| Founded | Founded c. 1966 in or near Englewood |
|---|---|
| Formerly known as | Bostonian Pimps |
| Affiliations |
Folk Nation
— c. 1979
–
2000 or later; |
| Colors | Black and Grey |
| Primary ethnicities | African American |
| Symbols | Give details |
| Status | Active |
This history was updated 1/26/26
Black Jack
In the year 1958, the Englewood community on Chicago’s south side began rapid racial change once the final phase of the Dan Ryan Expressway construction began. The Egyptian Cobras started in 1958 in neighboring Fuller Park early in 1958 but by the time the highway began construction in the Spring and many members had to move to Englewood. Within no time the Cobras recruited in Englewood and future Disciple founders started their gang life as Egyptian Cobras. Future founders of the Disciples like Bobby Longstreet, Laverne Longstreet, Cowboy, Charlie Atkins, Rob “Prince Old Timer” Allen, Swann, Boss Rags, Othius “O.G” Commanders, D-Steele, Night Walker, Byron “Big Shoe” Coffey, Roy “Kilroy” Dawson, Mingo Shred, Prince Tennessee, Champ Harris, Melvin Freeman, Pluto, Lawrence Clybourn, Mickey Jenkins were all future Disciple founders that started off as Egyptian Cobras in 1958 in Englewood. Nathaniel “Black Jack” Jackson was another original Englewood Cobra with this founding group.
By 1959, the men that founded the Disciples made that happen and the name chosen was the “Disciples.” This group left the Cobras to start the Disciples and Black Jack was an original Disciple and was a key player in organizing the Disciples. In 1963, Black Jack was also around for the foundation of the “Disciples Nation.” Black Jack was with the Disciples when David Barksdale became the Disciple leader in 1965 and Black Jack would become increasingly respected in the streets as a refined leader that would become “King Black Jack.”
The Manhattan Bostonian Pimp Disciples
In the year 1966, Jack Black would now run his own group of Disciples in Englewood at the intersection of 59th Street & May Street. Black Jack named his group the “Manhattan Bostonian Pimps.” I do not know what the “Manhattan” part of the name means. “Boss” stands for “Brothers of Superior Status,” The “Pimp” stands for “Pursing Intelligent Mental Progress.” They would refer to themselves as “Bostonian” because it was a way of living, living as a “Boss.” The Bostonians were very tight with the Falcon Disciples which was another Disciple faction. Together these Disciple groups teamed up against the Puerto Rican gangs in northern Englewood like Latin Kings, Emerald Knights, Village Sharks and Latin Souls.
Legend has it that Jeff Fort, the leader of the Black P Stones, was put in jail in the late 60s then set up by sheriffs by putting him in a large cell with all Disciples. The Disciples were ready to kill Jeff Fort until Jack Black emerged from the crowd and told all the Disciples to leave Fort alone. Jack Black knew it was a set up and did not want corrections to get their way because it was a dirty play. Leaders like Jack Black had integrity and an eye out for when there was a set up like this.
A shooting in 1970
On October 6, 1970, the Chicago Tribune reported on a gang related shooting in the Englewood community at 56th Street & Sangamon outside of O.W. Holmes Elementary School. The article only mentions two gangs involved as Emerald Knights and Falcon Disciples but the real conflict was two gangs against two other gangs. The Emerald Knights were involved as was their allies the Latin Souls. The Falcon Disciples were involved in the shooting as was Boss Pimp Disciples. One of the Emerald Knights was shot in the foot while a Falcon Disciple who was known as Joseph “Tuba” Newsome was shot and killed in this shooting. Another Disciple was shot named James Bonds, the article did not say what type of Disciple he was but he was a Boss Pimp, he survived but was shot in his spine. This could have been the first time Boss Pimps were in the newspaper but the reporting did not get all the gang names involved.
The Bostonian Pimps were claiming 59th & Morgan at the time and had just opened this territory in the same year of 1970. This became too close for the Latin Souls of 55th & Halsted-Green and the Emerald Knights from 56th & Emerald and this is likely the cause of the shooting. By the mid-70s the Puerto Rican community moved out as did the Boss Pimps. King Cobras (Mickey Cobras) took over the area afterward until Black P Stones took over in the early 90s.
