Current Chicago Players 2020

[PolackTony]

What about Jackie cerone? What’s his deal

Who, the son? I don't think he is involved and he was never really mixed up in any heavy stuff. He was an attorney and went to all the funerals, set up meetings, things like that. I think he was one of the guys Fosco accused of trying to extort him. I also believe that DiFronzo gave him a piece of some stuff in the EP area but a lot of it seemed legitimate or mostly so.

Seems to me that Jackie Jr. warrants being possibly included at least as a connected guy if not an associate (not a wiseguy per se of course but one of the important connected semi/legit guys who enable or further Outfit interests).

Wasn't Jack Jr also involved in the Fratto/Degironemo Mccormick Place thing with those Cleveland guys?

[PolackTony]

Great list guys, although Outfit does not have the same power as before until it has a lot of people involved, from what I read I thought it had a maximum of 40 members and associates.

Thanks man. If you ask me, there are between 10 and 15 active members and between 50 and 60 associates....

You said you believe history tends to repeat itself, do you believe that Outfit will be extinct and other gangs will take over as it did in the 1920s to 1930s?

This was already happening by the 70s and 80s. Street gangs in Chicago reached a scale of organization and membership unlike any other city and were basically organized crime syndicates in their own right (some with thousands or 10s of thousands in membership just in the city and suburbs). Since the 90s the large black gangs have been greatly weakened in terms of their ability to coordinate and exert political and business influence. At this point the black gangs have largely splintered into numerous little neighborhood cliques that are engaged in idiotic internecine warfare between little blocks of guys, a far cry from something like the El Rukns in the 80s. Much of the violence today in Chicgao is driven by the petty tat for tat vendettas of these little splinter groups that are sections of legacy organizations like the GDs or Blackstones mostly in name only at this point. Many of the Latino gangs remain highly organized and cohesive though. The most structured, unified, and powerful criminal syndictate in Chicagoland today is almost without doubt the Almighty LKs.

What is LKS?

Almighty Latin King Nation. They began in the 1950s and remain a very large, enduring, and vertically organized criminal force in Chicago (not the copycat wannabe versions that have sprouted in NYC or CT).

[PolackTony]

Great list guys, although Outfit does not have the same power as before until it has a lot of people involved, from what I read I thought it had a maximum of 40 members and associates.

Thanks man. If you ask me, there are between 10 and 15 active members and between 50 and 60 associates....

You said you believe history tends to repeat itself, do you believe that Outfit will be extinct and other gangs will take over as it did in the 1920s to 1930s?

This was already happening by the 70s and 80s. Street gangs in Chicago reached a scale of organization and membership unlike any other city and were basically organized crime syndicates in their own right (some with thousands or 10s of thousands in membership just in the city and suburbs). Since the 90s the large black gangs have been greatly weakened in terms of their ability to coordinate and exert political and business influence. At this point the black gangs have largely splintered into numerous little neighborhood cliques that are engaged in idiotic internecine warfare between little blocks of guys, a far cry from something like the El Rukns in the 80s. Much of the violence today in Chicgao is driven by the petty tat for tat vendettas of these little splinter groups that are sections of legacy organizations like the GDs or Blackstones mostly in name only at this point. Many of the Latino gangs remain highly organized and cohesive though. The most structured, unified, and powerful criminal syndictate in Chicagoland today is almost without doubt the Almighty LKs.

What is LKS?

Almighty Latin King Nation. They began in the 1950s and remain a very large, enduring, and vertically organized criminal force in Chicago (not the copycat wannabe versions that have sprouted in NYC or CT).

Other large and still highly vertically organized Latino gangs in Chicago include the Gangster Two Six, Satan's Disciples, Maniac Latin Disciples, and Insane Spanish Cobras. Lots of smaller but very well armed Latino groups of course, who control drug territory in specific neighborhoods. All of these organizations have been around since the 50s/60s and are enduring crikinal Syndicates, rather than the ephemeral or loosely organized groups that the term "gang" connotes.

[PolackTony]

Great list guys, although Outfit does not have the same power as before until it has a lot of people involved, from what I read I thought it had a maximum of 40 members and associates.

Thanks man. If you ask me, there are between 10 and 15 active members and between 50 and 60 associates....

You said you believe history tends to repeat itself, do you believe that Outfit will be extinct and other gangs will take over as it did in the 1920s to 1930s?

This was already happening by the 70s and 80s. Street gangs in Chicago reached a scale of organization and membership unlike any other city and were basically organized crime syndicates in their own right (some with thousands or 10s of thousands in membership just in the city and suburbs). Since the 90s the large black gangs have been greatly weakened in terms of their ability to coordinate and exert political and business influence. At this point the black gangs have largely splintered into numerous little neighborhood cliques that are engaged in idiotic internecine warfare between little blocks of guys, a far cry from something like the El Rukns in the 80s. Much of the violence today in Chicgao is driven by the petty tat for tat vendettas of these little splinter groups that are sections of legacy organizations like the GDs or Blackstones mostly in name only at this point. Many of the Latino gangs remain highly organized and cohesive though. The most structured, unified, and powerful criminal syndictate in Chicagoland today is almost without doubt the Almighty LKs.

