this Latin Kings groups was around in 1954 but it is highly likely they were because the first article was published early in the 1955 year which makes it very likely the group was founded at least the year prior, this is the most plausible reason why legends have talked about the year 1954.  The “Latin King” name was born in New York City in 1954 or 1955.

I had come across a Youtube video that was made in 2024 but the interview was from 2010.  A YouTube user “KinG KLaST” posted this video https://youtu.be/e89vlBbipJo?feature=shared which is an interview with an “Original Latin King” from New York City known as “Spooky.”  In this video “Spooky” appeared very ill with breathing tubes in his nose and the YouTube user stated Spooky has since passed away.  Spooky says he started a “Latin Kings” gang in Brooklyn in the year 1959 with two Hispanic guys.  Spooky was the founder of this Latin Kings group and he listed original members and one of those members stood out to me.  This original member listed in “Papo the Great.”  This very well could be “King Papo” before he was known as “King Papo.”  This very well could be Ramon “King Papo” Santos the founder of the nation.  Spooky made no reference to Chicago at all and did not get into any specifics about “Papo the Great” but did not list him as the founder or even as a leader.  Spooky said “Gypsy” was the President.  Other members listed were “Blind Man, Kirk, Ace, Lil Ace, and Dooky.”  Spooky said his Latin Kings were active “1959, 1960, 1961 and 1962.”  The video says this was just part one of three but the other two parts are not out there, let’s hope that KinG KLaST gets the other two parts put up soon!  This could easily fall in line with the legends of Ramon Santos because the legend of him being a Young Lord match the neighborhoods as Young Lords and Phantom Lords were in the same Brookly neighborhood.  Young Lords, Phantom Lords and Latin Kings all fought against the “Ellery Boys.”  This Latin Kings group made the newspaper on October 31, 1962, when they fought the “Apostles” street gang because a Latin King would not remove his hat in church.  This resulted in a fight.  The next day these Latin Kings grabbed a .22 rifle and posted on a rooftop across from the PS 148 Center and shot at several teens as they exited the building, three teens were wounded. Four Latin Kings were arrested and charged with the shooting.  The shooters were identified as Latin Kings, but the shooters denied they were in the gang.  This shooting may have broken up this Latin Kings group.

I had come across a small article on the Stonegreasers.com site that had a small interview with a possible “Original Latin King” named Pichon.  Pichon talked briefly of his gang life in the Highbridge Park area as the leader of the “Latin Kings” in 1963.  Highbridge Park is close to South Bronx and north of Yankee Stadium.  He talks about the old days of gangbanging in Washington Heights area and the article title reads “Former Latin Kings President.”   This small article was used by a YouTuber to prove that Latin Kings were founded in NYC, but it received lots of backlash especially since this YouTube video didn’t have any commentary, it was just pics with no analysis.  One commentor stated he knew Pichon personally and did time with him in prison and became his friend.  He said this was all wrong and that Pichon was a “Spanish Kings” leader, not “Latin Kings.”  I think he is on to something because the “Latin Kings” were mostly extinct from NYC by 1963 or at least were not originally from that part of the city.  In the article on Stonegreasers.com Pichon tells his story then it says after his story “Pichon, President of the original Latin Kings of Highbridge Park, ’63, currently living in the west coast. I’ll Always have the memories of those times.”  It appears the YouTuber could be on to something because most of that statement might not be his words except for “I’ll always have memories of those times.”  The other part representing the Latin Kings could have been added in by the interviewer because he may have been mistaken.  The Pichon article is an outlier and is confusing because the original Latin Kings of NYC were supposed to be in South Bronx and Brooklyn.  The YouTubers that claim to know Pichon says he was in a rival gang to Pichon in a gang known as the “Unknown Bikers.”  He knew the Spanish Kings, Pichon and Williamsburg area well.  Whether this article is true or not I will say this Latin King group could be something else and likely has nothing to do with any part of the Latin King genesis especially since the name was already in Chicago by 1963.

Now that we have explored the origins of the name and the first “Latin Kings” gangs in New York, let’s see how the actual “Latin King Nation” was birthed in Chicago.  What is a fact and verified is that the Skulls formed in the year 1958 in the Near West Side neighborhood at Laflin and Van Buren.  This is verified in social services documents dated March of 1959 that identified the “Skulls” in the “Henry Horner” area of Chicago which is very close to or includes Laflin and Van Buren.  The Skulls were documented and identified by social services in 1959 and were serviced in the “Henry Horner” or “HH” area which is the Henry Horner projects area of the Near West Side.  This does not mean this location only worked with the project gangs it just means it was the general Medical District area which is exactly where Laflin and Van Buren is.  It makes complete sense that the HH social services location would work with the Skulls from the Laflin and Van Buren area; therefore, the Skulls were the group that came from Laflin and Van Buren. The Skulls are a big part of Latin King history and foundation, and this is an agreed upon fact.  I was once told by a guy that banged with the allied Spanish Lords in the 60s that he was told stories of these guys fighting white and African American gangs at Madison and Paulina until these Skulls moved to West Town.  These guys later became original Latin Kings. I didn’t get any names though; I regret on not asking but I was on a mission to develop my Spanish Lord history.  The Skulls were around Madison Street on the north, Van Buren on the south, Laflin on the east and Paulina on the west. At this time, I don’t know who founded the Skulls or who was in it besides two guys, Andy, and Phil.  Who were the founders of the Skulls?  Was it Compa? Don Juan? Dino?  I do not know.  One thing I can say is that Ramon “Papa King/King Papo” Santos did not found this group nor did he even live on the Near West Side.  These Skulls would later make up a portion of the original Latin Kings but not King Papo.  The 1954 founding year can be refuted for Chicago but 1958 is solid because of the Skulls.  The Skulls were founded because the neighborhood was changing because the highway construction on the Near West Side ushered in racial tensions. As this neighborhood was changing racially hostile gangs formed to fight against the change.  The Skulls were there to protect the Hispanic community and to assist Hispanic youths dealing with predatory gangs.  There were hardened Italian greaser gangs from Taylor Street and some of the meanest African American gangs from the Maxwell Street Market area that were a threat to Hispanic youths; therefore, the Skulls were there to protect and recruit these youths.  Hachas Viejas also dwelled in the Near West Side community and helped set up the “La Madison” Puerto Rican settlement in the late 50s.  As I stated earlier Hachas Viejas were attacked by a “Mexican gang” at Halsted and Taylor in the early 60s which could have easily been Ambrose.  It is very likely Hachas Viejas passed much of their knowledge down to the Skulls and perhaps worked with them.  I theorize the Skulls may have conflicted with Ambrose possibly because of the attack on Hachas Viejas, this could be the root of the hatred between Latin Kings and Ambrose.

By 1959, Hachas Viejas now owned three taverns in the city and could be seen drinking at multiple taverns along Clark Street or by Madison and Halsted in the Near West Side community.  In these taverns Hachas Viejas got into fights with resentful gangs of all races.  There was deep Puerto Rican resentment and once attacked, Hachas Viejas could not count on the police for assistance, the police almost always favored the other gangs causing Hachas Viejas to end up in jail on many weekends for disorderly conduct and leaving Hachas Viejas as the only protectors of the Puerto Rican community since most of the police force resented Puerto Ricans as well.  Hachas Viejas owned a tavern in downtown Chicago at Clark and Grand, a tavern at Western Ave and Division in East Humboldt Park and a tavern at Armitage and Clark in Lincoln Park.  The Hachas Viejas had moved alongside Puerto Rican displacement from La Clark in the year 1959.  La Clark, which was mainly in apartment buildings around Clark and North Ave was removed in 1959 as the mostly Puerto Rican tenants were forcefully evicted.   Hachas Viejas guided these families to relocate to Lincoln Park and East Humboldt Park in 1959.  This now brings the story to the hostile streets of East Humboldt Park.

In the year 1959, Puerto Rican people began to move into the Humboldt Park area for the first time.  Some of these people were displaced during the highway construction while others were right from Puerto Rico.  Many others were displaced from the closing of the Old Town (La Clark) settlement.  This migrating group landed in the East Humboldt Park neighborhood which was an all-white neighborhood at that time that had a large Polish population.  These people moved into the area of North Avenue on the north, Division Street on the south, Western Avenue on the east all the way to Humboldt Park on the west.  The infamous Jokers, a white greaser gang, resided in East Humboldt Park and ruled from Division to Chicago Ave and from Western to Humboldt Park.  The Jokers were mean and tough and were even considered one of the toughest gangs in Chicago according to the Chicago Tribune that compared them to the Black P Stones and Disciples street gangs.  Jokers were often quite racist and did not appreciate impoverished Hispanic people residing just north of their borders.  The Jokers were battling the notorious Simon City gang from West Humboldt Park from Drake and Wabansia.  This group was just as tough and dangerous as the Jokers and were mainly an Italian group.  These Hispanic residents were in the crossfire between both white greaser gangs and this led to intense bullying and victimization by both gangs.  Hachas Viejas now struggled to step in to assist the Hispanic community in East Humboldt Park which became an often-overwhelming job given that the police, white gangs and much of the Polish and Ukrainian community was outraged by Puerto Ricans in Humboldt Park.  Hacha Vieja was also beginning to deal with protecting a larger populace of Hispanic residents now concentrated in the same area as opposed to mostly traveling around the north side to assist with scattered Puerto Ricans. This is when Hacha Vieja began passing down their legacy to young groups of Puerto Rican youths.  In Lincoln Park this was passed down to the original Young Lords.  In East Humboldt Park this was passed down to a newly formed gang of youths calling themselves the “Noble Knights” (not to be mistaken with the Almighty Noble Knights of Cicero).  The Noble Knights were one tough gang of Hispanics as they had to be to take on some of the toughest and most dangerous greasers in Chicago history. Many of these Noble Knights came from the meanest streets of Puerto Rico and were from a lineage of Puerto Rican revolutionaries and Hachas Viejas that were used to war. The Noble Knights would swell in numbers in the early 60s and by the mid-60s they were at Division and Kedzie in West Humbolt Park. Old members of Simon City and the Jokers vividly recall the Noble Knights that would later be Latin Kings.  They told stories of fighting Noble Knights and Latin Kings in the early 60s. This was the next part of Latin King history.  The Noble Knights of East Humboldt Park were now filling the shoes of the Hachas Viejas; however, the Noble Knights were still very young and had not yet generated the clout that Hachas Viejas had generated; therefore, Hachas Viejas needed to still be active in the Humboldt Park area in the early 1960s.

In the year 1960, the legend of Ramon “Papa King/King Papo” Santos began in Chicago after he moved here from New York City.  His first residence was at 18^th and Wabash in the South Loop/Near South Side community according to George W. Knox and the NGCRC who had access to police files to obtain this information.  This is how the 18^th Street rumors started that the Latin Kings came from 18^th Street, but it was just a temporary address for Santos likely because he was residing among Hispanic and African American people that worked in the various downtown hotels and restaurants.  It was common for Hispanic and African Americans to reside in the South Loop back then as it was close to downtown and affordable for the most impoverished. This neighborhood once had several blighted tenement apartments ran by sleezy slumlords that were affordable for the most impoverished and served as starter residences for migrants from other parts of the United States or foreign countries.  I have never heard of any gangs over there at all until the city built the Harold Ickes projects in the mid-50s, but those projects had little to no gang activity in the early 60s when Ramon lived here.  It is highly likely Ramon told the neighborhood youths all about NYC gang life and the “Latin Kings.”  Perhaps some of these youths even began to consider themselves “Latin Kings” which is why it is rumored to be the motherland, but I can tell you it never panned out to anything because there are zero stories and zero records of Latin Kings in this district.  This is highly likely just the place along 18^th Street where the legends were first told by Santos and perhaps a short-lived section even started that may have attempted to spread down 18^th Street into Pilsen.  Santos lived here very briefly before he moved to Wicker Park in 1960.  If there was a Latin King group that developed, they were very short lived and did not connect to any other parts of 18^th Street.  I do not believe Santos had time to organize a Latin King group here.  There is an old legend that the Latin Kings attempted to take over 18^th Street at one time but this early effort, if it did happen, was likely halted by the many rival 18^th Street gangs that developed along 18^th Street or maybe by the police.  In any case, if something was along 18^th it died out in the early 60s.

