Rockford Italian Street Gang 1960s

[cavita]

November 3, 1963 Rockford newspaper

[cavita]

May 8, 1964 Rockford newspaper

[cavita]

March 10, 1964 newspaper

[cavita]

August 29, 1964 Rockford newspaper

[PolackTony]

Interesting that the Counts in Rockford included many Italians, as the original organization in Chicago was a very strongly Mexican gang that spread from the Pilsen area in the Near SW side to areas like South Chicago that also had large Mexican communities. While there have been Italian members of predominately Hispanic gangs like the Kings and SDs, there’s probably hardly ever been an Italian member of the Counts in Chicago. I imagine that a Mexican kid brought the Counts to Rockford back in the 60s and just began recruiting among the local youth.

[Philly d]

It seemed like most of the arrested had italian names.

[Patrickgold]

Interesting that the Counts in Rockford included many Italians, as the original organization in Chicago was a very strongly Mexican gang that spread from the Pilsen area in the Near SW side to areas like South Chicago that also had large Mexican communities. While there have been Italian members of predominately Hispanic gangs like the Kings and SDs, there’s probably hardly ever been an Italian member of the Counts in Chicago. I imagine that a Mexican kid brought the Counts to Rockford back in the 60s and just began recruiting among the local youth.

I’m wondering if it’s the same gang. I have seen nothing about the Counts spreading to Rockford in the 60s. Now if I can see one of those membership cards that they talk about in the article then it would be east to confirm.

Cavita, great articles. Thanks for posting.

[cavita]

Interesting that the Counts in Rockford included many Italians, as the original organization in Chicago was a very strongly Mexican gang that spread from the Pilsen area in the Near SW side to areas like South Chicago that also had large Mexican communities. While there have been Italian members of predominately Hispanic gangs like the Kings and SDs, there’s probably hardly ever been an Italian member of the Counts in Chicago. I imagine that a Mexican kid brought the Counts to Rockford back in the 60s and just began recruiting among the local youth.

I’m wondering if it’s the same gang. I have seen nothing about the Counts spreading to Rockford in the 60s. Now if I can see one of those membership cards that they talk about in the article then it would be east to confirm.

Cavita, great articles. Thanks for posting.

I have heard the Counts were a thing in Rockford in the late 1950s but haven't found any articles to confirm yet but I'll do some deep digging this weekend hopefully.

[cavita]

Interesting that the Counts in Rockford included many Italians, as the original organization in Chicago was a very strongly Mexican gang that spread from the Pilsen area in the Near SW side to areas like South Chicago that also had large Mexican communities. While there have been Italian members of predominately Hispanic gangs like the Kings and SDs, there’s probably hardly ever been an Italian member of the Counts in Chicago. I imagine that a Mexican kid brought the Counts to Rockford back in the 60s and just began recruiting among the local youth.

I’m wondering if it’s the same gang. I have seen nothing about the Counts spreading to Rockford in the 60s. Now if I can see one of those membership cards that they talk about in the article then it would be east to confirm.

Cavita, great articles. Thanks for posting.

I have heard the Counts were a thing in Rockford in the late 1950s but haven't found any articles to confirm yet but I'll do some deep digging this weekend hopefully.

From the November 9, 1959 Rockford newspaper. I was told this possibly involved the Latin Counts. Geraci was involved in the 1980s collecting gambling proceeds for the Rockford/Chinatown partnership.

[PolackTony]

Interesting that the Counts in Rockford included many Italians, as the original organization in Chicago was a very strongly Mexican gang that spread from the Pilsen area in the Near SW side to areas like South Chicago that also had large Mexican communities. While there have been Italian members of predominately Hispanic gangs like the Kings and SDs, there’s probably hardly ever been an Italian member of the Counts in Chicago. I imagine that a Mexican kid brought the Counts to Rockford back in the 60s and just began recruiting among the local youth.

I’m wondering if it’s the same gang. I have seen nothing about the Counts spreading to Rockford in the 60s. Now if I can see one of those membership cards that they talk about in the article then it would be east to confirm.

Cavita, great articles. Thanks for posting.

Never heard of them in Rockford either, though it would be a big coincidence I think that a gang called the “Latin Counts” developed independently in a nearby city at the same time that the LCs in Chicago were active (they started in Chicago in the ‘50s). I also note that one of the Counts named in an above article was a Hernandez. All it takes is one guy moving somewhere to start an offshoot, especially if the local kids already were forming their own clubs or gangs at the time. Not my part of town so I don’t know any old Counts that might now if they once had a branch in Rockford.

