Mickey Cobras

The history of the Mickey Cobras has always been a tough one to nail down but I am going to break this mob history down the best I can. I am going to keep updating this history as more information comes along. The history of the Mickey Cobras is incredibly deep, so deep it could be surprising to many.

The origin

The exact year for the founding of the Egyptian Cobras has been said to be 1954 by many internet sources; however, I never found any evidence of this. There are some legends that say the Cobras go back to the earlier 50s or even as far back as the 1930s. I highly doubt the Cobras date back to the 1930s especially since the founder of the Cobras is James Cogwell and that name is strongly verified on the streets by old heads and young ones. I don’t know much about James Cogwell but I can say he was born before World War II and maybe as far back as the 1920s but no way he was old enough to start the Egyptian Cobras in the 1930s. I hope one day I can find out when the founding year was with a credible enough source. In the past I have preached 1954 as the founding year but in my later years I realize there is no evidence of it besides maybe that was the year younger Cobras started as a gang.

The original name of the Mickey Cobras was the “Egyptian Cobras.” The Egyptian Cobras came up in the Near West Side community in the Maxwell Street Market area along Halsted Street. The beginning of the Cobras is similar to the founding of the original Vice Lords. There was a group called “Vice Lords” from before the AVLN Vice Lords formed in 1957 that was just a social athletic club and not a gang. The Egyptian Cobras started the same way as the first Vice Lords, as a social athletic club and I do not mean that they were a club that was using the S.A.C status to hide gang activity, they were actually a true social club and their original symbol was a pyramid with a snake wrapped around it.

The name “Egyptian Cobras” was chosen because the black Egyptian Cobra snake is one of the deadlier snakes in the world that has venom that can kill quickly.  The Egyptian Cobra dominated Africa and is the most common deadly snake in the continent.  The Egyptian Cobra is also known to appear in other continents around the world including North America.  This snake is also known to be the one of the largest sized venomous snake in Africa.  Not only was this name chosen because of the deadly and dominating nature of the reptile itself but also because in ancient Egyptian culture the Egyptian Cobra snake was an iconic symbol in Egyptian mythology and was the symbol of sovereignty of the pharaohs.  Ancient Egypt was the first civilization and since it is an African country it shows how Africans were first to walk the Earth and the first civilized society in Egypt.  It also represents symbolism of their African ancestors and their divinity.  African, dark skinned people were a part of ancient Egyptian society and were part of royalty. There is much debate as to which race ancient Egyptians were but most evidence points to a mixed race society mainly of black Africans and middle-Eastern/Arabic cultures. The Egytian Cobra name tapped into this ancient sovereignty to give this club an uplifting status for members.

Halsted Street

Halsted Street in the 1940s and 1950s was a site of high poverty and urban blight. This Near West Side community was once the home of wealthy elites in the mid-19th century until they were replaced by the poorest Irish immigrants that rented these once grand mansions that were now converted into tenement apartments for the poor. Once the Irish left in the late 19^th century, the most impoverished Jews moved in and the area fell into disrepair further becoming the “Jewish Ghetto.” When the Jews began experiencing upward mobility by the early 40s, they moved out of this community and instead became the landlords of these depressed buildings that had been rotting since the 1870s. These were some of the poorest and most blighted streets in Chicago; however, African Americans were only made to feel comfortable to living there by their landlords that just wanted their money. The Italian, Greek and Mexican communities nearby were often angered by the presence of the black community along Halsted. I have heard of many accounts of racial fighting and heavy violence on the Near West Side in the 1940s and 1950s; however, the media was not interested in picking up these stories but these racial battles did happen and I have heard of this from both the Italian community that lived there and the black and/or Hispanic community that lived on these streets. These are the streets where the original Egyptian Cobras were coming from and they formed a club so they could come together to determine how to overcome setbacks faced in the black community. Many of these issues I am still trying to gather but some of the issues were that African Americans paid unfair higher rents, were officially and unofficially barred from certain public facilities and scores of wild white or Hispanic teens would wonder into the black community in numbers looking to start trouble. In the earliest years, black social athletic clubs and black sports teams often handled these issues without resorting to starting gangs. It was difficult for African Americans to start gangs prior to the later 50s because the white community and the police would target them heavier than white gangs.

As far as I know the Egyptian Cobras were never big on the Near West Side streets, even in the Maxwell Street Market area but these streets are their birthplace. I have heard before the Cobras started in 1947 but I don’t know if that’s true.

The Egyptian Cobras gang of the west side: 1958

The Egyptian Cobras were unknown to police or social services prior to 1958 because they were nothing more than a mostly law abiding club for older African American youths or young men. I do not know how it came to be, but a gang formed in 1958 in the North Lawndale community in the K-Town area calling themselves the “Egyptian Cobras.” Legends say that this was the gang James Cogwell put together at Matthew A. Henson elementary school at 1326 S. Avers at 13^th and Springfield. I strongly believe that this young group of Cobras that formed in North Lawndale took on the same story as the Vice Lords, an older group steps down while young members adopt the name, symbols and much of the beliefs of the older group. In the case of the Vice Lords, Bobby Gore and other older Vice Lords went to join the Almighty Vice Lords, the younger group. The Vice Lords gang and the Egyptian Cobras gang sought guidance from older members of the earlier Vice Lords and Egyptian Cobras. Vice Lords and Egyptian Cobras formed in the same year of 1958 but the Cobras were active on the North Lawndale streets earlier in the year than the Vice Lords. The younger Vice Lords led by Edwin Perry sought Bobby Gore as their spokesman and older leader while the Egyptian Cobras gang sought James Cogwell to offer leadership and guidance.

K-Town

The younger Cobra gang may have begun in the Maxwell Street area but they mainly migrated to the North Lawndale community and grew on those streets. It is possible the younger Cobras were the ones that started in 1954 but there is not much evidence or specific stories of this besides a 1968 interview with Cobra member Curtis Hill that claimed he joined the Cobras in 1955. Perhaps the younger Cobras started in 1955 in North Lawndale instead of Maxwell Street Market area.

