| Nicknames | Killa Park | |
|---|---|---|
| Settled by | Provide info | |
| Year infiltrated | Provide info | |
| Crime impact | Non-factor | |
| Worst areas | Historically the two worst areas were in the townhouses by North Avenue and Kramer Avenue, and the Brandywine area which is an area bounded by Roosevelt Road on the north, 16th Street on the south, Summit Avenue on the east, Michigan Avenue on the west |
|
| Suburban projects | None |
I will start off by saying that Villa Park is in no way a dangerous suburb and never has been that bad; however, in the 1990s Villa Park experienced heavy gang activity and some severe violence, especially in certain rental property areas of town. Chicago street gangs infiltrated this suburb in about 1989. As we entered the 21st century Villa Park dramatically quieted down with violence and gang activity mainly because the community and the police were heavily persistent in the later 1990s until present day.
Settlement of this area by the white man began in 1833 when the Black Hawk War Treaty was signed that pushed the natives off this land. A few families moved to the village from the east coast and from Germany to live as farmers. The area remained farmland with scattered residents for the rest of the 19th century.
In the year 1900, two farmers sold several acres of their land to the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Railway which brought mass transit to the area and eased the import and export of goods, which in turn, brought increased interest to the area. In the year 1908 real estate developers Ballard and Pottinger purchased several more acres of land to develop the Villa Park subdivision, and then shortly after the firm bought more land to develop the Ardmore subdivision. The Ardmore subdivision is south of St. Charles Road south to Madison Street just west of Route 83. In the year 1914 the new community was named Ardmore, but in 1917 the name was changed to Villa Park.
In the year 1917, the Wander Company found the village to be ideal due to the area’s rich farmland and mass train transit system; therefore, they built the Ovaltine factory near the intersection of Villa Avenue and Wildwood. The new Ovaltine factory brought many more residents to the community seeking employment opportunities. The building of the Ovaltine factory (pictured) stimulated other commercial and retail growth in the village causing this village to prosper well even through the Great Depression years in the 1930s. After World War II the village would boom even more as more subdivisions were laid out and the population grew to over 20,000 residents by 1960.
In the year 1959, A strip of townhouses/apartments were built along North Avenue from Kramer Ave to Joyce Ave with another strip of apartments from Kramer to Westmore and on Roy Street/Ridge on the south. The strip of apartments from Kramer to Westmore began construction in 1959 and most of this area was built in the early 60s, especially 1960. The apartments continued construction until 1963. In 1963, the townhomes were built on the west side of Kramer Ave and these were the townhouses. These were built between 1963 and 1964. These apartments were constructed at the very edge of the northwest border of the village neighboring Addison and Lombard. These rental properties were possibly owned by the same property company until the late 1980s. I have not found any sale dates from the 1960s until 1988 when I search random addresses with online realty companies, this says to me this was stable ownership that was likely favorable to the community. It is possible Redfin and other online records just don’t go that far back in time. The townhouses are nicknamed “The Townies.” These were budget friendly apartments/townhomes likely built for younger people starting out in their careers before they had children, many may have been O’Hare workers. Perhaps these were built to house stewardesses, new pilots and/or entry level airport workers working their way up. In either case, I have not heard of any heavy poverty or sketchiness in these townhouses prior to the late 1980s.
In the year 1962, an apartment complex was built on Terrace Street and Ardmore Ave. The apartments were built along Terrace Street and wrapped around to Yale Ave. These were apartments likely built for young couples starting out or O’Hare Airport workers starting out their careers. These are the Maple Crossing Apartments.
In the year 1963, a series of several affordable duplex style apartments were built along Division Street from Division and Westmore Ave to Ardmore Ave. These were completed by 1964 and an apartment building was built at Division and Ardmore in 1964. These were affordable apartments for young couples starting out. They may have also catered to the rise in O’Hare Airport employment following the increase of airport jobs. Each of these apartments has two bedrooms and one bathroom and are very small, there are four units in each building. This area became likely chosen because a very old apartment building was built in 1923 at the intersection of Westmore and Division making this an ideal rental community strip located within a neighborhood of houses. This area would become known as “D-Block.”
Another affordable housing development began in 1965 in the southern edge of the community in unincorporated Villa Park. This was a big project that would go on throughout the rest of the 1960s. The Param apartments in this complex were built in 1972 to add to this mostly rental community. This was the construction of the Brandywine subdivision in the southeast side of Villa Park south of Roosevelt Road. Again, this may have been a development catering to lower income O’Hare workers or perhaps young couples getting started in life before having children. In this complex I have not heard of any issues with crime, gangs or poverty prior to the 1980s. From my understanding, this was a desirable community in the 1960s through the 1980s.
