Almighty Saints
The Almighty Saints is a street gang founded in the early 1960s by Polish youth at Davis Square Park in the Back of the Yards neighborhood of Chicago, but later was largely made up of Hispanics due to the change in the community's ethnic makeup.
| Founding location | Chicago, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Territory | Back of the Yards Illinois, Missouri,Montana, Mexico |
| Ethnicity | Hispanic-Americans/African Americans |
| Criminal activities | Drug trafficking, murder |
| Rivals | People Nation, Gangster Disciples, Folk Nation, La Raza Nation, Gangster Two Six |
The name "Saints" was borrowed from the TV series of the same name as evidenced by the similarities between the stickman used on the show and the street gang.
The Saints have maintained the same territory since the 1960s, an uncommon occurrence in Chicago, where gangs usually lose terrain over the years. By the 1980s, the gang had become extremely violent and drug trafficking became very lucrative.
In a 1998 feature article, the Chicago Tribune wrote: "In a city known for its fearsome supergangs—criminal enterprises like the Latin Kings and the Gangster Disciples—the Saints stand out as an example of the street corner gang that still hangs on in many neighborhoods."[1]
People Nation
After the formation of the People Nation and Folk Nation during the 1980s, the Saints decided to remain, renegades, showing no alliance to anyone. By the late 1980s to early 1990s, there were many gang members incarcerated in the prison system, and the Saints decided to join the People Nation for protection of the incarcerated members. They were brought into the People Nation by the Latin Kings as cousins, hence the addition of the Almighty ... in front of the name and the five-point star.[2]
Recent activities
In spring 2018, a Saint named Ernesto Godinez shot an ATF agent in the face. He was found guilty by a jury in 2019, and faces a maximum 20 years.
In 1998, a 12-year-old boy shot two teens of the street gang the Gangster Disciples in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, in the hopes of joining the Saints street gang.[3] He was later convicted of murder, but because he was under 13 years of age he was tried as a minor and sentenced to prison until his 21st birthday in 2007.
In December 2004, there was a police raid in the Saints neighborhood dubbed "Operation Broken Halo"; 25 members were arrested and detained in prison on drug dealing and weapons charges. The Saints are still very active in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.[4]
On February 12, 2006, 23-year-old Francisco Romero, a member of the Saints, escaped from Cook County Jail along with five other inmates. He had been convicted of murder and sentenced to 45 years in prison. He was later captured.[5]
References
- Steve Mills and Diego Bunuel, "Small Gang's Big Grip Troubles Neighborhood: The Saints Have Grown More Violent And More Diverse Since Forming In The 1960s.", Chicago Tribune, February 11, 1998, Sec. Metro, Pg. 1. Article abstract, full article
- Lake County, Illinois- Juvenile Justice Council webpage on gang affiliations Archived 2006-03-09 at the Wayback Machine
- Did Someone Tell This Child To Kill?
- Extra News - 12th Ward - January 13, 2005 Archived March 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- "abc7chicago.com: Last fugitives surrender after escaping Cook County Jail 3/03/06". Archived from the original on 2007-03-11. Retrieved 2010-12-08.