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EspañolCHICAGO GAYLORDS
The 'Chicago Gaylords', also known as the Almighty Gaylords, is one of the oldest White Chicago street gangs. It originated in the neighborhood of Grand and Noble. The original president of the Gaylords selected the name after reading about the Gaylords of France in the public library.
The Chicago Gaylords started out as one of the clubs that were started by veterans post-World War II. Many of these social clubs had their own clubhouses and baseball teams. The Gaylord's clubhouse was on the corner of Ohio and Noble Street. The Chicago Gaylords would eventually leave the Ohio and Noble area as the neighborhood's population became more Latino.
During their peak period in the 1970s, the Chicago Gaylords held sets (or sections) in both the North Side and the South Side of Chicago. Their South Side sections included Back of the Yards (around 55th & Ashland, Sherman Park), Marquette Park, Pilsen (18th & Western), and Bridgeport (Throop Street). Their North Side presence included Humboldt Park (Moffat & Campbell); Logan Square (Palmer & California, Lawndale & Altgeld); Irving Park (Albany & Byron); Kilbourn Park (Cornelia & Kilbourn); Dunham Park (Montrose & Narragansett); Ravenswood (Seeley & Ainslie); and Uptown (Sunnyside & Magnolia, Lawrence & Broadway). During the 1960s thru the early 1980s, the Chicago Gaylords experienced tremendous growth and expansion, with sections popping up all over Chicago.
★ Chicago Gaylords Section Map
At that time, the Gaylords, like many other greaser gangs, took on a White Power stand – which was not a Nazi doctrine – but a White pride concept using slogans such as "You are White and proud!". Some argue that the phrase "Gaylord" can be used to describe all White pride groups. This racialization occurred as white gangs felt threatened by the movement of Puerto Ricans into old predominantly White neighborhoods. The Gaylords as well as other White gangs referred to themselves as Stone Greasers – which was a gang who honored its greaser legacy. As other gangs followed the hip-hop crowd, gangs like the Gaylords were still living by old school values, which was: neighborhood defense and not selling or using hard drugs.
Gaylords were also into brawling with fists and traditional type weapons like bricks, baseball bats, chains and knives. As the rules of engagement on the streets of Chicago changed, the Gaylords were forced to use guns and increase their level of violence to combat their enemies.
The Gaylords were a strong gang that experienced continual growth throughout the 1980s. They remained in their traditional neighbourhoods while White families moved to the suburbs, and gentrification of poor White neighborhoods eliminated their ability to recruit new talent. Today, they are a shell of what they used to be: a gang with over a thousand members. The exception is the Sayre Park, Grand and Harlem Gaylords, who have been able to hold on to their "hood". One reason for this is that their turf includes Elmwood Park, a neighborhood that for decades has been home to many members of the Chicago Outfit. For that reason, the neighborhood has remained heavily Italian. Strong leadership is also a factor. Many of their leaders have been members for decades, and are widely respected. This section of Gaylords has been credited with closing down many rival gangs that have popped up in the Grand and Harlem area. The Sayre Park Gaylords have been around since the early seventies and show no sign of closing down. They have always been known as one of the most solid sections of Gaylords, and also one of the largest. As other Gaylord sections closed because of the neighborhood changes, members joined Sayre Park as that area remained mostly white until recently.Lil Wicked,a known crack addict initiated some fellow junkies into the gang in the last year or so and they go around stealing purses and robbing old people.They are not respected or recognized by the other Gaylords,however.That section does not exist anymore, and the Gaylords are almost extinct in Chicago.
Unlike other street nations or gangs, the Gaylords have never had any major president or leader that was in control of the entire collective group. The Gaylords have one or two leaders from each settlement:
A Gang research map of Chicago shows the Gaylords having a large section in the North and North West Sides with many rival gangs surrounding their turf.
The Chicago Gaylords were mentioned in print in the 1979 book ''Who Runs Chicago?''. They were also listed as Chicago's fourth largest gang, and the largest White street gang in the city.
★ Kilian, Michael, Flether, Connie Flether, and Ciccone, Richard F. (1979). ''Who Runs Chicago:?'' New York: St. Martin's Press, p.165.
