by Amanda Peel

Created on: July 20, 2009   Last Updated: July 21, 2009

The largest Latino gang in the United States is the Latin Kings. It is one of the most violent of all the gangs in the US. Consisting of both men and women, it is also known as The Almighty King and Queen Nation. There are nearly thirty thousand members in the city of Chicago, with another ten to fifteen thousand members in the surrounding suburbs. They also have Latin Kings in over 41 states and some Latin American and European Countries also, including Mexico, Spain, Dominican Republic, Canada, Ecuador, Peru, and Puerto Rico. Latin Kings are mostly of Latino descent with some Black, White, Asian and Middle Eastern members too.

The Latin King gang was started in Chicago in 1940. Several young Puerto Rican males organized into a club to help each other overcome the problems of racism that newly arriving Puerto Rican immigrants were experiencing and to guard their communities. As time went by the group's members became involved in crimes including murder, drug trafficking and other criminal activities.

During the 1980's, Felix Millet and Nelson Milan created a well-written King Manifesto while in prison in Connecticut. It explained all of their rules, procedures and concepts. The Latin Kings quickly spread throughout Connecticut and in 1986, Luis Felipe added to the Manifesto and started the Latin Kings in New York while he was also in prison. By the mid 1990's there where thousands of Latin Kings in New York and New Jersey.

Each group in the different cities was called a chapter and they used animal names like the Tiger Tribe and Wolf Tribe. Each tribe had a different leader called the Primero Corona (First Crown). The second in command was called the Segunda Corona (Second Crown) and the third crown was the Warlord. There was also a fourth crown. He was known as the Counselor and handled all of the training sessions. The fifth crown was the treasurer who collected all of the fines and dues within the chapter.

The Latin Kings have a written constitution with by-laws and elaborate ceremonies. The top leader of all of the Latin Kings that are not in prison is The Sun King, Raul Gonzalez. The "La Corona", Gustavo Colon is the leader of all the Kings that are in prison.

To be a member of the Latin Kings you use to have to be of Hispanic descent but now they are not as picky. New members have to vow, "I will die for my brothers, the cause and my nation." They use the colors black and gold and the crown is their symbol. They must follow the code and principles,

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