This letter and many others were how Felipe was initially linked to three murders on the streets of New York; testimony from former Kings was used as further evidence of the orders. In addition to narcotics offenses, the trio were also charged with conspiring to shoot a rival. The heads of the entire criminal organization are known as "coronas". On July 1, 1989 a correctional officer at the Stateville Correctional Center, Lawrence Kush, Jr., was assassinated by the Latin Kings while on the job. Then they appeared over and over. [31][32] Felipe was charged with ordering the killing of William (Lil Man) Cartagena, who had been taken to an abandoned Bronx apartment and strangled, decapitated, mutilated and set on fire. The history of this gang is written in blood, with episodes so bizarre that they read like chapters from a pulp fiction novel. Latin Kings (gang) explained. According to theCanadian Journal of Sociology, Latin Kings gang members must follow the King's Manifesto that outlines their purpose and ideology, called Kingism, which offers principles in which to live by, with prayers, stages of enlightenment and various rules and procedures. In the late 1970's the Latin Kings took down a national guard armory making away with a number of military weapons. However, in their research, the writers also found a double standard, with female members getting expelled for alleged adultery while other male members weren't punished. The raid followed a fourteen-month investigation and resulted in the gang members being charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering. Over half of the arrested were charged with misdemeanors; other were charged with weapons possession and drug trafficking. The Latin Queens are believed to focus more on their private space issues such as home life and protection and nurturing of their bodies, as opposed to the Latin Kings, who are more concerned with loss of public spaces in their own communities. This contributed to some of the Chicago gang folk lore in the 1980's about how the Latin Kings were a "heavily armed" gang and had powerful military weapons. If one shares internal information, one could get a "full body fledge," an act of standing against the wall, while other members hit for two minutes and 30 seconds. Seeking such goals has attracted a wide variety of females who had been drug addicted, victimized and/or neglected by families, spouses and partners. Their colors are Black and Gold (yellow is use in place of gold). If this rule is broken, the member is first warned by having to do "50 push-ups or stand in push-up position for 10 or 20 minutes." All members of the gang identify themselves as Latin Kings. on the Internet. [92] A thirteen-year-old who was left partially paralyzed as a result of being stabbed. There are two umbrella factions: the King Motherland Chicago (KMC) also known as King Manifesto and Constitution and Bloodline, formed in New York City in 1986. Murder rates plummeted. As reported by The Washington Post, a member of the Latin Kings was sentenced for murdering a young transgender woman. In Sanchez's case, he already collaborated with the Latin Kings in their retaliation against the rival Gaylords, thus already proving himself, as he recounts in his book. Carlos entered the basement of the cellhouse with the two whackos for his "parole party". [31] For the ALKQN, 1997 began with Felipe being sentenced to 250 years in prison, with the first 45 to be spent in solitary confinement. Luis Rosa was one of 11 FALN members arrested in 1980 in Evanston, Illinois and later convicted. Why did the Latin Kings target correctional officers? Columbia University Press, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Top Latin Kings gang leader sentenced to 60 years, Toronto woman faces deportation for gang ties. This is often done by writing over or adding to it, notes the Muscatine Journal. In the dining hall that night, only the gangs that did not know the real recipe for the meatloaf ate their food. Total revenues. Lord Gino) is considered the "SUN" of the Almighty Latin King Nation in Chicago and has been for a long time.Latin King headquarters is located on Beach and Spaulding in Northwest Chicago. Total expenses. Num. The last defendant pleaded guilty last week. The gang's illegal activities were uncovered during a multi-year investigation conducted under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). We continued to be skeptical of such accounts. The oath goes on to say that members stand behind one another for better or worse. [48], Sixteen Latin Kings members, included the four highest-ranking members in the state, were arrested in Bridgeport and New Haven on June 30, 1994 and charged with conspiring to sell cocaine and heroin. When any member believes that another member has violated a regulation, they begin the disciplinary process by submitting a Procedures for Violation Form. The year would bring further legal troubles as Fernandez and 31 others were arrested in a raid in the Lower East Side and charged with disorderly conduct[citation needed]. II) THE CROWN Once a brother is crown, He shall carry himself with a respect that no one can reach. The NYPD further notes that "members should never become involved in a physical relationship with another member's spouse." This type of serious activity must be "approved" of by the top gang leaders. Texts must be always kept away from anything that could harm the material, such as liquids or flammable materials, and everything must be filed and organized correctly. In 2019, as reported byMichigan Live, a substantial rise in graffiti messages was noticed after a local gang leader was taken to prison in Holland, Michigan. 