I was once given a birthdate for Ramon Santos as August 28, 1940, from an anonymous family member that emailed me but then the source vanished unfortunately, and I lost contact.  I do believe that is his date of birth because it coincides with many legends.  Also, the National Gang Crimes Research Center found out Santos was in his 40s in 1988 when he vanished.  This group had access to police files as was presented by George W. Knox.  Santos was Cuban by blood but Puerto Rican by nationality because that’s where he lived as a child before moving to NYC.  Santos had a duel cultural identity which made him motivated to lead a movement toward the protection of all Hispanic people of all heritages which would later be heavily engrained in Latin King concepts.  I have heard weak rumor that he started a gang called the “Imperials” in 1954 at Laflin and Van Buren but that is not correct, Santos was not part of Laflin and Van Buren, that was the Skulls.  Santos also did not live in Chicago in 1954 so that is not correct.  I previously believed he started the Imperials in 1954 at Laflin and Van Buren, now I realize that is incorrect.  This same legend claims his Puerto Rican stepbrother Fast Eddie and him started the Imperials, but Fast Eddie was born in 1949 and was only five years old in 1954.  It was also said Julio “Compa” Munoz was an original Imperial from Laflin and Van Buren.  Compa is the oldest Latin King I ever heard of being born in 1936 but he was not at Laflin and Van Buren as an Imperial.  Compa was likely in some other older group and became attached to Latin Kings later, perhaps Compa was a “Hacha Vieja or a Noble Knight?”

What is the likely truth is that after Santos moved to Leavitt and Schiller in 1960, he possibly befriended a newly formed gang called the “Imperials.”  I had heard legend that the Imperials were a Cuban gang and if they were from either Wicker Park or Bucktown I can say that legend matches actual Cuban migration to Chicago circa 1960.  It is a fact that Cubans had arrived in Wicker Park by 1960 and a little sooner in Bucktown.  Since Santos was Cuban by blood he could have easily connected with these guys and taught them about “Latin Kings.”  Cuban people experienced levels of discrimination and attacks from white gangs because of their communist background that was viewed as anti-American, this would easily drive the need for a street gang to represent the Cuban people in the hostile lands of Wicker Park in 1960.  Legend has it that the Imperials protected Hispanic children that were students at Sabin Elementary School at Leavitt and Schiller from being victimized by the mostly hostile white community in the area.  I had heard before that Jose “Cadillac Joe” was a Junior Imperial that joined in 1962 then joined the original Latin Kings in 1964.  Since it is a known fact that Cadillac Joe was from Leavitt and Schiller I can see this legend being completely true.  If one was to look all over YouTube at several videos about Latin King history, one commentor after another will talk about the Imperials of Leavitt and Schiller; therefore, I am certifying this a fact that Imperials were started in 1960 at Leavitt and Schiller.  Before the Imperials was a white greaser gang called “Leavitt and Schiller” this group may have been one of the Imperials first enemies.

There is a YouTube documentary video about the “Great American Youth” which is a homemade video made in the year 2000 interviewing the founder of the Almighty Gaylords of West Town, Anthony “Johnny Boy” Anarina.  Anarina was 60 years old in this interview and told the whole story of the founding of the Gaylords in 1958.  He then moved into discussing how they first encountered “Latin Kings” and how war started. Anarina said it was the year 1960 and one of their members was beaten severely and needed to be rushed to a downtown hospital for medical treatment.  Anarina then said the Gaylords talked to the police about the incident to catch the perpetrators, but the police said they could not help.  Anarina and the Gaylords took it upon themselves to hunt down the attackers and they traced them to a newly formed group of Puerto Rican youths (or what they thought were Puerto Ricans) hanging out along Milwaukee Avenue in West Town (Wicker Park or Bucktown).  Hispanic people (Mainly Puerto Rican people) were very new to Wicker Park in 1960 and had just moved in as did Ramon Santos.  According to Anarina of the Gaylords he had arranged a meeting with a “leader” of these youths and when him and the Gaylords arrived Anarina quoted “We met one of their leaders down Milwaukee Avenue, that’s where a lot of the Puerto Ricans were chillin out in that area, they gave us the fingers and this and that they were going to be the Latin Kings coming from New York…New York! New York! Another shit in the Apple state…New York! Showing us, all these signs and we didn’t quite catch it yet.  One of the guys said maybe these guys aren’t bullshittin and maybe we need to tighten up a little bit.”  This is early evidence of the “Latin Kings” name being used in Chicago in 1960 and according to Anarina they were claiming “New York” which coincides with the legend of Ramon Santos coming from New York and bringing “Latin Kings” concepts from New York.  I believe Anarina and the Gaylords encountered the “Imperials.”  If so, the Imperials were the first to preach “Latin King” concepts.  There is a lot of mystery about Santos, and no one is sharing any good details about him which is a shame because this history should be brought to light not forgotten!

In the same year of 1960, Puerto Rican people were moving into the West Humboldt Park neighborhood within a small area bounded by Chicago Avenue on the north.  Franklin/Ferdinand on the south and from Sacramento on the east to Pulaski on the west.  This part of West Humboldt Park began to decline in value because redlining tactics from banks declared this area as more worthless because of the neighboring East Garfield Park community that had become severely blighted and high crime.  Now this part of West Humboldt Park was affordable for impoverished Hispanic people partly because landlords now could easily afford to buy large houses and flip them into tenement apartments for the poor.  Humboldt Park as a whole was 1% non-white in the 1960 census, but this was actually 1959 data which captured the very start of Hispanic migration to Humboldt Park area.  The banks devalued this part of Humboldt Park because people of color were moving in which angered white residents in this area and nearby causing discrimination and violence against the Hispanic community.  The Vice Lords street gang was advancing into East Garfield Park by 1960 which was a threat to newly arrived Hispanic youths in this part of West Humboldt Park.  Since this was in the Humboldt Park territory, groups like the Jokers took offense to impoverished Hispanics living just blocks away as now the Jokers would now have Hispanic people to the north of them and to the west of them.  This meant Hispanic youths now not only had Vice Lords south of them they also had Jokers to the east of them.  Multiple greaser gangs formed along Chicago Avenue in the early 60s that were pissed off that Hispanic people were moving just south of Chicago Avenue.  These greaser groups used “Chicago Avenue” in their name not only to show where they were from but to also enforce the invisible color line along Chicago Avenue.  Hispanics were not to cross north of Chicago Avenue or face possible harassment and/or violence.  These gangs were: Chicago and Lawndale, Chicago Avenue Gang, Harding Drakers (from Chicago and Harding).  Hispanic youths were having a hard time attending Samuel Morse elementary school and a hard time playing in that playground.  This is when the teenage Hispanic youths came together at Spaulding and Ohio streets to form a neighborhood protection group that they called the “Kings.”  This group was nicknamed the “Spaulding and Ohio Kings.”  The Kings also dealt with racial clashing at Orr High School located at Chicago Avenue and Pulaski as racial boundaries were enforced at this intersection.  This group was mainly just the “Kings” and their name was official.  The very next day after the Kings formed, “Todge” who was the Warlord of the Jokers, walked over to Spaulding and Ohio and threatened that they were going to beat up the Kings because of their formation. This is an old legend told by old greasers from a few organizations. This threat obviously did not pan out well because the Kings continued to operate while the Jokers went extinct in the 1970s.  Shortly after formation the Kings met with Ramon Santos of Leavitt and Schiller and were taught the “Latin King” Concepts.  The Kings appreciated these concepts and began hollering it out at white greaser rivals at times.  They also would paint “LK” on the walls, old greasers distinctly recall the painted letters and them claiming “Latin King” beginning in 1960.  The Kings were a tough group and protected the Hispanic community in southern West Humboldt Park, especially Hispanic youths that wanted to hang out outside of Morse school.  I don’t know who the founder of the Kings was, perhaps it was “Batman?” Or maybe Freddy Avilez?

After King Papo moved to Wicker Park the Noble Knights of East Humboldt Park connected with Papo and began screaming out “Latin Kings!” at times as well which is why old greasers from Simon City remember “Latin Kings” in the early 60s.  As you can see original Simon City, original Jokers and original Gaylords all had claims of a “Latin Kings” as early as 1960.  The Gaylord claim is certified and documented in the “Great American Youth” documentary.  If you find this video do not get too discouraged by Anthoy Anarina claiming he was a Korean War veteran.  He may have either served while he was 12 or 13 which did happen in those old days or perhaps, he got too impassioned and blurted that out.  I really don’t know what was up with him saying that. Anarina is the real deal and the founder of the Gaylords, and his claims verify the Latin King existence as of 1960 which matches old legends told by original and big time Latin Kings.

Before I continue with the timeline of West Town and Humboldt Park areas I must pause and address the legends of the Latin Kings being founded/started or born out of the “Boulevards” which is the 24^th and Marshall Boulevard area of Little Village on the city’s more south side area.  Many claim the Latin Kings formed here then spread elsewhere.  There is some truth to this, but the story is often not told correctly.  It is a well-known fact that Hispanic people were not in the South Lawndale/Little Village community until 1962.  According to the 1960 US census, Little Village housed only 94 persons of another race besides African American or white.  This included Asians, Middle Easterns and Hispanics that make up these 94 persons.  Little Village was 5.9% African American because African Americans tended to reside north in the neighborhood by 21^st Street due to their proximity to the African American neighborhood of North Lawndale.  This was not a neighborhood for Hispanic people or Hispanic gangs in the very early 60s which were the years the “Latin Kings” concepts were being represented in Humboldt Park/West Town area; therefore, Little Village was not first.  The connection with up north begins in the early 60s when Hispanic gang activity was picking up in the neighboring Near West Side community in the Roosevelt and Newberry area and around Laflin and Van Buren in the early 60s.  This is when the Skulls were getting going in the Laflin and Van Buren area.

According to the works of George W. Knox and the NGCRC, in his piece “The Chicago Latin Kings: A Gang Threat Analysis,” Knox talks about his theory on the creation of the Latin Kings being traced to a gang called the “Royal Kings.”  George W. Knox works with the NGCRC that works with the Chicago Crime Commission and the police, many of the sources those organizations get Latin King history from tend to be snitches that were once high up Latin Kings, so I don’t trust those type of sources entirely.  I have also never heard the streets talk about a “Royal Kings” nor have I found any sources to support their existence on my own.  I have searched for news articles and find no “Royal Kings.”  Other sources for Knox may have been police files. Many of those sources are often misconstrued and incorrect; however, Knox maybe on to something because he stated their territory was Madison Street to 26^th Street and from Halsted to Western with their biggest influence around Harrison to Roosevelt and Loomis to Ashland with the heart of their turf at Polk and Laflin.  The overall area is massive and covers some of the Near West Side, some of Little Village, most of the Heart of Chicago area and much of Pilsen.  Knox theorizes this could be the origins of the Little Village area Latin Kings.  I think his territorial area is correct for later Latin King zones but not to be under the name of “Royal Kings.”  I am most interested in his mentions of Polk and Laflin and the area of Harrison the Roosevelt and Loomis to Ashland because that is the legendary area told to be the original zone and the area the Skulls were documented to exist within by social services in March of 1959.  I think he is correct about the streets but not about the name.  If the Royal Kings were ever big enough to encompass four different neighborhoods the name would have surely been remembered by someone or there would be news articles etc.. supporting their existence.

Instead of the “Royal Kings,” the true legends I have encountered are about the “Markings” or “Marshall Boulevard Kings.”  This is further evidenced in the Jinx book “Compliments of Chicagohoodz.” In one of his pages, he presents a 1962 drawing made by a youth that lived in the Near West Side and drew a hand drawn map that shows the “Markings” at Newberry and Roosevelt.  This matches the oral legend exactly for the placement of the “Little Markings.”  The drawing was not made by the same Latin King sources but instead was drawn by a non-gang affiliated kid that just had an interest in the gangs around him in 1962 and documented it.  This document coincides with the legends told about the Markings.

