What is the biggest Mexican gang?

They first emerged in Chicago during the 1940s when several young Puerto Rican males organized into a club. Their goal was to help each other overcome the problems of racism and prejudice that newly arriving Puerto Ricans were experiencing and to better serve themselves and their communities. As time progressed, the group's members became involved in violent crimes including murders, drug trafficking and robberies. The Latin Kings rose to be one of the most feared and revered gangs inside and outside the penal system in the state of Illinois. The Latin Kings ordered "hits" against correctional officers, killed disobedient members and did not hesitate to commit violence against rival gang members. Latin King gang members would follow orders and vowed to lay down their lives for their "Nation". Unfortunately, this also meant extreme internal discipline and organized fear. One such story goes as follows:

In 1981, the leader of Chicago's southside chapter, one Raul Gonzalez (AKA "Baby King") of the Latin Kings had a "run in" with a member of the northside chapter of the Latin Kings. What happened was that the leader "Baby King" was basically "disrespected" by an inmate known as Carlos Robles. Because Rolez was basically in the same gang, just in a different geographical unit, Baby King approach the leader of the northside chapter of the LKN, Gino Colon, and got his "blessing" to change Carlos Robles permanently before he is released.

Two of the most whacked out Latin Kings of the southside LKN chapter were chosen for the "hit". Rolez was to be murdered. The way the "hit" was carried out was quite clever. The two Kings intending to kill Carlos, basically told him they were throwing him a "going away party". Carlos was scheduled to be paroled from Statesville Prison in two days when the hit took place in July, 1983. As is common in corrupting correctional staff, the two hitmen got permission from the cellhouse guard to use the basement for the going away party. The basement of the cellhouse unit has the showers the inmates use. Carlos entered the basement of the cellhouse with the two Kings for his "parole party". They proceeded to use their homemade weapons. Not little "shanks" as homemade knives are called, but rather the much larger Machetes, usually about two feet long and made out of heavy gauge steel. First they cut off Carlos' head. Then one arm, then the other arm. With a little hacking, off went one leg, then the other. They chopped at the torso, cutting it into smaller pieces. The head was the only body part that could not be sliced up into smaller pieces. The arms and legs were then chopped into smaller pieces. Blood was everywhere. But all they did was turn on the showers and let the blood run down the drain. Basically washing off the body parts.

Members of their own gang, cooperating upstairs in the cell house, helped next. As the two whacko hitmen placed the body parts into plastic bags, a "diversion" fight was staged. This allowed the two Kings to go through the tunnel which led to what was then the butcher shop area of the prisons kitchen. The Black inmate working in the butcher shop that day was a Gangster Disciple, and as a "Folks" gang, is always opposed to Latin Kings (a "Peoples" gang). The two Kings asked him for a favor, for which they would reward him with some drugs and cash money. They asked him to "grind" up the body parts in the older meat grinder that was there, a very large commercial grade meat grinder. On the menu for the evening meal that night at Stateville Penitentiary was "meat loaf". The GD in charge of the butcher shop, once offered the drugs and money to grind up the body parts, simply asked "who is in the bag". They replied "he is one of our own", not one of yours.

The GD agreed, and ground up the body parts with the pork and beef that was also going into the meat loaf for the evening meal. Shortly before the bells rung for the inmates to go to evening chow in the inmate dining room, two gangs already had much advance warning about what not to eat that night. The GD's and the Latin Kings spread the word amongst themselves: don't eat on the main line tonight. In the dining hall that night, only the gangs that did not know the real recipe for the meatloaf ate their food.

No traces of the skin, bones, teeth, or blood of Carlos Robles were ever found. That is for years. The skull bone apparently simply "rolled around" in the meat grinder like a basketball spinning on a net rim, and thus it had to be buried. The skull was dug up in 1995 in the yard at Stateville (see: "Skull Dug up in Stateville Prison", Chicago Tribune, April 16, 1995, p. 2).

The Latin Kings are the largest Hispanic gang in Chicago and the largest Chicago-based street gang in the United States. Although the majority of Latin Kings in Chicago are of Latino American descent, they have members of all races. The gang has organized chapters in numerous states across the country. These gang sets are referred as to as "Chapters", with each reporting to an Inca and Caciqa. The head (or heads) of the entire criminal organization are known as "Coronas".

Some of the characteristics that sets the Latin Kings apart from other gangs is they consider themselves to be a community-based organization. Because of their apparent contradictions, it is often debated about whether they are a criminal organization or a positive force in the community (as they have obviously taken on both roles at different points in time, as well as simultaneously). They preach Hispanic pride and all Latin Kings are encouraged to live in accordance with the principles of KINGISM (a moral driven awareness of social oppression and the desire to uplift their people to their rightful place: "amongst the thrones of Kings and Queens"). The Latin Kings operate under strict rules and guidelines that are conveyed in a lengthy constitution and follow the teachings of the ALKQN Manifesto which was written by highly intellectual Latin Kings. In this manifesto you can find traces of Marxism, Sun Tzu, Christianity and other revolutionary/historical world-views which when combined make up the ideology and morality of KINGISM--which are centered around the upliftment of the poor (the oppressed)and the struggle against the oppressive social, political and economic existing order of things.

To begin their meetings, members may face the East (which is where the Sun rises) and recite one of the various Latin King prayers to Yahve (The Almighty Father and King of Kings)and pledge to be ever faithful to the Nation. These meetings are also used by members to discuss recent events, dues, retaliation, position responsibilities and elections etc... When compared to most street gangs, the Latin Kings are generally more structured and organized. The gang's rules are strictly enforced and some members celebrate January 6th as "King's Holy Day" and the first week in March as "King's Week."

• What is a post trial diversion?
• What are the max fines for leaving the scene of an accident in AZ?
• In the state of New York can you be arrested if your license was suspended even if you are not behind the wheel of a car?