Chicago holds the third position in population in the US states. The city has a population of about 746388 people. Also, this city has the highest density of population in the Midwest. The city, Cook County, is the center of Chicago.
The city Chicago is known as the most gang-occupied in the United States. There are over 70 gangs that have 150,000 members in them. Vengeance and Gang Battle happens very often in this city. According to a report, 61% of the homicides were committed by the Gangs in 2011 and the situation has not changed over the years.
According to a 2024 report, there are about 59 Active Gangs in Chicago. The most egregious gang is Gangster Disciples. And the other is the Black Disciples. These two gangs are always against each other. Some well known artists like Fredo Santana, Drill Rappers Chief Keef and Lil Durk are involved in Black Disciples.
In the summer of 1971, the number of chaos and homicides increased a lot and it is known as Hispanic-on-Hispanic homicides. The reason behind this chaotic situation was the Latin Kings gang election meetings. There is another incident that happened in July 2021. The federal agents who were associated with Operation Legend arrested 27 Black Disciples underground gang members. The gang members were involved in drug dealing and gun violations in Englewood.
The Keys to Understand Chicago Gangs Map
Red: Black P. Stones
Green: Mickey Cobras and Spanish Cobras
Dark Blue: Gangster Disciples
Gold: Vice Lords and Latin Kings
Light Blue: Black and Maniac Latin Disciples
Map and Breakdown of Chicago Gang Areas
There are numerous gangs in every corner of Chicago. Here we have pointed out the most notorious areas on this map. This map illustrates the important backgrounds of the city gangs. They are found everywhere in the city, from every corner to the center, especially the Chicago ghetto areas.
#South Side of Chicago Hoods
Not so many black people lived on the South Side of Chicago earlier. Only a few black people were found there. Basically, this was a neighborhood for the white people. But the scenario had been changed after the rise of Chicago Gangs.
Actually, it happened in the 1960s and 1970s, after the urban renewal of the Black people of Bronzeville ( also known as the Low Ends). This movement came to an end when a housing project started. The project was for the black people. A huge number of people from the black community shifted to the South area during the time.
After moving to the South Side, they started to build up their neighbourhoods first, for example, Englewood or Back of the Yards. They expanded from Auburn Gresham to Roseland and West Pullman. Later, Roseland and West Pullman became known as the Wild Hundreds. This area turned into a central place for Chicago Gangs. They started to get themselves involved in drug dealings and gun business.
That is how the history of Chicago gangs was founded in the South area. One of the most terrifying and known gangs ‘Gangster Disciples’ was built up in Englewood. Once upon a time, there were gangs only for white people and some mixed gangs for both white and black people.
#North Side of Chicago Hoods
The North Side has given birth to some most known gangs. Once the most notorious housing project of Cabrini Green was in the North Side. People know this area because of Marshal Field also. South Pole is another name for the South Side. This is the center of numerous Hispanic and black gangs that are involved in dirty politics and various crimes for a long time.
The main ganghood of the North Side was the Cabrini Green earlier. But now the central office of the North Side is the apartment named Marshall Field Complex.
The Cabrini Green was demolished for some reasons and the Marshall Field took its place afterwards.
Since the 1970s and 1980s, the diverse community of African Americans and Latinos who have been living in the North Pole, started to make their place here. They are found from Rogers Park to the Uptown neighborhood. The area witnesses a lot of chaos very often due to the clashes between gangs.
#West Side of Chicago Hoods
The West Side has not gotten as much attention from the media as the South Side. So many Chicago Gangs originated from this place. The gangs are involved in gun business, drug dealings and homicides. They have been ruling the area since the 90s.
The black community of Low Ends’ Brozeville and the Near West area was destroyed due to some conflicts.Later, the black people shifted to the centre of the West Side. The community enlarged their area from East to West, that is from Madison to North Landwale during the time of 70s and 80s. So many popular and unpopular gangs are found in this area now.
The gangs of the West Side were created for their own protection basically in the 1950s and 1960s. Here protection means keeping themselves safe from the other racial communities. Because black people are always considered lower class and they have been mistreated and deprived of human rights from a very early time. So the community decided to create a group of young people so that the outsiders could not harm them. Their goal was to get involved in local politics and create their own boundary. The largest gang was Vice Lords in the 1950s.
#East Side of Chicago Hoods
Like the other areas, the East side created a number of gangs too. The most notorious gang here is the Disciples Gang. The Vice Lord factions and the Four Corner Hustler Gang are also well known. The gang, Almighty Black P. Stone Nation is the gang which people discuss the most. The gangs have many crime records and homicides too.
The Blackstone and the Almighty Black P. Stone Nation started their gang with the name ‘Blackstone Rangers’ in the Woodlawn area in the 70s. Alex Albert Fort and John Bull Hairston are the leaders. They were leaders of ABPSN. The movement was led in the South Pole, the Low Ends, the East Side as well as many unpopular areas of the West area. It was spreaded in some cities outside of Chicago also. The smaller gangs like Spinoff Gangs, Titanic Stones, Mickey Cobras and Maniac Stones originated from the Black P. Stones.
Initially, the two gangs, the Black Disciples and the Gangster Disciples, took their names from the Devil Disciples, a name that they used around 53rd and Woodlawn where they both started their journeys. Except the Black P. Stones, these two gangs also have much of an activeness on the East Side of Chicago. They are found mostly around Cottage Grove, King Drive and in the South Shore.
The Chicago gangs have expanded their power play by removing gender discrimination. According to the survey of The Chicago Crime Commission, there are more than 20,000 female gang members where the total number is 1,00,000. Earlier the female members used to play minor roles or subservient roles in the gangs. Nevertheless, the scenario is getting changed gradually. The females are making their own groups and they are as active as the males in violence and crimes. However, the city Chicago has been covered with violence and crimes for over centuries and the number is increasing day by day.
Latino Community in Chicago Hoods
The Latino community of Mexicans and Puerto Ricans has many similarities with Chicago’s black community. This is especially with its gangs which include:
- Maniac Latin Disciples
- Latin Kings
- Satan Disciples
- Spanish Cobras
- And Gangster Two Six
Mexicans first settled in Pilsen and Back of the Yards in the 1910s after moving to Chicago. Following Pilsen’s urban renewal and the closure of the Back of the Yards Stockyards, Latinos populated Little Village and Cicero in the 1960s and 1970s. By the 1980s, the Latino population expanded into areas like Gage Park.
When Mexican migrants began moving into predominantly white neighborhoods, they established gangs such as
- The Satan Disciples
- The Ambrose
- And the La Raza
- The Bishops
Mexican gangs, like other Chicago gangs, grew as Mexicans migrated into predominantly white neighborhoods and started fighting other racist gangs. The Gangster 2-6 dominated Little Village because of their dislike of Latin Kings in other neighborhoods.
As Puerto Ricans began to settle in Chicago in the 1950s, most of them lived in Humboldt Park, with Division Street at its center. By the 1980s, there were over 100,000 Puerto Ricans living in neighborhoods such as Logan Square, Belmont Cragin, and Hermosa.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the increase in population caused problems with other races in the neighborhoods. Puerto Rican gangs were formed in response to the harassment they were experiencing from white gangs. In Logan Square, the Insane Albany Orchestra and Imperial Gangsters were born out of this, along with the Latin Kings on Spaulding Ave., the Maniac Latin Disciples around N. Rockwell, the Spanish Cobras along Campbell Ave., and the Maniac Latin Disciples around N. Rockwell.