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The South Side Gaylords had a decent sized chapter in the Back of Yards of Chicago from the mid 1960's up until the mid 1970's.
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Almighty Sherman Park Gaylords |
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5200 South Throop |
5300 South Wood |
The Gaylords have been stereotyped as a Northside gang. The truth is that the Gaylords also had a decent sized chapter in the Back of the Yards on the South Side of Chicago from about the mid 1960's up until the mid 1970's. The main hangouts were Sherman Park (5200 South Throop) and Fulton School Playground (5300 South Wood). The South Side Gaylords fought with Blacks who were trying to gain control of Sherman Park. The Gaylords from these sets also fought a Puerto Rican gang called the Latin Souls, and a predominantly white gang the Cornell Dukes, so named because their main hangout was Cornell Square Park at 50th and Wood. The Cornell Dukes were a pretty large gang from the mid 60's to mid 70's. Their turf was 4700 South to 5100 South, and Ashland west to the Railroad tracks at 2200 west. They were main enemies of the Gaylords at 51st and Wood. A former Chicago Gage Park graduate had this to say about the opposing gangs of the Gaylords, "At Sherman Park, I don't think it was necessarily black gangs that the Gaylords fought, just blacks in general. I had numerous problems with blacks at Libby Grammar School (5300 South Loomis) and at Gage Park H.S. and it was never gang related.They were black, I was white, and they had a big problem with that."
A Gage Park Graduate had this to say about the Gaylords' Turf, "The Fulton Gaylords' turf was 5100 South to 5500 South and Ashland to the Railroad tracks at 2200 West. Actually very similar to the Dukes' turf, but of course the southern boundaries were disputed by the Latin Souls, and the northern fringe by the Dukes. The Sherman Park Gaylords at their height, probably had the area between Ashland and Loomis (1400 West) from 4900 South to 5600 South and the area between Loomis and Racine from 4900 South to 5500 South (this tract included Sherman Park) East of Racine, I'd guess they had the area between 4900 South to about 5200 South, from Racine to Halsted."
The South Side Gaylords did not wear colors during this time period. At Gage Park High School during the years 1974-77, very few gangs wore sweaters. These gangs included: the Mad Lads (very large, very active, and very short lived), the Artesian Cobras (a greaser gang who evolved from the 59 Street Supreme rulers, and most of whom were weightlifting fanatics), The Settlement (1966-1968), Latin Souls, Latin Lovers, and Street Lords. The Latin Lovers and the Street Lords briefly combined their forces around 1975 to become the Street Lords. Of all the gangs mentioned, the Mad Lads were predominantly white, and wore gray sweaters and berets. Other gangs that hungout in the area were: The V's they hung around behind Gage Pk H.S. The Kingsmen, they were from around 59th Street. Nightingales, they hung by the grammer school on 52nd and Rockwell. The Burger King Boys, they hung at B.K. that used to be on 55th east of Ashland. Sawyer Boys, hung at Sawyer school at 53rd and Sawyer. And the Whipple Street Boys. While gang sweaters were heard about, in all honesty, you really didn't see them that often.
It is possible the Sherman Park Gaylords (the 55th-Ashland chapter), started at the pool hall at 5543 South Ashland. If you are up on your Mod History you will know was the scene of a bloody gun battle on Thanksgiving Day in 1926, between the Saltis-McErlane Gang and the South Side O'Donnells (3 men were wounded). The pool hall is now gone, but it has been stated by an area resident, "The pool hall was still there when the neighborhood changed around 1973. The pool hall would have been the only place on that block that I could envision the Gaylords' frequenting, and when you think about it, that's just the kind of place they'd hangout, and it would be 55th-Ashland." The Sherman Park Gaylords were well established and in control in 1967.
A retired Lawndale and Altgeld Gaylord had this to say about the 55th and Ashland Gaylords: "I remember Gaylords from Sherman and Marquette Park sets attending Gaylord and UFO meetings at Saint Sylvesters Church on Palmer Street in the early 1970s. The parish Priest use to let the Gaylords use the Church Hall to conduct our meetings."
Eventually, the 55th and Ashland Gaylords would start to hang out in Sherman Park near the swimming pool. Around 1971, the Gaylords were hanging out near the swimming pool at the top of a small hill, when a black gang in a car pulled up and started taunting them. A young Mexican Gaylord ran up to the car and supposely kicked it, when someone inside the car fatally shot him. A Chicago Tribune article stated that the shooting followed an argument between a Louis Fuentes and an unidentified group over use of the swimming pool one Sunday night. Louis Fuentes was dead on arrival at Mercy Hospital.
Following the shooting a group of 11 Gaylords arrived at Sherman Park "to weep a vigil" on the spot where the shooting occurred. The Chicago Police ordered the group, armed with bricks and bottles, to leave. When the Gaylords refused, the police arrested them on charges of being in the park after hours.
