Gangster Disciples - Wikipedia

American street gang "Growth & Development" redirects here. For the album by 22Gz, see 22Gz § Musical career. Criminal organization Gangster Disciples

Founded	1966; 60 years ago (1966)
Founder	Larry Hoover
Named after	Supreme Gangsters, Devils Disciples, Black Gangster Disciples
Founding location	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Years active	1966–present
Territory	Chicago, Illinois; New York City; Richmond, Virginia; Norfolk, Virginia; Indianapolis Indiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; Indiana; Jackson, Mississippi; Nashville, Tennessee; Huntsville, Alabama; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Florida; Massachusetts Northeastern; Midwestern; Denmark; France; United Kingdom; Mexico; Germany; Sweden[1][2]
Ethnicity	Primarily African American[3]
Membership (est.)	30,000 members in Chicago and spreading into at least 35 other states with several thousand more members. Membership-count overseas remains unknown.[4]
Leader	Larry Hoover (formerly)
Activities	Drug-Trafficking, assault, firearms-violations, fraud, homicide, money-laundering, organized crime[5]
Allies	Sureños 13[6] Folk Nation[1] Simon City Royals[7] Tiny Rascal Gang (in Michigan)[8]
Rivals	Black P. Stones[1] Black Disciples (conflict)[9] Bloods[6][10] Latin Kings[1] People Nation[1] Vice Lords[1] Mickey Cobras[11]
Notable members	Lil JoJoFamous DexFBG Duck22GzSahBabiiUgly GodYoung Pappy

The Gangster Disciple Nation (often abbreviated as the GDs; formally GDN, or simply Gangster Disciples), also known as Growth & Development, is an African-American street- and prison-gang founded by Larry Hoover (born 1950) in 1960. In 1968, he and his ex-rival David Barksdale (1947–1974), founder of the Black Disciples, came together to form the Black Gangster Disciple Nation (BGDN).

Post-1989, following growing tension between its component parts, the BGDN split into two new factions: Larry Hoover's Gangster Disciple Nation (GDN) and the Black Disciple Nation (BDN). As of 2022[update], following Hoover's departure, the GDN has no full-time gang leader.[12][need quotation to verify]

History

[edit]

The origins of the Gangster Disciples began in Englewood (in Chicago, Illinois's South Side) in 1964, when then 13-year-old Larry 'The King' Hoover joined a small street gang called the 'Supreme Gangsters'. For years, the Supreme Gangsters had an outstanding war with the Black Disciples Nation, led by David Barksdale.[13] In 1969, Hoover and Barksdale agreed to a ceasefire. This resulted in the creation of the Black Gangster Disciple Nation.[14][15] By the early 1970s, the BGDN dominated the Chicago gang scene. Barksdale died of kidney failure in 1974, at the age of 27.[16] Following his death, Hoover assumed full control of the Black Gangster Disciples.

Folks Nation

[edit] See also: Folk Nation

In 1978, the BGDN began to splinter into three distinct factions: Black Gangsters, Black Disciples and Gangster Disciples; however, Hoover (at the time incarcerated on murder charges) prevented it by quickly setting up an alliance of all street and prison gangs in his interest into one family.[17][18]

The alliance consisted of Gangster Disciples, Black Disciples, Satan Disciples, Latin Disciples, Spanish Gangster Disciples, Ambrose, Two-One Boys, Two-Two Boys, Two-Sixers/Two-Six Boys, Simon City Royals, North Side Insane Popes, La Raza, Spanish Cobras, Imperial Gangsters, Harrison Gents, and the Latin Eagles.

Expansions

[edit]

The Gangster Disciples are active in over 100 cities and 50 states, predominantly in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States, and remnants also maintain a significant presence in the U.S. prison system.[3][1] The gang had between approximately 50,000 and 90,000 members.[19] The gang had expanded through the North and West Sides of Chicago, as well as Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Detroit, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Birmingham, Hattiesburg, and co-founder Hoover's birthplace of Jackson. They first emerged in significant numbers in Memphis, Tennessee in the 1980s, the first modern street gang to do so.[20][21]

Splintering of the Black Disciples

[edit]

In 1989, Hoover's attention of the Black Gangster Disciples began to die down as he focused solely on the Gangster Disciples, enraging parts of the BGDN's subsets and the Folk Nation.[17] Members of the Black Disciples decided to splinter from the Black Gangster Disciples, resulting in the reinvention of the original gang name and the incorporation of the new Gangster Disciples. Other members who felt disrespected by Hoover's declining orders decided to get his attention again by instigating gang-related shootings toward the new GD's.[22][23] Two noted shootings that related to the dispute between the two Disciple gangs was a drug-related shooting that killed some members of the Gangster Disciples and the 1991 revenge murder of Black Disciple leader Mickey "Bull" Johnson.[24]