To bring this all together about this founding legend story we must see how the beginning of Little Village gang activity could spawn legends that the Latin Kings started here.  In the year 1962, Mexican people first began to move to Little Village.  There are scattered books and other resources written either about first hands accounts or interviews held with original families of Little Village that have stated they were one of the first Mexican people in Little Village and this began in 1962.  This was the exact year the Mexican community started in Little Village which was after the “Latin Kings” were in existence in West Town and Humboldt Park.  When Mexican people arrived, they were often faced with discrimination and sometimes violent action from neighborhood mostly white gangs. At that time the Outlaws Motorcycle club and the Gay Lords ran Little Village tightly.  These gangs hated each other and hated groups of Mexican youths hanging out in the community.  Harrison High School was always a school ripe with racial conflict because Hispanic and African American youths were bussed in from the Near West Side to attend this school.  There were several Hispanic and African American gangs from the Near West Side that were bussed in which caused racially motivated gang fights after and before school.  The Gay Lords were especially deep in Harrison High and very often pursued groups of African Americans and Hispanics especially if they lingered in the neighborhood after school hours.  When the first Mexican families moved to Little Village in 1962 the Gay Lords and other gangs treated these students like outsiders and bullied them as they attended Harrison High School and John Spry elementary school that were both located at 24^th and Marshall Boulevard.  This was the center of youth racial conflict in Little Village at the time and was the spot where outsider gangs lingered and harassed children. This is when some Mexican youths began to fight back against this discrimination and formed the “Markings” or “Marshall Boulevard Kings.” The Markings boldly claimed 24^th and Marshall Boulevard as their turf which they nicknamed “The Boulevards.”  This is how and when the Boulevards were born but not as “Latin Kings” but as “Markings.”  Very shortly after formation the Markings opened turf at Roosevelt and Newberry in the Near West Side community and called this group the “Little Markings.”  The Markings became popular, and I would not doubt they may have met Ramon Santos and learned about “Latin Kings.”  I would not doubt that the Markings may have been hollering out “Latin Kings” in the early to mid-60s years, but I will say for certain they were not official Latin Kings and part of the nation until later; therefore, the Latin Kings were not founded in Little Village.  These Markings had one of the toughest jobs imaginable fighting against some of the meanest gangs in the city like the Outlaws and Gay Lords.  Gay Lords and Outlaws trace back to 1950 and by 1962 many of their members were well into their 30s and part of a very mean group of greasers.  These guys were as scary and as tough as they come and when these groups took up keen interest in migrating Mexican youths it became a downright scary thing for Hispanic kids trying to survive.  Most Hispanic kids attached themselves to white gangs like the 26^th Street Jokers, Supreme Clique or the 23^rd Street Boys.  Some brave Mexican youths dared to start their own gang right outside of Harrison High School and John Spry Elementary School, both located at 24^th and Marshall Boulevard. This group dared to take on Gay Lords and Outlaws which was a nearly impossible task, but these young Mexican youths were tough enough and this brought about the admiration from the Jokers, Cliques and 23^rd Street Boys that all allied with this gang known as “Markings.”  This was the beginning of a movement for the protection of Hispanic people in Little Village.  Many of the original Boulevards Latin Kings started out as Markings and had to take on the punishment of these white gangs and the police that were quick to crack open the heads of Mexican youths.  I will cover more of this part of the story later in the timeline of events.

By the year 1963, the racial conflicts were becoming more heated in West Town and Humboldt Park as now Hispanic people were moving into the Noble Square and East Village areas when the University of Illinois at Chicago campus displaced thousands of Hispanic people between 1963-1965.  This meant the Hispanic population would sharply increase in West Town and Humboldt Park which now brought Hispanic people to West Humboldt Park around North Avenue to Chicago Ave and from Humboldt Park to Central Park Avenue on the west.  This was north of the Chicago Avenue color line which angered white greaser gangs including Simon City.  The Noble Knights then advanced west of the park and landed at Division and Kedzie while many heavy hitters in the Knights began to congregate at Beach and Spaulding.  This was the beginning of a legend being born on these streets as these Noble Knights fought hard on these hostile lands and befriended the Kings from Spaulding and Ohio.

In 1963, the UIC teardowns brought the Skulls to the Eckhart Park area in Noble Square.  The Skulls were experienced gangsters and became a force to be reckoned with for the Gaylords that loved Eckhart Park so dearly.  An old social services document I read from 1961 had an interview with an unnamed Gaylords leader that talked about how younger Gaylords hung out in the park.  Gaylord territory was a few blocks south of the park, but Gaylords claimed the park as their own.  When Puerto Rican people arrived in the area the Gaylords were furious and were about to reach their peak in strength in West Town by 1963 which would make them a force to be reckoned with for the Skulls.  War ensued when the Skulls arrived which prompted the Skulls to unite with the Kings of Ohio and Spaulding in summer of 1963.  The two came together as one nominating “Nando” as their leader.  This is all documented in a Rising Up Angry article from 1969 when they interviewed original Latin Kings.  According to the article, the two groups could not agree on a name for themselves which made the groups unable to fully combine forces, but this alliance showed all West Town and Humboldt Park that multiple clubs from both neighborhoods could come together which caught the attention of King Papo.  According to Rising Up Angry each of the clubs wanted their name to be used to signify their coming together and this means the Skulls rejected the “Kings” name and likely rejected anything to do with “Kings” probably even a “Latin Kings” name which was the concept the Kings were preaching at the time.  The Skulls were then led by Andy when they moved to Eckhart Park, but something happened to Andy that made him no longer leader and that’s when Phil took over in 1964.  By the early part of 1964 the Skulls had to leave Eckhart Park because of the Gaylords and the police favoring the Gaylords.  The Skulls moved to Leavitt and Schiller in 1964 joining Ramon “King Papo” Santos as they also cliqued up with the Imperials.

Multiple Puerto Rican gangs migrated alongside this Hispanic migration wave from other communities like the Young Lords and Paragons while others formed on the West Town streets.  Many of the Puerto Rican gangs came from Lincoln Park and were part of that displacement like Young Lords and Paragons.  The Gaylords were as mean as they come and were regarded among the Hispanic community as the “Polish Mafia.”  Gaylords were cruel in their methods and were known for tying up rivals to their car bumper and dragging them across the neighborhood whether the victim was alive or dead.  Gaylords also went to Humboldt Park and slugged it out with groups of Hispanic youths encouraging them to leave the park.  Gaylords even hung dead bodies and stuffed figures from trees of rivals wearing rival gang sweaters in the middle of the park.  This was one dangerous rival.  C-Notes, PVPs, Chi-West, Jokers, Lazy Gents, Popes, Simon City, Hirsch Street Lords and Gaylords were all mostly white outfits that haunted the West Town and Humboldt Park area spreading terror and fear to the impoverished Hispanic community.  Mostly Puerto Rican gangs struggled to battle these mighty foes, and many died trying.

Now, I will pull together how the New York City Latin Kings gangs of the 1950s had some connection with Chicago.  I am not completely positive on which exact “Latin Kings” gang Ramon Santos was part of, but I lean very heavily on that Santos was part the Latin Kings that formed in 1959 in Brooklyn by Spooky.  Spooky listed one of the originally as “Papo the Great” and legend says Santos was a Young Lord first before becoming a Latin King; therefore, it would make sense for him to come from Brooklyn being a Young Lord then a Latin King in 1959 when Spooky put the club together.  It also makes sense because Santos never claimed to have founded the NYC Latin Kings, he only claimed membership.  According to Chicago Guerrilla Journalist Joseph Carillo who knew Ramon Santos personally, he said Santos never claimed to the “Latin Kings” and that there were predecessors/older Latin Kings before him.  Carillo did prison time with Santos as a bodyguard in the mid-1980s and got info from him.  This makes sense and removes Santos from the South Bronx Latin Kings of the mid-50s and places him more with the Latin Kings of Brooklyn instead.  From what Santos told Carillo it seems like Santos honors the South Bronx Latin Kings as the originals.  From the Spooky interview on YouTube Spookly doesn’t mention the older group and tells the story as if he started the group from scratch.  I have no doubt Spooky is completely correct.  It seems like Spooky’s group later would meet the older Latin Kings from South Bronx whether they were extinct or not.  It was likely after Spooky put together his club that his group later bonded with the South Bronx older group.  This was likely inspiration for Ramon Santos to consider “Latin Kings” more than just a name or a gang because here were two groups from two difference neighborhoods that were very alike and coincidentally put together “Latin Kings” gangs.  When Santos came to Chicago in 1960, he likely had that in mind that this was more than a name and turned the “Latin Kings” into a movement instead of a club.  Having more than one “Latin Kings” group in a city perhaps gave him the idea to bestow the Latin King ways to Hispanic gangs from West Town and Humboldt Park struggling with racial issues.  This is likely how the birthing of this nation began and evolved from a gang name.  The “Latin Kings” name comes from New York but the nation was born in Chicago.  Some claim New York is the motherland while others claim Chicago, but the truth is it lies in the middle but most credit should go to Chicago.  If it wasn’t for what was put together in Chicago, the Latin Kings would have died out in the 1960s and we would have no nation presently.

When the Skulls arrived at Leavitt and Schiller in 1964, they bonded with King Papo and the Imperials.  King Papo likely resided in a building right on the corner at Leavitt and Schiller on Schiller Street.  This was right across the street from John’s Tavern that was at 2153 W. Schiller (Tavern closed in 1966).  The Latin King apartment building was also located directly across the street from Sabin Elementary.  It was rumored that Puerto Rican revolutionaries also lived in the apartment buildings right on this corner and it is possible Santos may have bonded with these groups.  It was at this corner that Ramon “King Papo” Santos alongside the Imperials, Skulls, and Kings took the “Latin King” concepts that were heavily celebrated and made it into an official nation.  This would be more than a gang creation; this was to also be a powerful movement in the Humboldt Park and West Town area.  On May 15, 1964, a meeting was held in Humboldt Park (the actual park) between mostly Skulls and Kings to make the” Latin Kings” name official and this was the birthing of the nation.  The Skulls now found this approach to forming a nation as more desirable than the earlier approach given by the Kings of Spaulding and Ohio.

The original Latin Kings often took diplomatic approaches to dealing with other gangs in the mid-60s and even hung out with Playboys (P.V.Ps) in certain parts of West Town.  Latin Kings tried to work with other Hispanic gangs like Young Sinners, Young Lords, Spanish Kings, Scorpions, Latin Angels, Paragons and became tightest with the Warlords of Wicker Park.  Latin Kings also recruited all races starting in 1964 especially taking in whites. You could be of any race to be a Latin King as long as you fought for what Latin Kings believed.  This is rooted in New York when the Latin Kings gangs of the 1950s took in many white members.  When this formation first took place, this began the legacy of some legendary Latin Kings like Jose “Cadillac Joe” Rivera and “Lefty.”  At Leavitt and Schiller, it was even said the Latin Kings connected with the extremist Puerto Rican group the F.A.L.N; however, Latin Kings would never become a terrorist group and have such extreme views but instead took on basic revolutionary ideals from the F.A.L.N, that is if there was even a relationship.  The Latin Kings then would take over running the West Town and Humboldt Park areas from the Hachas Viejas, like a torch being passed down because the Latin Kings had the structure to accommodate a growing Hispanic population while this was too overwhelming for Hachas Viejas.

The Latin Kings were now there to protect Hispanic youths that became bullied and beaten as they crossed the neighborhoods, got on or off a school bus, walked to the store, tormented in school, and having their lunch money taken.  Latin Kings intervened with crooked landlords and stood against discrimination that adult Hispanics faced in daily life.  Latin Kings also watched the cops closely and intervened if the cops were harassing people or harming people.  The Latin Kings became the guardians of the streets they resided on and protectors of those more vulnerable.  Latin Kings also watched crime in the community and made sure it stayed out of their territory.  The original Latin Kings put together three original principles.

