Gangs and Politicians in Chicago: An Unholy Alliance
LAWBREAKERS, LAWMAKERS: In some parts of Chicago, violent street gangs and pols quietly trade money and favors for mutual gain. The thugs flourish, the elected officials thrive—and you lose. A special report.
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In Chicago and the U.S.
That a sitting alderman would help pay for the funeral of a notorious gangster shows how the interests of politicians and gangs can intertwine. For the Ali twins, the connection conferred an above-the-law aura. For their mother, it offered the opportunity to work in the community as part of the alderman’s inner circle. For Shiller, the relationship seems to have brought street cred and political muscle that helped her fend off tough challenges at the ballot box.
Because campaign disclosure rules are vague, such relationships aren’t usually reported, nor are they easy to track through the paperwork on campaign contributions and expenditures that candidates are required to file. Assessing how pervasive the alliances are, or how much back scratching actually takes place, is difficult. Oversight is virtually nonexistent. Thus, the relationships are usually hidden from public scrutiny.
Even so, there’s no rule prohibiting aldermen from forming such relationships. State lawmakers are similarly unconstrained. Compliance with Illinois’s ethics act, which contains the code of conduct for legislators, is voluntary. As it’s put in the law, the ethical principles “are intended only as guides to legislator conduct, and not as rules meant to be enforced with disciplinary action.” (Many elected officials in Chicago and Springfield have also been stalwart opponents of rules designed to shed more light on potentially questionable conduct or to make their offices and political operations more transparent.)
Allowed such free rein, our lawmakers operate in an ambiguous moral universe that seems as lawless as some of the street corners in their districts. “No wonder corrupt pols here fear only one person: U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald,” said a Chicago Tribune editorial a few years ago.
Many forms of political corruption—taking bribes, rigging elections, engaging in pay-to-play deals—are plainly unethical, if not illegal. But forming political alliances with gangs isn’t a clear matter of right or wrong, some say. In many Chicago neighborhoods, it’s virtually impossible for elected officials and candidates for public office not to have at least some connection, even family ties, to gang members. “People try to paint this picture of bad versus good—it’s not like that,” says a veteran political organizer based in Chicago who specializes in getting out the vote in minority areas. “Everybody lives with each other, grew up with each other. Just because somebody goes this way or that way, it doesn’t mean you’re just gonna write them off automatically.”
For better or worse, gang members are constituents, the same as businesspeople in the Gold Coast. Says Aaron Patterson, an imprisoned gang member: “It ain’t like gangs come from another planet.”
For some politicians, gang members can be a source of political strength—all the more so given that the once-formidable City Hall–Cook County patronage system, the lifeblood of the old Machine, is mostly gone. In the heyday of the Machine, recalls Wallace Davis Jr., a former 27th Ward alderman, political chieftains could simply snap their fingers and marshal a large cadre of city workers to go door-to-door with “a pint of wine and a chicken” to turn out the vote.
Few politicians nowadays have such armies at their beck and call. To win elections, many officeholders and candidates—especially those who represent parts of the city with high concentrations of street gangs—turn to those gangs as their de facto political organizations. “It went from wine and a chicken to hiring a gangbanger,” says Davis, who served from 1983 to 1987. “It’s unfortunate.”
Though estimates vary, most authorities and criminologists agree that there are 70,000 to 125,000 gang members in the city. In the numbers game of Chicago politics—in which, as the old joke goes, a one-vote victory constitutes a landslide—a constituency of that size gets noticed. (Keep in mind that in Illinois convicted felons can vote once they are released from prison.)
And though gangs are anything but a monolithic voting bloc, they can, and sometimes do, offer enormous numbers come election time, especially when you count their relatives, friends, and those they muscle at the polls. “An alderman ain’t nothing without the backing of the neighborhood,” says a top-level Gangster Disciple from the South Side. “Without the gangs, it’s hard [for politicians] to exist.”
A Latin King, interviewed at Cook County Jail, recalls how the top leader of his gang, the Corona, ordered every member in his area to vote for Ricardo Muñoz, the 22nd Ward alderman. “Every chapter had to vote for that guy, anyone who was eligible to vote,” says the Latin King. “That was a direct order. That means you can’t say no. If you do, you face a violation”—typically a beating, or worse.