Notable incidents of gang-related violence

[edit] See also: Gang presence in the United States military and Gang violence

On July 3, 2005, men claiming to be members of the Gangster Disciples street gang killed Sergeant Juwan Johnson of the U.S. Army in the small town of Hohenecken (part of the city of Kaiserslautern) near Ramstein, Germany. Prosecutors accused U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Rico Williams of being the first one to start attacking Johnson in a six-minute beating that he had to endure to join the gang. After the beating Johnson asked one of his fellow gang members to take him to the hospital. Williams then ordered his gang members not to take him there. Johnson later died from multiple blunt-force trauma injuries.[25][26][27] According to the government's investigations, Williams was the leader of the gang set operating on base. Senior Airman Williams was sentenced to 22 years in prison, while other servicemen faced sentences ranging from 2 to 12 years. Some of the charges against the servicemen were: Williams, second-degree murder and witness tampering; Air Force Staff Sergeant Jerome Jones, conspiracy to commit assault, gang participation, and other charges; Airman Nicholas Sims and Army Sergeant Rodney Howell; involuntary manslaughter; Private Terrance Norman, voluntary manslaughter.[28][26][29]

The Gangster Disciples were implicated in the Lester Street Massacre, the name given to the 2008 murders of gang member Cecil Dotson Sr., his fiancée Marissa Williams, fellow member Hollis Seals, and his girlfriend Shindri Roberson. Also killed were Cecil and Marissa's 4-year-old son Cemario and Cecil's son with Erica Smith, 2-year-old Cecil Dotson II. The toddler had been spending the night with his father and siblings. Severely injured in the attack were Cecil and Marissa's other three children nine-year-old Cecil Dotson Jr., five-year-old Cedric and two-month-old Ce'niyah.[30] Allegations were originally made that the Gangster Disciples were responsible for the event which came to be known as "The Lester Street Massacre" and was featured in two separate episodes of The First 48 on A&E. Cecil and his family were butchered by Dotson's own brother, Jessie Dotson, who eventually confessed to the killings. He was convicted on all counts and sentenced to six death sentences plus 120 years for the three children (his niece and nephews) that he attempted to kill. The Gangster Disciples were cleared of any involvement.[30]

On July 21, 2020, a car pulled up to a funeral home in Chicago's Englewood area, and two gunmen infiltrated the property, opening fire. Fifteen people were wounded, with no reported fatalities. The funeral was for a victim killed a week prior, and was allegedly involving a dispute between two Gangster Disciples factions.[31] At least 60 shots were fired, and there were victims "all up and down 79th street".[32]

Arrests and incarcerations

[edit]

In 1989, a member of the Gangster Disciples was arrested on felony drug-related offenses. He was found guilty and sentenced to 28 years in prison.[24]

On April 27, 2016, 32 members of Gangster Disciples were arrested on RICO charges by federal agents. Among the 32 arrested was a former Atlanta-area police officer who prosecutors say was a hit man for the gang. The indictment alleges that Gangster Disciples members committed 10 murders, 12 attempted murders, 2 robberies, the extortion of rap artists to force the artists to become affiliated with the Gangster Disciples, and fraud resulting in losses of over $450,000. In addition, the Gangster Disciples trafficked in large amounts of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, illegal prescription drugs, and marijuana. The indictment also seek forfeiture of 34 different firearms seized as part of the investigation.[33]

On January 25, 2021, seven members of the gang throughout Naperville, Illinois, and Cape Girardeau, Missouri, were all arrested and charged with RICO-related federal charges.[34] The charges alleged that on April 28, 2018, three members under a leader's order, allegedly killed Leroy Allen as part of a leadership dispute at a Gangster Disciples meeting in Bridgeton, Missouri. A month later, on May 18, two other members allegedly killed Ernest Wilson, a rival board member, in Chicago. Other acts of violence alleged as part of the conspiracy include a nightclub stabbing in East St. Louis, Illinois, a nonfatal shooting in Cape Girardeau and multiple unsuccessful murder plots.[35] The seven-member indictment also claimed drug trafficking by two members, including a scheme to smuggle the synthetic drug "K2" into a Scott County, Missouri state prison.[34]

On February 25, 2025, reputed Gangster Disciples gang member and sex offender James Robert Stiver was captured in El Paso, Texas.[36]