The first three principles the original Latin Kings lived by was and still is:

1. Protect our families.
2. Protect our neighborhoods.
3. Protect each other.

Ramon Santos was given the original leadership role as the first Latin King leader in history, and he would be the leader of the entire organization all through the 1960s.  Leavitt and Schiller was the original governing section for all Latin Kings city-wide.  The Latin Kings were just a West Town/Humboldt Park group from 1964-1966 and had not yet branched out city-wide.  In 1964, no documents or newspapers had even picked up on them until a news article in the Tribune called out the Latin Kings for being involved in a stabbing in 1965 near Gaylord turf.  Members addresses were from Kedzie and Ohio and one downtown area address and a West Garfield Park address. The downtown Latin King could have joined when Papo was at 18^th and Wabash and followed the basic “Latin Kings” concepts before the nation was formed.  The Latin King from West Garfield Park would have branched out from Kedzie and Ohio.  There were original Latin Kings from the Garfield Park area.  Original member Don Juan himself was from East Garfield Park in his youth.

Leavitt and Schiller became the headquarters for all northern Latin Kings and was directly supervised by King Papo and many youths attending Sabin Elementary were joining the Latin Kings as they were sick of being attacked by greasers.  The youths had always looked up to King Papo in the earlier 60s now they could join as Latin Kings by 1964.  Freddy Avilez opened the first West Humboldt Park Latin King section at Kedzie and Ohio now that the Kings had become “Latin Kings” at last.  The Kings then moved off Spaulding and Ohio as their HQ in favor of Ohio and Kedzie, but these original Latin Kings still claimed Spaulding and Ohio and protected Morse School students. In the mid-1960s all Latin Kings city-wide, north side, south side and west side had to report to Leavitt and Schiller as this was the first Latin King headquarters.

When the Latin Kings first began in 1964, they hung out regularly at a restaurant called “Mom & Pops” that was right across from Sabin Elementary School near Leavitt and Schiller.  This restaurant had a jukebox.  Very soon after, the Latin Kings opened their very first club house two buildings north of the restaurant in a basement that they called “PETES.”  It was in this very club house where the first Latin King crown was drawn up in the fall of 1965 and where the Latin Queens were founded that year.

Another original branch out was in East Village at the intersection of Noble and Cortez which was started by a Leavitt and Schiller Latin King named Michael Perez in 1964.  Harrison Gents moved to East Village the same year and an instant rivalry developed over Ashland Street.  The Playboys were not far away and clashed with these Latin Kings as well.  Noble and Cortez Latin Kings battled Gaylords fiercely as well.  Michael was used to fighting Playboys because Playboys were one of the biggest rivals of Leavitt and Schiller Latin Kings.  In 1965 the Noble and Cortez corner was given to the younger members and the seniors opened Ashland and Cortez.  This section lasted until 1971 when all East Village Ashland and Cortez Latin Kings moved to Crystal and Damen in Wicker Park.  Ashland and Cortez may have been short lived, but it was legendary and the Latin Kings there were down members.

In the mid-1960s the Latin Kings still held a chapter in the Near West Side community in the Newberry Street area.  Newberry and Roosevelt closed in 1965 when the new UIC campus was built right at that intersection; therefore, Kings from Newberry moved south on Newberry or north up Newberry by Taylor Street.  This section lasted at least into the early 1970s, I have no further information about this section.

In the year 1964, the Latin Kings bopped heads with one of their future biggest allies the Young Lords and war ensued that lasted two years until the Young Lords became passive activists and were no longer interested in neighborhood control.  That two-year war came to an end on June 12, 1966, when the Division Street riots were happening.  A Puerto Rican man was gunned down unjustly by Chicago Police so Young Lords and Latin Kings stormed the streets rioting against the police over human rights. King Papo, Eddie LB, Bronco, and King Tiger along with the Young Lords drew an alliance on this day and from there on became allies once again.  It was this very day on June 12, 1966, that the Latin Kings first made the news all over the United States and perhaps globally.  This enhanced recruitment and public awareness and of course law enforcement became more aware of the Latin Kings.

From the beginning when Latin Kings started in 1964, they had a grand vision to protect their communities; however, they were met with resistance from other Hispanic groups.  Latin Kings gave chances to these groups to join their ranks or to at least agree to following certain basic rules of conduct in the communities.  The nature of many gangbangers is to simply not follow authority and to be rebellious, so most clubs rejected the Latin Kings and defied them.  Latin Kings wanted these clubs to conform because many of these other clubs were disorganized, drug addicted, hung with undesirables, were bullies or were disrespectful to their communities or they were downright weak groups that would not be productive enough to protect their communities.  The Latin Kings aimed to clean up much of this disorganization and asked nicely at first, but they were often spit in the face over it and this brought about the 1966 conquest of the West Town and Humboldt Park areas to clean up undesirables that began momentum after the Division riots because it was time to fight back against a corrupt system and resistance from thug type of groups would no longer be tolerated.

In the year 1966, the Latin Kings made a big move when Freddy Avilez, the leader of the Kedzie and Ohio Latin Kings, met with the Noble Knights of Division and Kedzie.  Avilez convinced the Noble Knights to flip to Latin Kings.  This was a selling point because Noble Knights had already preached Latin King concepts in the early 60s before the name stood for an organization/nation.  When the Noble Knights flipped not only did the Latin Kings inherent the Division and Kedzie area they also transformed these former Noble Knights into the toughest Latin Kings in the city.  The Latin Kings of Kedzie and Ohio moved out of that area leaving the area to African Americans while they now claimed Division and Kedzie.  This group then advanced into Beach and Spaulding and began congregating on that corner.  In 1967, Beach and Spaulding was made official and this birthed the hard core Latin King element of West Humboldt Park that was made up of former Spaulding and Ohio Kings and Noble Knights.  This is exactly why Humboldt Park is considered the motherland to many because it was built between 1959-1967 to become what it became.  This was all started before anything else in West Town/Humboldt Park, hence, becoming a “motherland.”

After the Latin Kings flipped the Noble Knights in 1966, the Latin Kings inherited all of the former Noble Knight turf that encompassed North Avenue to Division and from Western Ave to Humboldt Park.  The heart of this region would be Maplewood and Wabansia.  Original Latin Kings owned a pop, chips, sandwich and candy shop at Hirsch and Rockwell right across from Von Humboldt School.  This shop also had a Latin King club house on the second floor above the shop.  Legend has it that this section of Latin Kings allowed the original Maniac Latin Disciples to operate peacefully when they formed in 1966 which would help the Disciples grow and flourish until both organizations went to war in later years.  What upset the Jokers was when Latin Kings were hanging out at Division and California out in front of Moishe Pippick No 2 hot dog and burger shop at 2807 W. Division.  It is possible that one of the oldest Latin Kings Julio “Compa” Munoz may have been a former Noble Knight or Hacha Vieja and may have been the first Latin King leader in East Humboldt Park.   He would for sure become leader by the 70s at the latest.  This section would close in 1979 after Spanish Cobras and Maniac Latin Disciples took advantage of Compa’s incarceration for murder but they needed to team up to attack these Latin Kings.  The Latin Kings completely left East Humboldt Park by 1979.  What should not be forgotten is that the Latin Kings/Noble Knights were the first major Hispanic community protectors of East Humboldt after or at the same time as Hachas Viejas.

One of the first gangs the Latin Kings took apart during the 1966 conquests was the Scorpions (not Latin Scorpions) of Wicker Park from Western and Hirsch. This group was led and founded by Sleepy who was killed by Latin Kings in 1965 forcing the group to disband, in 1966 this group was finished off.

In 1966 the Latin Kings dismantled the Latin Angels from Maplewood and Division in East Humboldt Park.

In 1966 even though the Latin Kings were on good terms with the Paragons from Lincoln Park they became upset with the arrival of the Junior Paragons in East Humboldt Park at Washtenaw and Potomac; therefore, the Latin Kings destroyed them.

In 1966 the Latin Kings also conquered the Young Sinners of Wicker Park.  One of the Sinner’s leaders named Charlie came to Pete’s clubhouse and challenged the Latin Kings all by himself.  Although this move was gutsy it proved to be dangerous and costly.  Charlie was beaten so severely he was hospitalized for two months.  The founder Nelson F also known as Tarzan then disbanded the club.

In 1966 the Latin Kings advanced on the Hirsch Street Lords of West Humboldt Park at Spaulding and Hirsch and did damage to their club.  This gave the Latin Kings leverage to advance up Kedzie to Kedzie and Division as they were able to leave Ohio and Kedzie behind.  This was a pivotal territorial grab that would advance the Latin Kings toward Beach and Spaulding.  The Hirsch Street Lords were a white gang, and this showed the change in power in West Humboldt Park from white greasers to Latin Kings/Hispanic gangs.  Simon City was operating more in Logan Square by 1966 which further cleared the way for Latin Kings to conquer.

The Latin Kings would also take apart the Spanish Kings from East Humboldt Park in 1966.

In the aftermath of the 1966 conquests the Latin Kings were now able to solidify territory in northern West Humboldt Park. This was also made possible because after the Division Street riots the mostly white community in West Humboldt Park north of Chicago Avenue up to North Ave and from the park to around Central Park Ave panicked in white flight fashion as the white residents left in heavy volume right after the riots.  The riots scared them, and greedy real estate fed that fear and encouraged them to leave for the sake of real estate profit.  In the year 1967, Beach and Spaulding was officially declared the new Humboldt Park Latin King’s center of activity and any Humboldt Park governance took place here.

“Batman” was running Beach and Spaulding when it first opened.  Now all Latin King sections city-wide needed to report to this new section even though Leavitt and Schiller was the headquarters.  Beach and Spaulding became to most legendary north side section in the city with some of the heaviest hitters in the nation.  I wonder if Batman was the founder of the Spaulding and Ohio Kings or if he was a Noble Knight founder.  I also wonder if Batman is Freddy Avilez.

Latin King expansion outside of the Humboldt Park/West Town area didn’t begin until after the Division Street riots because once the momentum was gained after the riots the Kings now could advance outside of the community and their first prospect was the Little Village community.  The way it was told to me was it was in the summer of ’66 when Ramon Santos himself showed up one day alongside Don Juan in Little Village to meet with the MarKings and other groups of mostly Hispanic youths from the Supreme Cliques, 23^rd Street Boys and 26^th Street Jokers.  I don’t know if the Markings had met Santos previously but never to the point of being part of the nation until the summer of ’66.  The Latin Kings came down to 24^th and Marshall Boulevard to address issues these youths were having regarding racial issues, issues with police and hostile gangs.  By this time the Gay Lords had left the area, and the Outlaws were just a older adult biker club so there were no main rivals; however, Hispanic gangs from outside the neighborhood were beginning to move in like Satan Disciples, Morgan Deuces, Artistics, and Harrison Gents that all posed a threat.  Some of the earliest original big time Latin Kings from 24th and Marshall were Scarface, Dino, Don Juan, Black Sal, White Sal, Crazy Man and Little Boy.  Don Juan (DJ) was given leadership of the Boulevard Latin Kings even though he was from the north.  24^th and Marshall was a prime location for the headquarters because it would allow children to attend Harrison High School and Spry Elementary especially since many kids were bussed in from the Near West Side in various gangs from outside the neighborhood.  It is very possible Don Juan was originally part of the Skulls in the 1950s and may have been born in the year 1939 as one of the oldest Latin Kings. I am not positive on how long Don Juan was running the Boulevards, but I think it was short lived until Dino took over until 1972, that is unless Dino and Don Juan are the same person?  I am not all sure of the particular history of the originals, just more about the nation and not the individuals, that is in development.  This section would be nicknamed “The Boulevards” and several later Latin King branches in the city and suburbs can trace their origin to this section.  This section branched out heavily over the years and became the governing location for south side Latin King sections city-wide and heavily represented the Mexican Latin Kings while up north was more for Puerto Ricans.  The Little Village chapter took in many white members and outside of 24^th and Marshall almost half of Latin Kings were white in the 1960s because the community remained majority white into the 1970s.