In early 1958, the Egyptian Cobras quickly grew on the streets of North Lawndale in K-Town and were soon major competition for North Lawndale’s largest gang at the time, the Clovers. The Cobras were originally in the Holy City area before the Vice Lords formed at 13^th and Springfield then spread west into K-Town. Chicago police targeted African American gangs beginning in March of 1957 which would continue well into 1958. These brutal crack downs wiped out most of the Clovers but these sweeps only seemed to make Cobras angry and stronger by the later part of 1958.

South side Cobras 1958: Mickey’s Cobras of Fuller Park

I have been a believer of an old story that Henry “Mickey Cogwell” was from the west side of Chicago until he moved to the south side with his family in the early 60s into the Robert Taylor projects. As time has passed I grew to realize that old story is not true, Mickey Cogwell did not come from the west side, he grew up in the south side neighborhood of Fuller Park near the intersection of 53^rd and Princeton. Henry Cogwell was born in 1945 and was related to James Cogwell as James was his uncle. James Cogwell was not a gangbanger; James Cogwell was the spiritual founder of the Egyptian Cobras club from as far back as the 1940s; therefore, when James blessed Mickey with Cobra knowledge James was not giving Mickey the Cobra gang that was dwelling in K-Town, instead he gave Mickey the older knowledge of the original group and Mickey turned his Cobras into a big mob on the south side in 1958. Mickey would call his group the “Egyptian Cobras” but Mickey’s group was not directly connected to the K-Town Cobras, they knew of each other, respected each other and hung out together but were not the same club and never would be. The Egyptian Cobra ways was a concept that could be adopted by any group.

The Cobras spread deep along Princeton Avenue as soon as they formed from 55^th Street to 43^rd Street within the Fuller Park community. Princeton Avenue is the main vein street of Fuller Park that has been the location of several schools and churches which became sacred buildings for Cobras to protect. The railroad tracks west of Shields Avenue served as a border between the white community in the New City (Black of the Yards and Canaryville) neighborhood and the African American Fuller Park community. Even though these tracks separated these communities, racial violence from neighboring white communities bled into the streets of Fuller Park especially when white gangs had beef with black gangs in Bronzeville and would cross through Fuller Park beating up African American kids along the way. One of the reasons for Mickey’s Egyptian Cobras was to form a line of defense against these racial attacks and standing up to police that favored the white mobs. Egyptian Cobras also fought with African American gangs from Bronzeville especially since the Dan Ryan Expressway was not built when the Cobras first formed. Cobras could move about into the Bronzeville area with ease because the highway was not built. The Princeton Avenue corridor was the establishment of the motherland of Mickey’s Cobras and remains a highly active Cobra hood presently and likely forever.

Joe Bob and the 45^th Street Cobras: 1958

The Egyptian Cobras became very powerful early in their history because they lived by concepts that were unheard of by African American youths in Chicago up until 1958. After the Princeton Avenue Cobras formed in earlier 1958, Cobras spread east of the railroad tracks onto State Street and Federal Street corridors as they gathered at 45^th and State in the Grand Boulevard neighborhood, many members lived in tenement apartments in squalid conditions. “Joe Bob” became the leader and founder of the 45^th Street Cobras and he was highly regarded as a legend. The Cobras would then spread heavily into the Grand Boulevard community leaving a permanent legacy that still exists in present years but no longer at 45^th and State. In these old times, the 45^th Street Cobras were found up to 43^rd Street and wrapped into the Fuller Park community becoming closely connected. Many Cobras even spread into the Hyde Park neighborhood by the late 50s and conquered the east side of Martin Luther King Blvd around 49th and St. Lawrence. Egyptian Cobras were around Cottage Grove to Woodlawn Ave and from 51st to 55th. Hyde Park lasted from the late 50s and early 60s until gentrification removed those Cobras in the mid-60s. Fuller Park along Princeton Avenue is the original motherland of the Cobras but 45^th Street was the second formation before the Dan Ryan Expressway reshaped the area.

Englewood Cobras: 1958

Very early in the history of the south side Egyptian Cobra history, the construction of the Dan Ryan Expressway redistricted the Egyptian Cobras into multiple south side neighborhoods that even included Greater Grand Crossing for some time. The biggest grab for the Cobras was the Englewood community just south of 55^th Street down Princeton Avenue and down Shields Avenue.

Englewood was in the midst of a sudden and ill planned racial transition in 1958 that began to gain steam in 1955. Now that the Dan Ryan had ripped through major parts of Roseland, Greater Grand Crossing, Fuller Park, Washington Park and Morgan Park, impoverished African Americans were rapidly displaced into mostly white neighborhoods like Englewood. Racial fighting was bad between black and white but almost none of it made any newspapers, I had to learn about it from old timer whites and African Americans that once lived in this community in the 50s, and almost all these sources were not in gangs ever. I don’t yet know what white gangs were invading Englewood or were stationed in Englewood but I think one gang was the Rebels that came from the Back of the Yards. Small African American groups formed to fight off white attackers but to no avail, especially since the police were on the side of the whites. When youths moved in from Fuller Park they spread the word of the Egyptian Cobras. “Black Emmanuel” and Ernest Lavern Longstreet were appointed Chiefs of the Egyptian Cobras in Englewood and they brought the Cobras to Englewood directly reporting to Mickey Cogwell. Lavern’s older brother Bobby Longstreet was also an original Englewood Cobra as was “Cowboy.” The Cobras formed around the 66^th and Eggleston Avenue area because the Longstreets lived at that corner. The Cobras spread as far west as Halsted Street to State Street in Englewood and from 75^th Street up to 64^th Street. The Cobras also had 55^th to 59^th Street and from Wells Street to Normal Blvd in the northeastern part of Englewood, these Cobras were right on the border with the original Princeton Avenue Cobras and all were under Mickey Cogwell. The 55^th to 57^th and from Normal to Wells area Cobras still remain active presently.

