by Kemosave » January 25th, 2005, 9:03 pm
Serious. Welcome back blackmanofhonor. I apologize for cosigning too much early on but I'm a cosign you here because you are right.
With an estimated membership of 30,000 - operating in prison and on the streets - the Gangster Disciples are the largest and most organized street gang in Chicago; quite possibly America. Under the leadership of Larry Hoover, who has controlled the gang from prison since becoming incarcerated in the early 70s, the Gangster Disciple Nation has become Chicago's largest criminal organization. The prison system propelled the growth of the Gangster Disciple Nation (GDN) into the large, sophisticated powerhouse it is today, as the group was able to recruit incarcerated youth, who upon returning to the streets would then recruit more members from their respective neighborhoods. Hoover was a principle founder of the Folks Alliance, which was formed in 1978 within the correctional facilities. During the 80s and thereafter, the Black Gangster Disciples, now known as the Gangster Disciples, or GDN, grew at an unprecedented pace. This was in the wake of the destruction of the El Rukns street gang, which was targeted by the federal government in the mid-80s. Because of the void, the GDN would gain even further influence, becoming the largest organized street gang in America by the early 90s. Prior to and during this time, the organization was able to secure control of about 3/4 of the Englewood neighborhood, a control or presence in nearly every housing project, areas of control on the far north side, the far south side, the surrounding suburbs, and seemingly everywhere in between. Their principle income involves and selling of narcotics: primarily crack cocaine, marijuana, and heroin. The GDN are also known to "rent" out drug territory to independent dealers, and have a fierce reputation for engaging in assault and murder to protect their drug turf. In the early 90s, the gang attempted to re-invent it's image as a political organization by initiating 21st Century V.O.T.E. and encouraging it's members to get involved in local politics. Recently, Larry Hoover was convicted of an ongoing drug conspiracy stemming from "Operation Headache”; he was sentenced to time in federal prison, already adding to his 200-year term sentence for a murder he committed in 1972. After his conviction, along with other high ranking GDs, many of the gang's branches became disorganized and broke away into "renegade" factions, and in some cases civil war. Incidents of violence in Cabrini-Green, the Robert Taylor Homes, Englewood, Jeffery Manor, and other locales have occurred pitting GD factions against one another. In addition, many of the Gangster Disciple's drug territory concentrated within the city's public housing has been demolished or is in the process of being demolished: high rise buildings in the Robert Taylor Homes, Cabrini-Green, Stateway Gardens, Henry Horner Homes and Rockwell Gardens are all scheduled to be completely demolished by 2007. This will cut into the gang's drug profit significantly, as the GDN were estimated to bring in over $1 million per year from illegal drug sells in the Robert Taylor Homes alone. Nevertheless, the Gangster Disciples still operate on the streets, in the remaining housing projects, and in prisons with the ultimate goal of making profits from drug sells. Their main sphere of influence includes the neighborhoods of Englewood, Roseland, Morgan Park, Rogers Park, Uptown, Garfield Park, Lawndale, Near West, Bronzeville, Washington Park, Park Manor, Auburn-Gresham, Calumet Heights, Avalon Park, Jeffery Manor, South Chicago, Burnside, Chatham Avalon, and dozens of Chicago-land suburbs as well as satellite branches in over 30 states.