In the summer of 1966, the Young Lords of Lincoln Park declared their gangbanging days were over with.  Although some pockets of the Young Lords would continue to gangbang the main organization was done with that.  Leader Cha Cha Jimenez became revolutionary and became a political figure instead of gangbanger.  This meant the war with Latin Kings was to stop.  The Young Lords now bonded with Latin Kings, and they now understood each other.  The Young Lords now permitted Latin Kings onto their sacred Armitage Avenue as the Latin Kings arrived at Armitage and Dayton without a fight.  This was the exact corner that Cha Cha Jimenez, the Young Lord’s leader resided at the time.  Granted, at this point, the Latin Kings could have taken it without Young Lord permission, but blood shed was preferred to be avoided so diplomacy was a better solution. At first, the Latin Kings came to Armitage and Dayton in 1966 under the guidance of King Richie who was related to Ramon Santos.  Richie brought the Latin Kings to Lincoln Park.  Eventually the Latin Kings moved onto Young Lord headquarters at Armitage and Sheffield by 1969 but were invited from the start.  The Latin Kings acted as the muscle for the Young Lords by attending to security duties and assisting the Young Lords with their pursuit of crooked police, slumlords, and unfair neighborhood renewal programs that evicted so many Puerto Rican families out of Lincoln Park.  Latin Kings also would take violent action, if necessary, against unruly gangs in the area that threatened the community, especially racist white gangs because Young Lords wanted to avoid gangbanging. Latin Kings would also ally with the Halsted and Armitage Paragons. The Latin Kings would survive in Lincoln Park until the 1990s when gentrification became large.

In the year 1966, Latin Kings were immediately barred from starting in the Pilsen neighborhood; however, the Kings cliqued up with the Rampants from Pilsen and the Rampants invited the Latin Kings to the Heart of Chicago neighborhood (West Pilsen) that year and the Latin Kings were able to start a new section at Coulter and Damen known as the Coulter Counts.  This section of Latin Kings was founded by Abel “Bull” Torres.  This section was renamed Coulter Kings in 1968 after several Rampants flipped to Latin Kings that year.  This section was a hard-core section that lasted until 1987.  The Coulter Kings did some branching out before they closed this section that included the notorious 51^st and Ada chapter in the Back of the Yards. Although this group not as large as their rivals Ambrose and Latin Counts, they sure were a major force to be reckoned with.

A lessor known group of earlier south side Latin Kings was the 27^th and Normal chapter in Bridgeport that was also started in 1966.  These Latin Kings had a club house at 2702 South Normal Street.  The club house was easily identifiable due a spray painted “Latin King” wording on the door. In 1969, this section had heart break after members were convicted in the court case of People vs. Galvan in which those prosecuted may have been innocent of the charges depending upon how the case is looked at.  This was a gang rape case but was heavily disputed in later court proceedings.  These Latin Kings disbanded in 1969 but this would not the end of Latin Kings in Bridgeport because a new chapter was started in 1978 at 33^rd and Morgan.  The 33^rd and Morgan Latin Kings would become notorious and strong chapter that still is active today.

The Latin Kings were the first non-African American Chicago gang to reach the suburbs.  This first attempt was made in the suburb of Cicero when a Little Village Latin King nicknamed “Serbian John” made Johnny’s Top Hat night club at 22^nd and Cicero Ave his hangout for him and a group of Latin Kings. Serbian John was a pimp and was rubbing elbows with Italian mafia figures that frequented this night club too. These Latin Kings were Greek which gave them passage into this hardened white community.  Cicero wanted to stay white, and the Latin Kings respected this and bonded with the main gang, the Arch Dukes that were founded the same year of 1966.  The Arch Dukes had deep concerns that Chicago gangs were going to invade Cicero and Ridgeway Lords were attempting this.  Although the Latin Kings had an alliance with Ridgeway Lords, they agreed to not assist them in their Cicero endeavors and agreed to assist keeping other Chicago gangs out and this was agreed upon with the Arch Dukes and the two became allies.  This group of Latin Kings did not make it much past the 1960s and went extinct in the early 70s.  This is a less known group of Latin Kings, and it wasn’t until 1979 that Latin Kings returned to Cicero, but this group was weak especially after their leader Wayne Hastik was murdered by the Ridgeway Lords in his Cicero home in 1979.  This group faded after trying to claim 14^th and 49^th.  The Latin King strength in Cicero arrived in 1982 when the Spanish Harlem Latin Kings out of Little Village settled these streets and by 1984 the Latin Kings became powerful in the suburb and still are powerful today.

Another south side Latin King branch that started in 1966 was the 57th and Halsted branch in the Englewood neighborhood.  This chapter was started when Puerto Rican people began to migrate here in 1966 from other neighborhoods.  The Emerald Knights from Lake View arrived at 55^th and Halsted to join the Village Sharks and this created a need for Latin Kings two blocks away at 57^th.  The Devil’s Disciples, an African American street gang, dominated much of northern Englewood as did the Black P Stones that set up the “Moe Town” chapter in northern Englewood in 1966; therefore, protection was needed from the Latin Kings with this small Puerto Rican enclave.  The Gaylords formed in 1966 at 55^th and Sherman who were another hostile force for these Hispanic youths and this is why Latin Kings were needed here.  This group was mentioned in a 1969 Chicago Tribune newspaper, shortly after, this section closed for good in the 1970s after all Puerto Rican people left the area.

In the year 1968 the Latin Kings of West Town and Humboldt Park area began to be featured in the media for their exceptional neighborhood cleanup duties that included cleaning up gang graffiti.  This effort was led by leaders like Don Juan which showed the world the Latin Kings could be an asset to their communities; however, certain branches and members were only concerned with gangbanging, but the founders and leaders were moving on to another level and were trying to help their fellow Latin Kings follow the same path, but with so many members it became impossible.  The Latin Kings continued to make righteous changes and in 1969 they became very much politically active while bringing about diplomacy with other Puerto Rican gangs and white gangs.  This would continue in the earlier 1970s as Latin Kings fought against police brutality, legally pursued crooked landlords, cleaned up communities of trash and graffiti, opened up free lunch programs for impoverished children and fought against unfair neighborhood renewal plans alongside the Young Lords.  These were mostly overlooked functions as most people focused on the gangbanging and negativity.

In 1969, Latin Kings migrated in Logan Square alongside Puerto Rican migration into this community.  Logan Square had a slow white flight pattern through the 1960s and during this process many hardened white greaser gangs walked these streets night and day sometimes preying upon Hispanic youths for fun.  Many Logan Square residents did not want their community to change racially like nearby Wicker Park and Humboldt Park; therefore, this community became more racially guarded as the decade progressed.  By the later 1960s the Simon City gang moved into this neighborhood and by the later 60s they became a hostile force against the Latin Kings.  When the Gaylords began heavily recruiting white gangs around the Palmer Square area and around Lawndale and Altgeld area this became the last draw for Hispanic youths and the call for the Latin Kings came as these desperate youths needed protections against the mighty Gaylords.  This is when Latin Kings arrived in this community in 1969 arriving at North Ave and Kedzie and Armitage and Kedzie to battle the Gaylords and other hostile white gangs.  This gang conflict was heated and brutal, but the Latin Kings would outlast the Gaylords and most other rivals and remain permanently on these streets presently making this another major chapter.

In the year 1969, residents of Uptown began to complain about the sudden rise in crime and the increasingly squalid conditions of these streets.  What was once a hillbilly harmless ghetto now became a nightmare and soon major gang activity would arrive.  Much of the white Appalachian community was upset with increased Hispanic and African American migration that year and the rise in crime and this invited the Gaylords and the formation of the Uptown Rebels.  These groups were often hostile toward the newest Hispanic and African American arrivals.  African American youths invited the Black Gangster Disciples and Conservative Vice Lords to move into the community to protect African American students attending Senn High School, but these gangs were often hostile toward Hispanic and white youths.  This was time for Latin Kings to be called upon to open a chapter at Winthrop and Ainslie.  Many white and Hispanic youths would join the Latin Kings to fight Gaylords, Uptown Rebels, Kenmore Boys, Black Gangster Disciples and Vice Lords.  These Latin Kings found common ground with the Harrison Gents that arrived at the same time just one block away.  The two gangs were very tight until war tore them apart in 1979.  Latin Kings remain in Uptown permanently.

Since their formation in 1964 Latin Kings had always been involved in the drug trade; however, the drug trade did not run their organization just like all other gangs in the 1960s.  Latin Kings also took pride in flushing out unauthorized drug dealers in their communities by robbing those dealers.  King Papo himself used to rob heroin dealers alongside Spanish Lord leader “Big Gato” in the late 1960s; however, the two men tended to indulge in the heroin they snatched until they both developed addictions.  King Papo soon fell into an addiction entering the 1970s and much of the Latin Kings had also fell into addiction which caused the organization to face possible extinction as the sections became more disorganized.

Activism also took a revolutionary route, especially at Leavitt and Schiller.  It was at this location that Latin Kings were working with the Puerto Rican extremist group FALN and they were hiding them at this location.  Once the authorities came after the FALN, the Latin Kings cut off ties with FALN and had to abandon Leavitt and Schiller, King Papo left that location and most of the main members moved to Beach and Spaulding, the Insane Unknowns now took over Leavitt and Schiller after the big players of the Latin Kings departed in 1971.  Latin Kings would return in 1979 to this intersection.  It was at this point that Beach and Spaulding became the governing section for all north side operations and no longer Leavitt and Schiller.

In June of 1971, Raul Gonzales and another high-ranking north side member of the Latin Kings Gustavo “Hercules” Colon caught court murder charges back to back.

According to court documents, on the night of June 20, 1971 Raul “BK” “Rayo” Gonzales was hanging out at the intersection of 24th and Sacramento in the Marshall Square neighborhood when he spotted Ernesto Villagomez in a car with several other people.  Gonzales then fired bullets into the car and killed the driver causing the car to crash into a building, his intended target survived and only the driver that was shot was killed, the driver was Villagomez’ uncle.  Villagomez had been known to hang out with both Latin Kings and Bishops gang members.  Latin Kings and Bishops were rival gangs at that point in time and BK did not like Ernesto hanging out with Bishops, especially after Ernesto wore a shirt that said “Bishops” on it.  One day outside of Harrison High School BK confronted Villagomez and told him to not wear Bishop clothing, when Ernesto wised off to BK, BK slapped him across the face, Ernesto then threatened revenge on another date, it was at that point that BK marked Villagomez, and on the night of June 20th he killed Villagomez’ uncle as he was driving Ernesto and others home from a dance.  The other car load in front of the uncle’s car was a car full of Bishops gang members and according to court documents those witnesses were affiliated with the Bishops, Gonzales was then charged with murder and sent to prison (People vs. Gonzales, 1974).

According to court documents, on the night of June 27, 1971 Gustavo “Hercules” “Hippie” Colon was hanging out at the intersection of Leavitt and Potomac in the Wicker Park neighborhood that night.  According to court documents Colon and Florentine “Brillo” Menendez spotted Glenn Burr and his sister and friends walking down the street.  Menendez then shouted, “Shoot that black mother fucker!” and pulled a gun on the group of five according to court documents, Glenn Burr then took off running but Colon then shot him three times in the back, killing him.  Colon then walked up to Verlinda Hamilton and put the gun to her head and gave her a big smile then pulled the trigger; however, the gun jammed.  Supposedly the shooting happened because Glenn Burr was a Vice Lord in Latin King territory Colon was not arrested for the crime until August of 1971, Brillo was said to be dead by the time arrests were to be made, Colon was then charged with murder and sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison (People vs. Colon, 1974).

By 1972, the Latin Kings were facing a major crisis.  Starting in the late 1960s some key members were getting into using heavy drugs like Heroin.  There were also many members that were not focused on tasks at hand and much of the LKN was disorganized, which was a major threat to leadership especially since they were trying to organize a sophisticated syndicate.  Amid several gang wars and now with law enforcement breathing down their necks, there was a real threat to the very existence of the Latin King Nation and slip ups by members could not be tolerated anymore; it was time for a constitution to keep the entire organization in line.  Now that Hercules and Rayo were incarcerated for murder, they had an immediate meeting behind prison walls with Manuel Diaz Rodriguez, Johnny Martinez, Eddie, Dino, and Sun Child.  These 7 Latin Kings drew up the “Kings Manifesto” which was literature that was to guide and organize Latin Kings in the right direction to ease operations and maintain order.  One of the biggest guidelines was no use of drugs unless it was Marijuana.  This was made possible because prior to this the Latin Kings held a 1972 election to vote on a new leader.  Ramon Santos now had a heroin issue that I believe he got over a short time later, but it cost him his leadership role.  Santos would retire from the Latin Kings in 1972 but stuck around the area interacting with many old friends.  Carmelo also stepped down and retired from the nation and when election time came Gustavo “Hercules” Colon was voted to run all northern operations from behind prison walls which he successfully did. “Rayo” ran southwest and south side operations.  Other members were out casted for their behavior and ejected from the organization to be made examples of how this behavior was now not acceptable.  All addicted Latin Kings were ordered to kick their Heroin habits immediately and turn in all bags of their Heroin, if they did not, severe consequences would be suffered.  It did not matter about the withdraw effects; you had to just stop using…no Exceptions!

