The Popes Gaylords War
The Pope/Gaylord's war of the early seventies divided the White greaser gangs in Chicago at a time when minority gang memberships were on the rise. The war between the Insane Popes and the Almighty Gaylord's (Chicago's largest White street gangs) caused a division that lasted into the People and Folk alliances, when the Gaylords joined the People and the Popes, Simon City Royals and the C-Notes joined the Folks.
These stories are told by former members of both gangs documenting the events leading up to the battles between the Popes (IP) and the Gaylords (GL).
Pope Perspective
IP: I recall when the trouble with the Gaylords and Popes began, not many of us felt good about it, especially the Popes that went to Lane Tech. There were only a handful of us there and many of them weren’t hardcore.
Once the trouble began there was a few of us on Milwaukee Avenue around the Portage Theater. A couple car loads of Gaylords pulled up and jumped out on us. Outnumbered badly, we all tore ass through the neighborhood over fences. Lil Larkin got caught and was picked up and put through a storefront window. By coincidence the store was a uniform or sewing store called Gaylords.
One night in the winter of 1973 we got tipped that we were going to get hit at Dickinson Park. Around that time the other white gangs formed UFO: United Five Organization. I always thought that’s who was involved, but Kilbourn G/L was calling the shots. There were 13 of us around the park with two guns. We dug in and waited. From the east a lot of guys were heading towards us. We all scattered and hid. I never realized that another group came at us from the south around Irving Park. I lived on Laverne just south of the park, and that’s where a lot of us converged. Some shots were fired and an ex C- note got shot. After scattering some of our guys just left the area; a wise move. Those that stayed met at my house. The neighborhood was swarming with guys with bad intentions. My own brother Lil Moe hid in a neighbor’s yard and covered himself up with snow to escape. I never hit anyone with my shots as I was too cold and scared to get off some well placed shots. I always wondered just how many guys came after us that night and which clubs were represented.
One time Larkin and C Kidd told a bunch of us (8 or 10) to meet them in the morning, cut school if needed but be there. When we were all ready, we were told we were going to wake up the Gaylords. They had an apartment just north of Kolmar Park on Montrose Avenue near the expressway. We were just crossing the expressway when we ran into Munchkin on his way to work. He had just left the apartment. We all slunk up the back stairs to the second or third floor and forced our way in. There was a refrigerator pushed up against the door from the inside, but it wasn't hard to get in .There were only two guys there that I can remember, a Playboy named Slinky with his sweater. The other was a passed out or sleeping Gaylord who was woken up at gunpoint. We told Slinky we had no beef with the Playboys and let him keep his sweater. I don’t recall what was said, but I don’t think the Gaylord was damaged. After we left on our way back I recall Larkin and C Kidd being disappointed that there wasn't any of the heavy, dangerous Gaylords there. I started missing more and more classes at Lane after that. I’m really glad now that no one was shot and killed on the way in or once we got in.
Once the hostilities started the Popes wanted to know who all was going to get in on open Pope season compliments of Larkin. We knew a C-note named Turk and he set up a meet down around Smiths Field with Pie the ranking Note at the time I guess. He took us up some alley and into a garage. Inside was Pie and a couple others. There was around 6 of us: Larkin, Chuck Kidd, Moe, Me and a couple others. So before we get talking one note leaves the garage, A little while later a pile of guys start filing in fully armed. Everyone was strapped: handguns, rifles and shotguns. I was hoping we weren’t going to get killed. They were just parading their hardware, which was impressive. Pie told us that he would tell those he had influence over not to come down on us.I don’t know if all the notes obeyed but it was something we didn’t worry about.
So the day after Joe L got shot up by Dickinson park I had to go back to Gaylord high school (Lane Tech).Popes not being welcome at Lennies, I stayed in the lunchroom. One of the hall guards at the main entrance was a G/L from St Gens named Squirrel. We were friends. I was talking with him and 3 other Popes. One of the bigger G/Ls named Thor came up to us and asked if I was there last night. I told him I was. He asked if I did the shooting that hit Joe, I told him I didn’t. He was really pissed off because he was standing next to Joe when he got hit and a bullet tore his coat at shoulder level where Joe got hit. He wanted to fight and wouldn't take no for an answer. He told Squirrel: come on! We got outside the lunchroom and Squirrel punches a Pope named Mike in the eye. Me and a big Pope named Rich jumped on Thor. Next thing I know Squirrel is on me from behind. Mike and another Pope named Gary were standing there, and I yelled to them to get Squirrel off of me. They were two pretty useless f_cks and I took on Squirrel myself till the hall guards and teachers broke us up. So Thor yells to us to come to Lennies after school to finish it. I wasn't about to offer myself up to a bunch of pissed off G/Ls after school and cut my last class. I was trying to make it out through the auditorium and I ran into one of the biggest Gaylords at Lane. A guy called Greek. He stepped on one of my feet and gave me a pretty good punch before I could avoid him. It was a real test to get out of school without getting caught from then on.
I remember we heard about the attack on us in advance, so we planned to spread out, only put two on the corner as bait and have most guys waiting in-between houses. I remember hiding under that snow, LOL. It came to me in a split second; I had no time to spare. We were completely surrounded, they came from every G_d dam direction, you guys were like the Ducky boys in the movie The Wanderers and it seemed like you could always muster 30 guys easily. Anyways, as soon as I covered up with snow, a pile of dudes ran through that yards and gangway. Ha they must've thought I disappeared. Then I hear shots fired and lots of shouting and such - very scary night. I must say with respect, the Gaylord’s knew how to stage an attack. They came from every direction! And at first, all we could see of the attack is a few carloads unloading. We never saw the recon. And to the young dudes reading this, this was a long time before cell phones and they had it down pat. So at least 20 guys jump out and start running at us from across the park and street. Time kind of stood still for a bit. I had a machete and I remember thinking I was going to take the first bastard out with it and then probably die. This horde was running towards us and I hear Chuck Kidd: who was to my right, say real quick "THERES A TIME TO RUN AND A TIME TO FIGHT, THIS IS A TIME TO RUN!" So we took off. We ran right across Belle Plaine Avenue and to the Lavergne alley and ran down the alley (which actually was the plan) because there we had a couple more guys in reserve in the alley, like that would’ve helped. And what the hell do we SEE, its MORE f_cking dudes from the south end of the alley coming right at us. I turned west into a yard and hid, smart because they had more on the next street, I think it was lucky that Larkin wasn’t there that night because we wouldn't have run and he probably would've been beat to death that night