In the year 1986, the Village of Addison reported they had been infiltrated by Chicago gangs as Latin King gang graffiti appeared in town. It is a fact that the Latin Kings had officially started a section in the village in 1986 and it appears no other gangs developed in Addison until 1989. I am not positive if Latin Kings were around in Villa Park prior to 1989 but the Chicago Tribune reported the highest amount of Du Page County Chicago gang members to have been residing in neighboring Lombard and Addison according to the Gang Crime Task Force report (Chicago Tribune Patricia M. Szymczak, October 22, 1989). In the neighboring suburb to the south, Oak Brook Terrace, police reported some minor evidence of gang activity in 1986 (Chicago Tribune Eric Zorn, May 9th, 1986). It was indeed shocking to think that any gang activity can happen in affluent suburbs such as Oak Brook Terrace, but the police reported suspected activity which shows that gangs can infiltrate any suburb and at that point in time there were reports in other higher income suburbs like Naperville and Hinsdale. Gang activity never materialized into much in Oak Brook, Oak Brook Terrace or Lombard over the years but the influence of the very small spurts was enough to influence Villa Park youths into gang life, but the biggest influence was neighboring Addison that developed large amounts of Latin Kings by the late 1980s. Addison youths attended the same schools as Villa Park youths which can account for some of the spreading.
Beginning in the year 1988, something was amiss in the townies along North Avenue. Between the year 1988 through 1992 these buildings were mostly sold between those years. This is very strange for such a larger complex to suddenly sell all the buildings to individual owners between a span of four years. It almost seems like a plan for the old owner to sell off while Chicago gang infiltrated this suburb. One of the biggest issues in Chicago and the Chicago suburb is when properties and subdivisions face deterioration and instead of fixing them and retaining large populations of working class and middle-class residents instead the buildings are left in dire states and rented at a lower rate to low-income families. This is what appeared to have happened to the townies in the late 1980s and early 1990s which can explain the changes this area faced with crime and gang activity. The townhouses and the strip mall right next door became a scene of many individuals hanging out night and day, some of which were prostitutes, drug dealers, drug addicts and other seedy types. The people living in this small community became the victims of these elements. It wasn’t all bad, many families and children played in the parking lots outside these homes and in the strip mall. Especially in the daytime, the neighborhood was flourishing with neighborhood activity and a strong Hispanic identity developed. A liquor store and a Subway have been long time staples in this strip mall. Often, section 8 programs will do deals with property areas that are often falling into deterioration and crime, this is when government programs will place all the impoverished into these areas and pushes the poor into substandard housing. This is often why Chicago gang infiltrate these areas due to the need for the gangs to help residents protest against these landlords and to watch the police the many times, unfairly patrol these areas or treat residents unfairly. As crime increases in such areas the suburb often cannot justify putting all their officers into these high crime areas or they would need a larger budget for more police in the community, this is often how these areas end of victims of crime. This appeared to have happened in the townies in the 1990s.
The Insane Deuces from Chicago and Aurora became very large by 1989 as they began a new war with the Latin Kings. Deuces from Chicago and Aurora moved into the Townies in 1989 and became the dominant gang in these buildings. If I it correct, the Deuces were in the apartments east of Kramer. At some point in these early years the Insane Deuces permitted the Imperial Insane Vice Lords to move in as well to mostly recruit within the African American community in these buildings. IIVLs and Deuces were allies in Aurora, so I theorize these IIVLs probably came from Aurora too. I am not positive which side of Kramer the IIVLs moved into.
The Insane Deuces blew up fast in Villa Park and soon took over the apartments along Division Street in 1989 (D-Block). The Deuces also moved into the apartments on Terrace Street and took over these buildings as well.
In the Townies along North Avenue west of Kramer, the Los Bebe Kings moved into these buildings in 1989 shortly after unifying with Latin Kings. The Bebes were on good terms with IIVLs and Deuces as they were all unified with the People alliance; however, Bebes would not get involved in a violent gang war Deuces had with Latin Kings at first.
It was as early as January of 1989 that Latin Kings became especially fond of Villa Park. I found an old Chicago Tribune article from January 30, 1989 (I wish I saved it!) that is likely the first document of Chicago gang infiltration into the suburb of Villa Park by the Latin Kings. In the article it described that representatives of the organization came out to Villa Park from Chicago looking to befriend youths and pressure them to join and this led to an incident that made the newspaper in 1989 where Latin King gang members from the north side of Chicago severely coerced Villa Park youths to join the gang. In January of 1989 at the Best Inns Motel (pictured above) located at 10 W. Roosevelt Rd which is directly across the street from the Brandywine subdivision. Apparently four Latin Kings rented a room at the hotel and had a little party, they invited youths they knew from Villa Park. Three of the youths invited were not gang members but the four city youths told them they should join the gang when the youths said they were not interested the four youths from the city got angry and pulled out a weapon then proceeded to rob them of their valuables and money, police ended up arresting and charging the gang members involved (Chicago Tribune January 30, 1989). Very shortly after this happened the Latin Kings turned out many Brandywine youths making Brandywine a Latin King stronghold. This is how a permanent chapter of Latin Kings came to Villa Park.