He estimates that the gang delivered hundreds of votes, maybe even a thousand or more, in one of Muñoz’s elections in the 1990s. Moreover, he says, members were also directed—under the threat of punishment—to pass out campaign flyers for Muñoz and walk around carrying his signs. They were instructed to wear their Sunday best: ties, khakis, trench coats. “No thug clothes,” he recalls.
Muñoz says he does not seek out gang support: “There is no coordinated effort in any way, shape, or form.”
Many politicians who enlist gang members try to cloak the relationship in the rhetoric of political empowerment or social activism. They’ll say they want to get troubled youth involved in the political process in constructive ways: doing things like circulating nominating petitions, passing out campaign literature, or registering voters. They’ll say that for many of these men and boys, participating in politics is one of the few positive things they’ve done in their lives.
Some gang members seem to welcome the chance to leave the thug life, if only temporarily, and use the political system to better their lot. They say they have grown tired of gangbanging, realizing that it typically ends in one of two ways: death or prison. But honest jobs, they quickly point out, are few and far between where they live. “We don’t just all want to sell drugs,” says a Vice Lord leader from the West Side who is in Cook County Jail. “Some people [are] trying to do right.”
UIC’s Hagedorn and others who study gangs say that as long as the gangs don’t cross a line of illegal behavior, they should be political forces in their communities. “It’s a good idea to bring gangs into politics,” Hagedorn says. “Co-opt them, get them to go legit. It worked for the Irish, right?”
But law-and-order absolutists say today’s street gangs are much different from the Irish gangs of old: They are not just a bunch of toughs who brawl in the streets. “Gangs drive all of the crime in Chicago, and it’s shocking that some of these [public servants] want to align themselves with them simply for political gain,” says Jody Weis, the former Chicago police superintendent. “It’s kind of like selling your soul to the devil.”
Weis’s predecessor, Phil Cline, agrees: “If they think that they can use the gangs and the gangs aren’t going to want something in return, they are wrong. Once you start lying down with dogs, you are going to get fleas.”
This article appears in the January 2012 issue of Chicago magazine.
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Gangs should not be a part of the politcal process - no criminal should. The last thing we need is politicians owned by criminals.
Why didn't anyone bring up Convicted felon (operation Silver Shovel)? He had Satin Disciples, Latin Counts, and Bishops threaten residents! He did this to get the vote for Bambi jr!
Another Candidate was Temoc Morfin who used the Bishops on the east end of Pilsen because one of his key volunteers is a former Bishop.
This article makes me really wish we had laws preventing convicted felons from voting.
Nothing new here. Even the article speaks about the criminal history and intertwined alliances between criminals and Chicago politicians which seem to be synonymous with each other.
Sadly, Chicago is the city of my birth. Equally as sad is that it doesn't seem as if Chicago will ever clean up their act, or for that matter, even has the desire to clean up the trash that permeates the windy city.
It's too bad that the rest of Illinois can't just divorce themselves from the cesspool called Chicago. Illinois wood be better off for it.
You didn't have to publish an elaborate report. We knew about this for years.
This story is older than both my grandmothers!!! There's too much money involved for Chicago to ever clean up its act.
I agree with both A Wink & A Nod & So Cal COP!
Both are dead on target!
Where are the FEDS in all this ???
I am to assume that all who have commented are do gooders without ANY indiscretions as a youth or adult. This political system is no different than any system in the U.S. The relationships between politicians and street organizations be it in pasing or by association has NO relevance. YOU cannot change our street culture, the police cannot and the government cannot! so yes you MUST use what you have and be able to adapt and overcome the enviornment to be successful.
It will never be corrected as long as Chicago has controll of it's own progress. The US Government,DOJ, current ran by the same Chicago cesspool overflow politicians will look the other way and leave Chicgo to their own control.
However, there is a far more better way to deal with such corruption. Thereby, being in the opposite of the cause and just as illegal as the situation that has a history in Chicago.
" A well regulated Miliita, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed" Second Ammedment.
Think about it.
Gray Ryder
This is what "sanctuary" is all about. Cicero passed the "Safe Space" Act that supposedly protects Latinos for being harrassed about being US citizens and in the US illegally, but in fact it makes second class citizens out of all other races in the town of Cicero. It also protects individual Latino gang members from being picked up from all but the most serious felonies because they could always claim they are being harrassed for being Latinos.