Indictment, incarceration and departure of Larry Hoover

[edit]

On August 22, 1995, after a 17-year undercover joint investigation by the Illinois Department of Corrections, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Hoover was arrested for conspiracy, extortion, money laundering, drug-related offenses, and continuing to engage in a criminal enterprise.[37] The investigation used wiretaps to determine that Hoover was still operating in illegal activities within the GDs. In 1997, he stood trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.[38] Hoover was found guilty on all charges. He was sentenced to three additional life terms in federal prison. Hoover is currently serving his sentence at the ADX Florence in Fremont County, Colorado.[39]

In July 2022, Hoover claimed to have renounced his gang ties, ending his affiliation with the Gangster Disciples.[40]

Symbolism/colors

[edit]

The predominant symbols of this gang are the trident and the Star of David, the former a reference to Folk Nation, and the latter a reference to co-founder David Barksdale, also known as King David.[41][42]

See also

[edit]

• OutLaw Gangster Disciples
• Gangs in Chicago

References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g Cartels and Gangs in Chicago dea.gov (May 2017)
2. ^ [1] justice.gov
3. ^ a b The Gangster Disciples Archived January 20, 2022, at the Wayback Machine justice.gov
4. ^ "Gangster Disciples: A Gang Profile | Office of Justice Programs".
5. ^ "National Gang Threat Assessment 2009". National Gang Intelligence Center. January 2009. Archived from the original on December 14, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
6. ^ a b Here's what we know about the Gangster Disciple governor who was sentenced to 10 years in prison Echo Day, The Leader (December 12, 2019)
7. ^ Community help movement ripped straight from gang literature Therese Apel, WLBT (November 3, 2019)
8. ^ "Street gangs in the greater Holland area" (PDF). Grand Valley State University. p. 2.
9. ^ Eligon, John (December 22, 2016). "Bored, Broke and Armed: Clues to Chicago's Gang Violence". The New York Times. ISSN 1553-8095. OCLC 1645522. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
10. ^ Follow Up: Man Charged in Cold Case Murder Caitlin Burgess, Patch (July 20, 2012)
11. ^ GANG THREAT ANALYSIS: The Black Disciples George Knox, (2004)
12. ^ "Notorious Chicago gang leader, Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover requests early release again". ABC7 Chicago. July 8, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2023. Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover has written to a federal judge asking for his life sentence to be reduced, saying he is no longer the man convicted of murder and running the gang from prison.
13. ^ "Black Gangster Disciples". gangresearch.net. Archived from the original on December 6, 2003. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
14. ^ "Black Gangster Disciple Nation". Chicago Gang History. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
15. ^ "Black Gangster Disciples Nation". January 31, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
16. ^ "David Barksdale (1947–1974) •". April 1, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
17. ^ a b Knox, George. "Gang Threat Analysis: The Black Disciples". National Gang Crime Research Center. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
18. ^ "Folk Nation". Chicago Gang History. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
19. ^ "National Gang Threat Assessment 2009 – Appendix B. Street Gangs". National Gang Intelligence Center. January 2009. Archived from the original on February 28, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
20. ^ Gang Task Force Archived March 5, 2021, at the Wayback Machine covingtontn.com
21. ^ On Your Side Investigation: The City of Hattiesburg's gang problem
22. ^ Pick, Grant (June 9, 1994). "Once a Gangbanger". Chicago Reader. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
23. ^ "Chicago Gang War Stories". www.nealirc.org. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
24. ^ a b "Black Disciples". Chicago Gang History. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
25. ^ "Airman convicted of murder in 2005 Gangster Disciples initiation death". stripes.com. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
26. ^ a b "Former Air Force Airman Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison For Murder of Army Sergeant in Germany". justice.gov. November 15, 2010. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
27. ^ "Rico Williams sentenced to 22 years in 2005 slaying". wjla.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
28. ^ "Airman convicted of murder in 2005 Gangster Disciples initiation death". stripes.com. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
29. ^ "Rico Williams sentenced to 22 years in 2005 slaying". wjla.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
30. ^ a b Supreme Court of Tennessee at Jackson. State vs. Dotson. September 30, 2014. Find Law, caselaw.findlaw.com/tn-supreme-court/1679739.html
31. ^ "Gang feud likely cause of mass shooting at South Side funeral home, sources say". July 23, 2020.
32. ^ "Chicago Pastor on Mass Shooting: 'I Haven't Seen a Scene Like This'". WTTW News. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
33. ^ "Thirty-Two Gangster Disciples Members Federally Indicted on RICO Charges". justice.gov. May 4, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
34. ^ a b "Alleged Leaders of Gangster Disciples Indicted on Federal Racketeering Charges". www.justice.gov. January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
35. ^ Chapie, Alayna (January 27, 2021). "Cape Girardeau police chief reacts to those arrested on federal racketeering charges". KFVS12. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
36. ^ "Gang member arrested after fleeing from deputy in South-Central el Paso, Constable says". KTSM 9 News. February 26, 2025.
37. ^ "Larry Hoover & The Gangster Disciples". Drug Enforcement Administration. Archived from the original on June 26, 2013.
38. ^ "People v. Hoover, 35 Ill. App. 3d 799 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
39. ^ Binelli, Mark (March 26, 2015). "Inside America's Toughest Federal Prison". The New York Times. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
40. ^ "Larry Hoover tries again for sentencing break, says he wants 'nothing to do' with Gangster Disciples". July 7, 2022.
41. ^ "Gangster Disciples Meaning | Pop Culture by Dictionary.com". Dictionary.com. March 27, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
42. ^ "Drugs and Crime Gang Profile" (PDF). cryptome.org. 2003. Retrieved July 3, 2017.

