Gangster Stones

I normally do not put together pages for factions of organizations, but the Gangster Stones (GSN) stands out as one the most pronounced and unique factions of the Black P Stones; therefore, a page is warranted. The Gangster Stones are like no other faction as not only have they been pivotal in large decisions for the entire BPSN but also GSN has long celebrated founders that has been passed down by generations of Gangster Stones. The nation founder passed away in 2019 and up until his death he was very celebrated and was involved in the mentorship of younger and older Gangster Stones. I am not saying at all that the founder was a criminal gang leader, instead he was a mentor and taught generation after generation of Stones to follow an enlightened and respectable path. Even in present years the Gangster Stones carry on along old school ways.

Clarity between “Gangster Stones”

First off, there was a “Gangster Stone” branch of the Black P Stones that goes back to at least 1967 in the Woodlawn area. This group was mentioned in Richard Sales’ book The Blackstone Rangers that he wrote in 1967 after his time spent on the south side of Chicago. The group was put together by Melvin McKay in the early 1960s or before.  At one time they were the largest BPS faction on the south side of Chicago. This group is not the GSN that this page is about. I just wanted to clear this up before we proceed so it doesn’t get twisted with GSN history. I do not know what happened to the Woodlawn Gangster Stones but for some reason they never made it out of the 1960s or faded away shortly after the 60s.

Daryl “Moose Man” Abney

The story of GSN starts with the founder Daryl “Moose Man” Abney. Daryl Reginald Abney was born on April 6, 1954, to Bessie and Walter Abney. Moose Man was born in Arkansas in the old south then at some point in his life him and his family moved to Chicago. I don’t know when Moose Man moved to Chicago with his family. By the 1960s Daryl was growing up on the west side of Chicago in the Near West Side neighborhood. Daryl attended William H. Brown Elementary School as a child and grew up in or around the Henry Horner public housing projects. Daryl became very familiar with the projects during his childhood and was described in his online obituary as a “kind-hearted person who truly loved his family and friends.” This matches the legends I was told not only by Stones but also by Folks and almost anyone I talked to that remembered him, not a bad word has ever been said. Abney garnered lots of respect despite what Chicago authorities claim and had shown in the Chicago Crime Commission book as a felon, gangster and a “El Rukn” in that Crime Commission book.

1968: The origin, the Paulina Gangsters

As a child Abney had great leadership skills and this led him to hang out with a group of boys from Henry Horner as they put together a crew headed by Abney in 1968. The crew was known as the “Paulina Gangsters.” Abney assembled the crew at the intersection of Paulina and Washington or close to that area. The Paulina Gangsters had a headquarters at 1625 West Washington Blvd which was right next to the Union Park Congregational Church and right by Union Park. Paulina Gangsters likely ran Union Park back then. I am not sure who were the first enemies of the Paulina Gangsters, but it was likely Vice Lords and Supreme Gangsters (Gangster Disciples) who were large in the Henry Horners at the time. According to an interview done by Flacco Santa TV interviewing Moose Man’s daughter Kat; Kat said her father also created the group because of racial issues.  I can back up what she said because in the 50s and 60s racial issues were explosive on the Near West Side and gangs formed because of how they were treated by other races.  You can’t read about these stories in old newspapers because the public did not care what happened in impoverished communities like the Near West Side, I had to learn about this from talking to several older Chicagoans that grew up on the Near West Side in the 50s and 60s.

The Paulina Gangsters’ main reason for forming was to combat racial issues as they fought with groups of Hispanics and whites then Supreme Gangsters and Vice Lords.  According to his daughter Kat from the Flacco Santana TV interview, Abney was nicknamed “Moose” because he looked like a big moose.  Moose Man was the main founder of the nation and “Diablo” was co-founder.  Other founders were, “Ringo,” Henry “June Bug” Brown, Carl, and OJ.

