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The Gangster Disciples are an
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
street A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, ...
and
prison gang A prison gang is an inmate organization that operates within a prison system. It has a corporate entity and exists into perpetuity. Its membership is restrictive, mutually exclusive, and often requires a lifetime commitment. Prison officials and ot ...
, which was formed in the
South Side of Chicago The South Side is an area of Chicago, Illinois, U.S. It lies south of the city's Loop area in the downtown. Geographically, it is the largest of the three sides of the city that radiate from downtown, with the other two being the north and we ...
in the late 1960s, by
Larry Hoover Larry Hoover (born November 30, 1950)"Larry Hoover"
''Biography.com''. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
...
, leader of the Supreme Gangsters, and
David Barksdale David Barksdale (born Donise David Barksdale; May 24, 1947 – September 2, 1974), also known as King David, was an American gangster and activist from Chicago, Illinois. Barksdale was the founder of the Black Disciples. He and Larry Hoov ...
, leader of the
Black Disciples The Black Disciples (often abbreviated as BDN, BDN III, BD's) is a large street gang based in Chicago, Illinois, which received significant news coverage after the murder of one of their own members, an 11-year-old named Robert Sandifer. Hi ...
. The two groups united to form the Black Gangster Disciple Nation (BGDN). The BGDN divided into different factions known today as the Gangster Disciples and Black Disciples.


Symbolism/colors

The predominant symbol of this gang is the six-pointed
Star of David The Star of David (). is a generally recognized symbol of both Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a hexagram: the compound of two equilateral triangles. A derivation of the ''seal of Solomon'', which was used for decorative ...
. The Gangster Disciples use the upward crossed pitchforks ("forks"). The organization's colors are black and blue.


History

The Gangster Disciples were established on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois in 1969 by
Larry Hoover Larry Hoover (born November 30, 1950)"Larry Hoover"
''Biography.com''. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
...
. Larry Hoover was the leader of his own gang called the Supreme Gangsters while David Barksdale was also the leader of his own gang called the Devil Disciples. Jamal Knowles (Alamo) is a leader in the community and is leading the way for young guys. They later united the two gangs in 1969 and called themselves the Black Gangster Disciples. The Gangster Disciples were active in 110 cities and in 31 states, predominantly in the
Midwestern The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
and
Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...
, and remnants also maintain a significant presence in the U.S. prison system. The gang had between approximately 50,000 and 90,000 members. The Gangster Disciples first emerged in significant numbers in
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
in the 1980s, the first modern street gang to do so.


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 The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
in the small town of
Hohenecken Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
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. 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. The Gangster Disciples were implicated in the 2008 murders of 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.Supreme Court of Tennessee at Jackson. State vs. Dotson. 30 Sept. 2014. Find Law, caselaw.findlaw.com/tn-supreme-court/1679739.html 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, 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. On April 27, 2016, 32 members of Gangster Disciples were arrested on
RICO The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. RICO was en ...
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. On July 21, 2020, a car pulled up at a funeral home in
Englewood, Chicago Englewood is a neighborhood and community area located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is also the 68th of the 77 community areas in the city. At its peak population in 1960, over 97,000 people lived in its approxima ...
and at least two gunmen inside opened 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. Larry Hoover states he has stepped down from and denounced the gang.


See also

* OutLaw Gangster Disciples *
Gangs in Chicago Chicago is considered the most gang-occupied city in the United States, with a population ranging from 100,000 active members from over 70 gangs with more than 150,000 members. Gang warfare and retaliation is common in Chicago. Gangs were respons ...


References


External links


FBI file on the Gangster DisciplesNational Drug Intelligence Center document on the Vice Lords
{{Organized crime groups in America Organizations established in 1968 1968 establishments in Illinois Street gangs African-American gangs Gangs in Chicago African-American history in Chicago United States military scandals Prison gangs in the United States