External links

[edit]

• FBI file on the Gangster Disciples
• Gang Threat Analysis: The Black Disciples
• National Drug Intelligence Center document on the Vice Lords

v t e Organized crime groups in the United States
African-American	31 Gang 39ers gang Bailey Boys Black Disciples Black Guerrilla Family Black Mafia Junior Black Mafia Black Mafia Family Black P. Stone Nation Bloods Black Spades Bloods Black P. Stones Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods Cedar Block Piru Crenshaw Mafia Gangster Bloods Elm Street Piru Fruit Town Piru Mob Piru Nine Trey Gangsters Pirus Sex Money Murder Tree Top Piru United Blood Nation Byrd Gang CBL/BFL Chambers Brothers The Council Crips Grape Street Watts Crips Kelly Park Compton Crips Nutty Blocc Compton Crips Rollin' 30s Harlem Crips Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips Rollin' 90s Neighborhood Crips South Side Compton Crips Venice Shoreline Crips D-Block Boys D.C. Blacks The Family Four Corner Hustlers Fruit Belt Gang Gangster Disciples OutLaw Gangster Disciples Hidden Valley Kings KUMI 415 Lenox Street Boys LRGP Lucerne Street Doggz Metz Gang Miami Boys Mickey Cobras Orchard Park Trailblazers Savage Nomads Schuele Boys Somali Outlaws Supreme Team Vice Lord Nation Westmob Young Boys Inc.
East andSoutheast Asian	Asian Boyz (Southeast Asian) Bahala Na Gang (Filipino) Born To Kill (Vietnamese) Fullerton Boys (Korean) Menace of Destruction (Hmong) Satanas (Filipino) Tiny Rascal Gang (primarily Cambodian) Tokyo Boyz (Japanese) Yakuza (Japanese)
Chinese andChinese-American	Bamboo Union Big Circle Gang Black Dragons Chung Ching Yee Flying Dragons Four Seas Gang Fujianese organized crime Snakeheads Ghost Shadows Jackson Street Boys Ping On Tongs Bing Kong Four Brothers Hip Sing Hop Sing On Leong Suey Sing Ying On Triads 14K Sun Yee On Wo Hop To Wah Ching White Tigers
Hispanic andLatin American	10th Street Gang (primarily Hispanic, also African-Americans) 7th Street Gang Almighty Saints (primarily Hispanic, also Whites) Barrio Azteca (Mexican) The Corporation (Cuban) Dominicans Don't Play Fresno Bulldogs (Mexican) Ghetto Brothers Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos (primarily Mexican) Jheri Curls (Dominican) La Raza Nation (Mexican) Latin Counts (Mexican) Latin Eagles Latin Kings (Mexican / Puerto Rican) Maniac Latin Disciples Marielitos (Cuban) Mexican Mafia Mexikanemi MS-13 (Central American) Ñetas (Puerto Rican) Norteños (Mexican) Nuestra Familia (Mexican) Puro Tango Blast (Mexican) Savage Skulls Los Solidos Spanish Cobras Spanish Gangster Disciples Sureños (Mexican) 18th Street gang 38th Street gang Avenues Azusa 13 Barriox13 Culver City Boys El Monte Flores Florencia 13 Logan Heights Gang OVS Playboys Puente 13 Santa Monica 13 Toonerville Rifa 13 Varrio Nuevo Estrada Venice 13 Vineland Boys Westside Locos White Fence Temple Street Texas Syndicate (primarily Mexican) Tren de Aragua (Venezuelan) Trinitarios (Dominican) Vatos Locos Young Lords
White American	211 Crew Aryan Brotherhood Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Aryan Circle Aryan Nations Aryan Republican Army Chicago Gaylords Combat 18 The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord Dead Man Incorporated Dixie Mafia European Kindred Hammerskins Keystone United Lynwood Vikings Manson Family Nazi Lowriders The Order Popes Public Enemy No. 1 Simon City Royals (primarily White, also Hispanics) State Line Mob Soldiers of Aryan Culture Spook Hunters Universal Aryan Brotherhood Volksfront
European-American	Albanian mafia Albanian Boys Rudaj Organization Greek mafia Philadelphia Greek Mob Velentzas crime family Polish Mob Russian mafia Serbian mafia
Irish-American	Irish mob Charlestown Gang Egan's Rats Gustin Gang Hogan Gang K&A Gang Mullen Gang North Side Gang Westies White Hand Gang Winter Hill Gang
Italian andItalian-American	American Mafia Bufalino crime family Buffalo crime family Chicago Outfit Cleveland crime family Colorado crime family D'Aquila crime family Dallas crime family DeCavalcante crime family Detroit Partnership Five Families (New York City) Genna crime family Kansas City crime family Los Angeles crime family Lucchese crime family Milwaukee crime family Morello crime family New Orleans crime family Patriarca crime family Philadelphia crime family Pittsburgh crime family Rochester crime family San Francisco crime family San Jose crime family Seattle crime family St. Louis crime family Trafficante crime family 10th & Oregon Crew Broadway Mob Camorra New York City East Harlem Purple Gang Jousters Murder, Inc. 'Ndrangheta New Springville Boys Sicilian Mafia South Brooklyn Boys Tanglewood Boys
Jewish-American	Jewish Mob Bugs and Meyer Mob Eastman Gang Lenox Avenue Gang Murder, Inc. Odesa mafia Purple Gang Yiddish Black Hand Zwi Migdal Israeli mafia Abergil crime family New York divorce coercion gang
Polynesian andNative American	The Company Native Mob Red Skin Kingz Sons of Samoa Tongan Crip Gang
West and South Asian	Armenian Power Chaldean mafia Independent Soldiers Israeli mafia Punjabi mafia Turkish mafia VVT (Tamil)
West African	Cape Verdean organized crime Nigerian mafia
Outlaw motorcycle gangs	Bandidos Breed Brother Speed Devils Diciples Diablos Dirty Dozen El Forastero Free Souls Galloping Goose Grim Reapers Gypsy Jokers Hells Angels Red Devils Highwaymen Iron Horsemen Mongols Outlaws Black Pistons Pagans Sons of Satan Sons of Silence Vagos Warlocks (Florida) Warlocks (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Wheels of Soul
See also Gangs in the United States List of gangs Organized crime groups in the Americas