Myth about GSN linked to Larry Hoover and the Supreme Gangsters

In the year 1969 on the south side of Chicago, Larry Hoover and the Supreme Gangsters established an alliance with the Black P Stones. This alliance did not last long before the Gangsters established a new alliance with the Disciples to create the Black Gangster Disciples. Many rumors fly around for decades that Larry Hoover was a Stone, but truth is he never became a Stone, he just established a tight alliance that may have been called “Gangster Stones” or it was just a thought that never panned out. Rumors have also extended from this legend claiming the GSN was built upon this same arrangement; however, that is not accurate. While this was happening Abney somehow encountered the Black P Stones and forged an alliance with the Stones and took the Paulina Gangsters into the BPSN as “Paulina Gangster Stones” in 1969.  To clarify, the Gangster Stones had nothing to do with Larry Hoover, Gangster Disciples or Supreme Gangsters…ever.

The Mackateers join the BPSN: 1969

In the Flacco Santana TV video interviewing Moose Man’s daughter Kat, she said the name was “Mackateer Gangster Stones.”  Kat heard this directly from her father so I will for sure say that’s the truth over “Paulina Gangster Stones,” but I won’t rule out the Paulina Gangster Stone name, it may have been before the Mackateer name and didn’t last long.  In either case, when the Mackateers joined the BPSN in 1969, the “Gangster Stone” part of the name was born, and name may have been thought up by a member named Lamont who was the same age as Mooseman.  The part of the story I am missing is how Daryl Abney got to know Jeff Fort when Abney was on the west side and Fort was on the south side; however, the two became very tight by 1969 and Fort gave the 15-year-old Abney a lot of influence and respect in the BPSN, making Abney part of the BPSN council. The Gangster Stones became highly regarded especially since Abney was a strong follower of Jeff Fort’s teachings.  In the Flacco Santana TV interview with Kat, she said Mooseman always looked older than what he was and was always a lot larger in size than boys his own age which could explain how Abney became regarded heavily since he was a young age in the BPSN and on the streets.

104^th & Corliss: The Mecca (10-4) 1970

According to the Flacco Santana TV interview with Kat, Kat stated Mooseman moved to the Pullman neighborhood at 104^th Street and Corliss Avenue right across from Corliss High School once Moose’s mother purchased a house.  This would have happened in 1970 when Moose was 16 and moved here with his mother.

According to Kat, when Mooseman arrived in Pullman, the GDs ran the neighborhood, she really meant the Supreme Gangsters because back then there was no “GDs,” the overall alliance of Disciples and Gangsters was “BGDs;” however, the wild 100s were dominated by the Gangsters and not Disciples, as far as BGDs are concerned.  Black P Stones ruled much of the 100s too, especially in Roseland, but in Pullman, the Gangsters ran it.  The Supreme Gangsters were big in the Cottage Grove Heights subdivision and possibly in the Londontowne subdivision at the time.  According to Kat, Mooseman looked at it as a challenge about Gangsters running the neighborhood, so Mooseman slugged it out with the Gangsters to show who was more dominant and tougher.  Granted, the Gangsters of Cottage Grove Heights are serious business and always have been and that’s why they still run their portion today, but any other Gangsters in any other parts of Pullman were wiped out by Mooseman and the Gangster Stones because Mooseman and his squad were tough as nails and beat down many of the Gangsters to take what became theirs.  Within no time, Gangster Stones were all over 104^th and Corliss and all over Corliss High School which made it difficult for Supreme Gangsters to be active right outside the school.  Gangster Stones also took over the Gately Park Stadium and then they were running all of the North Pullman section of Pullman from 103^rd to 111^th and Maryland Avenue, Langley to Cottage Grove Avenue.  Gangster Stones also took a portion of Londontowne.

Abney would eventually become a father of six children from two different marriages and his family legacy likely started here at 104th and Corliss (10-4). I have seen many refer to Mooseman’s mother as “Momma Stone” even though she had no gang affiliation.  The house was owned by Mooseman’s mother and Mooseman did not have his own house likely because it would bring too much heat on him from the police if he purchased his own house, but he took care of his mother and the whole household as if he owned it and had meetings in the basement.  The house had an underground passage that cut through the backyard which is a feature of many properties in Pullman that had underground corridors built in the 1880s and 1890s for the Pullman factory.  Mooseman’s house had a corridor that led to the row houses on Maryland Avenue.