Now that Rayo had become leader of the south side, he was now referred to the nickname “Baby King” as he was the protégé of the former leader King Papo allegedly.  Gustavo Colon was now referred to as “Lord Gino” now that he was in command of all northern Chicago operations, these two men had just become the King of Kings.

Now at this point in time the Latin King nation was to become even stronger than ever with the Kings Manifesto, and BK and Gino were successfully operating the organization from behind prison walls; however, there were still lots of Latin Kings that supported and looked up to King Papo and many still saw him as the supreme leader of the Latin Kings.  King Papo did indeed officially step down in 1972 but unofficially he was still a shot caller especially since he was out on the streets while BK and Gino were locked up. This was something rumored to have not settled well with some of incarcerated leadership.  King Papo may have kicked his habit later into the 1970s but never resumed official leadership.

After the creation of the manifesto in 1972 Beach and Spaulding no longer governed all the Latin King branches city-wide, further away branches at last didn’t have to travel all the way to Humboldt Park for meetings.  All south side operations were headed at the Boulevards at 24th and Marshall while the north side still reported to Beach and Spaulding.  Eventually traveling to report ceased and each branch governed more on its own.

Since 1972, I never hear of anymore stories of Ramon Santos.  In the Joseph “Lil Rat” Carrilo (Chicago Guerrilla Journalist) documentary on YouTube about his version of Latin King history, he states he knew Papo after both men were incarcerated around 1984.  Carrilo states that during this time there was a call for Santos to resume leadership because of his clout and connections but Papo declined and instead Carillo helped work security while behind bars for Papo, protecting Papo from any assassination attempts from rivals. I have never seen any mugshots or heard any prison stories about Papo, so I have nothing to add about that.  After Leavitt and Schiller closed in 1971 so did Ashland and Cortez.  Ashland and Cortez Latin Kings either flipped to Harrison Gents, Ashland Vikings or left the area completely if they wanted to stay Latin Kings they headed to Crystal and Damen in Wicker Park.  Ramon Santos moved to Crystal and Damen the same year after Leavitt and Schiller was closed and very likely helped found Crystal and Damen which is still active today.  There is much I don’t know about Santo’s later life accept that in the summer of 1988 he mysteriously vanished and was never heard from again.  The legend is that he angered Lord Gino and other high up Latin Kings, and they ordered him to be killed; however, no body was ever recovered, or any crime reported.

In the year 1975, the Latin Kings established themselves in the Julia C. Lathrop Homes.  These projects were located in the North Center neighborhood.  Latin Kings had been living here since Latin Kings were created; however, they didn’t run these projects, their allies the Insane Deuces ran these buildings.  In the year 1975 the Insane Deuces donated ‘The Horseshoe” which is the southern most section of the projects that is along Diversey Parkway and the horseshoe shaped part is from Hoyne to Leavitt.  Latin Kings were very close to the Deuces as they fought Simon City Royals and Paulina Barry Community viciously.  In 1987 Latin Kings and Deuces began to have friction over the crack cocaine trade.  In 1989 war was declared between Deuces and Latin Kings and when the Deuces flipped to becoming Folks in January of 1992 they left the projects and the Latin Kings took over only sharing with some black gangs.

Another big player within the Latin King Nation was a member named Julio “Compa” Munoz who was an original member of the nation.  Compa was born in the year 1936 making him one of the oldest members or perhaps the oldest member of the Latin Kings.  Compa was a big-time member and highly regarded in the nation.

According to court documents, on the night of December 17, 1975 Compa conspired with a prostitute named Deborah Schak and Victor Figueroa and Ralphie Munoz to get a sum of money together to pay for Schak’s methadone treatment because she was a struggling recovering heroin addict and asked the men for help according to court documents.  The four of them then conspired to have Schak lure a client into a trap where she would perform her sexual favors for money then Munoz’ men would rob him.  Schak lived with Munoz at 1737 Maplewood (Maplewood and Bloomingdale in Logan Square) and told Munoz she needed the money and was willing to steal for it according to court documents. Schak then walked to Western Avenue and picked up on three men, two of which took her to one of the men’s residence where she performed sexual favors on them both.  One of the men, Peter Mobiles, wanted to stay with Schak and offered her $100 for a night with her and he flashed a large amount of money according to court documents.  Mobiles and Schak then left to stay at her “sister’s house” at Campbell and Wabansia which was right down the block from where Schak and Munoz realistically resided.  Schak had Mobiles wait outside while she went inside to ask her sister for permission, instead Schak grabbed a knife and Munoz came with her with a gun on him.  Schak asked Mobiles if he could give Munoz a ride to Foster and Sheridan, Mobiles agreed and got in the car while Schak got in the back seat behind him, and Munoz hopped into the passenger seat.  According to court documents Munoz put the gun to Mobiles’ head while Schack wrapped her arm around Mobile’s neck and put her knife to his throat, the two of them then demanded money but Mobiles only gave them $20.  Munoz then ordered Mobiles to take off his clothes and put them right outside the car, Mobiles complied according to court documents.  I am speculating Munoz had Mobiles do this, so they could search his clothes for more money because after this happened Munoz told Schak to step outside, Munoz then ordered Mobiles to lie down on the ground face down, then Munoz shot Mobiles in the back of the head.  The two of them grabbed the clothes then left the scene and fled to their place on Maplewood.  Back at the residence Julio Munoz told Ralphie Munoz that he was not sure if Mobiles was dead and that he accidentally shot Mobiles but also said “it’s probably better that way.”  Schak apparently did not want murder to be involved because she was freaked out and ended up testifying against Munoz which got him put in prison for the murder. (People vs. Munoz, 1979).

This Julio Munoz case did not end with this 1975 murder, when the trails were happening in 1976 one of the men that discussed the robbery before it happened in December of 1975 was Victor Figueroa who had turned state’s witness against Compa in August of 1976.  Because of Figueroa’s testimony the Latin Kings were making death threats against Figueroa forcing him into a witness protection program.  Compa was highly regarded and was a high up member of the organization so tricking on him would come with consequences.  The Latin Kings were now hunting Figueroa down and the hunt ended in 1979.  According to court documents the frozen body of Victor Figueroa was found in a gangway at 1027 N. Francisco Street (East Humboldt Park) on February 23, 1979 with three bullet wounds in his chest and his penis was severed and shoved into his mouth.  Anthony Perez was later arrested and charged with the murder.  According to court documents Perez initially denied killing Figueroa but then later confessed to killing him and said he did it with another Latin King named “Black Jack,” but Black Jack’s real identity was never revealed in the court documents.  Perez said he killed Figueroa in revenge for Figueroa testifying against Julio Compa Munoz.  On the night of the murder Figueroa went into a bar at 1100 North California Ave (California and Thomas in East Humboldt Park) to look into buying drugs, at the bar Perez and Black Jack recognized Figueroa and approached him offering to get him the drugs as long as Figueroa came with them.  The two men lured Figueroa to the alleyway at 1027 N. Francisco Street then Black Jack acted like he fell on the ice and pulled down Figueroa with him, then Perez pulled out the .38 revolver and pointed it at Figueroa and said “your days are over,” then fired all six bullets striking him only twice in the chest.  Black Jack then reloaded the revolver for Perez and told him to shoot Figueroa in the heart, Perez then shot Figueroa right in the heart which was the cause of death according to the court documents.  Perez was later arrested and charged with murder, in the court documents Perez denied cutting off Figueroa’s penis and feeding it to him, and the documents do not detail that part at all (People vs. Perez, 1983).  The penis was likely removed by one of the two men to symbolize what happens when you run your mouth and testify, hence, why the penis was placed in the man’s mouth, the message was clearly sent, and it also showed the influence that Compa had, being an original member and perhaps the oldest member.  Compa would remain in prison until 2012 where he died behind bars.  Compa was also one of the bigger time leaders if not the very leader of the East Humboldt Park Latin Kings which was a section that closed right after Compa’s incarceration in 1979.

As the 1970s progressed the Latin Kings only got bigger There were white and black members as early as the 1960s but by the 1970s there were several black and white members depending on the neighborhood.  The Latin Kings also had small sleeper cells of members living in the suburbs as early as the early 1970s, then by the mid-1970s there began some recruitment in the suburbs like, Melrose Park and Maywood as examples.

In the year 1975 Latin Kings settled in the Rogers Park community on the far north side of the city.  This is when Columbia and Ashland opened up a section called “Bad Boys.”  These Latin Kings were know for fighting other Latin King sections.   This group also fought the Gangster Disciples fiercely from Sullivan and Kilmer.  This section was strong in the 1980s and 1990s.

Also in 1975 the Latin Kings would settle on the streets of Albany Park at Lawrence and Kedzie, thus colonizing a new neighborhood and this new chapter would become one of the Latin King’s bigger sections in the city.  In Albany Park Latin Kings arrived to aid Hispanic youths to fight against Gaylords and Simon City Royals.

The importance of the Maywood Latin Kings

The year was 1976, and most of the Chicago area suburbs were quiet and a place to escape from the bustling city.  In the western suburbs there was no signs of Chicago based gang activity stretching from Berkeley, to Maywood to Bellwood to Elmhurst to Melrose Park to Villa Park.  All was quite until Mexican families came to move into the suburb of Maywood and start a better new life for themselves and their children.  Maywood was a frustrated mostly white community that suddenly suffered high unemployment after their can factory closed down.  People took their frustrations out on the newly arrived Hispanic and black residents moving in.  Hispanic people were settling around the intersection of 5th Avenue and Lake Street and some were trying to open businesses and running into difficulties and unfair treatment from the rest of the community.  The first Latin King to move to Maywood was “Nat” from 23rd and Christiana.  Nat recruited his cousin “PeeWee” then soon a domino effect happened of several of their friends joining the Latin Kings.  These young suburban Latin Kings made 5th Avenue and Maywood their stronghold and the headquarters.  This section became very tightly ran and well organized and become the very first permenant Latin King suburban branch on the entire planet.  These Latin Kings were serious and put in lots of work for the organization.  Within a very short time they expanded into nearby Melrose Park and Stone Park to help with Hispanic families facing unfair treatment.  By the later 1970s and early 1980s these Latin Kings began to engage is vicious gang wars with rival gangs moving in from the city bringing negative attention to their original cause which was to help the community.  Over time, the Maywood branch would spread out further influencing several more south suburbs and west suburbs that reached all the way as far north west Indiana.  By the later 1980s and early 1990s Latin Kings were in just about every suburb connected near the southern side of the city and they all stemmed from the old Maywood chapter.

In 1977, the Latin Kings made the news again when another Division street riot kicked off on June 4th 1977.  Once again Chicago Police gunned down two Puerto Rican youths and once again the community was infuriated.  Looting, vandalism and violence ensued and the Latin Kings were a major part of the riot and so were the Spanish Cobras.  Once Cobras and Kings saw each other they started fighting viciously and leaving a big path of destruction in their wake.

In the year 1977, gang wars were worsening in the Little Village area as now the Two Six gang started to grow aggressively and the Satan Disciples became increasingly interested in taking territory west of Marshall Boulevard/California.  This led to a major standoff with guns blazing along Marshall Boulevard one day when about 15-20 members of the Latin Kings went up against 15-20 members of the Satan Disciples shooting several guns at each other.  One of the Latin King shooters was a Latin Queen known as Josie “La China (pronounced Cheena)” Contreras.  La China was perhaps one of the toughest Latin Queens from the Boulevards and she stood alongside her Latin King brothers shooting at the SDs.  China was even known for winning a one on one fight against a larger sized Satan Disciple at one point.