Beginning in 1989, Villa Park became saturated in Latin Kings and Insane Deuces and their war was violent causing shootings and killings.
The denial of public officials of 1989 was one contributing factor to the spread of Chicago based street gangs in Villa Park but by 1990 the issue had become so wild and out of hand there was no denying it anymore especially since the suburb now was garnering a bad reputation. The issue changed from there is no problem in 1989 to “It is here, the real problem is here” which was stated by police Chief Roger Weiser of Villa Park in his 1990 interview with the Chicago Tribune. The suburb was now experiencing drugs, prostitution and even murder; this prompted the village police to work with other suburban agencies to compare notes about gangs and gang members, now the village was finally taking the issue more seriously (Chicago Tribune Art Barnum June 17, 1990). Gang activity was indeed on the rise and intensifying in the Villa Park community, a good example was a pair of incidents that happened in the summer of 1990 when a group of four juvenile gang members led by 17-year-old Robert Swapsy went on a violent rampage in Villa Park and Oak Brook Terrace robbing people. According to the Chicago Tribune Swapsy and his group went to the Oak Brook Shopping Center (pictured) and they ran into a 22 year old man from Villa Park and they pulled the man’s jacket over his head and beat him with small baseball bats and a metal cane when the man tried to fight back one of them pulled a .45 or 9 mm pistol on him and threatened to kill him. Around that same time Swapsy and his group attacked a 13-year-old boy at Roosevelt and Ardmore Roads and put him in a headlock while another used a cigarette lighter to light the boy’s hair on fire, they then stole a $65 watch from the youth according to the Tribune. Swapsy and the others were apprehended and charged with mob action and theft (Chicago Tribune July 20, 1990). This incident once again happened near the Brandywine subdivision on the south side of town.
For the most part, gangs of Villa Park were at war with gangs from surrounding suburbs like Bensenville and others. Since all the gangs were all allied with the People alliance in the early 90s there was not much room for war besides between the two powerhouse gangs of Villa Park the Insane Deuces and Latin Kings. Bebes and IIVLs stayed out of this war. I am not sure when and where in town, but the Two Six gang came to Villa Park by the early 90s. Perhaps they lived in the houses north of Charles Road. In about 1992 or so the Latin Counts moved into Villa Park in the Townies alongside IIVLs, Bebes, and Insane Deuces. I believe the Latin Counts moved into the apartments along North Ave east of Kramer. The Insane Deuces had just switched alliances to the Folk alliance and now would go against these Latin Counts as I believe they were living in the same complex. Latin Counts were also engaging in a violent war with Latin Kings despite being a part of the same People alliance. Two Six and Deuces became the only Folks in Villa Park and were allies. The Insane Deuces were known for making their presence known as they could be seen sitting out along D-Block all day and night and they were out in the open in the Townies and Maple apartments. Deuces were heavily active in Villa Park and Addison which further put them in the cross hairs of law enforcement.
In the year 1994, an Insane Deuce shot and killed an innocent woman holding a baby by mistake which caused the Addison police to come down hard on the Deuces until they were wiped out. Villa Park police similarly cracked down on Deuce presence until they removed most of the gang by 1995. I have not heard of any Deuce activity in Villa Park or Addison after 1995; therefore, if the gang was active, it was minimal and did not last into the 21st century. The Deuces left behind a massive legacy in Villa Park that many residents from the past remember well. They were once a big mob in these suburbs but they made too much noise and it caused them to get locked up due to excessive violence and showing a heavy presence.
In the early 1990s and into the mid-1990s gang activity continued to escalate in the suburb and became increasingly violent especially on the communities’ south side in the Brandywine subdivision and the Param Apartments located within Brandywine. There was also heavy gang activity in the town homes on the Northwest side in the townies as Deuces and Counts carried on their violence. In the year 1991, the Los Bebe Kings joined in on the violence as they erupted into a gang war with Latin Kings.
In about the early to mid-1990s the TAP Boys moved into the community to support the Arab youths having conflict with street gangs. The TAP Boys were from Chicago and scattered suburbs. This group only lasted a few years and were gone by the late 90s.
