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Revision as of 23:48, 10 January 2008 by 72.153.41.233 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For other uses, see Latin kings (disambiguation). Criminal organization| Founded by | Papa Santos |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Chicago,Illinois/New York,New York  |
| Years active | 1940 - present |
| Territory | Chicago,Illinois/New York,New York and most big cities in the USA |
| Ethnicity | mostly Hispanic |
| Membership (est.) | 20,000-25,000 |
| Criminal activities | Drug trafficking, robbery, extortion, murder |
| Rivals | Folk Nation, Trinitarios,, United Blood Nation, Crips,, Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Brotherhood, Mara Salvatrucha. |
The Latin Kings is a Chicago based street gang consisting of mainly Latino members. They are part of the People Nation alliance. It began as a social organization for the advancement of the Latino community in the Chicago area in the 1940s and has since spread to U.S. cities, throughout Latin America, and into Europe, specifically Spain.
By the 1970s, the Latin Kings came to be dominated by individuals engaged in criminal activity, and in particular, narcotics trafficking.
The Latin Kings History
The first evidence of the Latin Kings was 1961, but became organized on wider scale by 1966. The Latin Kings started in the Humboldt Park section of the North Side in Chicago, Illinois and stood for Puerto Rican Pride and Independence from the United States. Members soon became involved in criminal activities. At the time, the Vice Lords and Gaylords were the Latin Kings' only enemies. Since then, many Latino Gangs started appearing in Chicago and started feuds with the Latin Kings.
Urban gangs, including the Latin Kings, would receive benefits for working and meeting with social workers. These perks included trips, boating, horseback riding, and other activities. The more dangerous the government perceived a gang, the more likely the gang was to receive benefits. The Latin Kings took advantage of these perks by acting "bad" and gaining government sympathy. Today, the government no longer provides perks of any kind to gangs.
In Chicago and in New York, the Latin Kings have 25,000 members and are the largest Latino gang in the city. Their symbols include the five point star (which represents their alliance to the People Nation), the Master, Lions, and a five point crown. A perfect example of the Latin Kings' violence (to rival gangs and their own members) can be found in the book My Bloody Life: The Making of Latin King. The book was authored by a former Chicago Latin King. Other information on the Latin Kings can be found on .
References