A big turn happened for the Latin Kings in 1978.  The Latin Kings had a very strong branch operating on the corner of North Ave and Kedzie in West Humboldt Park.  Right around the corner at 1551 North Kedzie Ave is the Illinois National Guard armory.  The Latin Kings of North and Kedzie pulled off a major heist on a military vehicle right near the armory and stole thousands of dollars worth of high powered weapons by ambushing a military vehicle as it left the armory, they then helped themselves to all the crates in the vehicle while they held the personnel at gun point.  This made the Latin Kings one heavily armed organization for the rest of their existence even up to present day and of course this will enhance recruitment due to being heavily armed.

In April, 1978 the Folk Nation alliance was formed in the prison system which included such gangs as Black Gangsters Disciples, Black Disciples, Ambrose, Satan Disciples, Latin Disciples (Maniac Latin Disciples), Two Six Boys (Gangster Two Six), Spanish Cobras, Simon City Royals, Almighty Insane Royal Popes, Imperial Gangsters, Latin Eagles, Orquestra Albany and Ashland Vikings.  This was a prison alliance mainly orchestrated by Larry Hoover.  This spelled bad news for the Latin Kings and any other gang that was not aligned with this new Folk Nation.  It turned out the Latin Kings’ worst enemies had joined this alliance in the same meeting, the Latin Kings along with the Vice Lords and El Rukns created the People Nation alliance.  They then extended the invite the Mickey Cobras, Latin Counts, Bishops, Spanish Lords, P.R. Stones and Insane Unknowns.  The El Rukns and Vice Lords represented the Islam side of the People Nation, while the Latin Kings were represented the Christian side of the People Nation.  This was all made possible because the Latin Kings, Black P. Stones, and Vice Lords had been allies ever since the early 1960s (with only scuffles here and there in certain parts of the city) when they all found a common enemy, the Devil’s Disciples.

In the year 1979 the Latin Kings wanted Leavitt and Schiller back but the Insane Unknowns now ran that area.  A negotiation was made and the Latin Kings were able to move back in as allies with Insane Unknowns. The Unknowns lasted until 1993 here but Latin Kings remained at Leavitt and Schiller until the mid-2010s.

In the year 1972 Latin Kings began to reside in the Back of the Yards community around 51st and Ada.  Throughout the 70s the Latin Kings living here conflicted heavily with Latin Souls and Saints but no official section was established until the year 1980 when Mexican migration increased in the area and when rival gangs like Two Six, Satan Disciples and Two Two Boys colonized the area.  This new section became the legendary 51st and Ada branch and it was started by “Diaper Dead Eye” in 1980.  he led this section until he was incarcerated for killing a La Raza.

A story I want to bring back from the Chicagogangs.org site is the meatloaf story.  This is a story that goes to show the lengths this Latin Kings will go to, to make something happen.  The story comes from the NGCRC in collaboration with federal authorities over their witnesses.  This full story can be found here https://ngcrc.com/ngcrc/page15.htm written by George W. Knox who works for the NGCRC.  He tells a tale of a high-ranking Latin King that turned informant and was put in witness protection program according to Knox.  Inmate Carlos Robles of the north side Latin kings was classified as an “escapee” just two days before his release from prison and the case ran cold until 1992 when the informant told authorities about Robles and then in 1995 a skull was dug up in the Statesville Prison yard as evidence but still no one was pursued for prosecution and perhaps never will be.

In the year 1979, as gang activity was heating up in the South Chicago neighborhood the Latin Kings moved just north of the South Chicago border onto the intersection of 79th and Clarendon but they dwelled on the South Shore community side of 79th up to 78th.  This was a group of about 10 Latin Kings.  This branch did not last long before the founder were sent to prison until 1981.  In 1981, Ray of this 79th Street branch moved to the Bush which was a few block south into the South Chicago neighborhood as him and other started the notorious South Chicago Latin Kings.  This branch would move to 89th and Muskegon in 1981 and would explode in size to become a permanent fixture in the South Chicago neighborhood.

In 1981, Raul Rayo Gonzales had a conflict with a north side Latin King Carlos Robles.  Robles disrespected Gonzales and had no issue with it because Rayo was running the south side while Robles was under north side and felt Rayo couldn’t touch him.  The only obstacle Rayo had to overcome was to get the nod from Lord Gino and state his case, Gino sided with Rayo and authorized Rayo to do whatever was needed to make an example out of Robles.  Rayo then would then patiently wait two years.

In July 1983, Robles’ parole had come up and he was just two days away from getting out and he didn’t suspect any trouble was coming.  Rayo consulted two of the craziest south side Latin Kings he could find in Statesville.  One was a cold-blooded killer from Cuba that was known to kill without any remorse.  Another was a short white member of the Latin Kings, both men were avid PCP users which already would make them extra crazy and creative.  The two men approached Robles and told him they were throwing him a “parole party” in the basement.  The men got permission from the guards to use the basement where the showers were and Robles thought he was being led downstairs to a whole celebration but once he was guided by the two men there was no one down there, before Carlos could realize anything the two men pulled out large machetes from somewhere and chopped his head clean off.  The two men then hacked his arms and legs off then chopped his limbs and torso into pieces making a big mess of blood everywhere, but all they had to do was turn on the showers and let it all go down the drain, then men also washed off the body parts.

The two inmates then coordinated a staged fight coordinated by fellow Latin Kings to create a diversion while both men slipped through a tunnel that led to the butcher shop where the men ran into a rival Black Gangster Disciple gang member working the shop.  Although BGDs (GDs) and Latin Kings are enemies the two men offered money and drugs in exchange for this BGD to help dispose of the body parts that were wrapped in plastic bags.  The BGD accepted the offer and began feeding body parts into a large meat grinder with pork and beef.  It was a perfect night to do this because meatloaf was on the menu.  The three men grinded up the whole body into meat accept the skull which according to Knox “rolled around in the meat grinder like a basketball spinning on a metal rim.”  The skull had to be taken with the two and was later buried discreetly in the yard.

Later that night the BGDs and Latin Kings were not eating the meat loaf and giving their portions to other inmates which made them seem generous.  The other inmates dined on the meat happily not knowing they were all eating parts of Carlos.  Only the BGDs and Latin Kings knew what was in the moat loaf and not a single inmate from either gang ate the meat that night and perhaps snickered as the others chowed down.  No one was ever prosecuted for this and ironically one of the men went to possibly work as a chef at a government center in the cafeteria after his release according to Knox. Source from (https://ngcrc.com/profile/profile.html).

The Latin Kings kept their ties pretty tight with their People Nation allies that intensified on the streets in the early 1980s.  By 1981, a new directive was handed down from behind prison walls to expand the People Nation on the streets and offer new gang membership. The Latin Kings then recruited more gangs to join the People alliance and that is when they reeled in gangs like the Gaylords, Insane Deuces, Villa Lobos and Cullerton Deuces.  This was also the point in time when there were Latin Kings in every white or Hispanic neighborhood in the city.  The Kings were now putting in more sleeper cells out in the suburbs and were beginning to bust out in some suburbs like Rockford, Cicero, Berwyn  and Joliet.

By the mid-1980s the Latin Kings were spreading into more suburbs and the sleeper cells were opening up and taking in suburban kids interested in gangbanging.  By the late 1980s the Latin Kings were now in the majority of Du Page County, Will County, Lake County and Kane County suburbs and all of Cook County.  In Will County they started recruiting out of early 80s sleeper cells in Romeoville and Bolingbrook. In Dupage County they opened sets in suburbs like Addison, Schaumberg, Downers Grove and Westmont.

The Latin Kings were aggressively expanding their empire and were looking for more angles to expand the Cocaine, Marijuana, and Heroin pipelines by putting soldiers in the burbs.  They also grew into other states and even small towns in rural Illinois.  As the Latin Kings continued to grow by the late 1980s tensions with other gangs heated up and more violence ensued.  The Latin Kings wanted to flex their muscle and show their dominance in the streets by displaying several acts of violence; this would eventually bring about early tensions with fellow gangs within the People Nation alliance.  Sometimes scuffles would break out or there were cold feelings among allies.  This was seen as necessary because Latin Kings had to look out for each other more so than any other group out there and members needed to make a living on the streets without interference, however, interalliance wars were often smoothed over after short periods of time in the late 80s.  Latin Kings would learn to perceive possible threats from other organizations quickly and be fast to be on the offensive before anything got more out of hand.

In the year 1988 a crew/gang was founded in the Gage Park community at 55^th and Sacramento called the “Devious Ones.”  The Devious Ones became allies with South Side Insane Popes and South Side Heads in the neighborhood as they all mutually hated groups like the Guess Boys, Two Six and Ambrose.  The Devious Ones empathized with long time residents against much of the Hispanic migration coming to Gage Park beginning that year but especially against the Two Six and Ambrose gangs that were now present in Gage Park.  In the year 1990, the Devious ones came in contact with Latin Kings and all joined the Latin Kings. The Latin Kings then recruited the South Side Heads and absorbed them into the nation.  This Latin King section became the notorious “Crown Town Latin Kings.”

Latin Kings arrived in the Garfield Ridge community in 1990 alongside some Hispanic migration but blended well with the community that was often opposed to Hispanic migration.  Latin Kings recruited several white youths in the area and bonded with the South Side Insane Popes.  Before long, a Latin King chapter sprouted that became notorious known as the “Midway Latin Kings” in 1990.  Much of the recruitment was geared toward hate of Satan Disciples and Two Six.

In the same year of 1990, Hispanic people were first moving to the West Elsdon community which was notoriously an all-white community.  This area had a long history of racial conflict and the Latin Kings arrived at 59^th and Pulaski to deal with some of these issues but their focus became on wars with Satan Disciples and Two Six in the area.  This began another notorious Latin King chapter.

At some point in the 1990s an unusual Latin King chapter opened in the Austin community at the intersection of Roosevelt and Menard.  This was directly on the border of Chicago’s Austin community and the suburb of Cicero.  Roosevelt Road is the borderline between the suburb and Chicago.  These Latin Kings were African American almost exclusively.  They were recruited after they had conflict with the Latin Counts from just south of Roosevelt Road at 14^th and 58^th (The Red Zone).  It was said these African American Latin Kings were hard core and caused lots of damage to Latin Counts.  This chapter is still active in recent years and has become a permanent part of “The Island.”  These Latin Kings furiously battle Latin Counts and Gangster Disciples.

In 1991, the Latin Kings developed an “anybody killer” or “almighty don’t like nobody” policy where they declared war on several other People Nation gangs or pushed several others to start a war with them.  Some notable allies they begin war with around 1991 were Latin Counts, Bishops, Cullerton Deuces, Some Vice Lord sections, and Insane Deuces.  The rival Folks alliance also began engaging in several interralliance wars that year; therefore, the Kings did not really need their allies as much anyway. The Latin Kings were so large at this point that it became too difficult to control the dominance many Latin King sections felt on the streets and to pacify brewing conflicts with allies; not only that by the early 90s as drugs became a hotter commodity for gangs to deal in general other gangs wanted a bigger chunk of the profits in the streets and demanded the Latin Kings back away from certain zones that were designated for Latin Kings, in many of these cases Latin Kings would refuse to negotiate and conflict would ensue.

By the early 1990s Latin Kings could be found in every suburban town in Chicago land whether there was an active section or not.  The LKN had spread to all 50 states and even other countries as well, especially Mexico.  New York City developed a very large faction of Latin Kings in the 1980s.  I am not going into details about the NYC Kings because this is a Chicago and Chicago area gang history site; I do not have much to do with gang histories in other states.

By 1995, BK was released from prison and running things on the street especially all down the 26th street corridor.  By 1997, Lord Gino was 1 day from getting out until he was brought up on RICO charges and now is spending the rest of his life in federal prison.  In 1999 BK was incarcerated again on felony drug charges and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Although the Latin Kings have been involved in highly sophisticated drug related and violent activities this has still been an organization that was created for maintaining a strong brotherhood among members.  There is a deep history here that is to be respected and many have given their lives for the cause or have given up their freedom.  One of the main reasons the Latin Kings have grown to be the largest Hispanic organization in Chicago area and one of the largest worldwide is because of the deep sense on brotherhood that was first developed in the old days and showing supreme dominance on the streets.

