Gangster Stones

I usually don’t do histories on factions of organizations but since I thought this group once had a significant standout history that coincided with the Gangster Disciple history I made a separate page for the Gangster Stones.  Recent developments have shown me the Gangster Stones do not have the same history I though they did; however, since I built this page I will keep it.  It is good to have a page for the strongest west side factions of Black P Stones anyway.

I don’t exactly know how far the Gangster Stones go back or what they were known as before they joined the BPSN but they have their foundation on the east side of the Woodlawn neighborhood.  The group was put together by Melvin Mackay in the early 1960s or before.  At one time they were the largest BPS faction on the south side of Chicago.

I don’t exactly know when the Gangster Stones spread to the Roseland neighborhood but they were there by the early 1970s at the latest at 104th and Corliss right outside Corliss High School (821 East 103rd St.).  I believe the Gangster Stones got to Roseland much earlier because Black P Stones were in this area for a long time before the 70s.

When it came to the west side of Chicago settlement Stones were just not well organized in that part of the city as Vice Lords, Egyptian Cobras and Roman Saints ran the west side.  Stone pockets were located in North Lawndale as they fought various rival gangs.  Some of these groups of Stones were Cossack Rangers, Pimp Stones and even some Cobra Stones.

By the year 1970 16 year old Daryl “Moose man” Abney from the 104th street branch came to the west side and put Gangster Stones in the Henry Horner projects as they quickly spread in the older buildings in these projects.  A headquarters was established on the west side was at 1625 West Washington Boulevard (Ashland and Washington) in the Near West Side neighborhood which was just blocks from the Henry Horner projects. This was a temporary headquarters until the Gangster Stones could wrestle these buildings away from other gangs.  Supreme Gangsters were also trying to build themselves in these projects at the same time so war ensued and there was even violence between Stones and Vice Lords.  Some groups of Stones began aggressively recruiting in these projects as they violently attacked youths that refused to join; however, this wasn’t the orders of the Gangster Stones to do this.  As a result of the aggressive recruitment the Gangster Stones grew well in these buildings.  For the first time a Black P Stone section was officially established on the west side which was guided by west side founder Daryl Abney.  Abney taught these young men in the projects the ways of the Stones.

Before GSN Black P Stones had difficulties setting up on the west side as they would often face expensive code violations from the city when they tried to open legit businesses.  Moose man brought Gangster Stones in smoothly and guided many Henry Horner youths in an organized direction.  The Gangster Stones became the dominant organization in these buildings conquering the vast majority of the older buildings in the complex.  The Gangster Stones also operated the most sophisticated drug market (Reference: The Hidden War: Crime and the tragedy or Public Housing in Chicago).  The headquarters for the Gangster Stones was at the 150 North Hermitage Avenue building (Lake and Hermitage intersection) known as “The Fortress.” (Source: People v. Brown, 870 N.E.2d 1033 Ill. App. Ct. 2007).

The Gangster Stones had a rivalry with Black Gangster Disciples and at times they were at war with Vice Lord factions in Henry Horner.  At other times the Gangster Stones were allies with Vice Lords and this brought about an alliance in the 1980s and possibly 1990s called “Gangster Stone Vice Lords.”

At some point Henry “June Bug” Brown took over leadership of the Henry Horner operations even though Moose Man was always a behind the scenes leader.  Moose Man taught Gangster Stones fearlessness in the face of the enemy and he was only 15 years old when he created the Gangster Stones but did not fear going up against older adversaries.  Henry Brown was also a money maker just like Moose Man and June Bug was also a real gangster as well.

In the year 1986, when Jeff Fort and many El Rukns were being charged with accepting weapons from Libya in exchange for money, great disarray fell upon the El Rukns and it soon looked like the nation would fracture into chaos, this is when Jeff Fort entrusted Moose Man to restore order and keep the factions of the El Rukn empire in order. Gangster Stones had always honored both Jeff Fort and Eugene Hairston and did not partake in the wars between both supporting groups.  Once Moose Man was bestowed with the honor of keeping the nation together he created C.S.A which effectively unified the Stone branches into peace, and this is why it is said Moose Man put the “P” or “Peace” in Black Peace Stone.  C.S.A. Concepts are still honored by the Gangster Stones and this prevents Gangster Stones from getting involved in wars with any other BPS branches.

The Gangster Stones were still operating at 104th and Corliss all through the 1970s and 1980s and even got pretty strong in the early 1990s until about 1994.

Henry “June Bug” Brown operated a complex drug operation in the projects; Brown also had zero tolerance for anyone that owed him money.  In March 1995 June Bug was infuriated that a man took a car and $3,500 from Brown, Brown knew who the man was but could not find him so Brown paid a visit to the man’s brother and sister’s place because he knew where they lived, that brother was Gaddis Johnson.  Brown and his wife came to the door and when the door was answered Henry Brown pulled out a gun and demanded that Gaddis Johnson come with him and get in his van, Brown was accompanied by his wife Ladrina Stewart.  The two of them drove Johnson to The Fortress on that March 8, 1995 evening, Brown ordered all the Stones standing in front of the building selling drugs to clear out of the way of the entrance.  Brown met up with William Beach and Timothy Belin and they tied Johnson up with duct tape.  The men forced Johnson into a closet with an angry pit bull that bit Johnson on the wrist according to court documents.  The men then pulled Johnson out of the closet and called Johnson’s sister and put the screaming Gaddis Johnson on the phone, the three men demanded Johnson’s sister pay up what her other brother owed, when his sister could not produce the $3,500 her other brother owed the men proceeded to heat up butter knives and metal coat hangers on the stove until they were scolding hot then they burned Johnson several times with the searing hot objects while Johnson screamed in pain over the phone.  The men then poured chlorine bleach and salt into Johnson’s wounds causing incredible pain.  All this torture went on for two days then the men untied Johnson and ordered him to put his clothes back on, they then tied him back up and put a duffle bag over his head and led him back into the van and drove to another apartment where they asked him again where his brother was and when Johnson still said he did not know they said they gave up and were just going to put a bullet in his head and heart by the railroad tracks and they brought Johnson back to the van.  When the men stopped to get some fast food Johnson escaped from the van and ran to a nearby EL station where he called his family and eventually police were called and the four were arrested.  Brown’s wife ended up testifying against the three men in the 1998 trial.  Timothy Belin had his case dropped but Brown and Beach were convicted and still are in prison for the crimes (Source: People v. Brown, 870 N.E.2d 1033 Ill. App. Ct. 2007).

After the incarceration of June Bug the city began the tear down of the Henry Horner projects and by the late 2000s all of the projects were torn down and by 2010 everything was gone which displaced the Gangster Stones out of their main turf, however, the Gangster Stones had already spread nationwide with sets in many other states like Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York City as examples.  I’m not sure if G-Stones are in Chicago area anymore by 104th but they certainly are in multiple other states.

Daryl Abney was a very highly regarded individual within the Gangster Stones and by many outside of the organization as well.  During stints in prison other inmates from other organizations regarded him positively.  May he rest in peace.