93rd Street
When the Bostonian Pimps left Englewood in 1976, many members gathered in the Calumet Heights neighborhood at 93rd & Chappel to 93rd & Jeffrey. These Boss Pimps were gathering and recruiting outside of Joseph Warren Elementary School in the neighborhood. This neighborhood was mostly dominated by Black Gangster Disciples but since Boss Bimps were part of the BGDN they were at peace with the Gangsters. The Black P Stones became the main enemy of the 93rd Street Boss Pimps since the Boss Pimps started on 93rd in 1976.
In the late 70s, Boss Pimps made 93rd Street between the railroad tracks east of Cottage Grove to as far Mackinaw Avenue in the South Chicago neighborhood home. The Boss Pimps took over this very long stretch of territory that was between three neighborhoods in South Chicago, Calumet Heights and Burnside; however, I’m not certain in the South Chicago part was official territory or just an area where a good amount of Pimps lived but they were for sure very active up to Colfax Avenue.
Boss Pimp City
Boss Pimp City is the section of the 93rd Street territory that is in the Calumet Heights neighborhood between 92nd Street to 94th Street and from Colfax to Jeffrey. Boss Pimp City was the first section of 93rd Street they took over beginning in 1976. This section is still active in recent years and has always been the strongest Boss Pimp section.
Influential and high ranking members lived in row house apartments along Anthony Avenue between 91st Street and Marquette Avenue. These are two one story apartment complexes with around a half dozen units in each building. These buildings serves as headquarters for the Boss Pimps even though these row houses were just outside of Pimp territory. These apartments had influential members at least into the late 2010s and possibly Boss Pimps may still run these apartments.
The Flipside
The Burnside community on Chicago’s south side remained a mostly white community well into the 1970s but by the time our nation was celebrating the Bi-Centennial in 1976, Burnside became majority African American and the Black Gangster Disciples were in Burnside that were mainly more Gangsters than Disciples. The Bostonian Pimps moved to 93rd & University in Burnside in the later 70s. Boss Pimp Disciples in Burnside became very large by the 1980s and they flipped several Black Gangster Disciples. Pimps grew into the entire Burnside neighborhood from 89th to 93rd and from Drexel to Kimbark. 93Rd & University and 93rd & Dobson were the main posts for the “Flipside” Boss Pimps.
In later years in the 21st century Boss Pimps in the Flipside have become more scarce and the area is mainly ran by the Gangster Disciples and Black Disciples, many Boss Pimps flipped to either GD or BD in the 2000s and 2010s until this section closed for the Pimps in the 2010s.
Trap City CBG Boss Pimps
In the late 70s Boss Pimps also settled north of 93rd Street area; just because Boss Pimps were 93rd Street experts that didn’t mean they couldn’t grow north of their usual area. Boss Pimps set up well at 78th & Constance in the South Shore community. There were several apartments at the corner of 78th & Constance which was perfect for members from struggling families but big time Pimps moved into these apartments too that would become big money makers.
The apartments along Constance Avenue extended to 77th Street which is just outside of South Shore High School which immediately gave Boss Pimps the advantage of having this high school in their neighborhood and they recruited many members into the Pimps which is also how the Pimps gained a strong and permanent grip on this area. The Pimps are the strongest between 79th to 76th Street and from Creiger Avenue to Bennett Avenue. At one time Trap City extended between Jeffrey to Stoney Island Avenue.
Cabrini Green
In the late 70s, Boss Pimps opened in two Cabrini Green buildings but I am not sure which buildings they were. I am not exactly sure how long they had these buildings but I believe they left when the buildings were torn down in the 2000s.
University Avenue
I am not sure when, but Boss Pimps settled in the Avalon Park neighborhood in an area next to train tracks in a semi-secluded area of the neighborhood. Between 79th Place to 81st Street along University Avenue is a strip of apartments and townhouses for many lower-income families in a mostly middle-class African American neighborhood. Boss Pimps once settled in these apartments and townhouses, the townhouses are known as “University Townhomes” because they are located along University Avenue. These Pimps called themselves “Santana Bblocc.” I am not sure how long this group of Pimps lasted but it is no longer an active Boss Pimp section from my understanding.