A followup to the story paraphrased: Brighton Park Homicide detectives arrested Albert, 24, last night for the Murder of Louis Fuentes, 18, in front of Sherman Park at 52d and Elizabeth Streets. Fuentes, who lived at 7307 S. Whipple St., was shot once in the chest Sunday night as he walked up to a car carrying two black men. Witnesses said Fuentes was trying to prevent the rekindling of a fight between white and black youths which had occurred minutes earlier in the Sherman Park Pool, according to Police Lt. Joseph Curtin. LT. CURTIN said Albert was seized in his apartment by police using information supplied by witnesses, including the license number of the auto that carried the assailant. According to Curtin, Albert told police a white youth had thrown a bottle at his car in Sherman Park. He chased the youth and several other white youths on foot. Albert returned to his car and then saw Fuentes approaching. He thought Fuentes was one of the youths he had been chasing, Albert said. Albert took a .32 caliber revolver from his glove compartment and shot Fuentes as he approached, according to Curtin. The lieutenant said neither Fuentes nor Albert of South Racing Av., had been involved in the earlier fight at the pool.
A former area resident who lived in the Back of The Yards area from the early 1960's until the late 1970's had this to say about the ethnic makeup of Sherman Park: "As to the ethnic makeup of the area around Sherman Park. Though the park is only 3 blocks by 2 blocks, it actually borders 3 different communities. The area immediately south of the park is West Englewood, and it was the first to go black (around 1969) when it had been white that section was predominantly Irish. The area immediately east of the park is called New City (ironically all of the Back of the Yards is considered to be part of New City, but a large part of New City is outside the Back of the Yards) this area was also predominantly Irish when it was white, and it was also the next area bordering the park to go black. The area immediately north of the park was very heavily Polish, mainly due to the presence of St John of God parish, this area was also the last to remain white. The area to the immediate west, which like the area to the north is also in the Back of the Yards, was more mixed with probably Germans being the largest group followed by Poles. This area also had a small influx of Appalachian whites in the late 60's. The last whites to move in to the area."
"For all intents and purposes, Sherman Park became an all black park by about 1976 or 1977. A surprising number of whites still lived directly north of the park, but that was no doubt due to the presence of St. John of God Church, which remained predominantly white until it's closure around 1994. Today, Gage Park H.S. is probably pretty close to being half black, half hispanic, with a few odd white or Arab students."
An Alum from Gage Park High School had this to say about Sherman Park: "There were so many shootings at the park and the cops used to chase us from the pool all the time. I do remember one time when the Kings were fighting the Gaylords, there were bothers in each gang and that was the first time I saw the Gaylords bring the guns down from over the wall, I think I was maybe in 7th or 8th grade, not sure it was so long ago. I remember when they shut down the park around 1969-71 for a shooting, you couldn't even walk on the side of the park. I know a few guys were picked up for it and a few went to the Audy home. By today's standards that all was mild. I still would rather have the old days back."
A former resident from 51st and Ashland had this to say about the South Side Gaylords: "The Gaylords were a solid gang that ran deep in our hood. Though I was not a Gaylord, I felt safe in my neighborhood knowing they were there to defend us. They did not direspect any of the neighborhood residents. They did not run from no one. They defended the neighborhood with honor, doing what they had to do to keep rival gangs out."
So this is where the battle ended for the 55th and Ashland Gaylords. About 1977, the Gaylords broke up their set due to gang members getting sent to the joint, families moving to the suburbs, and most important: their neighborhood changed around them, therefore, there was nothing left to fight for!
The South Side Gaylords defined GAYLORDS to mean:
& AshlandActual gang card from the early 1970's
Sherman Park |
Almighty Gaylords |
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52nd Street between Throop and Elizabeth...Gaylords hangout near the swimming pool in Sherman Park. |
5200 South Throop...Libby Grammar School from Sherman Park Looked at from Sherman Park |
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Sherman Park Pool...The Gaylords use to hangout along the fence Street is 52nd between Throop and Elizabeth |
Sherman Park Pool...Gaylord hangout from a different angle |
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Sherman Park Benches...Gaylord hangout on the benches at Sherman Park Sherman Park looking Northeast towards Saint John of God. "I Remember the Gaylords hanging out by the benches," a former resident |
Cornell Park Field House...Cornell Park Dukes use to congregate on these steps |
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Cornell Park...The Dukes of Cornell Park claimed this park |
More Cornell Park...Cornell Park From another view |
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Article about a rumble between Cornell Dukes and the Gaylords in 1970s from and unidentifiable publication, Courtesy of Mr. Capone. |
The information published on this page was given to the webmaster by a 1970's graduate (Larry who took the pictures) from Gage Park High School, who grew up in the New City - Back of The Yard - area of South Chicago. He grew up with many of the Gaylords. Other information was obtained from 1960 - 1970's Gage Park graduates through a posting on Classmates.com. I wanted to thank everyone from Sherman Park and Gage Park high School (especially the retired member of the Little Nightingales and his sister, and the Gage Park gal who knew Mick - a junior Gaylord) for providing us with this historical data and photographs.
GaylordsTwo other sections on the South Side that the Gaylords' held was on Throop Street between 31st and Archer and 18th and Western. The 18th and Western Gaylords wore the colors Red and Brown. See Stone Greaser.
Pilsen Gaylords - 18th and Western Section |
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Pilsen Gaylords (18th and Western Gaylords) used to be Satan Disciples. In the 1970s, when the Satan Disciple Nation started turning Mexican, or letting in a lot of Mexicans in, these guys all quit the SD’s and started up a section of the Gaylords. Their Chief was a guy named Kingfish. |
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