Known sections of Latin Kings past and present:

Albany Park neighborhood Established 1975-present years

Sections of Albany Park

Lawrence & Kedzie (LKst, Homicide LKst) Established 1975-present years

Pulaski & Argyle

Argyle to Lawrence, Kedzie to Sacramento

Argyle & Spaulding

Keystone & Cullom

Austin neighborhood 90s-present years

Sections of Austin

Roosevelt & Menard (The Island)

Avondale neighborhood 1990s-present years

Sections of Avondale

Belmont & Central Park Ave 2000s-present years

Drake & School 90s-present years

Belmont & Sacramento

George to Diversey, Francisco to Mozart

Back of the Yards neighborhood Established 1980-present years

Sections of the Back of the Yards

51^st & Ada settled 1972, official in 1980

52^nd & Marshfield

Belmont-Cragin neighborhood 90s-present

Sections of Belmont-Cragin

Diversey & Major 90s, 2000s

Wellington & Lockwood 2010s-present

George Keating 90s

Bridgeport neighborhood Established 1966-1969, re-established 1978-present years

Sections of Bridgeport

28^th & Normal Established 1966-1969

33^rd & Morgan (Morgan Latin Kings) Established 1978-present years

35^th & Halsted

Archer to 29^th, Throop to Poplar

33^rd to 36^th, Morgan to Halsted Established 1978-present years

Bucktown (Logan Square) neighborhood 90s, 2000s

Sections of Bucktown

Cortland & Damen to Hoyne 90s, 2000s

Canaryville neighborhood 90s, 2000s, 2010s

Sections of Canaryville

Emerald from 47^th to 49th 90s, 2000s, 2010s

East Humboldt Park neighborhood Established 1964-1979

Sections of East Humboldt Park

Maplewood & Wabansia (1964-1979)

East Side neighborhood Established 1983-present years

Section of East Side

96^th & Avenue M (No Limit Latin Kings)

97^th & Ewing

96^th to 101^st, Ewing to Ave N

103^rd to 108^th, Ave L to Ave H (East Side Latin Kings)

98th & Avenue L (98 Outlaws)

99th & Ewing (99 Ruthless)

104th & Avenue L (Murda Ave)

East Village (West Town) neighborhood Established 1964-2010s

Sections of East Village

Noble & Cortez Established 1964-1971

Ashland & Cortez Established 1965-1971

Division & Wolcott Established 1971-2010s

Thomas & Winchester 90s, 2000s

Edgewater neighborhood Established 1974-present years

Sections of Edgewater

Clark & Balmoral

Clark & Catalpa (Crack and Crime) 90s-present years

Clark & Bryn Mawr 2000s-present years

Ridge to Thorndale, Ravenswood to Hermitage

Farragut & Glenwood 90s-2000s

Berwyn & Winthrop 70s-present years

Englewood neighborhood Established 1966-1972

Sections of Englewood

57^th & Halsted Established 1966-1972

Gage Park neighborhood (Crown Town) Established 1990-present years

51^st & Campbell

51^st & Homan (51 HLKs)

52^nd & Talman

53^rd & Albany

56^th & Sacramento

58^th & Harlem (5-8 Homicide)

51^st to 58^th, California to Pulaski

51^st to 52^nd, St. Louis to Kedzie (5-1 Crown Town)

53^rd to 57^th, Kedzie to Richmond (Crown Town)

52^nd to 54^th, Fairfield to Rockwell (Crown Town)

50^th to 55^th, California to Western (Crown Town)

58^th to 59^th, Kedzie to Whipple

49^th & Artesian

53^rd & Mozart

54^th & Christiana

Garfield Ridge neighborhood 80s-present years

Sections of Garfield Ridge

49^th & Lotus (Midway Latin Kings) 80s, 2000s-present years

51^st & Lotus 90s-present

47^th & Lockwood 2000s-present

47^th to 49^th, LaPorte to Cicero Ave 2010s-present years

49^th & Lawler 2000s-present years

Heart of Chicago neighborhood Established 1966-1987

Sections of Pilsen

Coulter & Damen (Coulter Kings) Established 1966-1987

Hermosa neighborhood

Sections of Hermosa

Wellington & Kilpatrick

Irving Park neighborhood

Sections of Irving Park

Montrose to Bertau, Pulaski to Avers

Lakeview neighborhood 90s

Sections of Lakeview

Roscoe & Halsted 90s

Lincoln Park neighborhood Established 1966-2010s

Sections of Lincoln Park

Armitage & Sheffield

Armitage & Dayton Established 1966

Clybourn/Damen to Leavitt/Hoyne (Lathrop projects) Established 1975-2010s

Lincoln Square neighborhood 1975-present years

Sections of Lincoln Square

Leland & Rockwell

Leland & Virginia 70s-present years

Montrose from Damen to Ashland (Mackville) 90s-present years

Paulina & Cullom

Argyle & Washtenaw

Montrose & Paulina

Wilson & Wolcott

Little Village (Lower West Side) neighborhood Established 1962 as Marshall Kings, 1966-present as Latin Kings

Sections of Little Village

23^rd & Spaulding

23^rd & Whipple

24^th & Christiana

24^th & Drake (Chi Town Two Four)

24^th & Marshall (The Boulevards) Established 1962 as Marshall Kings, 1966 as Latin Kings

Millard from 24^th to 27th

24^th & Sawyer

St. Louis from 24^th to 25th (Coulter Side, Coulter Latin Kings)

Trumbull from 24^th to 25th (Two Four Trumbull)

25^th & Avers

25^th & California (Lawndale projects) Established circa 1985 after Latin Counts left

25^th & Coulter (Coulter Latin Kings)

25^th & Spaulding (Spanish Harlem)

Drake from 25^th to 27th

27^th & Homan

Lawndale from 25^th to 28th (Lawndale Latin Kings)

30^th & Sawyer (Redrum City)

30^th & Trumbull

31^st & Drake (Drake Side)

30^th to 31^st, Kedzie to Sacramento (Redrum City)

24^th to 26^th, Kedzie to Christiana (Spanish Harlem)

21st to 31st, Lawndale to California (Chi Town)

26^th to 25^th, Hamlin to Central Park (Lawndale Latin Kings)

Logan Square neighborhood Established 1969-present years

Sections of Logan Square

Armitage & Kedzie to Whipple

Sawyer from North Ave to Cortland

Armitage & California

Cortland & Whipple

California & McClean

Armitage to Cortland, Kedzie to Humboldt

Shakespeare to North Ave, St. Louis to Kedzie (Nano World) Partially in West Humboldt Park

Point & California

Marshall Square (South Lawndale) neighborhood Established 1985-present years

Sections of Marshall Square

21^st & California (Cal Two One) Established 1996 took over former Stone Kent turf

21^st to Cermak, Marshall to Fairfield (Cal Two One) Established 1996 taken over former Stone Kent turf

Cermak to 25^th, Albany to California

25^th to 26^th, California to Washtenaw (Lawndale Gardens projects) Established 1985-90s

Marquette Park (Chicago Lawn) neighborhood

Sections of Marquette Park

71^st & Spaulding

71^st & Avers

Near West Side neighborhood Established as as the Skulls 1950s-1970s

Sections of the Near West Side

Madison to Van Buren, Laflin to Paulina Established 1950s-1963

Newberry & Roosevelt Established 1962-1970s

North Center neighborhood

sections of North Center

Berwyn & Hoyne (Area 51)

Berwyn & Wolcott

Roscoe & Hoyne

Diversey Parkway & Hoyne and Leavitt (Lathrop Projects, Project Kings) Established 1975-2011

North Lawndale neighborhood

Sections of North Lawndale

21^st & Albany

Portage Park neighborhood 80s, 90s, 2000s

School & Lavergne 80s, 90s, 2000s

Pullman neighborhood Established 1981-present years

Sections of Pullman

113^th & Langley (Pullman Latin Kings, Langley Park) Established 1981-present years

115^th & Champlain (Roseland Latin Kings) Established 1981-present years

Rogers Park neighborhood Established 1975-present years

Sections of Rogers Park

Columbia & Ashland (Bad Boys) Established 1975-present years

Rodgers to Toughy, Ridge to Clark (Pottawamie Park) Established 1975-present years

Devon & Clark

South Chicago neighborhood Established 1981-present years

Sections of South Chicago

82^nd & Houston

Buffalo from 83^rd to 84th (Bush Latin Kings)

84^th & Burley (Bush Latin Kings)

88^th & Exchange (88 D-Hate)

89^th & Commercial

89^th & Muskegon Established 1981

Escanaba from 89^th to 90^th (89 Big Time)

83^rd to 86^th, South Shore Dr to Green Bay (Bush Latin Kings)

South Shore neigbhorhood Established 1979-1980

Sections of South Shore

79th & Clarendon

Southern West Town neighborhood 1994-present years

Sections of southern West Town

Huron & Hoyne (Heaven and Hell)

Uptown neighborhood Established 1969-present years

Sections of Uptown

Foster to Lawrence, Ashland to Winthrop Established 1969-present years

Montrose & Hazel 70s-present years

Agitate & Hazel

Berwyn to Argyle, Broadway to Sheridan (The Uptown Triangle)

Lawrence to Sunnyside, Paulina to Clark (Chase Park) 1996-present years

West Elsdon neighborhood Established 1990-present years

Sections of West Elsdon

55^th to 59^th, Pulaski to Central Park Established 1990-present years

West Humboldt Park neighborhood Established as Ohio and Spaulding Kings 1960-present years

Sections of West Humboldt Park

Kedzie & Ohio 1960-1964 as Ohio and Spaulding Kings, 1964-1967 as Latin Kings

Shakespeare to North Ave, St. Louis to Kedzie (Nano World) Partially in Logan Square

Bloomingdale to Wabansia, Albany to Humboldt (Wild West)

North Ave to Grand, Kedzie to Central Park Ave (Motherland)

Bloomingdale to North Ave, Central Park to St. Louis

Hirsch & Kostner

West Ridge neighborhood Established 1979-present years

Sections of West Ridge

Rosemont & Claremont

Rosemont & Richmond

Peterson from Fairfield to California

Touhy to Lunt, Rockwell to Western (Indian Boundary Park)

Morse to Pratt, Bell to Ridge

Rosemont to Granville, Campbell to Western (Assyrian Latin Kings)

Wicker Park (West Town) neighborhood Established 1960-1971, return 1979-present years

Sections of Wicker Park

Leavitt & Schiller Established 1960-1971, return 1979-2000s

Damen & Crystal Established 1993-present years

Milwaukee & Honore Established 1979-1993

North Ave to Schiller, Bell to Leavitt Established 1979-mid-2010s

Suburb sections

Addison, IL Established 1986-present years

Argo, IL Established 1979

Aurora Established 1980-present years

Bedford Park, IL

Bensenville, IL Established 1980-present years

Berwyn, IL Established 1980-present years

Bloomington, IL Established 1980-present years

Blue Island, IL Established 1980-present years

Bolingbrook, IL Established 1980-present years

Bradley, IL

Bridgeview, IL

Calumet City, IL

Carpentersville, IL Established 1980-present years

Chicago Heights, IL

Cicero, IL Established 1966-present years 14^th & 51st (The Ghetto), Cermak & 57^th

Crest Hill, IL

Des Plains, IL

Dolton, IL

Downers Grove, IL

East Moline, IL

Elgin, IL Established 1980-present years

Evanston, IL

Franklin Park (The Jungle) Established 1976-late 1980s

Glendale Heights, IL

Glenview, IL

Hanover Park, IL

Hodgkins, IL

Hoffman Estates, IL

Joliet, IL Established 1980-present years

Kankakee, IL

Maywood, IL Established 1976- present years. First permanent suburb

Mount Prospect, IL

Naperville, IL

Palatine, IL

Plainfield, IL

Rockford, IL Established late 1970s-present years

Rochelle, IL

Rolling Meadows, IL

Romeoville, IL Established 1980-present years

Round Lake Beach, IL

Stone Park, IL Established later 1980s-present years

Summit Established 1979 61^st & Archer, Harlem from 61^st to 62^nd (Harlem Homicide)

Waukegan, IL

Please send in old school pics from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.   1950s or 1960s pics will be especially appreciated!

Questions:

Who founded the Skulls?  What year were they started and at what intersection?

Please help out with any stories of King Papo and his original group, it will be greatly appreciated.