The founding members of the Englewood Cobras did not stay in the gang for long and didn’t even make the year out as Cobras. By the time most whites left Englewood by the later part of 1958, the Longstreet Brothers and Cowboy along with a group of others broke away and founded the “Disciples” who later became the Devil’s Disciples which would later became the Black Disciples and Gangster Disciples we know today. Another founding member of the Gangster Disciples that used to be an Egyptian Cobra was Andrew “Dee Dee” Howard who used to be in a Egyptian Cobra group called the “68^th Street Cobras” until he converted the group into the “Supreme Family” that later became the Supreme Gangsters then eventually the Gangster Disciples. Andrew Howard was the man that killed Pookey in 1972 under Larry Hoover’s orders and both men were put in prison for it, Larry Hoover is still locked up for it. As you can see a lot of deep lineage comes from the Cobras.

Woodlawn: 1958

Cobras settled in the east side of the Woodlawn community in 1958 which was another African American community struggling with crime and poverty.  The Cobras came to east Woodlawn to police these streets but just like Washington Park the Cobras of east Woodlawn ended up battling the Devil’s Disciples of west Woodlawn then by the end of the year they began battling the newly formed Blackstone Rangers.  The Cobras made east Woodlawn their permanent home with a strong presence that has become permanent.  Cobras are heavily invested in Woodlawn and have shared these streets close by the Black P Stones with on and off violent rivalries which goes back to 1958.

South Shore: 1958

Another heavily invested Cobra neighborhood is the South Shore community.  The Egyptian Cobras arrived here in 1958 alongside the Devil’s Disciples.  Both groups came here to deal with racial issues African American families were facing while settling South Shore for the first time.  Historically South Shore was known to have a strong racist element that heavily opposed the expansion of the black belt onto these streets.  In 1958 values on property in South Shore began to decline as this became more of a planned community for racial transition as block busting tactics ran rampant.  This brought about an undocumented racial clash that brought Disciples and Cobras here to assist African American youths being victimized.  The Cobras came here to protect the community but ended up getting involved in violent gang wars with the Disciples.  Cobras and Disciples often fell into criminal behavior as well.  South Shore has continued to be coveted streets for the Mickey Cobras that have a permanent presence in the northwest part of the neighborhood which was the area of South Shore where the first African American families moved to in the late 50s.

Greater Grand Crossing: 1958

Greater Grand Crossing was now plagued with blight, high crime, disinvestment, and high poverty by 1958.  The Cobras came to assist the black community, but this chapter was not highly successful and closed in 1962 or members flipped to Black P Stones.  The Cobras once had a large following in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood that even famous social workers Fred Strodtbeck and James Short discovered in 1959 when they mainly studied female members of the gang called “Cobrettes.”

A December 8, 1959, Chicago tribune article reported that Cobras had invaded the territory of a south side gang, and they were going to fight at the Dan Ryan Woods.  When the fight didn’t happen, the Cobras wondered to the north side of the city to the North Center neighborhood where they played catch with a shotgun at the Riverview Park festival scaring the crowd to death.  This makes me wonder why a deeper south side area was chosen as the fighting place.

The King Cobras: 1960

In the early winter months of 1960, the leader of the Devil’s Disciples (now Gangster Disciples and Black Disciples) left the organization. This individual was Charlie Atkins of Englewood from 66^th Street. Charlie Atkins was there on day one for the formation of the Disciples as a co-founder and took over leadership after Lavern Longstreet stepped down, Charlie invented the name “Devil’s Disciples.” Early in the year 1960, in January or February, Charlie left the Disciples and started his own group called the “Double Six King Cobras” and he was the founder of the King Cobras as they started in Englewood on 66^th Street.

The Egyptian King Cobras

Within weeks of the formation of the King Cobras in the early months of 1960, the Egyptian Cobras and King Cobras came to an agreement to come together as one fighting force that would be somewhat combined as the “Egyptian King Cobras.” This was first reported in the newspapers on March 7, 1960 when the paper described that there were two divisions of Cobras the “Egyptian Cobras” and the “King Cobras,” this is solid evidence of the Egyptian King Cobras alliance.

The two Cobra gangs had something in common besides being both named “Cobra.”  The King Cobra snake is also known to be one of the longest and most venomous snakes in the world.  Another interesting fact is that the characteristics of both types of snakes are often combined when used in Indian Chakra mythology: the Serpent of kundalini.  Both organizations had strong beliefs about the betterment of the black community, and this brought both leaders together to combine concepts.

“The Hole” origin

A leader of the Egyptian Cobras, Henry Ponder, lived near the corner of 51st and Wabash. This corner is located at the border of Grand Boulevard and Washington Park. Ponder’s presence was the first to solidify Cobras in the 51st-53rd and State Street area in the early 60s or sooner. Cobras still regarded this area heavily and would prepare for settlement in the new Robert Taylor projects soon to be constructed. Between 51^st to 53^rd and from State to Federal, the area was the site of dilapidated apartments that housed low-income African American families. Egyptian Cobras became strong in these apartments in the late 50s. Even when those apartments were torn down in 1960 the Cobras remained nearby, Cobras like Henry Ponder, lived just a block away from this area.

The early 60s Cobra rampage

By 1960, according to the Terre Haute Tribune Star newspaper July 17, 1960, issue, it was reported there were 500 members of the Egyptian Cobras on the south side of Chicago and hundreds more in two chapters on the west side of the city. The article stated the Cobras were on three sides of the city indicating they had migrated up north but I am not sure where up north the Cobras were, they were likely referring to the fact that Solom Taylor, an Egyptian Cobra leader lived I Cabrini Green at the time. According to legends there were no Cobras in Cabrini Green or anywhere north until 1970. I have not heard of any solid stories or evidence of Cobras in Cabrini Green or Marshall Fields in the 60s (Source: Terre Haute Tribune Star July 17, 1960). Even though the source talked about the west side, the west side and south side were not connected completely and were not the same organization. The west side did not honor “Egyptian King Cobras” or anything else.