55.1 percent have been in court-mandated psychological counseling or therapy. This LK Manifest is based on the A.L.K.Q.N of the state of Massachussetts. Then one arm, then the other arm. The Chapter . Following the U.N. demonstration, Rafael Cancel-Miranda, another Puerto Rican nacionalista who spent 25 years in federal prison for the same crimes as Lebrn, attended a monthly universal. [31], During this period, the Latin Kings began to gain some legitimacy within the Puerto Rican Nationalist movement, starting from when Lolita Lebrn, a member of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, who served 25 years in federal prison for her participation in an attack on the U.S. Capitol alongside other Puerto Rican militants in 1954, enlisted the New York State ALKQN to protect her during a demonstration in front of the United Nations headquarters. Of the thirty-one gang members charged, twenty-nine pleaded guilty to racketeering offenses. As per theNYPD, one of their rules dictates that no member should even think of relying on a law enforcement organizations as a credible source of information. As reported by Chris Markus for The Eagle-Tribune, the King's Constitution consists of rules and exact practical advice for behavior in special circumstances, including how to act in prison. ~ In Omnia Paratus, Gang Command. He describes an event from his past, when he overdosed on cocaine and almost died, which put him in violation: "They didn't care about me endangering my life with a coke habit. Internal changes to the organization began to take place as Fernandez amended the ALKQN manifesto to include parliamentary elections and new procedures for handling inter-organizational grievances and remove death as a possible punishment, replacing it with "vanishing", the act of being banished from the movement. The Celestial Chapter : Chicago Latin Kings, eta and Brotherhood. [citation needed], In the early 1980s, to avoid imprisonment for his criminal activities in Chicago, Luis Felipe (a.k.a. The first phase of the investigation, went after the Lawrence chapter of the ALKQN, was converted to an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force/High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area case involving numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. [38] Latin King symbolism is usually accompanied with the name and number of the Tribe, region, or city of the gang. We have collected dozens of these photo albums over the years, and literally thousands of such photos, usually paying a small fee to the LK member to acquire these artifacts. The second warning is a one-minute of beating in front of everyone. In 1986, while in prison, Felipe started his own chapter of the Latin Kings known as the Bloodline. We have spent much time with this particular ex-member of the LKs over a three year period: including about 40 hours of face-to-face interviewing, and about 80 hours of telephone interviewing. The colors associated with, and often worn by, the Latin Kings are black and gold. That is for years. The head was the only body part that could not be sliced up into smaller pieces. After the proving phase, the real initiation takes place, with gang members taking their turns beating the initiate. Latin King documents reveal that Gino Gustavo Colon (a.k.a. The way the "hit" was carried out was quite clever. He was sentenced to sixty years in prison on January 11, 2012. According to a report by the Madrid government commission, there are approximately one-hundred active members and six-hundred associates in the city. . Between June 1993 and February 1994, seven Latin Kings were murdered. Internal discipline is seen as a high priority, and violations of the principles of the group may result in documented suspension, termination, physical assault or death. 33.8 percent have been in a drug/substance abuse counseling program. In the beginning of the 20th century a lot of Puerto Rican immigrants came to New York. The largest Latino gang in Chicago, and perhaps in the United States, are the Latin King and Queen Nation. Those who severely break the rules end up on "beat-down on sight" and "terminate on sight" lists meaning the hit list. By March 2011, all nineteen defendants had either pleaded guilty or been convicted for the roles in a racketeering conspiracy. It was during his time under house arrest that the Latin Queens underwent a shake up in leadership, dismissing many of the leaders in order to bring in more politically focused members. They do racially mix latins and whites. [98] In February 2011, Velastegui had an additional four years added to his sentence after being