The Almighty Latin Eagles Nation (ALEN) originated in the area of Halsted and Addison in Chicago in the 1960s. Originally meant to be a Latino political organization, by the 1970s it had transformed into a criminal street gang.
Identification
Members of the Latin Eagles Nation identify themselves with the colors grey and black. They also use the symbols such as an eagle head or an eagle in flight. They also use the symbols for and are associated with the Folk Nation.
History
The Latin Eagles formed on the north side of Chicago, Illinois in 1964 as a Puerto Rican street gang. The Eagles fought against a white greaser gang to take over their first piece of turf, the LeMoyne Elementary School playground at Waveland & Halsted. Then they took over Gill Park at Grace & Wilton, known as “The Motherland”. The Latin Eagles, Latin Kings and Harrison Gents all fought for control of Lakeview High School during this time, which ended with a Latin Eagle murdering a Gent leader in 1966 and the Eagles taking control of the neighborhood. In 1968 the Gents took revenge and beat a Latin Eagle to death named Hipólito Vega, who becomes a gang martyr. Also in ‘68, two Eagles and Latin American immigrants, "Pops" and Jose "Cha-Cha” Jimenez broke away from the gang with a small faction and started a community political group for Puerto Ricans who wanted to fight against "a corrupt system, racism, and segregation" called the Young Lords Organization.
Disputes over Northside turf made the Latin Eagles mortal enemies with the Latin Kings and PR Stones as the Almighty Latin Eagles expanded into Wrigleyville, Uptown, Rogers Park, by Irving Park & Ashland, and established their stronghold at Gill Park on Sheridan & Broadway.
The Latin Eagles joined the Folks alliance of gangs in 1978 alongside the Black Gangster Disciples, Latin Disciples, Spanish Cobras, Imperial Gangsters and others. In the 1980’s the Eagles branched into the West Side at Kostner & Armitage and Kenneth & Armitage.
In 1989, the Eagles threw a party at a Nightclub on North Ave and invited Spanish Cobras, MLD’s and Campbell Boys. A dispute between a Cobra and an Eagle broke out and a gun was pulled. The argument spilled outside into the street and the two gangs eventually started to rumble. A Wrigleyville Latin Eagle named “Lil Rook” was beat to death with a wooden 2x4 during the riot. This was the beginning of the Spanish Cobra-Latin Eagle static. They went to war for a couple weeks, but peace was restored. A war involving the Latin Eagles and the Gangster Disciples started in the summer of 1995 as SGD’s moved into the hood.[1]
During the 1990’s, The Almighty Latin Eagles formed an alliance with the Imperial Gangsters and Simon City Royals as the Almighty Folks Familia. By the end of the decade they would go into a permanent war with the Insane Spanish Cobras and Maniac Latin Disciples.