In the year 1960, all branches of the Egyptian Cobras went on a violent and murderous rampage living up their name. As I said the Egyptian Cobra snake is deadly, dangerous, and dominating and that is exactly how the Cobras acted in 1960 and 1961 as their legendary rampage soon engulfed the newspapers with tales of violent crime and murder. Gang member addresses in the papers showed anywhere from the Maxwell Street Market area to North Lawndale to Englewood, Hyde Park, Woodlawn, and a lot of them in Grand Boulevard.

In 1960, Henry “Johnny Ringo” Ponder was only 16 years old but was already proving to be a dangerous leader as he led groups of Cobras on a murderous crime spree in the Hyde Park area between 1960 and 1962. The spree started on November 23, 1960, when Ponder, James Braden and Johnathan Phillips robbed a tailor shop at 53rd and Woodlawn beating the 72-year-old shop owner Lester Wolf to death. In March of 1961 the three were said to have robbed and killed a cab driver at 51st and Cottage Grove. When Ponder was arrested in February of 1962 he was already on trial for the murder of Lucious O’Neil, a security guard at a laundromat at 51st and Cottage Grove on August 19, 1961. Four other members of the Cobras were also apprehended for shooting a man at 54th and University that refused to give up his money when he was robbed (Hyde Park Harold, February 21, 1962). Ponder gathered members from the 49th and St. Lawrence area and Cobras from Hyde Park to carry out these capers even though Ponder was from 51st and State area.

Stone the Bone

After Henry Ponder’s name was spread throughout the media, the Egyptian Cobras had developed a reputation, but an agreement with the Blackstone Rangers would cause the Egyptian Cobra name to vanish from the south side streets. For years I had tried to find news articles mentioning the Egyptian Cobras on the south side but I found nothing. The only Egyptian Cobra articles from the rest of the 60s was in North Lawndale and nowhere else in Chicago. The south side Egyptian Cobras vanished from the media and it isn’t because they went extinct it is because Mickey Cogwell arranged an alliace/merger with the Blackstone Rangers. The Cobras were a bigger group than the Rangers but the Rangers were more organized and operated in mafia fashion. By 1962, Mickey Cogwell was working with the policy racket even though he was only 17. Mickey Cogwell had lots of charisma and would became a key addition to the Blackstone Rangers. Mickey dedicated the pyramid to the Rangers which is how the Black P Stones have the pyramid as one of their symbols. Now that the Cobras were Blackstone Rangers they would go by the name “Cobrastones.” King Cobras called themselves “King Cobra Stones” or “Egyptian King Cobrastones.” With these name changes it showed how the Cobras now pledged to the Blackstone Rangers and were part of their nation. There were 7 groups or “tribes” of Egyptian Cobras that Mickey Cogwell combined to bring into the Cobrastones. Most Cobras in Englewood were King Cobras and became King Cobrastones. The King Cobras were not in favor of becoming Blackstone Rangers but reluctantly accepted. The Egyptian Cobras on the west side would have nothing to do with Blackstone Rangers and were not part of this.

The Hole

In the year 1960, the dilapidated apartments in the black belt were torn down along Federal and State Streets from 18^th Street to 71^st Street mostly making way for public housing projects. The Robert Taylor public housing projects was built between 41^st Street to 53^rd Street along Federal and State Streets in 1962. Mickey Cogwell’s family was fortunate enough to move into these projects when they were freshly built and a good neighborhood. Mickey Cogwell moved into the same area where Henry Ponder came from and Mickey brought the Cobrastones to the project buildings between 51^st Street to 53^rd Street. This area was a cluster of three project buildings; these building numbers were 5322, 5323 and 5326. Cobras swelled in numbers in these buildings and nicknamed it “The Hole,” because if you are an enemy that comes to this territory you may not come out like falling into a hole. The nickname also comes from the fact that these projects were in a U shape that like a hole. It is also called The Hole because snakes live in a hole. Mickey Cogwell now directly oversaw these projects between 51^st to 53^rd.

Cobrastones of 4331, 4352, 4410, 4429, 4444, 4500, 4525, 4555 and 4101

Besides Mickey Cogwell, Joe Bob was a pioneer of Robert Taylor homes Cobrastones. Joe Bob returned to 45^th and State when the Robert Taylor projects were built in 1962 and Cobrastones took over most of the buildings in that area. The 4101 building of 40^th Place and Federal, was the most northern Cobrastone building and the 4331 and 4352 buildings were right near 43^rd and Princeton Cobras. In the 45^th and State area the Cobras ran the 4410, 4429, 4444, 4500, 4525 and 4555 buildings. Other Blackstone Ranger groups resided in these buildings too.

When the projects were razed in 1998 at 53rd and State the Cobras remained in the Washington Park community but would remain small but highly functional.  The 51st to 53rd and Calumet area has become a permanent home for the Cobras but in a smaller capacity.

4848

By the later 1960s, the Cobras were able to take over more of the Robert Taylor homes. The Cobras now opened at the 4844 building at 48th and State that extended down to 49th and State, these Cobras became known as the “Fidel Castro Cobras.” By the later 60s Disciples were advancing into the Robert Taylors between 48^th and 51^st but these Fidel Castro Cobras held it down in the midst of growing Disciple territory. The 4848 building at 48^th and State was another big time Cobra building and was stretched out away from other Cobra buildings and by the later 60s, they needed to fight heavily with Black Disciples.

Jerome Cogwell

Mickey Cogwell was appointed the official spokesman for the Black P Stone alliance in 1968.  Cogwell’s brother Jerome “Pony Soldier” Cogwell was killed on September 7th or 8th 1968 at 5244 State Street right outside the entrance of the Robert Taylor homes.  Jerome Cogwell was the younger brother of Mickey Cogwell and was about 20 years old when he was killed. The murder was done by the Devil’s Disciples which was the main gang allied with the Disciple alliance.  In December of 1968 Jeff Fort led a massive march down State Street demanding that the city rename State Street after Jerome Cogwell.  The Stones proceeded to smash windows, cars and rioting all up and down as they marched causing destruction.  This march was meant to protest the disorderly conduct charge that police were using to harass residents.  The Cobrastones were closely regarded by the Black P Stones and this showed during this demonstration.

