I just wanted to write about our Gaylord set that was
active around 1974 and 75. We hung around the Haugan
school yard on Hamlin and Wilson. Most of us started
as the Haugan Greasers. Some of the guys were greasers
called the Bella Boys, from Bella's Pizzeria on
Montrose Ave. In those days there were a lot of Simon
City Royals starting to build up to the east of us
around Kimball and Lawrence. To the west, by Schurz
High, there were a lot of Popes. We had an uneasy
alliance with both. But we never really seemed to
trust each other. Except that we all had common
enemies with the Latin Kings and Latin Eagles.

Many of us became Gaylords around 1974. We were
recruited by the PGL and wore our black and gray. I
think we were recruited to keep the Royals and Popes
from gaining a growing membership in that
neighborhood. I remember one day at Roosevelt high
school, we caught a Pope named Hippie with his sweater
walking down Kimball. We decided to take his sweater.
He didn't give it up easy. One of our guys cracked a
bottle over his head before Hippie gave it up. A few
days later I was leaving school when some of the guys
told me we can't go outside because there were a
couple of car loads of Popes with guns waiting for us.
One of the cars had Larkin and Lil Bob wanting to talk
to us. A couple of our guys went out and decided to
give the sweater back in order to maintain the peace.

We had a few guns in those days and had some exchanges
with some Latin Eagles on a couple of occasions.
Luckily nobody got hit. One night we had decided to
flash our guns at the SCR around Monticello Avenue.
Just to show them we had weapons. On the way we
decided to steal some beer and wine at the Open Pantry
food mart. We used to hide them in our Cashmere
jackets and walk out of the store. That night we got
caught by the bagger boy. So my buddy Tony pulls one
of our guns and points it at the poor kid. We ran like
hell to get away before the cops came. When we got to
were the Royals were, we shared some beers with them.
I remember it being a hot night and the Royals had
shared some real sugar cane with us. We were all
uneasy with each other, but trying to keep the peace
while still letting them know were packing. After
about 30 minutes we heard a couple of cars pull up
with plain clothed cops called Gang Intelligence
Officers. They called out at us to give up our guns.
Tony started to run, but the cops pulled out their
guns and convinced Tony to freeze. We all ended up at
the 17th Precinct for most of that night. Tuffy , a
high ranking Royal was with us that night, but he got
away. That was the last time we saw him. He was killed
by the Latin Kings shortly after that. Just like his
brother Bimbo. We went to his funeral. It was attended
by a lot of gang bangers. Royals, Popes, Gaylords,
C-Notes, ChiWest and Jousters. I remember Tuffy's mom
crying uncontrollably after losing her two sons to
gang violence. After I left, I had heard that some of
the Royals placed some belts on the casket from
sweaters that Tuffy had taken. That really upset the
mother.

Most of the time we hung out at the Haugan School
yard. We were pretty well know in that neighborhood
and didn't have too much trouble from the outside.
Other than some run ins with the Latin Eagles. We had
some high ranking Kings called the Nanz brothers in
the neighborhood as well. We never had much of a
problem with them though. I moved away in 1975 during
my Junior year at Roosevelt. Before I moved, some of
us started to put money on the street to make some
cash through Juice Loans. It wasn't much, but we made
enough for beers and dime bags. I guess things started
to get a little bit more serious after I moved. The
loans got to be bigger and the business was becoming
pretty large. Everyone knew that some of the guys were
starting to make a lot of cash. Before they knew it
though, the local Outfit guys insisted on them paying
a street tax. After the guys came up short a couple of
times, things got very dangerous. I think that was
when our set of GL started to break up. Between the
failed Juice loans, drugs, jail and moving to the
suburbs, we didn't last very long. But we had a wild
ride for a couple of years.

It would be great to have a mention on the History
section of this website. I know we didn't last long.
But we were proud and held our own under the
circumstances. I can't find the pictures that I had
for 25 years. It would be great to add to this record.
If I ever come across them I will gladly send copies
to the web site. I have some old Lawndale Gaylord
cards and some Jouster cards as well. I don't remember
where I got them but they have Rocker, Bandit, Polack,
Magnum and bunch of other LAGL. Actually a bit after
my time but I kept up with some of our crew for a few
years after I left. So I may have gotten them from
those guys. We used to collect cards from other sets
and gangs.

I read the "Lords of Lawndale" and really felt a
strong relationship to those experiences. Thanks, it's
great to have an opportunity and a place to record
some of our past. I thought you might be interested in
this little bit of Gaylord history. I only have
contact with one other member from our set and we
still share some great memories that we can't really
communicate with other people. Keep up the good work
on this site. Maybe some day I'll see some other guys
from our old crew show up on the Blog!