After the departure of the Insane Deuces the big gangs of Villa Park were Latin Kings and the Los Bebe Stones. In 1995, the Los Bebe Kings became Los Bebe Stones. Their leader and Villa Park founder was Big Juan who loved the Townies so much that he purchased the Subway restaurant at North Ave and Joyce shortly after Bebes moved in in 1989. Imperial Insane Vice Lords faded out during the law enforcement crackdowns of the mid to late 90s as did the Latin Counts for the most part, Counts focused on Addison. With the Deuces removed, the Bebes took over the Townies while Latin Kings had Brandywine. Latin Kings and Bebes ended their war in 1995.
In March of 1995, Villa Park police began utilizing Illinois State Police helicopters to fly above the Brandywine area; the gang activity had become so severe in this part of the village that this was seen as necessary. Gang members became wise about police patrols and sent warnings when the patrol cars came near, in order to get a step ahead the police used the helicopters to get an aerial view of all the gang activity and drug trafficking. When the program first launched many dealers and gang members were startled by the chopper and began to run, they were then apprehended by police on the ground, the first day of the chopper caused four arrests according to the article (Chicago Tribune March 16, 1995). It is not common for any suburb to use a helicopter for law enforcement purposes, but crime and gang activity became so severe in the suburb that it became necessary. What made Latin Kings so successful in Brandywine was the fact that the subdivision is part of unincorporated Villa Park; therefore, the actual town of Villa Park was not responsible for this area besides residents having Villa Park mailing addresses. This is when Illinois State Police took over law enforcement and used Illinois tax dollars for high ended law enforcement. Don’t think for a second that the use of that helicopter didn’t cost the tax payor lots of money.
Law enforcement heavily cracked down on gang activity in the suburb in the later 1990s but there were still several incidents of violence, not only that Villa Park gangs still had a major issue with youths from the area either refusing to join a gang or wanting to leave a gang. According to a 1998 Chicago Tribune article, 16-year-old gang leader Jose Delatore was charged with beating up a Villa Park youth for wanting to leave the gang, but the youth did not want to endure the “V-out” ritual of leaving the gang so Delatorre and others jumped the youth on the streets to show that there was no easy way out of the gang. Delatorre was also known for leaving threatening phone calls to rival gangs and enticing them to come to the area and challenge his gang back in 1997. Delatorre was charged in 1998 for the May 26, 1997, incident and sentenced to 15 months in jail (Chicago Tribune Art Barnum January 1, 1998). This story shows how serious the gangs were in Villa Park in the 1990s and how the issue of gang activity escalated fast.
I am missing a part of the timeline of who was running D-Block and the Maple Crossing Apartments from the late 1990s until the late 2000s. After the Deuces left these parts of town, I don’t know which gangs took over. By the later 1990s into the 2000s Villa Park quieted down so it is possible no gangs took those areas, the gangs were struggling to maintain what they had already.
In the 1990s Los Bebes had no issues with three La Raza gang members moving into the Townies and were cool with them. Some other La Razas also moved onto D-Block, but La Raza did not start a section until much later, but this was the beginning of La Raza in Villa Park.
By the beginning of the 2000s decade TAP Boys and Latin Counts had left the community and in 2002 the Los Bebes departed as well. Latin Kings and Two Six was now all that remained of the oldest element, but Brandywine became heavily cleaned up in the 2000s as Latin King activity became more limited. Once the Deuces and Bebes left the Latin Kings became the powerhouse gang of the 2000s but the Kings were never again as big as they were in the 90s.
D-Block still struggles with high crime and gang activity and are somewhat blighted. This is perhaps the most dangerous part of town and is known the have the highest crime in all of Villa Park.
The Townies and Maple apartments were cleaned up of most of the crime but these areas are still a little rough; however, quite livable.
La Raza was smart about their presence in the village and did not start a section during all the chaos of the 1990s. In the earlier 2000s La Raza remained patient and did not establish in the community yet as law enforcement was still looking for gang activity. La Raza waited patiently until their moment came in 2008.
In 2008, La Raza at last formed a section and made Villa Park their home, not only for individual members but for their organization. The Townies and D-Block were completely taken over by La Raza and still are presently. Now the main gang conflict is between La Raza and Latin Kings as they are the powerhouse gangs of Villa Park. Two Six is still around but in much smaller numbers than in the 90s. Maniac Latin Disciples moved into Maple Crossing apartments at some point in time and Four Corner Hustlers moved into the Townies supporting the African American population; however, the Townies are over 90% Hispanic. La Raza is the main gang but has settled well in the community and they do not terrorize the town like many gangs did in the past.
Villa Park is not nearly how it used to be in the rowdy 1990s but one needs to watch out when walking around D-Block and the Townies as this is still gang territory and crime still happens.