Cobrastones in politics

In January of 1969, Despite the investigations on the Stones and Jeff Fort and Jeff Fort walking out on the Senate hearing in July of 1968; a major shock came to law enforcement when an Illinois politician sent an invitation to Jeff Fort to appear at the January 1969 Nixon Presidential inauguration ball approved by Richard Nixon himself.  Jeff Fort declined the invitation and instead sent Mickey Cogwell the Cobrastone leader to the ball alongside Herman “Moose” Holmes another Main 21 leader.  While Mickey Cogwell was mingling with high society politicians making the Stones look great, Chicago police were back home trying to arrest him for crimes and even went to his house just to find out he wasn’t there, and worst yet, when they found out he was invited to the White House they had a major fit.  Law enforcement all over the Chicago area felt betrayed that Stone leaders were invited to this event.  This event was further solidifying Mickey Cogwell’s political connections which of course would help connections to the whole Black P Stone nation.

Stones in the drug game: 1969

Since government funding had mostly dried up by 1969 for the Black P Stones due to the Senatorial investigations, Mickey Cogwell and Reico Cranshaw were the first Stones to bring the Stone nation into the direct drug trade business.  Chicago Police Department’s G.I.U. group claims to have photos and surveillance of Stones and Italian Mafia associates meeting to discuss this business.  The first of these meetings was with Joseph “Little Caesar” DiVarco, Joseph “Big Joe” Arnold and Morris Lasky.  I don’t know the full extent of the deals, but this was supposedly when the Stones began to directly partake in the drug trade mainly in Heroin and prescription Ts and blues.  The motivation for this connection was because Stones needed the money as their numbers had exceeded 6,000 members by 1969 and the legitimate forms of money they were receiving prior were either non-existent or minimal.  The Stones were the first gang to engage in higher level drug marketing and this is how Jeff Fort got the reputation as being the king of the Heroin business on the south side even though he was not involved in this early deal ever besides taking a cut of the business.  This started out as a deal for just Cranshaw’s Stones and Cogwell’s Cobrastones  (The Almighty Black P. Stone Nation, Moore, Williams).  Because of this business deal with Cogwell this is how the first major Heroin distribution business came to the Robert Taylor projects, especially in The Hole, the cluster of three buildings around 53rd and State in the Washington Park neighborhood.  This Heroin involvement was not big enough to catch the attention of law enforcement as much as mainly Stones were known for selling Marijuana, Codeine and other narcotics and pills. Stones also began robbing other drug dealers in the area as they went to great lengths by even robbing drug dealer homes.

Mickey Cogwell had ties to the Italian mafia through the numbers racket and restaurant ownership and once he connected in the drug game in 1969, Cogwell was even more mob connected and now Black P Stones were as well.

Cabrini Green: 1970

In the year 1970, “King Box” of the King Cobrastones brought the King Cobras to the Cabrini Green projects. The King Cobras took over the 1157-1159 North Larabee Street buildings that the Cobras called “Pimp Palace.” The 1159 North Cleveland building was also a King Cobra building. The Pimp Palace King Cobras were the ones that created the four point crown as their system that would become a longstanding Mickey Cobra symbol. Black Deuces and Black Gangster Disciples defeated Black P Stones in Cabrini Green by the early 70s but the King Cobrastones were a fine replacement and much more deadly in Pimp Palace then conventional Black P Stones.

As soon as King Cobras moved into Cabrini Green in 1970 it caused an uproar from the Black Deuces gang. The Deuces and King Cobrastones erupted into a violent war that escalated by the summer. On July 17, 1970 the violence would escalate severely when a King Cobrastone went onto a roof in a sniper position and gunned down two Chicago police officers that came there to investigate the violence between the two gangs. George Knights and Johnny Veal shot the two police officers dead from the 6^th floor of the 1150-60 building. Black P Stones wanted nothing to do with the murder so they ordered the men to turn themselves in since cop killing was not on the Cobrastone menu. The King Cobrastones made a lot of noise when moving into Cabrini Green in 1970 and kept their presence in the Greens until they were torn down.

The original Moe Town: 1971

As I had covered above, Mickey Cogwell moved into the Robert Taylor projects and ran these buildings directly and many King Cobrastones and Cobrastones, young and old, coming up in The Hole would often get rank and recognition just for becoming Cobrastones in Mickey’s village. Getting rank and/or recognition at a young age in The Hole was what came to 13-14 year old Charles “Teddy Bear” Hardwick who joined the Cobrastones in the late 60s as a King Cobrastone.

In the year 1970, Teddy Bear moved with his family out of The Hole and into a white neighborhood in the Back of the Yards at the intersection of 51^st Street and May Street. The Back of the Yards was a mostly white neighborhood in 1970 besides an old Mexican settlement near 45^th and Laflin and a Puerto Rican enclave around 55^th and Halsted. In the May 7, 2014 issue of the South Side Weekly, Hardwick himself tells his story and said that his family was the second African American family on the block but soon whites left rapidly.

In 1971, Hardwick got permission straight from Mickey Cogwell himself to start a group of King Cobrastones at 51^st and May, Hardwick then said he went door to door recruiting several African American youths that had recently moved into this southeast Back of the Yards area. These King Cobrastones were established in 1971 and within a few years they were deep in this area spreading from 51^st to 56^th Street down into Englewood and from Racine Avenue to Wallace Street. At first, the Latin Souls shared this area but by 1975 the Souls were all gone and headed west of Racine Avenue. Because these King Cobrastones were part of the BPSN, Hardwick called the area “Moe Town” named after the “Moors” because Stones often referred to themselves as “Moors.” Despite being in and out of prison, Hardwick continued to run this area and established a highly successful cocaine and heroin distribution ring worth perhaps millions until Hardwick went to prison in 1987. When Hardwick got out in 2001 he never returned to the game and Moe Town was now under Black P Stones and they now adopted the Moe Town name for themselves. Cobras lost most of Moe Town but never lost all of it, 51^st and May remains a Cobra hood presently.