Boss Pimp bunny
I am not sure exactly when the Boss Pimps adopted the bunny head as their symbol but at the latest it would have been 1983 because I saw a picture from 1983 outside a Cabrini Green building with Boss Pimp symbols that showed a playboy bunny with a bent left ear and a six point star. The fact the bunny has a bent left ear seems anti-People alliance gangs, the People alliance was not created until 1981. If the Boss Pimps did use the bunny before the early 80s it didn’t have a bent or cracked left ear and did not have the three number “6s” in the ear with sunglasses. The symbol now if a bunny with a bent or cracked left ear and three number “6s” in the the ear and sunglasses. Boss Pimp symbols are very pro-Folks.
Boss Pimp Gangster Disciples
In the year 1985, Larry Hoover declared the full separation of the Gangsters from the Black Gangster Disciples alliance and the name “Gangster Disciples” was born while “Black Gangster Disciples” was retired. During this separation several Disciple groups went with the GDs and this included the Bostonian Pimps. Jack Black was still around at this time but I don’t know how much he was involved in this transition but many older members wanted nothing to do with it and remained Boss Pimp Disciples but the new era was to go with the GDs. The name “Bostonian Pimp Disciples” was more or less retired as the new name was “Boss Pimps Gangster Disciples.” During this era many Boss Pimps considered themselves part of the GDs but the Boss Pimps did not fully ever become a GD faction as a whole. I used to think Boss Pimps were GDs but I have been given new knowledge now.
Jeffrey Manor
In the year 1988, Boss Pimps moved just south of their 93rd & Jeffrey stronghold. The viaduct at 95th & Jeffrey separated Gangster Disciple hood from the Boss Pimps since the 70s but now Boss Pimps traveled south of the Viaduct and settled in northern Jeffrey Manor at 95th & Jeffrey. The Gangster Disciples showed love to the Boss Pimps and welcomed them as they established an alliance and made money together.
War with the GDs
In the early 90s, friction began to develop between Gangster Disciples and Boss Pimps in Jeffrey Manor especially since the drug trade mostly controlled by the GDs has always been big in the Manor and by the early 90s it was raging.
In December of 1993, Boss Pimp member Fred Duke died but I am not sure if he was killed by GDs or not but right after his funeral Boss Pimps broke from the GDs for good and the Boss Pimp Gangster Disciple demonstration was over on an official level but many older members that came up during the GD era continue to call themselves Boss Pimp GDs just like how some of the older Pimps still go by Boss Pimp Disciple. For the younger generation coming into the fold starting at the end of 1993, they were known simply as “Boss Pimps.”
The drama between Pimps and GDs got started in Jeffrey Manor and that war shook all relations between GDs and Pimps forever. This developed the renegade mentality of the Boss Pimps and it gave the Pimps notoriety to the point where many believe the Pimps didn’t even exist until the 90s. The reason the Pimps did not stand out as much city-wide in the 60s, 70s and 80s is because they heavily hooked up with Black Disciples and Gangster Disciples but during this new EBK (everybody killer) era the Pimps became much more known all over the city.
Current years
Boss Pimps had their peak in the 1990s and 2000s; however, they are still highly active on 93rd in the Calumet Heights neighborhood and in South Shore by 78th & Constance. Boss Pimps still engage in violent gang wars and are still into making big money.
Known Decks of the Boss Pimps
Avalon Park neighborhood (Santana Bblocc)
Decks of Avalon Park
University Avenue & 79th Place to 81st Street
Burnside neighborhood Late 70s-2010s (Flip Side)
Decks of Burnside
93rd & University (Flip Side)
Calumet Heights neighborhood 1976-Present years (Boss Pimp City)
Decks of Calumet Heights
93rd from Stoney Island to Colfax
Englewood neighborhood Established 1966-1976 (Bostonian Pimp Disciples)
Decks of Englewood
Somewhere on 65th Street, need more specifics
59th & May
56th & Morgan
South Deering neighborhood 1988-present years
Decks of South Deering
Jeffrey Manor area, 95th and Jeffrey area
South Shore neighborhood Late 1970s-present years Trap (City CBG)
Decks of South Shore
76tth to 79th from Stoney Island to Jeffrey