Comments on: The Jets. The Sharks. The Gaylords.

The Jets. The Sharks. The Gaylords.

longbaugh — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:23:49 -0800

The Almighty Gaylords "...To our first time visitors or people with little understanding of street gangs in general, the web site probably appears a little weird or creepy at first glance..." Gang violence - Chicago Gaylord style...

By: longbaugh

longbaugh — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:24:08 -0800

"Whatever you learn, however you feel, I believe you will have a better understanding of how the GAYLORD NATION developed and why." I don't care about work right now - I am on my way to joining the GAYLORD NATION. Chicago gangland history from the 40's to the present day - the Gaylords are not to be sniggered at. Oh, alright - they have a fucking stupid name. Go wild!

By: keswick

keswick — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:37:10 -0800

lol.

By: docpops

docpops — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:37:46 -0800

wtf?

By: drezdn

drezdn — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:41:47 -0800

In the Chicago area, there's a gang where, originally they were just kids from a high school standing around in their orchestra clothes. Another gang came by and thought they were colors and killed one of the kids. Then the orchestra members became a legitimate gang.

By: longbaugh

longbaugh — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:43:25 -0800

Beware the terrifying Gaylordettes too. Do you think they sell crack?

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:46:06 -0800

Jeez, and I got so much grief when I joined the St. Paul Homolettes.

By: damehex

damehex — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:50:49 -0800

Seem to have a lot of ugly white power imagery in their history, klan logos & drawings, "we hate spics" slogan, etc.

By: nyxxxx

nyxxxx — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:51:58 -0800

The best gang, ever. The Baseball Furies were like a cross between Kiss and the Toledo Mudhens.

By: haqspan

haqspan — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:52:50 -0800

This gives me an excuse to post quite possibly the best video ever. It's a guy crip-walking while playing dance dance revolution.

By: haqspan

haqspan — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:59:25 -0800

And just to be fair to the other side, here's a video of The Bloods' single, If you blood, throw it up.

By: Peter H

Peter H — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 11:14:07 -0800

Apparently their weapon of choice was the Gayrod.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 11:14:52 -0800

And yet all it takes to defeat the Baseball Furies is one really pissed James Remar.

By: sgt.serenity

sgt.serenity — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 11:26:58 -0800

Their name struck terror into the G-spots of Men.

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 11:31:28 -0800

Hey, given the gang sweaters that they wore, I can see how they first got that particular name.

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 11:33:57 -0800

Then the orchestra members became a legitimate gang. But what were they called? Thee Symphonic Nerds? Thee Midget Chicago InstruMentalists?

By: wumpus

wumpus — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 11:39:47 -0800

they wore pink sweaters too, such nice boys.

By: OmieWise

OmieWise — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 11:41:53 -0800

Why will no one take the ruthless killers seriously? Think of the children.

By: NoMich

NoMich — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 11:41:58 -0800

Then the orchestra members became a legitimate gang. But what were they called? Urge Overkill.

By: Joeforking

Joeforking — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 12:14:08 -0800

History update: They are now called Teh Gayzors.

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 12:39:21 -0800

I think these boys need to go to the Gaylord Rehabilitation Center. My uncle sent my male cousin there because said cousin liked Barbies.

By: jtron

jtron — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 12:51:55 -0800

Then the orchestra members became a legitimate gang. But what were they called? Thee Symphonic Nerds? Thee Midget Chicago InstruMentalists? I'm pretty sure this is the gang now known as "Orquestra Albany."

By: dejah420

dejah420 — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 12:59:51 -0800

Oh my. Well. The gaylords, not so scary. The Gaylettes on the other hand...such horrid fashion could only be seen on a woman who has nothing left to lose...and must therefore be given a very wide berth. haqspan's link to the bloods...that scares me. The first link was really cool though. What is it, that is "crips walking", though?

By: longbaugh

longbaugh — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 12:59:54 -0800

p.s. don't laugh too hard if you're in the Chicago area. With $5 and google earth they'll be round your way with all the members they can raise (fnarr, fnarr!) ready to pound your ass into submission (nyuk, nyuk). You haven't seen a gangbang like this (chortle) in your wildest dreams.

