The Maniac Latin Disciples Street Gang
This show looks at the maniac
Latin disciples (
MLD) and their rivalries with other
Latin American gangs.
The Maniac Latin Disciples (MLD) are the second largest
Latino street gang in
Chicago and the largest Latino gang in the
Folks alliance.
Originally known as the Latin
Scorpions, the gang was founded by
Albert "
Hitler"
Hernandez in the
Humboldt Park community in approximately 1966.
They are one of the original gangs in the
Folks Nation. In the late
1990s, the
Maniac Latin Disciples began to spread their influence into the south side of Chicago along with several
Chicago suburbs.
In
1998, federal authorities arrested several top-ranking members of the Maniac Latin Disciples on drug charges now starting to spread to certain places such as
Wisconsin and
Tennessee.
History
The gang, which originated in about 1966 in the Humboldt Park community, was founded by Albert "Hitler" Hernandez. They were initially known as the Latin Scorpions in 1966 as a neighborhood baseball team in Humboldt Park; because the club was constantly harassed and attacked by resident
Caucasian street gangs, such as the
Simon City Royals, and
Harrison Gents, they began to fight to protect themselves. By approximately 1966, they themselves had turned into a full fledged gang. Albert "Hitler" Hernandez would position himself as
King of the club. From the beginning, the Latin Scorpions engaged in battle with the
Latin Kings.
The Latin Disciples' first corner was Hirsch &
Rockwell.
Later, they would open up shop on
Potomac & Rockwell, a set that would be dubbed "
Twilight Zone".
In or around
1970 the Latin Scorpions established a relationship with the
Black Gangster Disciples (now split into the
Black Disciples and
Gangster Disciples) in prison, eventually changing his gang's name to Latin Disciples (later in
1983, Maniac Latin Disciples). That same year, Albert Hernandez was stabbed and killed by the Latin Kings. He asked the Latin Kings to remove their gang colors while walking through Latin
Disciple turf and ended in a brawl with the Latin Kings and Hernandez being stabbed. Several other leaders filled the void
.
In the mid-1970s, the Latin Disciples formed an alliance with the
Latin Eagles,
Spanish Cobras, and
Imperial Gangsters street gangs; this alliance was called the
United Latino
Organization. The Latin Disciples joined the "Folks
Alliance" in 1978 They were the first Latino Folks and due to the Latin Disciples joining Folks alliance the Imperial Gangsters, Spanish Cobras and Latin Eagles followed after due to the United Latino Organization alliance they had on the street.
By 1983, assumed leadership of the gang and the gang began to incorporate the surname "
Maniac" when
Pete The Burner was thrown out of a courtroom window by the police because he was screaming Maniac every time they added years to his sentence for interrupting the judge.
The now Maniac Latin Disciples grew at a tremendously rapid pace, recruiting many members from the
Illinois correctional facilities. They established bases of operations throughout the
North and
West sides of the city, using brute and violent force to eliminate rival gangs. In 1983, Zayas was incarcerated on murder charges. However he has been able to control his gang's day-to-day activity since being incarcerated, though some factions have broken away from his leadership. Zayas is currently in
Tamms maximum security prison.
In the early 1990s the MLDs formed the "Maniac family", a group of allied Latino Folks gangs aside the umbrella of the Disciples. Among the initial gangs to join were the Maniac
Campbell Boys,
Milwaukee Kings and
Latin Lovers. By the mid-1990s the MLDs were one of the largest and most organized gangs in the city.