★ Scott, Michael ''Lords Of Lawndale: My Life in a Chicago White Street Gang''
★ The Chicago Gaylords website
★ Stone Greasers
★ The Gaylords Page on Chicago Gangs
★ Almighty Gaylords Tattoos
★ University of ILL. Gang Research
★ Gang Research Foundation
The Chicago Gaylords started out as one of the clubs that were started by veterans post-World War II. Many of these social clubs had their own clubhouses and baseball teams. The Gaylord's clubhouse was on the corner of Ohio and Noble Street. The Chicago Gaylords would eventually leave the Ohio and Noble area as the neighborhood's population became more Latino.
| Contents |
| Gang expansion |
| Greaser legacy |
| Gang structure |
| References |
| External links |
Gang expansion
During their peak period in the 1970s, the Chicago Gaylords held sets (or sections) in both the North Side and the South Side of Chicago. Their South Side sections included Back of the Yards (around 55th & Ashland, Sherman Park), Marquette Park, Pilsen (18th & Western), and Bridgeport (Throop Street). Their North Side presence included Humboldt Park (Moffat & Campbell); Logan Square (Palmer & California, Lawndale & Altgeld); Irving Park (Albany & Byron); Kilbourn Park (Cornelia & Kilbourn); Dunham Park (Montrose & Narragansett); Ravenswood (Seeley & Ainslie); and Uptown (Sunnyside & Magnolia, Lawrence & Broadway). During the 1960s thru the early 1980s, the Chicago Gaylords experienced tremendous growth and expansion, with sections popping up all over Chicago.
★ Chicago Gaylords Section Map
Greaser legacy
At that time, the Gaylords, like many other greaser gangs, took on a White Power stand – which was not a Nazi doctrine – but a White pride concept using slogans such as "You are White and proud!". Some argue that the phrase "Gaylord" can be used to describe all White pride groups. This racialization occurred as white gangs felt threatened by the movement of Puerto Ricans into old predominantly White neighborhoods. The Gaylords as well as other White gangs referred to themselves as Stone Greasers – which was a gang who honored its greaser legacy. As other gangs followed the hip-hop crowd, gangs like the Gaylords were still living by old school values, which was: neighborhood defense and not selling or using hard drugs.
Gaylords were also into brawling with fists and traditional type weapons like bricks, baseball bats, chains and knives. As the rules of engagement on the streets of Chicago changed, the Gaylords were forced to use guns and increase their level of violence to combat their enemies.
The Gaylords were a strong gang that experienced continual growth throughout the 1980s. They remained in their traditional neighbourhoods while White families moved to the suburbs, and gentrification of poor White neighborhoods eliminated their ability to recruit new talent. Today, they are a shell of what they used to be: a gang with over a thousand members. The exception is the Sayre Park, Grand and Harlem Gaylords, who have been able to hold on to their "hood". One reason for this is that their turf includes Elmwood Park, a neighborhood that for decades has been home to many members of the Chicago Outfit. For that reason, the neighborhood has remained heavily Italian. Strong leadership is also a factor. Many of their leaders have been members for decades, and are widely respected. This section of Gaylords has been credited with closing down many rival gangs that have popped up in the Grand and Harlem area. The Sayre Park Gaylords have been around since the early seventies and show no sign of closing down. They have always been known as one of the most solid sections of Gaylords, and also one of the largest. As other Gaylord sections closed because of the neighborhood changes, members joined Sayre Park as that area remained mostly white until recently.Lil Wicked,a known crack addict initiated some fellow junkies into the gang in the last year or so and they go around stealing purses and robbing old people.They are not respected or recognized by the other Gaylords,however.That section does not exist anymore, and the Gaylords are almost extinct in Chicago.
Gang structure
Unlike other street nations or gangs, the Gaylords have never had any major president or leader that was in control of the entire collective group. The Gaylords have one or two leaders from each settlement:
| Divisions Within Sets | Age Group |
|---|---|
| 'Slylords' | Under 13 |
| 'Midgets' | 13 to 15 |
| 'PeeWees' | 16 to 18 |
| 'Juniors' | 18 to 20 |
| 'Seniors' | 21 and older |
A Gang research map of Chicago shows the Gaylords having a large section in the North and North West Sides with many rival gangs surrounding their turf.
The Chicago Gaylords were mentioned in print in the 1979 book ''Who Runs Chicago?''. They were also listed as Chicago's fourth largest gang, and the largest White street gang in the city.
References
★ Kilian, Michael, Flether, Connie Flether, and Ciccone, Richard F. (1979). ''Who Runs Chicago:?'' New York: St. Martin's Press, p.165.
★ Scott, Michael ''Lords Of Lawndale: My Life in a Chicago White Street Gang''
External links
★ The Chicago Gaylords website
★ Stone Greasers
★ The Gaylords Page on Chicago Gangs
★ Almighty Gaylords Tattoos
★ University of ILL. Gang Research
★ Gang Research Foundation
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