Henry Horner projects

The Gangster Stones first made the newspaper on January 20, 1971, after Police raided their clubhouse at 1625 Washington confiscating a .22 caliber revolver after complaints were filed that the Stones were harboring runaway girls, 10 members were arrested. I think this may have been the end of their clubhouse at 1625, they relocated to the Henry Horner projects to the 150 North. Hermitage building. This building would become known as “The Fortress.” Gangster Stones soon spread on the east side of the Henry Horner projects as they even had a building at 140 N. Wolcott. Between Lake Street to Washington Blvd and from Hermitage to Wolcott or Damen Ave Gangster Stones spread through these buildings intertwined with Conservative Vice Lords and Renegade Vice Lords. This resulted in a violent gang rivalry. Gangster Stones had a strong rivalry with Supreme Gangsters in the late 60s and early 70s. The Stones made the newspaper in June of 1972 for firebombing two houses in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood which was an area controlled by Supreme Gangsters at the time. After this incident the Gangster Stones did not appear in the news until 1995. The only other piece of evidence I found is the case of People v. Campbell from July 29, 1992, that was a court case of the conviction of three Vice Lords for killing Larry Wallace of the Gangster Stones with an Uzi and a .25 handgun. Wallace was killed in the 140 N. Wolcott building which was described as “Gangster Stone” territory. Vice Lords were in heavy control of the eastern part of the projects since the early 60s and never liked the Gangster Stone presence. The Gangster Stones also had a large presence on Lake Street and Wood Street running buildings at that intersection, this was a further conflict of interest with Conservative Vice Lords and Renegade Vice Lords.

The Fortress

After Daryl Abney left the projects in 1970, Henry “June Bug” Brown took over operations in Henry Horner. Brown resided at 150 N. Hermitage which became Gangster Stone headquarters known as “The Fortress.”

When it came to the west side of Chicago settlement Black P Stones were not as deep as Vice Lords, Egyptian Cobras and Roman Saints who ran the west side.  Stone pockets were 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. The Gangster Stones would rise to become the most organized and largest Black P Stone group on the west side while other Stone groups did not last long into the 1970s.  Besides the Henry Horner projects, the Stones were only big in Austin and at Grenshaw and Central Park Ave in North Lawndale.

Before the Gangster Stones, Black P Stones had difficulties setting up on much of the west side as they would often face expensive code violations from the city when they tried to open legit businesses.  The Gangster Stones became the dominant organization in the Henry Horner buildings, conquering many 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 and Source: People v. Brown, 870 N.E.2d 1033 Ill. App. Ct. 2007).

Cold Soldier Army

In the year 1976, Jeff Fort created the El Rukns once he was released from prison. Fort invited his closest associates from the Stones into the El Rukns. Jeff Fort asked Mooseman if he wanted to join the El Rukns and take the Gangster Stones into that nation but Mooseman somewhat declined but not in the same way as other Black P Stone leaders because Mooseman respected Jeff Fort so heavily he wanted to remain family with Fort. Jeff Fort then drew up an arrangement for the Gangster Stones to keep them close especially since Moose and Gangster Stones still believed in several of the teachings of the Stones that Jeff Fort bestowed on the BPSN. Jeff Fort sent a few men to Moose’s house to meet in the basement around 1977 to offer a blueprint for an alternative to the Gangster Stones becoming El Rukns, this demonstration was the “Cold Soldier Army” or “C.S.A” that would become ingrained in Gangster Stone literature. The CSA “certified” the Gangster Stones as a legit group of Stones after Jeff Fort declared that Black P Stones was defunct besides a few groups that were disinterested in becoming El Rukn. The Gangster Stones also became part of the “7 Tribes” which constituted 7 Stone leaders that were granted legitimacy in the eyes of the El Rukns and Jeff Fort making these Stone groups fully certified and the Gangster Stones were one of the 7 and that’s why they tag with a pyramid with a “7” in the sun on top of the pyramid. The Gangster Stones and Maniac P Stones would have the tightest link to the El Rukns while being heavily regarded and respected by the Black P Stones which is what makes Gangster Stones “Certified.” Whenever conflicts would arise between Black P Stones and El Rukns the Gangster Stones and Maniac P Stones would work to resolve the conflict and bring peace. In the year 1979, Jeff Fort declared sanctions on the Black P Stones and Blackstone groups which was a threat to any members of these groups that if they claimed it on the streets they would be dealt with violently, Maniac P Stones and Gangster Stones were immune to the sanctions due to them being certified.