Thanks again,
formerly Lil Dillinger
Haugan School Gaylords

I remember when we bricked a car on the corner of Lawndale and Altged. The car continued towards Fullerton Ave. with a bunch of us in pursuit. As it was speeding away a few gunshots rang out. After the car was gone, we started walking back to the corner and one guy was holding his left side. When we got to him and asked what's up? He stated he got shot, and showed us a bullet in his hand. He lifted his shirt and jacket, and he had a quarter sized abrasion like a cherry rash right on his ribs. Between the jacket and other clothes, the bullet hit him in the ribs, right on the bone and stopped. Nearby in a basement, we cleaned up the wound until he was good as new. His ribs were sore for a while but that was it. Twenty years later he got shot again during a robbery and survived a gunshot in the back. It just goes to show, when it's your time, that's it. Four of us were in Wisconsin once when we realized that three of us had been shot and the fourth one stabbed. Guess it wasn't our time, yet.LAGL1970S

I would like to address a certain issue. That issue is racial violence or altercations that are labeled as "Hate Crimes." I feel that law enforcement and the media often jump the gun and misjudge situations, just to get a pat on the back for a job well done, you know extra credit towards that fictional, golden trophy at the end of their lives. But sometimes the job is not well done, sometimes they are in such a haste to incarcerate an individual for a hate crime that they do not look in to the over all facts. Instead of babbling on, I am going to give two situations to better define what I'm trying to say.
1) Just recently a Gaylord was locked up for severely beating up a black man. The Gaylord was white and does have pro white views. As far as his pro-white views, I believe he has a constitutional right to them. Now for beating up the black man, the police charged him with a "Hate Crime." Sounds like an easy case don't it? Not so fast. What the police failed to take in consideration was that the black man who was beat up, was a noted Gangster Disciple who sells drugs near the Gaylords residence. There was also a prior incident where the police were called where this Gangster Disciple had a gun or two, and was planning on using the gun(s) on the Gaylord and his comrades. Now, to make this long story short....this in my opinion is nothing more then a gang fight-war and does not constitute a "Hate Crime." And to show that society is really screwed up, I bet if the black Gangster Disciple would have put the Gaylord in the hospital instead....he would not have been charged with a racial crime at all, cause thats just the way it is .
2.) I was searching around the computer and bumped into a website discussing racial crimes. Here is the link: Chicago Reporter March 1990: The Hard Choice: What is Racial Crime? What blew me away was that there was this paragraph pertaining to an incident involving the Gaylords. Heres that paragraph:
***On the Northwest Side, the gang war between the white Gaylords and the integrated Simon City Royals heats up. In November, a bullet is shot into the home of a black mother who moved into white North Austin; no one is hurt. She then gets a note - with a Gaylord signature and a Ku Klux Klan mark - reading: "We have no mercy ... we will destroy Simon City." ***
Now, the site said that the above incident was the only real racial crime out of others listed on the page. But if a person with real street knowledge read this story...they would tell you that the "Simon City Royals" is considered a white gang and that the threatening note is directed at the Royals not the black family. Also, did anyone ever think that this was a clever ploy to bring heat on the Gaylords from the police by a rival gang or Gaylord haters in general?
ALL THIS IS JUST MY PERSPECTIVE !!Thanks for posting my views!

great job. im 35 and we had quite a few
white gangs in los angeles that were
pretty crazy, but you guys sound way
more serious.......no white (stoner, punk,
skin, white pride) gang has laster longer
than 6 years or so....not on any real level
at least. the punk gangs were probably
the craziest......but they pretty much
disbanded when people got older,
started going to jail, grew up, moved
away....etc. you know the deal.
anyways.....very very interesting reading
your book i bought off the site. i couldnt
put it down and have read your whole
site. great old pictures!! may your friends
RIP and i wish you and all gaylords
strength and wisdom in all future
decisions....from los angeles.
Someone is trying to send an email error

THIS WEBSITE IS NOW IN THE COUSE OF TAKING ON A SIDE PROJECT OF STARTING A SMALLER SATELITE SITE CALLED "STONEDGREASERS.COM". WE ARE CURRENTLY TAKING IN INFO AND PHOTOS FROM ALL OLD STONEDGREASER GANGS. TO ALL WHO HAVE THIS TYPE OF MATERIAL, PLEASE FORWARD ON TO US. ALSO, IN ORDER FOR THIS SITE NOT TO BE BIAS AND NOT ONLY BE DIRECTED AT THE GAYLORDS STREET GANG, WE ARE ASKING FOR RETIRED MEMBERS OF OLD STONED GREASER GANGS TO COME ON BOARD OR HELP BY CONTRIBUTING INFORMATION. FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE RECENTLY ASKED RETIRED MEMBERS OF THE CNOTE$ STREET GANG TO PARTICIPATE AND HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT MATERIAL IS FORTHCOMING FROM THEM.