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 13:29:03 -0800

"The Gaylords adopted their name at a time period in which homosexuality had nothing to do with the word "Gay." It was a trendy and widely used word of the time that described a proud, happy mood. The word "Gay"could be found back then in the names of businesses, books and even in movies such as: The Gay Intruders (1948), and The Gay Amigo (with western star, Cisco Kid, 1949)." Just sayin'. (Although "The Gay Intruders" is kinda funny). I knew some old Gaylords. Some of those neighborhoods were war zones at night. I was in Humbolt Park the night the leader of the Popes got shot when I was a kid. Some rough shit. But the older gangs used to have those kinds of names. One of the old guys I know was in a Jewish gang, the Happy Gentlemen. I've heard of Jolly Stompers up in New York. It was rather juvenile back then. Mostly just busting heads. Now gangs are more organized crime. They own businesses, real estate, have front corporations. People are still poor though and living in shitholes.

By: Divine_Wino

Divine_Wino — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 13:29:51 -0800

Jokes aside, (a few good ones I guess) this is a pretty interesting little slice of social history. If you look at the photographs you can see their style becoming more and more like the LA (black and latino) gangsters, khakis and chucks and so on. Personally I would find it very hard to resist joining a gang called The THORNDALE JAGOFFS. Amazing.

By: RockPaperScissors

RockPaperScissors — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 13:45:37 -0800

i wanna be a saracen or a jones street boy

By: Peter H

Peter H — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 13:57:43 -0800

I bet they smoked a bunch of fags.

By: fixedgear

fixedgear — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 15:04:07 -0800

they wore pink sweaters too, such nice boys. I'll bet they got laid a lot, what with the sweaters and all.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 15:32:41 -0800

This was a time when pink meant violence.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 16:36:17 -0800

Hey, Gaylord is a plenty manly word. Just ask this guy.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 16:37:47 -0800

OK, this is just weird.

By: pieisexactlythree

pieisexactlythree — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 17:04:33 -0800

I bet they like ice cream

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 17:54:50 -0800

Hey, Gaylord is a plenty manly word. Just ask this guy. And here's a picture of Gaylord as his alter ego, Grayson.

By: dejah420

dejah420 — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 18:58:47 -0800

And here's a picture of Gaylord as his alter ego, Grayson. Which only goes to prove how straight he is. No self respecting gay man would be seen in that crimson nightmare of a chantilly lace abortion. Good god...a Peter Pan collar? Someone call the fashion police before people get hurt...

By: tjcrone

tjcrone — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 20:13:09 -0800

Apparently my screen resolution is too high to view this page in all its glory.

By: drezdn

drezdn — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 21:49:27 -0800

It is Orquestra Albany. My girlfriend told me the story before but I could never remember the name, and it is seriously a true story.

By: jack_mo

jack_mo — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 05:11:46 -0800

The naming of gangs is always fascinating: cf. the Tongs in Glasgow, named after a martial arts B-movie they rather liked (can't for the life of me find a reference now that the Tongs Ya Bass! site has disappeared). wumpus: "they wore pink sweaters too, such nice boys." Pink and lemon yellow sweaters are apparently the jumper of choice for rock hard Protestant scallies in Northern Ireland just now. Er, just FYI.

By: the cuban

the cuban — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 06:16:21 -0800

The movie was Terror of the Tongs. Ya bas.

By: exogenous

exogenous — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 12:51:54 -0800

Oy the sweaters

By: haqspan

haqspan — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 12:55:43 -0800

What is it, that is "crips walking", though? Crip Walking is the dance the Crips, the notororious street gang, perform. What started out as something only actual gang-members would do has morphed into a generic dance. Please note, however, that if you crip-walk in the wrong neighbourhood someone might actually kill you.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 13:25:51 -0800

Last night I got beaten up by the Mighty Go-tards.

By: thirteen

thirteen — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 15:30:00 -0800

Oy the sweaters They are fairly distinctive, I wonder where they were made. I lived on the Grand and Nobel and Grand and Ogden corners for a long time. The whole are is swimming in crime history, and still works what is left of the mob within city limits. Mostly gambling machines these days from what I can tell. It is changing rapidly now, to much legitimate money to be made these days.