v t e Organized crime groups in Chicago
African-American	Active Black Disciples Black P. Stones Four Corner Hustlers Gangster Disciples OutLaw Gangster Disciples Mickey Cobras Vice Lords
Chinese and Chinese-American	Active 14K Hip Sing Tong On Leong Tong
Hispanic and Latin American	Active Almighty Saints La Raza Nation Latin Counts Latin Eagles Latin Kings Maniac Latin Disciples Sinaloa Cartel Spanish Cobras Spanish Gangster Disciples Tren de Aragua Inactive Young Lords
Irish-American	Inactive North Side Gang Ragen's Colts Sheldon Gang Valley Gang
Italian-American	Active Chicago Outfit Inactive Forty-Two Gang Genna crime family Italian-American National Union
Jewish-American	Inactive Mike Heitler Samuel Morton
Middle Eastern	Inactive TAP Boyz
Outlaw motorcycle gangs	Active Hells Angels Hell's Lovers Outlaws Wheels of Soul
Polish-American	Inactive Hymie Weiss
White American	Active Gaylords Popes Simon City Royals Inactive Jousters
Events	The Battle of Barrington Black Hand Chicago circulation wars Gangster Disciples–Black Disciples conflict Operation Family Secrets Saint Valentine's Day Massacre
See also Chicago Crime Commission Folk Nation Gangs in Chicago History of gangs in Humboldt Park List of Chicago criminal organizations and crime bosses Timeline of organized crime in Chicago People Nation Organized crime groups in the United States