Simon City Royals
Encyclopedia
The Simon City Royals, formally the Almighty Simon City Royal Nation, are a Chicago
street gang which began in the late 1950s as Simon City, a greaser gang. They named themselves for Simons Park
which is located on the corner of Drake and Wabansia, in the Humboldt Park
neighborhood where they originally formed.
The Royals are heavily involved in the dealing of illegal drugs and other contraband, particularly in prisons where members are incarcerated. They have also successfully bribed prison guards, notably in Milwaukee, to smuggle drugs into institutions. They are also involved in racketeering and loan shark
ing.
s with other gangs including the Imperial Gangsters, Latin Kings, Jokers, Drakers and Belairs. By this time Simon City had begun to expand and organize, and spread to other neighborhoods on the northwest side. They started talks with a gang called the Ashland Royals who were headquartered on the corner of Paulina and Cornelia streets. The leader of Simon City, Michael Kraft, fought a leading member of the Royals and lost, with the result being that the two gangs merged into one. The gang was now called Simon City's Angry Royals, soon to be shortened to Simon City Royals. Some sections of Simon City continued to operate as a separate group under the old name for a few years before either joining the merged group or leaving the gang entirely.
and the Gaylords
. In 1975, the Gaylords killed Larry "Larkin" Morris, then the leader of the Popes, and the Popes decided to form an alliance with the Royals. The Royals also fought major "wars" with the Latin Kings, Insane Deuces and Latin Eagles
in which many lives were lost, including some of the top ranking Simon City Royals. By this time the Royals had spread out to include neighborhoods like Albany and School, Drake and Wolfram, Southport and Fullerton, Central Park and Wilson, California and Fletcher, Farwell and Clark, among others. The Southport and Fullerton Royals were involved in a "war" with the Insane Unknowns because they had killed the leader of the Unknowns after inviting him to a peace meeting. The Unknowns would then wipe out the Southport and Fullerton Royals, killing their leaders and taking control of the area. To protect their members in prison and to maintain some presence on the streets, the Royals opted to join the Folk Nation
which sprang up in the late 70s/early 80s. The leader of the Simon City Royals, Todd O'Thomas, aka Todd Brewer, was killed by the Puerto Rican Stones in the early 80s.
The Royals still control some of their historic strongholds on the north side of Chicago and have spread into the suburbs and other states such as Wisconsin and Mississippi. Today they still consist of mostly white members but also many Latinos and black members as well.
In 2003, they changed their traditional colors of black and royal blue for the historic color scheme re-introduced that year by the Kansas City Royals
: black, white and blue.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
street gang which began in the late 1950s as Simon City, a greaser gang. They named themselves for Simons Park
Simons Park
Simons Park is a municipal park located at 1640 N. Drake Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. It is administered by the Chicago Park District, and contains full facilities for activities including baseball, boxing, and outdoor basketball...
which is located on the corner of Drake and Wabansia, in the Humboldt Park
Humboldt Park, Chicago
Humboldt Park is one of 77 officially designated community areas located on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois. The Humboldt Park neighborhood is widely known for its large Puerto Rican presence...
neighborhood where they originally formed.
The Royals are heavily involved in the dealing of illegal drugs and other contraband, particularly in prisons where members are incarcerated. They have also successfully bribed prison guards, notably in Milwaukee, to smuggle drugs into institutions. They are also involved in racketeering and loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
ing.
Early years
In the 1960s, they became involved in turf warTurf war
According to Wordnet the definition of a turf war is "a bitter struggle for territory or power or control or rights". For example: a turf war erupted between street gangs; the president's resignation was the result of a turf war with the board of directors. In larger companies Turf wars could...
s with other gangs including the Imperial Gangsters, Latin Kings, Jokers, Drakers and Belairs. By this time Simon City had begun to expand and organize, and spread to other neighborhoods on the northwest side. They started talks with a gang called the Ashland Royals who were headquartered on the corner of Paulina and Cornelia streets. The leader of Simon City, Michael Kraft, fought a leading member of the Royals and lost, with the result being that the two gangs merged into one. The gang was now called Simon City's Angry Royals, soon to be shortened to Simon City Royals. Some sections of Simon City continued to operate as a separate group under the old name for a few years before either joining the merged group or leaving the gang entirely.