Mickey’s command of the BPSN

In 1972, Jeff Fort was brought up on several charges for mismanaging government funding and he was sentenced to 5 years in prison.  Before he left, he appointed Mickey Cogwell to be the interim leader and to keep Eugene Hairston out of power if he got paroled.  Cogwell at that point was running the entire BPSN on the streets and became well known along with the Cobra Stone name.

Although Cogwell was heavily tapped into the numbers racket he was still more known as an activist that involved himself in the political side of helping the black community and this caused the press to have less interest in him because he didn’t fit the full mold as the gangster kingpin the public wanted.

The EL Rukns: An indecent proposal

In March of 1976, Jeff Fort was released from Leavenworth federal prison.  He made a big announcement that he had converted to the nation of Islam while he was in Leavenworth, now he expected select members of the BPSN to convert to the nation of Islam and become the “EL Rukns.”  Jeff Fort asked Mickey Cogwell to join the El Rukns but Mickey declined but there were no hard feelings like many believe, it was completely an option to join the EL Rukns.

The death of Mickey Cogwell: 1977

There are three rumors that I have heard over time about who was responsible for the murder of Henry “Mickey” Cogwell. At 3:45 A.M. on Februrary 25, 1977 Mickey was walking home in the Auburn-Gresham community after being dropped off a short distance from where he was living. An unidentified assassin swarmed the rear of Mickey clutching a 9MM pistol which prompted Mickey to run but the assassin shot him in the back causing him to collapse, the assassin then shot him two more times then fled. Outrage immediately filled the streets pointing to the EL Rukns as the perpetrators and many said the motive was because Mickey refused to be EL Rukn. This prompted the police to investigate Jeff Fort and the EL Rukns but upon investigation Jeff Fort had an alibi and no EL Rukns were charged. The EL Rukns even made a statement publicly that they were not responsible for Mickey’s death. Regardless of the EL Rukns not facing charges many Cobras still accused them and declared war on the EL Rukns.

Many do believe Jeff Fort and the EL Rukns did not do it and I am one that Believes this because Jeff Fort never made becoming an EL Rukn a requirement. For his best leaders in the Stones that didn’t want to be EL Rukns he appointment them and their organizations part of the 7 tribes of the sun a few years after Mickey’s death, a good example was Daryl “Mooseman” Abney and the Gangster Stones. Other 7 tribes groups were Maniac Stones and Puerto Rican Stones. If Mickey would have lived for another 2 years you bet him and the Cobrastones would have become part of the 7 tribes. Jeff Fort did not hate Mickey and if Jeff wanted to kill anyone for refusal to become EL Rukn it would have been Eugene Hairston but even Hairston lived until 1988 and was eventually killed because he got heavy on heroin and alcohol. Jeff didn’t make an example out of anyone else that refused membership, so why just Mickey? Also, Jeff regarded being an EL Rukn as something sacred and it was an exclusive group where membership was not easy to obtain and it would defeat the purpose if membership was coerced.

Another theory is that the police killed Mickey. I can see that as more probable than the EL Rukns killing him, but still highly unlikely. Mickey Cogwell was not liked by the police but was certainly not public enemy number one especially since Mickey was not real defiant of the police, the police had no reason to kill him.

A more likely scenario is that Mickey was killed by the Italian Outfit. This is possible but not totally probable because the mob almost never killed African American street gang leaders, but it could have been possible since Mickey was in the numbers game.

Another scenario I have heard of is that his own Cobras killed him as a way to cause the Cobras to leave the BPSN. It is a fact that several Cobra groups and many King Cobras did not agree when Mickey took them all into the BPSN in 1962 and it was said these groups remained bitter and critical for years, especially King Cobras. I will just leave it at that and I will not weigh in much more on this theory.

If you talk to many old heads of the Cobras in prison and on the streets some of them still declare themselves as Cobrastones and remain loyal to it, that is how strong of an effort the Cobrastone identity was.

10-7 to 10-9: Wild Hundreds

One of the earliest examples of the new growth of the Mickey Cobras in the late 70s was Cobras forming in the Roseland community at 107^th and Wentworth (Crunch City). Roseland was ruled by Black P Stones and Black Gangster Disciples and Conservative Vice Lords were new and growing in the area but Mickey Cobras established themselves well on 107^th and by the early 80s there were Cobras from 107^th to 109^th and from Morgan to Lowe which is a section known as “8-Ball.” Cobras in the Wild 100s have been strong since the late 70s and many moved in from the projects when they were torn down making the 8-Ball mob even stronger.

Washington Park projects: 1980

King Box was not only the founder of the Cabrini Green King Cobras in 1970, he also brought the King Cobras to the Washington Park projects in the year 1980 establishing them at 45^th and Cottage Grove in the Grand Boulevard community. These Cobras would remain in these projects until they were torn down in 2002.

O-Block Cobras

Whenever one thinks of the Parkway Gardens projects A.K.A “O-Block,” people think of Black Disciples and to a lessor extent Gangster Disciples. Gangster Disciples were first in O-Block and came there in the early 70s but they did not even run all of O-Block. In the late 70s Titanic P Stones and Mickey Cobras moved into O-Block and had a presence there in the 80s until Black Disciples moved in and started taking over in the 90s until they even flipped the GDs by the 2000s.