What is LKS?

Almighty Latin King Nation. They began in the 1950s and remain a very large, enduring, and vertically organized criminal force in Chicago (not the copycat wannabe versions that have sprouted in NYC or CT).

Other large and still highly vertically organized Latino gangs in Chicago include the Gangster Two Six, Satan's Disciples, Maniac Latin Disciples, and Insane Spanish Cobras. Lots of smaller but very well armed Latino groups of course, who control drug territory in specific neighborhoods. All of these organizations have been around since the 50s/60s and are enduring crikinal Syndicates, rather than the ephemeral or loosely organized groups that the term "gang" connotes.

What sets the Outfit apart from these organizations is not control of street turf or force of arms etc. It's the remaining significant business and real estate interests controlled by Outfit guys and their family members and associates, as well as their links to corrupt police and public officials (much more so in the suburbs today than the city of course). Much of what remains of the Outfit today consists of semi legit and crooked business dealings lubricated by connections to corrupt figures in suburban government.

[aleksandrored]

Great list guys, although Outfit does not have the same power as before until it has a lot of people involved, from what I read I thought it had a maximum of 40 members and associates.

Thanks man. If you ask me, there are between 10 and 15 active members and between 50 and 60 associates....

You said you believe history tends to repeat itself, do you believe that Outfit will be extinct and other gangs will take over as it did in the 1920s to 1930s?

This was already happening by the 70s and 80s. Street gangs in Chicago reached a scale of organization and membership unlike any other city and were basically organized crime syndicates in their own right (some with thousands or 10s of thousands in membership just in the city and suburbs). Since the 90s the large black gangs have been greatly weakened in terms of their ability to coordinate and exert political and business influence. At this point the black gangs have largely splintered into numerous little neighborhood cliques that are engaged in idiotic internecine warfare between little blocks of guys, a far cry from something like the El Rukns in the 80s. Much of the violence today in Chicgao is driven by the petty tat for tat vendettas of these little splinter groups that are sections of legacy organizations like the GDs or Blackstones mostly in name only at this point. Many of the Latino gangs remain highly organized and cohesive though. The most structured, unified, and powerful criminal syndictate in Chicagoland today is almost without doubt the Almighty LKs.

What is LKS?

Almighty Latin King Nation. They began in the 1950s and remain a very large, enduring, and vertically organized criminal force in Chicago (not the copycat wannabe versions that have sprouted in NYC or CT).

Other large and still highly vertically organized Latino gangs in Chicago include the Gangster Two Six, Satan's Disciples, Maniac Latin Disciples, and Insane Spanish Cobras. Lots of smaller but very well armed Latino groups of course, who control drug territory in specific neighborhoods. All of these organizations have been around since the 50s/60s and are enduring crikinal Syndicates, rather than the ephemeral or loosely organized groups that the term "gang" connotes.

What sets the Outfit apart from these organizations is not control of street turf or force of arms etc. It's the remaining significant business and real estate interests controlled by Outfit guys and their family members and associates, as well as their links to corrupt police and public officials (much more so in the suburbs today than the city of course). Much of what remains of the Outfit today consists of semi legit and crooked business dealings lubricated by connections to corrupt figures in suburban government.

Understand, thanks for the explanation fella.

[aleksandrored]

I found this book that talks about LKS, it seems to be interesting:

https://www.amazon.com/My-Bloody-Life-M ... B00IWGPD9C

[Snakes]

Great list guys, although Outfit does not have the same power as before until it has a lot of people involved, from what I read I thought it had a maximum of 40 members and associates.

Thanks man. If you ask me, there are between 10 and 15 active members and between 50 and 60 associates....

You said you believe history tends to repeat itself, do you believe that Outfit will be extinct and other gangs will take over as it did in the 1920s to 1930s?

This was already happening by the 70s and 80s. Street gangs in Chicago reached a scale of organization and membership unlike any other city and were basically organized crime syndicates in their own right (some with thousands or 10s of thousands in membership just in the city and suburbs). Since the 90s the large black gangs have been greatly weakened in terms of their ability to coordinate and exert political and business influence. At this point the black gangs have largely splintered into numerous little neighborhood cliques that are engaged in idiotic internecine warfare between little blocks of guys, a far cry from something like the El Rukns in the 80s. Much of the violence today in Chicgao is driven by the petty tat for tat vendettas of these little splinter groups that are sections of legacy organizations like the GDs or Blackstones mostly in name only at this point. Many of the Latino gangs remain highly organized and cohesive though. The most structured, unified, and powerful criminal syndictate in Chicagoland today is almost without doubt the Almighty LKs.

