Gangs In Chicago - Wikipedia

Gang activities in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Chicago was described by a 2011 law enforcement report as "the most gang-occupied city in the United States," with 150,000 gang-affiliated residents,[1] representing more than 100 gangs.[2] Gangs were responsible for 61% of the homicides in Chicago in 2011.

In 2025 the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office reported a 30% drop in homicides in Chicago from January 1st, through June 30th. The city also saw about a 39% decrease in overall shootings from roughly the first six months of 2024 (1,029) to this year (623), according to data from the Chicago Police Department. Murders were also down 31% YoY.[3]

History

[edit]

The first gangs in Chicago were loosely organized groups of European immigrants in the late 1800s.

In 1910, Big Jim Colosimo founded the Chicago Outfit on the South Side.

In the early 1950s, immigration to Chicago had picked up considerably, namely to the West Side and parts of the South Side with many coming from Puerto Rico. Demographic shifts and conflicts around this time led to the formation of many gangs, and the inception of a broader gang culture in Humboldt Park, and around other parts of the city.

In the 1970s, gang-related crime and violence spiked, particularly with Hispanic-on-Hispanic homicides increasing in the summer of 1971 due to Latin Kings gang election meetings.[4]

In July 2021, federal agents participating in Operation Legend arrested 27 Black Disciples gang members associated with drugs and gun violations in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.[5]

In the first six months of 2025, Chicago saw a 33% reduction in homicides and a 38% reduction in shootings.[6]  

PBS interviewed Jeff Asher, co-founder of AH Datalytics' Real-time Crime Index. While noting that the cause of the decrease in violent crime is unknown, ("It's literally a billion-dollar question in terms of if you knew the amount of resources and effort that you would put into it would be tremendous"), Asher reported that after COVID, the US had increased spending on social programs: a 90% increase in construction from local and state governments on social and neighborhood centers, a 50% increase in public safety spending construction, and a 20% increase in highway spending from state and local governments.[7] He speculated that these investments in troubled neighborhoods may have helped reduce crime rates, though many of these social programs were subsequently cut by the Trump administration.

Causes

[edit]

Lack of opportunity and economic oppression especially in the form of redlining by Chicago's city hall and banks has caused working class citizens to turn to the sale of illicit drugs for income. Former Chicago Police Superintendent, Garry McCarthy, blamed Chicago's gang culture for its high rates of homicide and other violent crime, stating "It's very frustrating to know that it's like 7% of the population causes 80% of the violent crime... The gangs here are traditional gangs that are generational, if you will. The grandfather was a gang member, the father's a gang member, and the kid right now is going to be a gang member".[8]

Structure

[edit]

Most traditional Chicago street gangs, known as nations, fall under two main factions, called the People Nation and the Folk Nation. The People Nation has most, if not all, of its gangs under the "Almighty" moniker. The Folk Nation has most of its gangs divided into various sub-factions, the majority of which belong to an alliance called Latin Folks which are further divided into groups called Families. There are nations that are independent of both the Folk Nation and People Nation, such as the Black Soul Nation.[9][10][11]

Street gangs that are independent of Folks and People but retain similar identifiers and symbolism as well as maintain a hierarchical structure in membership are known as war crews. They do not identify as nations though they will engage in traditional gang activity and may conflict with nations as well as other crews. Street gangs that do not retain any semblance of traditional nations or war crews are known simply as cliques. Each individual gang is divided into sets which are territories spanning blocks or neighborhoods that may be combined to form supersets or divided further into subsets. Typically, a single set is based at a single intersection of city streets. There are currently over 90 active Chicago street gangs, with over 747 sets that have been identified by law enforcement.[12][13][14]

Modern street gangs

[edit]

Chicago-based street gang nations post-establishment of the Folk Nation and People Nation are as follows:[15][16][17]

