Gangster Disciples


The Gangster Disciples are a criminal street gang which was formed in the South Side of Chicago in the late 1960s, by Larry Hoover, leader of the Supreme Gangsters, and David Barksdale, leader of the Black Disciples. The two groups united to form the Black Gangster Disciple Nation. In Chicago, the Gangster Disciples have a long and bitter rivalry with the Black Disciples. Since their creation, the Gangster Disciples have expanded nationwide.

Gangster Disciples in the military

On July 3, 2005, an unsanctioned group of servicemen claiming to be gang members affiliated with the Gangster Disciples street gang killed Sergeant Juwan Johnson of the U.S. Army in the small town of Hohenecken near Ramstein, Germany. Prosecutors accused U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Rico Williams of being the first one to start attacking Johnson in a six-minute beating that he had to endure to join the gang. Actual Chicago-based Gangster Disciples do not beat in recruits, as they have evolved into a corporate type of organization. When Johnson asked one of his fellow gang members to take him to the hospital, Williams refused. Johnson later died from multiple blunt-force trauma injuries. According to the government's investigations, Williams was the leader of the gang set operating on base, although he was not appointed by anyone connected to Gangster Disciples' supremo Larry Hoover. Senior Airman Williams was sentenced to 22 years in prison, while other servicemen faced sentences ranging from 2 to 12 years. Some of the charges against the servicemen were: Williams, second-degree murder and witness tampering; Air Force Staff Sergeant Jerome Jones, conspiracy to commit assault, gang participation, and other charges; Airman Nicholas Sims and Army Sergeant Rodney Howell; involuntary manslaughter; Private Terrance Norman, voluntary manslaughter.

Six-pointed star

The predominant symbol of this criminal gang is the six-pointed Star of David.