convicted of directing the gang from prison, while lieutenants Jose Fabricio Icaza and Maria Torres were sentenced to three-and-a-half years' and two years' imprisonment, respectively. Blood was everywhere. Currently he is serving a life sentence in federal prison due to a 25-count indictment, which includes charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and other drugs. There are several ways to become a member of the group, but a new member must go through a proper initiation before gaining full membership. $3,292. [59], Augustin Zambrano a ranking "Corona" within the Latin Kings, making him the highest-ranking member outside of prison and responsible for overseeing the activities of factions of the gang was among eighteen leading Latin Kings members charged with racketeering conspiracy as part of a federal indictment against the gang's hierarchy. Said another high-ranking source in the LKs: "Gino summoned me to the law library where carried out our executive meetings and he saidI want Kush hit. What happened was that the leader "Baby King" was basically "disrespected" by an inmate known as Carlos Robles. Founded in the 1940's by a small group of Hispanics in the Chicago, Illinois area, the purpose of the organization was to help the Hispanic community achieve a better way of life by preserving the Hispanic culture and promoting education. According to theMorning Call, there are strict rules that demand that a member must not "lust for pleasure" towards another member's spouse. A series of raids coinciding with the indictments led to the arrests of twenty-nine people in Cleveland on August 13, 2009. 21) A king will fast for 2 days, 24 times a year. Carlos was scheduled to be paroled in two days when the hit took place in July, 1983. Other graffiti, targeting rival groups of Crips with Attitude and Maniac Latin Disciples, were found as well. PCP or angel dust is also out of question, as per The Chicago Tribune. Not little "shanks" as homemade knifes are called, but rather the much larger Machetes, usually about two feet long and made out of heavy gauge steel. His respect his shield and his sword is to all those who try to break him. Now in hiding, the Chicago twin testifies against the alleged Mexican cartel boss", "New documents give inside look at Holland Latin Kings, drugs, violence", "Prison Gangs (continued) Gangs and Security Threat Group Awareness", "Los Solidos gang leader sentenced to 14 life terms", "Witnesses describe scene of February gang-related shooting in Holland Township", "United Blood Nation history, terminology, background", "Latin Kings Live, Die By Rigid Organization", "Gangland: Divide and Conquer DVD, View All, HISTORY Shop", "Latin Kings gang members charged in murder, racketeering, drug offenses", "Gang Profile: The Latin Kings | Office of Justice Programs", "Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation of New York and Environs | Office of Justice Programs", "Testimony offers rare look inside Latin Kings gang Chicago Tribune", "Latin King Gets 60-Year Sentence for '93 Murder", "Leader of Latin Kings Is Convicted in Slayings", "Latin Kings: A Street Gang Story - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes", "FBI: Arrests wipe out Latin Kings leadership", "Salcedo v. Hispanic and Latino street gang based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, Brotherton, D (2013). Besides that, if he goes to prisonand doesn't agree with how the gang is running inside, he can take them to task and have the freedom to get "the castle" in order. [68][69], A multi-year joint federal and state investigation of the Holland Latin Kings (HLK) resulted in the prosecution of thirty-one of the gang's members. We sold one crate of the M16's to the Spanish Lords and the Unknowns who were allies at the time. 11.0 - Age first fired a pistol or revolver. However, at odds with such practices is the gang's constitutional rule that vandalism such as graffiti is "strongly discouraged" likely due to their claims as a legitimate organization, as noted by the NYPD. Two of the most whacked out members of the southside LKN chapter were chosen for the "hit". 78.5 percent believed that "fear is the only effective means that you can use to control children". [100], Five key members were ordered deported from Madrid in February 2015. 23.0 - Age they expect to get legally married to someone. They must also maintain a positive outlook and "keep all things in their proper perspective.". Following the outbreak of internal gang violence, Luis Felipe and 19 others were charged with murder and racketeering; the indictment process ended in 1995 with 39 Latin Kings and 1 Latin Queen indicted under the RICO Act. According to theCanadian Journal of Sociology, the Latin Kings group developed between 1940-1960 in Chicago, Illinois, as a community to help lessen the impact of immigration. The Latin Kings gang has a variety of rituals that members must participate in, from celebrating specific holidays to various gang signs they use. The History of the Latin Kings begins in the 1920s or 1930s, but at this time they were known under a different name. When a gang member accepts Kingsim and thus the manifesto, it's almost like they are being confirmed into a religion, promising to uphold truth, justice, peace, and freedom, as per theNew York Police Department. [87] According to the indictment, the gang members were responsible for nine murders, twenty-one attempted murders, nine robberies, three arsons or attempted arsons, five kidnappings and drug dealing over an eleven-year period. Italians and Portuguese have been found to be members of the gang. Where the A.L.K.Q.N first began. Then we got lucky. The colors of the Latin Kings even have a meaning to it, black and gold. In another case in Mississippi, a teenager was killed. The last of the gang members was sentenced on November 27, 2018. 