The town is now being run by Latino "community groups" that are receiving American taxpayer funds from Cicero and Cicero is acting like the US State Department when it comes to getting citizenships for Latin American criminals that now live in Cicero.
this article is a joke, conjecture, and no real stats or proof of wrong doing except for a community meeting in which gang leaders were at. Not saying that gang don't have an influence....but there was no actual "reporting" here to support that claim. And why would you stick to democrats because they are the ruling party? Looking at the gang map, there are gangs all over this city. Step it up tribune.
I am a formerly convicted person. I once was afiliated with one of the largest street gangs in Chicago. Because of the services offered to me upon my last conviction, i have managed to stay out of stgreet gang life, drug usage and a life of crime for the past 28 years. I have obtained an associate degree, a bachelors degree, a masters degree and currently seeking my PHD. How long will i and thousands of others that have turned our lives around conteue to be looked upon as a threat when we try to clean up some of the corruption we were once part of.
Benny Lee
National ALliance for the Empowerment of the Formerly Incacerated
First of all....I hate the way media and reporters beef stories up to make things look and sound worst that what they actually are..Gangs have not had any relevance since the feds did the big sweep and rounded up all them gang members in the 90's! The youth today are not being told what to do by any gang leaders, nor are they listening to anyone! so all this is just spit in the rain! how long will we judge ex-convicts?? they supposely paid their debts to society when they became "Ex-Convicts" but yet they are still viewed and displayed like some kind of plague that destroys or is bad...come on now...The real criminals has yet to pay their debts, because of their political positions or
the who you know syndrome!! this article is just another drop of spit in the rain!! I know several peoplel that have served time, or were involved in gang activities and has turnt their life around with educational degree's but because people want to be so judgemental, and because of articles like this, it makes it difficult for them to function or get the jobs they desire...I worked with a gentleman that had served time, he was my supervisor, he kept us in good spirits and inspired to do a good job, he was great for the company, but because someone found out he did time and allowed jealously to come in, they reported him as a exconvict and they let him go, and this company has been going down hill every since, I say Get the hell over it!! then look at all the innocent people that was locked up by dirty cops, never committing a crime, but yet they are considered Ex=convicts....puh=leeze....Chicago is full of political criminals!! they just havent did the time!!!
I wonder if this state of affairs is the reason gangsters seem to be killing cops with such impunity? Corrupt pols, you have blood on your hands.
Yeah, nice hard-hitting reporting. Uh-huh. I watched The Chicago Code, too. EVERYBODY here knows this.
Even so, I'm just wondering why this is being published AFTER Ms. Shiller stepped down...
The hypocrisy of this article is mind blowing the biggest and most well organized gang in the city of chicago is CPD. Who have engaged in intimidation,shakedowns,drug dealing, torture and murder. But what's worse they operated with impugnity and full sanctioning of the press including this newspaper, the elected officials most notably our corrupt former mayor and his father who are part of an Irish Mafia that has been in control of both the police department and City politics since the early 40's. Who consistently aided in them keeping their secrets and protected them from prosecution. Jon Burge was just doing what he learned coming through the ranks of the CPD was acceptable behavior as long as you only victimized minority citizens. But now that same influence is being wielded by Black gangs all of a sudden its an outrage! Please spare me the rightous indignation you do not have the moral integrity to have it. I'd to see a story on the Irish Mob that really controls this City.
Wow! thank you for the fascinating article!
One only has to look at the office of munoz to see the truth bout this article and his gang ties. Every time I pass through that office there's always Latin Kings repping in his office.
The article isn't at all shocking! Chicago is known for politicians to seek help from the gangs to boost votes. While, the politicians meet and sell gang members "dreams". I have personally witnessed several meetings and once the politicians was elected they could care less about the "ills" of the community. In my opinion they should get rid of the aldermans due to the fact they are always a no show when it comes to real issues that affect impoverished communities. They reap the benefits allowing foreigners to open more liquor stores on every corner but as an individual trying to open a legitmate business they tell you about "zoning laws". Zoning laws must apply to lifelong residents only. You inquire about a lot they come up with all sorts of "stories". It's all about money at the end of the day.
Did you expect anything different? All these politicians want today is MONEY!!! They don't care where it comes from or who has to die for them to get it. If you take the perks out of politics you may well get people that genuinely care about the everyday citizen, but until that's done expect things to carry on as they have for years.