Folk Nation

• Ambrose
• Ashland Vikings
• Black Disciples
• Boss Pimps
• Brazers
• C-Notes
• Campbell Boys
• Gangster Disciples
• Harrison Gents
• Imperial Gangsters
• Insane Deuces
• Insane Dragons
• Insane Gangster Satan Disciples
• Insane Guess Boys
• Insane Popes
• Insane Two-Two Nation
• Insane Two One Boys
• King Cobras
• Krazy Getdown Boys
• La Raza Nation
• Latin Disciples
• Latin Dragon Nation
• Latin Eagles
• Latin Jivers
• Latin Lovers
• Latin Souls
• Latin Stylers
• Milwaukee Kings[18]
• Morgan Boys
• Maniac Latin disciples
• Orquesta Albany
• Outlaw Gangsters
• Party People
• Racine Boys
• Ridgeway Lords
• Simon City Royal
• Sin City Boys
• Spanish Cobras
• Spanish Gangster Disciples
• Gangster Two-Six
• YLO Cobras
• YLO Disciples

People Nation

• Almighty Saints
• Almighty Vice Lord Nation
• Bishops
• Black P. Stones
• Chi-West
• Familia Stones
• Four Corner Hustlers
• Insane Popes
• Insane Unknowns
• Latin Angels
• Latin Brothers
• Latin Counts
• Latin Kings
• Latin Pachucos
• Latin Stones
• Mickey Cobras
• Noble Knights
• Party Players
• Spanish Lords
• Spanish Vice Lords
• Stoned Freaks
• Twelfth Street Players
• Villa Loboes

Independent Nations

• Black Gangsters
• Black Souls
• TAP Boyz
• Jousters

See also

[edit]

• Crime in Chicago
• Gangs in the United States

References

[edit]

1. ^ "Chicago Most Gang-Infested City in U.S., Officials Say". NBC Chicago. January 26, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
2. ^ "Chicago Gang Violence: By The Numbers". Abcnews.go.com. October 18, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
3. ^ Rodgers, Nate (2025-06-30). "Chicago sees 33% drop in homicides through first half of 2025, data shows". FOX 32 Chicago. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
4. ^ "Latin Kings 1971-72 Election Meetings". Retrieved October 3, 2019.
5. ^ CHICAGO BLACK DISCIPLES GANG LEADER AMONG 23 CHARGED IN FEDERAL INVESTIGATION, OFFICIALS SAY ABC7 Chicago, July 19, 2020
6. ^ "FACT SHEET: City of Chicago Continues to Record Historic Declines in Violent Crime Under Mayor Brandon Johnson". City of Chicago Website | Office of the Mayor. August 25, 2025.
7. ^ "Chicago sees historic drop in violent crime during first half of 2025". PBS.org. July 3, 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
8. ^ "Gangs and guns fuel Chicago's summer surge of violence". Pbs.org. July 20, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
9. ^ Jones, Zachary 2023. "Notorious Street Gangs". Chicago Gang History. Retrieved August 2, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
10. ^ "Gang Areas in Chicago". Uic.edu. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
11. ^ "Dedicated to 20th Century Gang History". Chicago Gang History. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
12. ^ "Chicago Street Gangs". Chicago Gang History. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
13. ^ "Gang Areas in Chicago". Uic.edu. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
14. ^ "Dedicated to 20th Century Gang History". Chicago Gang History. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
15. ^ "Gang Name Lookup". Illinois State Police. January 8, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
16. ^ "Chicago Police Department Gang Maps". Chicago Police Department. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
17. ^ Zachary "Zook" Jones. "Notorious Street Gangs". Chicago Gang History.
18. ^ "Northern District of Illinois | Two Men Indicted on Federal Racketeering Charges for Allegedly Murdering Teenager to Increase Position in Chicago Street Gang | United States Department of Justice". 7 June 2024.

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

v t e Chicago
Architecture Beaches Climate tornadoes Colleges and universities Community areas Crime gangs Culture Demographics Economy companies Expressways Flag Geography Government Harbor History politics timeline Landmarks Literature Media newspapers Metropolitan area Museums Neighborhoods Parks list People music musicians theater Public schools list Skyscrapers Sports Tourism Transportation Visual arts
Portal Category

v t e Gangs
List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates
Aspects andcomponents	Population Tattoo Sign Colors Patch Turf war Role Boss List Gangster Gun moll Henchman Informant
Types	Banditry Drug cartel Front organization Mafia Organized crime Outlaw motorcycle club Prison gang
By location	Australia Bangladesh Belize Canada Germany India Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Peru Philippines South Africa United Kingdom Glasgow Liverpool United States California Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Chicago Georgia Memphis New Orleans Prison gangs U.S. military List
Financial regulation	Cryptocurrency and crime Hawala
Commons Wiktionary