Mickey’s Cobras

In the year 1982, the Cobras officially dropped out of the BPSN and took on a new name that would pay homage to Mickey instead of the Stones. In 1982, the name “Mickey Cobras” or “Mickey’s Cobras” was adopted that would apply to both King Cobras and Mickey Cobras; however, King Cobras acted very much independently. Once the Cobras separated from the Stones they retained peace with the EL Rukns and joined the People alliance on the streets. The new Mickey Cobra banner became widely popular as the re-birthed organization spread on the streets heavily. The only loss of territory was in the Central part of the Robert Taylor projects, many of these Cobras flipped to Black Disciples when that demonstration started in the late 70s and was in full force by 1982.

The Dearborn projects: The headquarters

The Dearborn projects on Chicago’s south side were built in 1950 and were once grass roots projects until vandalism and other crimes were beginning in the buildings by the late 50s. In the mid-60s the projects became dangerous and crime-infested full of gangs and violence. Once Mickey Cobras began to leave the middle area of the Robert Taylor projects by the late 70s and early 80s they made their way to the Dearborn projects located between 27^th Street to 30^th Street. The Cobras from The Hole were the ones that helped Johnell Northern establish the Cobras at 29^th and State Street in the Dearborn projects. Most of the Dearborn projects belonged to the Black Gangster Disciples at the time but once the Mickey Cobras were fully established in 1982 they would become the majority. The new “Mickey Cobra” ways brought the Cobras to these projects. The Cobras took over not only because they were charismatic enough to flip many Disciples but also because they aggressively committed violence against the Disciples pinning the Disciples all the way north by 27^th Street in a cluster of four buildings only, while the Cobras took over the other 11 buildings. Williams Park was the divider between Cobras and Disciples which became a warzone in the 80s, 90s and 2000s as snipers blazed their guns from atop the towers picking each other off as members crossed the courtyards and parks. The Cobras have held this territory down into present years and are still strong in these buildings. When the Robert Taylors were torn down and The Hole was the first to go in 1998, the Dearborns became the new headquarters.

1985: The second war with the EL Rukns

In 1985, Jeff Fort ordered the murders of several King Cobras in April of 1985.  According to court documents in the case of United States vs. Andrews, Jeff Fort wanted complete control of the heroin trade at 54th and Bishop in the Back of the Yards neighborhoods and 67th and Stoney Island in the Woodlawn neighborhood.  Of course, these documents are flawed because Jeff Fort was no drug dealer. The King Cobras stood in the way of El Rukn progress, and the indictment stated that Fort summoned the “Guerilla Family” hit squad of the El Rukns to kill off the leadership of the King Cobras.  This resulted in the death of Herman “Moose” Jackson and the attempted assassination of Theotis Clark, Andre Chalmers and Tredis Murray.  Rico Chalmers, Glendon McKinley, and Vicki Noldenand were all killed by the El Rukns in this conspiracy.  Tredis Murray was in charge of the Cobras at this point in time.  The main purpose of this war was argument over drug turf in the Woodlawn community.  The original agreement was that for the Cobras to run the drug trafficking at 67th and Blackstone during the daytime while the El Rukns would run it by night.  This only lasted a month before a disagreement happened and the El Rukns assassinated King Cobras and planned to shoot others that included Theotis Clark.  Rico Chalmers, Glendon McKinley, and Vicki Nolden were Cobras killed by the El Rukns at 54th and Bishop in the Back of the Yards which was King Cobra territory at the time.

1150-60 and 1152 “The Rock”

In the year 1985, Mickey Cobras would join King Cobras in the Cabrini Green public housing projects as these charged up Cobras took over the 1150, 1160 and 1152 North Sedgewick buildings. In order to earn their keeps the Cobras had to fight a violent gang war against the Black Gangster Disciples that ruled most of the buildings. Cobras even boldly sold crack cocaine in these buildings directly competing with the Black Gangster Disciples. The Disciples of Cabrini Green were some of the most fierce in the city and far outnumbered Cobras by at least 3 to 1 but Cobra defied the odds until their buildings were torn down.

Mickey’s People

In the year 1988, Mickey Cogwell’s son “Prince Money” was residing in the Roseland area and brought about a resurgence of Mickey Cogwell’s ways. Prince Money wanted to bring back Mickey’s kingdom and he even wanted a separation from the conventional gang ways and the People alliance, this lasted until about 1992.

1989: the war with the Mafias

Before the 1980s, the area of Fuller Park north of 43^rd Street was barren land for gangs. For some reason, Pershing to 43^rd was never settled by the Cobras. The Insane Vice Lords embarked upon a conquest to settle many south side areas starting in 1979 until the 1990s. The Insane Vice Lords moved into the Pershing to 43^rd Street area in the 80s and made 43^rd and Princeton one of their main gathering areas and they would congregate alongside Mickey Cobras as allies. In the year 1989, Insane Vice Lords turned Mafia Insane Vice Lords and they may have gotten along a little while longer but eventually Mafia Insane ways angered Mickey Cobras just like many other Chicago gangs that became fed up with MIVL dominance. A major gang war erupted between the Mafias and the Cobras that still persists presently as much of the violence is at 43^rd and Princeton because both gangs claim the same corner.

1300 Sedville

In the historical Marshall Field apartments on the city’s near north side many generations of lower-income families have lived in these buildings since 1929. By the 1960s, these apartments became increasingly African American and by the early 70s, all the white population left; however, these apartments were still highly functional and were the home of hard working African Americans. Beginning in 1991 and finalized in 1992, these apartments became the home of non-income families which brought poverty and a lack of funding to justify maintenance and crime patrol in this area. Soon this area became more or less an extension of Cabrini Green. Some of the gangs from Cabrini Green moved into these apartments, mainly Conservative Vice Lords and Mickey Cobras. The Mickey Cobras landed at 1300 North Sedgewick apartments that Cobras called “Sedville” in 1992. Cobras and Vice Lords would have a tight alliance in these apartments and this remains a Cobra stronghold currently.