What is LKS?

Latin Kings

[PolackTony]

I found this book that talks about LKS, it seems to be interesting:

https://www.amazon.com/My-Bloody-Life-M ... B00IWGPD9C

The book is a good read and provides a very accurate depiction of gang life in the West Town/Humboldt Park Puerto Rican communities in the 70s. Latin Kings from that era have told me that they don't think any one actual person was involved in all of the events recounted there, and thus this guy pieced his account together from stories he heard from others. I went to grade school in the area and grew up there, and knew a lot of older gang members who were in the street during that era and some of the events recounted in the book definitely occured -- such as the infamous incident at El Caribe funeral home on Armitage Ave where the Kings stormed the funeral of an Imperial Gangster that they had killed, took his body out and threw it into the middle of the street and tore it to pieces with gunfire. While current events loom large in national headlines, Chicago has always been a very rough city.

[aleksandrored]

At the time I posted this video here about the new gangs in Chicago, it is interesting because it is from 1981:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBjnqYr4rs

[PolackTony]

At the time I posted this video here about the new gangs in Chicago, it is interesting because it is from 1981:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBjnqYr4rs

Yes this covers a bit on the El Rukns who I referenced above. None of these organizations were new in the early 80s, as they started several decades earlier. But by the 70s they began to grow into much more sophisticated and vertically structured criminal operations than the old turf gang/fighting clubs they had started as.

More relevant to the current thread, there are also a number of gangs that began as Italian youth organizations -- most notably the Gaylords, C-Notes, Taylor Jousters, and 12th St Players. A number of current Outfit guys such as Albie Vena, Paulie Carparelli, Bobby Panozzo, Paul Koroluk, started their criminal careers as gang members before "graduating" to the Mob.

[Villain]

Back during the 20s and 30, besides the 42's, i also remember reading about the alleged Grand Avenue Nobles and the Taylor Street Dukes...these groups really existed?

[Patrickgold]

I found this book that talks about LKS, it seems to be interesting:

https://www.amazon.com/My-Bloody-Life-M ... B00IWGPD9C

The book is a good read and provides a very accurate depiction of gang life in the West Town/Humboldt Park Puerto Rican communities in the 70s. Latin Kings from that era have told me that they don't think any one actual person was involved in all of the events recounted there, and thus this guy pieced his account together from stories he heard from others. I went to grade school in the area and grew up there, and knew a lot of older gang members who were in the street during that era and some of the events recounted in the book definitely occured -- such as the infamous incident at El Caribe funeral home on Armitage Ave where the Kings stormed the funeral of an Imperial Gangster that they had killed, took his body out and threw it into the middle of the street and tore it to pieces with gunfire. While current events loom large in national headlines, Chicago has always been a very rough city.

It’s an entertaining book but the author lost all credibility when he at first said it was a true story and then said it was a mixture of true events that he experienced and events that he was told happened. It’s fiction as far as I’m concerned but a very good read.

[PolackTony]

Back during the 20s and 30, besides the 42's, i also remember reading about the alleged Grand Avenue Nobles and the Taylor Street Dukes...these groups really existed?

The Grand Nobles I've only heard about in relation to the Prohibition era, and have seen no real info aside from the name. By the 1950s the main gangs that emerged in the Grand Ave neighborhood were the Gaylords at Erie and Noble, and the C-Notes at Ohio and Leavitt.

The Taylor Nobles and Taylor Dukes though still existed by the 1950s/60s. They were older Italian "greaser" gangs that were absorbed into the Taylor Jousters who became the dominant gang in the Taylor St area.

[Frank]

What about Jackie cerone? What’s his deal

Who, the son? I don't think he is involved and he was never really mixed up in any heavy stuff. He was an attorney and went to all the funerals, set up meetings, things like that. I think he was one of the guys Fosco accused of trying to extort him. I also believe that DiFronzo gave him a piece of some stuff in the EP area but a lot of it seemed legitimate or mostly so.

Seems to me that Jackie Jr. warrants being possibly included at least as a connected guy if not an associate (not a wiseguy per se of course but one of the important connected semi/legit guys who enable or further Outfit interests).

I would say there is a chance he was made.

[Villain]

Back during the 20s and 30, besides the 42's, i also remember reading about the alleged Grand Avenue Nobles and the Taylor Street Dukes...these groups really existed?

The Grand Nobles I've only heard about in relation to the Prohibition era, and have seen no real info aside from the name. By the 1950s the main gangs that emerged in the Grand Ave neighborhood were the Gaylords at Erie and Noble, and the C-Notes at Ohio and Leavitt.

The Taylor Nobles and Taylor Dukes though still existed by the 1950s/60s. They were older Italian "greaser" gangs that were absorbed into the Taylor Jousters who became the dominant gang in the Taylor St area.

Thanks a lot bud. These were multiethnic gangs right?