Road Runner - Sorry, your partner Sir Psycho was probably after my time. There was a Pyscho over at H-B at the time, but I don't know what became of the H-B Psycho. It seems like a lot of T-J's became G-L's. Always seemed a natural to me since we always fought side-by-side and regularly hung at each others sets as equal brothers. Take care
Brother. Baron

BARON DID YOU KNOW A JOUSTER AT HANSON PARK NAMED SIR PSYCHO IF SO WHATEVER
HAPPEN TO HIM.HE WAS A GL WITH ME BACK IN THE 80S . ROAD RUNNER

Peace Brothers. This site takes me back a quarter century. I was a Hanson Park
Jouster and also a Dunham Park Gaylord. It's good to see that friends and former
foes alike have found peace. Too many young lives cut short or thrown away on all
sides. Rocker -loved the book and the honesty, great job Brother. I llok forward to the next one. It's hard to explain the days to those who were not there. Right or wrong - it simply was what it was. I was sad to learn that Trooper from the H-B Jousters passed away. Anyone know when and how? He was a friend and classmate of me and T.T. of H-P. I was blessed to survive and go on to long professional
career in the public and private sectors, still fighting the good fight as always
but in a better way. Even more blessed to have a loving family of my own. I have
some old mural photos from various clubs I'll try to forward to the site. Anyone
have any old G-L or T- J sweaters or patches for sale, drop me a line. Way to keep this blog positive.

Best wishes to all
for a long and
peaceful life!

Trooper and all those
who left us too soon -
R.I.P. Let's live
the peaceful life
they never got to.

Baron

Email Baron (click here)

HEY TO YA
GLN I JUST FOUND OUT
MY BROTHER IS IN COOK
COUNTY JAIL HES BEEN
GOING ON THE WRONG
PATH FOR SOME TIME.
ME AND HIM DONT EVEN
TALK ANYMORE BUT IF
ANYONE OF YOU
GAYLORDS IN LOCKUP
COULD TALK SOME SENCE
INTO HIM IT WOULD BE
COOL HIS LAST NAME IS
OLSON J.... PEACE TO
YOU STIVE FOR 5
JOKER5

I'm 20 years old living in west seattle and i have been looking forever for anything on the old hoods of chicagos northdside. My father (rest in peace) was a Royal and i would do anything to be apart of generation that was not dominated by the thought of black and foreign hispanics being the only hoods or gangs i would do anything to live in your era and fight along side a hood with meaning and pride such as the ones spoken of here. Where are the white hoods of now how come they cannot have the power and control of yester year how come they allseem to be radical aryan fronts that just waste potential dabbling in meth. well my mother is mexican and growing up with her and then moving to seattle which has a lot of chicago influence i became a spanish gangster disciple due to the fact i grew up in that neighborhood but i have longed to come up in the ranks of a
greaser hood of your time just as my father had. hit me back with any information there are a lot of men yearning to hear of your movement and in need of guidance. Sincerely and with all due respect to your nation, Deceit

This is a shout out to our great webmaster. What a wonderful job he has done on this site. From the graphics to keen in site he has; you should be commended.Thanks for all your time and dedication. With out you this would not be possible. You will all ways be a honerary gaylord in my book. thanks again
Pacman.

WELL ANOTHER YEAR HAS GONE MAY I SAY PEACE TO ALL MY FELLOW BROTHERS MAY THIS BE
THE YEAR THE GAYLORDS STEP CLOSER TO THIER OBJECTIVE . TO UNITE WITH ALL LORDS WHO HAVE THE SAME VISIONS TO WHERE WE WANT THE NATION TO BE ,AND DISCLOSE THE ONES WHO WANT NOTHING MORE TO DESTROY THE FOUNDATION WE HAVE BUILT OVER THE DECADES , PEACE
OLDSKOOLGL

The Moffat Gaylords loss Pee-wee. the brother of The original Joker from Moffat and Campell Gaylords. He was a loyal and crazy Gaylord from the 70s, mayhe rest in peace.He is remembered by our leader big T [aka Joker]. Our guys back then were Joker, Bear ,Happy, Dices, Harpo,Coco,Abba,White Owl, etc.[,Pee- Wee,Wolf,Harpo] live in our hearts.May the Latin Panthers and the Latin Kings never forget !Terry P. AKA JOKER THE ALMIGHTY MOFFAT GAYLORDS

My apologies to any for whom haven't seen their post in a timely manner. Due to the holiday season many of us have been spending time with families and dealing with other priorites.
In no way do we want anyone to feel left out or unrecognized by the Nation.
If there has been a blog that hasnt been posted in a timely manner, please resend the post.
They will be posted. Due to much repeat mail it is possible that it fell between the cracks.
NOTE: Posts that are negative in manner will not be posted.