[Patrickgold]

Interesting that the Counts in Rockford included many Italians, as the original organization in Chicago was a very strongly Mexican gang that spread from the Pilsen area in the Near SW side to areas like South Chicago that also had large Mexican communities. While there have been Italian members of predominately Hispanic gangs like the Kings and SDs, there’s probably hardly ever been an Italian member of the Counts in Chicago. I imagine that a Mexican kid brought the Counts to Rockford back in the 60s and just began recruiting among the local youth.

I’m wondering if it’s the same gang. I have seen nothing about the Counts spreading to Rockford in the 60s. Now if I can see one of those membership cards that they talk about in the article then it would be east to confirm.

Cavita, great articles. Thanks for posting.

I have heard the Counts were a thing in Rockford in the late 1950s but haven't found any articles to confirm yet but I'll do some deep digging this weekend hopefully.

From the November 9, 1959 Rockford newspaper. I was told this possibly involved the Latin Counts. Geraci was involved in the 1980s collecting gambling proceeds for the Rockford/Chinatown partnership.

That’s really interesting seeing a street gang connection to the Rockford LCN like you see in Chicago. I would be interested in seeing if anymore Rockford LCN members or associates started out as gang members. Cavita, any idea if Saladino was a member of the Latin Counts?

[Patrickgold]

Interesting that the Counts in Rockford included many Italians, as the original organization in Chicago was a very strongly Mexican gang that spread from the Pilsen area in the Near SW side to areas like South Chicago that also had large Mexican communities. While there have been Italian members of predominately Hispanic gangs like the Kings and SDs, there’s probably hardly ever been an Italian member of the Counts in Chicago. I imagine that a Mexican kid brought the Counts to Rockford back in the 60s and just began recruiting among the local youth.

I’m wondering if it’s the same gang. I have seen nothing about the Counts spreading to Rockford in the 60s. Now if I can see one of those membership cards that they talk about in the article then it would be east to confirm.

Cavita, great articles. Thanks for posting.

Never heard of them in Rockford either, though it would be a big coincidence I think that a gang called the “Latin Counts” developed independently in a nearby city at the same time that the LCs in Chicago were active (they started in Chicago in the ‘50s). I also note that one of the Counts named in an above article was a Hernandez. All it takes is one guy moving somewhere to start an offshoot, especially if the local kids already were forming their own clubs or gangs at the time. Not my part of town so I don’t know any old Counts that might now if they once had a branch in Rockford.

Good point Tony. A Mexican from the original Counts in Chicago could have easily have spread the gang up there. I’m going to see if I can find a connection

[cavita]

Interesting that the Counts in Rockford included many Italians, as the original organization in Chicago was a very strongly Mexican gang that spread from the Pilsen area in the Near SW side to areas like South Chicago that also had large Mexican communities. While there have been Italian members of predominately Hispanic gangs like the Kings and SDs, there’s probably hardly ever been an Italian member of the Counts in Chicago. I imagine that a Mexican kid brought the Counts to Rockford back in the 60s and just began recruiting among the local youth.

I’m wondering if it’s the same gang. I have seen nothing about the Counts spreading to Rockford in the 60s. Now if I can see one of those membership cards that they talk about in the article then it would be east to confirm.

Cavita, great articles. Thanks for posting.

I have heard the Counts were a thing in Rockford in the late 1950s but haven't found any articles to confirm yet but I'll do some deep digging this weekend hopefully.

From the November 9, 1959 Rockford newspaper. I was told this possibly involved the Latin Counts. Geraci was involved in the 1980s collecting gambling proceeds for the Rockford/Chinatown partnership.

That’s really interesting seeing a street gang connection to the Rockford LCN like you see in Chicago. I would be interested in seeing if anymore Rockford LCN members or associates started out as gang members. Cavita, any idea if Saladino was a member of the Latin Counts?

I don't know if he was or not but it wouldn't surprise me. Both Saladino boys were tough and prone to beating people. John Bartelli from the above article was one of those arrested in the Rockford LCN cocaine ring from 1982, so he graduated to bigger things.

[cavita]

From the January 28, 1964 Rockford newspaper mentioning another Hispanic member.

[cavita]

September 10, 1964 Rockford newspaper.