Milwaukee Kings
Milwaukee Kings

Milwaukee Kings

Founded Founded in 1969 by Shakey in or near Wicker Park (West Town)
Formerly known as

Milwaukee Kings 1970s-present; Maniac Milwaukee Kings 1992-1995

Affiliations Folk Nation — 1980 – 2000 or later;
Maniac — 1992 – 1995;
SGD / La Tabla;
Colors Black and Orange
Primary ethnicities Latino (Puerto Rican)
Symbols Rounded Crown, King Head, Jack-o'-lantern, and 13-11
Symbol usage

King head with teardrop in right eye, circle with curved line horizontally through it, pitchfork 1980-1995

Status Active

The Milwaukee Kings were started by 16-year-old Leureano “Shakey” Ramos at the end of the year 1969.  Shakey was a former Maniac Latin Disciples (then known as just Latin Disciples) that maintained strong ties to his former gang especially since he had family in the Disciples.  Shakey started the Milwaukee Kings in the Wicker Park neighborhood at the intersection of Milwaukee and Wolcott/Wood.  Other original Milwaukee Kings were Black Boy and Pops.  Pops was called Pops because he had about 6 children. The Milwaukee Kings were started because Latin Kings in Wicker Park very aggressively tried to recruit Ramos and his family which caused Ramos and his family to declare war on the Latin Kings as they took part of their name as “Kings.” Being from Milwaukee Avenue they combined “Milwaukee” and “Kings” for the name.  For the colors, the Milwaukee Kings stole the colors from the Warlords who also became a rival as Warlords and Latin Kings were strong allies.  The Milwaukee Kings would feel the wrath of Latin Kings and Warlords for taking these colors and name but the Milwaukee Kings stood their ground and also viciously hit the Latin Kings and Warlords back making a name for themselves.

On the 4th of July 1971, a Milwaukee King was murdered in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood at the intersection of Kedzie and Division by Latin Kings, this murder infuriated Latin Disciples and Milwaukee Kings, then to make matters worse on January 18, 1972 the Latin Kings murdered Albert Hernandez, the leader of the Latin Disciples, but the killer was never caught.  Milwaukee Kings and Latin Disciples knew the King that did it and served street justice by killing him in 1972.

Shakey, and another Milwaukee King co-founder Edwin Devilla did a drive up shooting of 5 Division and Mozart Latin Kings walking home from a party at the intersection of Thomas and California.  This section’s leader “Kino” was shot and killed in this shooting along with “Fish.”  “Shorty,” “Soul,” and another Latin King were injured.  The shooting devastated Division and Mozart and they closed down after the shooting done by Shakey.  Both Ramos and Devilla were later released and not charged with the shooting.

In the year 1975, the Milwaukee Kings moved alongside Hispanic migration to the southern part of the West Town neighborhood to Huron and Noble.  The Milwaukee Kings moved their headquarters here that year.  In this neighborhood the Milwaukee Kings began fighting violent gang wars with C-Notes.

In the year 1979, Milwaukee Kings joined the Maniac alliance alongside the Maniac Latin Disciples since MKs had MLD relatives.

In the year 1980, Milwaukee Kings joined the Folk alliance in the prison system after the Spanish Gangster Disciple concepts were drawn up in prison.  The Milwaukee Kings had strong relations to the Maniac Latin Disciples; therefore, they were accepted into SGD and the Folk alliance and became Latin Folks.  In the year 1981, Milwaukee Kings turned Folks on the streets along with everyone else that was Folks.

 

In the 1980s, the Milwaukee King founder Leureano “Shakey” Ramos allegedly saved Black Gangster Disciple leader Larry Hoover’s life during an attempted assassination by the Black Disciples while both men were in prison.  After this, Larry Hoover had extra respect for Shakey and promoted him to be the leader over the SGD alliance.  The Maniac Latin Disciples who were previously the head of the SGD were not happy with this decision but all other organizations went along with it; therefore, MLDs had to as well.

Shakey was a very feared man behind bars and many both respected and feared him, even prison staff.  Shakey was known to have anyone beaten or killed if they insulted him or crossed him.  Shakey even once cut off the hand or fingers of a man and shipped the severed body part to the man’s mother in the mail.  While in prison, Shakey would snap on the guards in prison and they would cower away.  Shakey was also known for killing his own cousin “Lil Man,” a Maniac Latin Disciple member.

In the year 1980 the Milwaukee Kings were unified with the UPCI alliance that consisted of Maniac Latin Disciples, Ashland Vikings, Satan Disciples and Harrison Gents who all happened to be Folks.  This was a tight alliance for the MKs until 1987 when MKs went to war with Satan Disciples and Harrison Gents.