Austin 1980

In the year 1980, the Deaconstones, a Black P Stone group, ended up at war with Chicago police as members were shot to death by the police which began to breakup the gang. The Deaconstones were the first and oldest Black P Stone branch in the Austin community blessed by Eugene Hairston in 1968 and they ran Chicago Avenue and Lockwood Avenue. A Henry Horner projects Gangster Stone named “K-Mart” came to Austin and flipped the Deaconstones to Gangster Stones which allowed the Gangster Stones to take Chicago and Lockwood; however, Gangster Stones became biggest when they grabbed Cicero Avenue and Huron Street, from Cicero and Huron Gangster Stones took the area of Superior Street on the north, Ohio Street on the south, Cicero Ave on the west and Kenton on the east. This section was started by L Dog, Car Thief Roger and Tina. The Chicago Avenue area Gangster Stones were from Lockwood to Latrobe and from Chicago Ave to Huron.

Gangster Stones in Rockwell Gardens

A forgotten section was somewhere in the Rockwell Gardens projects that was opened by “G Omar” and “G Finny” on Campbell Street. The Gangster Stones heavily allied with Traveling Vice Lords and may have even followed the Gangster Stone Vice Lord paradigm or hooked up with “Solid.” Soon I will post a 1987 tag from Rockwell Gardens showing a pyramid, a “GS,” “TVL,” “Solid,” when memory issues are fixed for the site. This is evidence the Stones lasted here through the 80s at least.

Other decks

Another old section was in the Chatham neighborhood on 92nd Street to 93rd and from Cottage Grove to Martin Luther King Drive. I do not know when this section opened but it was opened long ago, and these Gangster Stones flipped in the 1990s or further back. Not far away Gangster Stones opened at 93rd and Dobson in the Burnside neighborhood. This area was heavily controlled by the Gangster Disciples and Boss Pimps; therefore, these Stones had a lot to deal with until the section closed, and the Gangster Disciples took over and likely flipped the Stones.

Gangster Stone Vice Lord myth

The People alliance would help relations with Vice Lords in the Henry Horner projects to an extent and some Stones and Lords began to recognize an alliance in the projects known as the “Gangster Stone Vice Lords” that often-confused people into thinking this was a Vice Lord faction. This alliance was likely short lived as I have not heard much of it and was completely gone by the early 1990s. In the later 1980s the Gangster Stones and Vice Lords were killing each other in Henry Horner so the alliance was probably already gone by 1986.

The flipping of Angelo Roberts and June Bug goes to prison: 1988

One prominent young member of the Gangster Stones from the Henry Horner projects was Angelo “Lo” Roberts in the late 1980s. Roberts was an aspiring young member, but he was seduced by the Four Corner Hustlers organization that wanted a piece of the Henry Horner projects and the Rockwell Gardens by 1988 which is about the year Roberts flipped from Gangster Stone to 4 Corner Hustler. 1988 was the same year Henry “June Bug” Brown went to prison for 3 years for drug distribution which possibly led to the breakdown of relations with the Vice Lords and Angelo Roberts flipping since the Gangster Stone big boss was no longer around. In the year 1991, after Monroe Banks of the Four Corner Hustlers was killed, Angelo Roberts took the throne and aggressively spread the Four Corner Hustlers in the Rockwell Gardens and Henry Horner projects. This resulted in a war between Four Corner Hustlers against Traveling Vice Lords and Gangster Stones. Roberts wanted Lake and Wood the most which was the biggest Gangster Stone stronghold.

Henry “June Bug” Brown

Henry “June Bug” Brown operated a complex drug operation in the Henry Horner 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 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. The men 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. (Source: People v. Brown, 870 N.E.2d 1033 Ill. App. Ct. 2007). When Henry Brown was released from prison he became born again with Christianity and retired from gang life.