Devastating tear downs

In the later 1990s, the city began the demolition of the Robert Taylor projects and Cabrini Green. The first phase of demolition of the Robert Taylor homes was the three buildings known as “The Hole.” This eradication destroyed the main command center and the main headquarters of Mickey Cobras effecting city-wide operations. Many Cobras moved north into Gangster Disciple and Black Disciple controlled buildings which started a massive gang war until those projects were razed in 2006. During these frightful years many bodies were dropping as GDs, BDs and Cobras were all killing each other and even GDs were killing other GDs. Several Cobras flipped to BDs and GDs when they moved north of The Hole.

The 1150 building in Cabrini Green that the Cobras called “The Palace” was the first Cabrini Green building to be torn down in the mid-90s and the 1152 and 1160 were some of the first as well. It almost seemed like the city declared war on the Cobras in the later 90s specifically by tearing down their buildings first. The tear downs were effective because Cobras never became as powerful since then.

Later years

The King Cobra name faded from the streets after the 90s especially since they were the most rooted in Cabrini Green in Pimp Palace and in the Robert Taylor homes mixed in with MCs in The Hole. Mickey Cobras took over the 100s (Roseland) and in Englewood. Fuller Park was always Mickey’s land and not for King Cobras, this is how King Cobras did not become much for later generations. Mickey Cobras remain strong in their original hood in Fuller Park and are deep in the Dearborn projects. The 100s remain highly active and 51^st and May is still strong in the Back of the Yards. Cobras remain in historic areas like near where The Hole used to be and in South Shore, Woodlawn and Grand Boulevard. The deepest Cobra hoods are Dearborn projects and Fuller Park.

Please send in 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s pics!  1950s pics especially wanted!

Known decks of Mickey Cobras

Armour Square neighborhood

Decks of Armour Square

Wentworth from 37th to 39th (Wentworth Gardens projects)

Avalon Park neighborhood

Decks of Avalon Park

85th & Dante

Back of the Yards neighborhood Established 1971-present years

Decks of the Back of the Yards

54th & Bishop

51^st & May Established 1971-present years

51^st to 55^th, Racine to Wallace (Moe Town) 1971-1990

Chatham neighborhood

Decks of Chatham

90th from State to Indiana

Cottage Grove from 90th to 91st Pl (Spook Town, Hot Spot)

89th Pl & Dauphin

Douglas neighborhood  Established 1982-present years

Decks of Douglas

27th to 30th, Lasalle to State (Dearborn projects)

Englewood neighborhood Established 1958-present years

Decks of Englewood

55th to 57^th, Normal to Princeton (Dodge City Dirty World Cobras) 1958-present years

55^th to 56^th, Racine to Wells (Moe Town) mid-70s-1990

64^th to 75^th, Halsted to Wells 1958-1970s

Fuller Park neighborhood Established 1958-present years

Decks of Fuller Park

44th to 45th, Shields to Wentworth (4-4 THF)

47th to 49th, Shields to Wentworth (Back Block Dogpound)

51st to 55th, Shields to Wentworth (ATL World)

50th & Princeton (Outlaws)

43rd & Princeton (Founding section) Established 1958-present years

43rd to 51st, Shields to Dan Ryan Expressway (West Territory)

Grand Boulevard neighborhood Established 1958-present years

Decks of Grand Boulevard

50th to 51st, St. Lawrence to Cottage Grove (051 YM)

45th & State Established 1958-1960

45th & State Robert Taylor projects 4555 and 4525 buildings Established 1962-early 80s

40th Place and Federal Robert Taylor projects 4101 building Established 1962-2000s

State Street from 48th to 49th Robert Taylor projects and 4844 building (Fidel Castro Cobras) Established 1967-early 80s

45^th & Cottage Grove (Washington Park Apartments, King Cobras) Established 1980-2002

49th to 51st, Martin Luther King Dr to Cottage Grove (The Gutter) 1958-present years

Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood Established 1958-1960s

Decks of Greater Grand Crossing

71st & Kimbark (was settled later than 60s and may still be active)

Near North Side neighborhood Established 1970-present years

Decks of Near North Side

Blackhawk to Evergreen, Hudson to Sedgewick (Marshall Field Apartments) Established 1992-present years

Cabrini Green projects 1150, 1152, 1160 buildings Established 1985-1995

1157-1159 North Larabee (Pimp Palance King Cobras) Established 1970-2000s

1159 N. Cleveland (King Cobras) – Established 1970-2000s

Oakland neighborhood

Decks of Oakland

41st & Drexel

42nd & Lake Park (Lake Michigan Homes)

Roseland neighborhood Established late 70s-present years

Decks of Roseland

107th to 109th, Morgan to Lowe (8-Ball) Early 80s-present years

107^th & Wentworth (Crunch City) Late 70s-present years

Michigan from 111th to 115th (The Hill, shared with Black P Stones and Conservative Vice Lords)

South Shore neighborhood Established 1958-present years

Decks of South Shore

73rd to 76th, Jeffrey to Clyde (C-Block Justoworld)

71st & Bennett

73rd from Bennett to Jeffrey

Washington Park neighborhood Established 1958-present years

Decks of Washington Park

51st to 53rd, Calumet to Martin Luther King Dr Established 1958-present years

53rd to 54th, State to Federal (Robert Taylor projects, The Hole, 5326, 5322, 5323 buildings) Established 1962-1998

51st & Wabash

West Englewood neighborhood

Decks of West Englewood

62nd & Damen

71st & Hermitage

58th & Honore

West Pullman neighborhood

Decks of West Pullman

116th & Perry

124th & State

Woodlawn neighborhood Established as Egyptian Cobras 1958-present years

Decks of the Woodlawn neighborhood

60th to 61st, Langley to Cottage Grove (800 YM)

64th to 67th, Langley to Cottage Grove (Mickey City)

63rd to 67th, Cottage Grove to Woodlawn

65th & Cottage Grove (Shared with Four Corner Hustlers)

65th & Greenwood

Suburbs

Bloomington

Bolingbrook

Calumet Park

Chicago Heights

Harvey

Kankakee

Robbins

Gary, IND