Turf wars and alliances
In the 1970s, the gang had tenuous alliances to the city's two major white gangs, the PopesPopes (gang)
-Early history:The Popes, also now known as the Insane Popes and originally the Almighty Popes, are a Chicago street gang, formed in the late 1950s on the north side of the city.- Expansion :...
and the Gaylords
Chicago Gaylords
The Chicago Gaylords, also known as the Almighty Gaylords, is one of the oldest Chicago street gangs. It originated in the neighborhood of Grand and Noble...
. In 1975, the Gaylords killed Larry "Larkin" Morris, then the leader of the Popes, and the Popes decided to form an alliance with the Royals. The Royals also fought major "wars" with the Latin Kings, Insane Deuces and Latin Eagles
Latin Eagles
The ALEN originated in the area of Halsted and Addison in Chicago in the 1960. Originally meant to be a Latino political organization, by the 1970s it had transformed into a criminal street gang.-Identification:...
in which many lives were lost, including some of the top ranking Simon City Royals. By this time the Royals had spread out to include neighborhoods like Albany and School, Drake and Wolfram, Southport and Fullerton, Central Park and Wilson, California and Fletcher, Farwell and Clark, among others. The Southport and Fullerton Royals were involved in a "war" with the Insane Unknowns because they had killed the leader of the Unknowns after inviting him to a peace meeting. The Unknowns would then wipe out the Southport and Fullerton Royals, killing their leaders and taking control of the area. To protect their members in prison and to maintain some presence on the streets, the Royals opted to join the Folk Nation
Folk Nation
The Folk Nation is an alliance of street gangs, based in the Chicago area, which has since spread throughout the United States, specifically in the Midwest and the South. They are rivals to the People Nation....
which sprang up in the late 70s/early 80s. The leader of the Simon City Royals, Todd O'Thomas, aka Todd Brewer, was killed by the Puerto Rican Stones in the early 80s.
Decline
The Royals entered into vicious street wars with the Latin Kings, Insane Deuces and Gaylords. In 1984, the Royals shot a 14 year old Gaylord in the back, killing him. One of the Gaylords present was Michael Scott, who would later go on to write a book about his days as a gang member called "Lords of Lawndale". Hours after the murder, Scott identified a Royal named Mike Hynes as one of the shooters and testified against him. Hynes and Orlando Serrano, who claimed to not be a gang member, were tried for murder. Serrano was found not guilty, but Hynes was convicted in part because of testimony given by fellow Simon City Royal members, as well as testimony given by Scott and two others who were present when the killing occurred. Hynes spent over twenty years in prison and was killed shortly after his release after being involved in the stabbing of a woman in a Chicago bar.Current
The Royals killed several members of the Deuces and the Kings and the PR Stones in the 1980s, in addition to the 14 year old Gaylord they shot in the back. By the ealy 90s, however, they had begun to feud with their former allies, the Spanish Cobras and Latin Disciples. The Royals killed several Cobras and had some of their members killed in return. Out of necessity, they entered into a grouping within the Folks alliance known as the Almighty Family. This faction consists of the Royals, Imperial Gangsters, Harrison Gents, Latin Eagles and Ambrose.The Royals still control some of their historic strongholds on the north side of Chicago and have spread into the suburbs and other states such as Wisconsin and Mississippi. Today they still consist of mostly white members but also many Latinos and black members as well.
In 2003, they changed their traditional colors of black and royal blue for the historic color scheme re-introduced that year by the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
: black, white and blue.
Pictures
- Almighty Simon City Royals Tattoos
- Almighty Simon City Royals Pictures
- Almighty Simon City Royals Drawings