The fall of the Henry Horners

After Henry Brown was put in prison more Gangster Stones began flipping to groups like Four Corner Hustlers as original leadership became absent. Many older Gangster Stones were retired or had passed away. Beginning later in the year 1995, the Chicago Housing authority began to tear down the Henry Horner projects which forced out more Gangster Stones. Gangster Stones from the 10-4 (104th and Corliss) section in Pullman guided many members to settle in north Pullman after being displaced from the projects, this would help strengthen GSN influence in the area. This would continue throughout the late 1990s into the 2000s decade.

What happened to Moose?

Mooseman went to prison at some points in his life but I don’t know when his stints were but incarceration stopped for him some time in the 2000s. Mooseman then moved out of the Mecca home and moved to multiple areas. Moose’s daughter Kat cleared up that Moose never moved to Woodlawn with the Moes and it is a false rumor. After moving around a few times, Moose ended up in the suburb of Robbins and he became very ill with diabetes until he passed away in 2019.

The Gangster Stones now

I do not have any timeline of events, but the Gangster Stones spread to Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and opened a sizable chapter in New York City. Gangster Stones also opened up a big chapter in the Illinois rural city of Peoria.

In the 2000s-decade Gangster Stones began to shrink heavily in Chicago as their chapters in Burnside and Chatham may not have even seen the 21st century and their Rockwell Gardens chapter completely closed when the buildings were torn down. Many members from Henry Horner did not need to relocate after the tear downs and were able to settle in the West Haven Park Apartments that were built over where the Henry Horners used to be. These apartments continue to have a Gangster Stone presence. Gangster Stones also remain active at Chicago Avenue and Latrobe in Austin. In north Pullman, Gangster Stones flipped to Black P Stones to become part of the “London Town” Black P Stones sometime in the 2000s decade. Gangster Stones still remain around 10-4 are but are mainly concentrated at 104th and Corliss. Gangster Stones still control 103rd to 111th in Pullman presently.

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.

Known sections of the Gangster Stones past and present

Pullman neighborhood Established 1970-present years

Decks of Pullman

103rd to 111th, Cottage Grove Ave to Maryland Ave 1970-present years

101st to 100th, Cottage Grove Ave to Bishop Ford 1970-2000s

Near West Side neighborhood Established 1968-present years

Decks of Near West Side

Lake Street to Washington Boulevard, Paulina Street to Wood Street (Henry Horner Homes/West Haven Apartments) 1968-present years

Campbell Street (Rockwell Gardens projects, shared with Traveling Vice Lords) 70s, 80s

Austin neighborhood Established 1980-present years

Decks of Austin

Superior Street to Ohio Street, Cicero Ave to Kenton Ave 1980-present years

Chicago Ave and Latrobe 1980-present years

Chatham neighborhood Established 70s, 80s, 90s

Sections of Chatham

92nd to 93rd, Martin Luther King Drive to Cottage Grove Ave

Burnside neighborhood Established 70s, 80s, 90s

Sections of Burnside

93rd & Dobson (Flip Side)

Known sections of the Gangster Stones past and present

Pullman neighborhood Established early to mid-1970s-present years

Decks of Pullman

103^rd to 111^th, Cottage Grove Ave to Maryland Ave early to mid-70s-present years

101^st to 100^th, Cottage Grove Ave to Bishop Ford early to mid-70s to 2000s

Near West Side neighborhood Established 1968-present years

Decks of Near West Side

Lake Street to Washington Boulevard, Paulina Street to Wood Street (Henry Horner Homes/West Haven Apartments) 1968-present years

Campbell Street (Rockwell Gardens projects, shared with Traveling Vice Lords) 70s, 80s

Austin neighborhood Established 1975-present years

Decks of Austin

Superior Street to Ohio Street, Cicero Ave to Kenton Ave 70s, 80s, 90s

Chicago Ave and Latrobe 70s-present years

Chatham neighborhood Established 70s, 80s, 90s

Sections of Chatham

92^nd to 93^rd, Martin Luther King Drive to Cottage Grove Ave

Burnside neighborhood Established 70s, 80s, 90s

Sections of Burnside

93^rd & Dobson (Flip Side)