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 main source of income for the Latin Kings is moneys from the lucrative illicit drug trade. Branches then followed in Barcelona, Valencia and Murcia. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 72.8 percent felt "there is hardly anything lower than a person who does not feel a great deal of love, gratitude, and respect for his/her mother", while only 57.5 percent felt the same way about father. 57.3 percent have been a shooter in a drive-by shooting. [22], The hierarchy rises to regional officers and ultimately to two supreme regional "Incas" based in Chicago. . The Latin Kings are members of the People Nation alliance of gangs, and are therefore opposed to the rival Folk Nation gang alliance.[11]. As witnesses told the court, the Latin King member knew she was transgender as he dated her for quite a while, but because this was a serious violation of the gang's rules, he claimed that "Well, it was my life or his.". [30], The Bloodline Manifesto was founded by Luis "King Blood" Felipe in 1986 in the New York State Collins Correctional Facility. [citation needed], The Latin Kings have a hierarchical organizational structure. Everyone present at the meetings must pay the membership fee of $7 per meeting. Financials for Consortium of Physicians From Latin America. The Latin King members commemorate three times throughout the year. They often have Puerto Rican background, but during the last 20 years when they broadened to Europe, there became more and more people with also Hispanic, Portuguese or Italian background members. Advanced embedding details, examples, and help, Folkscanomy Politics: Political Systems, Government and Democratic Organization, Terms of Service (last updated 12/31/2014). The most recent emblem is the bulldog with a crown. As an Almighty Latin King Nation under one sun protected by your love and guidance we bring our right fist upon our heart for sincerity, love, wisdom, strength, knowledge and understanding; three hundred-sixty degrees of strong King wisdom. After the initiation beating, Sanchez was given the notebook with rules, Nation Literature, and was told whichprayer he had to memorize until the next meeting. leap in explaining. The other 39 members were sentenced to an average of 20 years in prison for their roles in the crimes. At the local level, groups of Latin Kings are organized into "tribes." The indictment alleges that in the spring of . 89 percent think their parents/family worry about the LK member of the family being killed. A KINGS RESPECT IS 360 DEGREE STRONG. The monthly universals drew attendance of 500600 regularly. Another symbol is the lion which represents courage, just as the crown does. In 1994, with the rapid growth of the Latin Kings, an internal power struggle erupted, and violence within the Kings ensued. As per Gang Enforcement, even the hierarchy of the group is explained through symbolic positions, including the five-point crown. On August 11, 2020, Thomas pleaded guilty to the charges, admitting that in August 2019, he conspired with others to purchase cocaine from members of the Latin Kings in New Bedford, Massachusetts for resale. 91.0 percent do not want their own children in the gang. Members are specifically required to know their personal cultural history and family lineage. The history of this gang is written in blood, with episodes so bizarre that they read like chapters from a pulp fiction novel. [76], Carlos Gil, "Warlord" or enforcer, of a Latin Kings chapter in Sunset Park, Brooklyn was convicted on May 11, 2007 for the murder of Jorge Rodriguez, a member of a Flatbush, Brooklyn-based Latin Kings chapter who was shot and killed on October 14, 2001 for associating with another gang in violation of the Latin Kings' rules. They were all over the Humboldt Park area for a couple of days, it looked like martial law. The decision to join the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation is one that affects every aspect of your life as well as everyone in it. They chopped at the torso, cutting it into smaller pieces. [90], Latin Kings member Timothy Vallejo was sentenced to life in prison on January 26, 2010 after being convicted of racketeering and the murder of Oak Creek resident Kevin Hirschfield outside a Cudahy gas station in 2003. Being latin king knowledge erupted, and violence within the Kings ensued Latin Disciples, were as! 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