The 1980s brought some expansion as Milwaukee Kings opened turf in Belmont-Cragin in Riis Park in 1985.  The Riis Park chapter would become permanent.

In the early 1990s, Milwaukee Kings were often roped into the famous disputes between Insanes and Maniacs but by 1995, a conflict erupted between MKs and MLDs causing the Milwaukee Kings to leave the Maniacs.  After the MKs left the Maniacs they never joined any other family and always rode alone ever since.

In the year 1993, high ranking members “Kono” and “Jey Dogg” from the Huron and Noble section traveled to the Grant Works section of the suburb of Cicero at 21st and 51st Court and were given permission to begin a chapter in Cicero. Kono decided not to partake in the startup and instead Jey Dogg started the chapter himself as he flipped two members of the Latin Angels Ransum and Pelon.  Fredo moved in from the Taylor Street area of the west side of Chicago and joined the CMKs.  Cicero locals Doritos, M Dog, Roc and Sandman joined in 1993 and now there were 8 members.  Hec Dog became the 9th and was younger than the rest but down for the nation.  A short time later Mayo, Tank, Roger and Trench joined making the CMKs 13 deep.  Some other recruits joined at times but when they realized the Cicero MKs were ready to heavily gangbang they couldn’t hack it and left.  The 13 main members were a serious force to be reckoned with and became Cicero legends.

The MKs also got into it badly with La Raza and the Two Two Boys who were both fellow Folk Nation gangs.

The Cicero MKs “CMKs” were now becoming a prime target of Cicero police which caused members to end up in jail and prison.  More trouble came in October of 1994 when the Milwaukee Kings and Satan Disciples got into it in the city which led to members of the Satan Disciples killing a Milwaukee King gang member, now the MKs had another war with a Folk Nation gang.  In the meantime in Cicero things got worse when Milwaukee Kings were now also at war with the Gangster Disciples.  The Cicero MKs then wanted to establish a close alliance with the Two Sixs.  Older members from Chicago warned the CMKs to not make this deal and it would bring trouble but the CMKs did not listen and let Two Sixs share their turf.  Two Sixs were the bigger gang and expected the MKs to just disappear after a little while and this resulted in another interalliance gang war for the MKs.  The only ally left the MKs had in Cicero were the MLDs but that would soon change.

In 1995, the Maniac Latin Disciples began imposing heavier taxes on their fellow Maniacs and also began infringing on their drug turf, this led to a major uprising within the Maniacs as some of the gangs began disbanding from the Maniac title.  The Latin Lovers, Latin Jivers and Milwaukee Kings all left the Maniacs.  The Latin Lovers turned Insane.  The Jivers and MKs went their own way and went under nothing.  The Latin Jivers then became the one and only allies the MKs had on the north side, in Cicero the MKs had no allies and this led to the demise of the CMKs.  Too many incarcerations from Cicero police brought down the leadership of CMKs and the rest of CMK had too many gang wars to fight without their leadership and the operation shut down, Cicero turned out to be a bad investment.

The MKs have been known to be one of the more ruthless organizations that does not need allies to survive as long as police do not target them too heavily like they did in Cicero.  Milwaukee Kings continued to have a presence at Huron and Noble up to present years but the majority of their presence left in the 2000s decade after Shakey passed away in 2002.

Shakey would remain the long time leader of the Milwaukee Kings until he was found dead at a closed gas station while scratching off lottery tickets on March, 11 2002.  It was said he died of a drug overdose.  At his wake he was given a Milwaukee King service by “Baby” which was given in style.

Please send in old school pics.   1970s or 1980s pics will be especially appreciated!

Questions:

  1. What was the time line of leaders up to the year 2000?
  2. What year did Milwaukee Kings leave River North and open in Eckhart Park?
  3. What year did Shubert and Fairfield fall and why?

Sections of the Milwaukee Kings past and present 

Belmont-Cragin neighborhood 1985-present years

Sections of Belmont-Cragin

Altgeld to Belden, Meade to Marmora (Riis Park, Swift City, M-Town) 1985-present

East Humboldt Park neighborhood

Sections of East Humboldt Park

Beach & Lemoyne area

Logan Square neighborhood 90s

Sections of Logan Square

Schubert & Fairfield 90s

River West neighborhood

sections of River West

Milwaukee & Grand

Southern West Town neighborhood Established 1975-2000s

Sections of Southern West Town

Huron & Noble Established 1975-2000s

Wicker Park neighborhood Established 1969-1975

Sections of Wicker Park

Milwaukee & Wood/Wolcott Established 1969-1975

 

Suburbs

Cicero Established 1993 21st & 51st

Elgin