Almighty Black P. Stone Nation

American street gang founded in Chicago

"Black Stones" redirects here. For other uses, see Blackstones (disambiguation).

Criminal organization

Almighty Black P. Stone NationFounded| 1959

|

Named after| Blackstone Avenue
Founding location| Woodlawn, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Years active| 1959–present
Territory| Primarily concentrated in Chicago, some areas of NW Indiana, Michigan, and the neighborhood of Baldwin Village in Los Angeles Rockford Illinois, very populuated on the north side of Rockford Illinois with tons of sets that claim “Black P Stone”.
Ethnicity| Predominantly African American
Membership| 6,000–8,000+[1]
Activities|

* Drug trafficking
* extortion
* money laundering
* murder

Allies|

* People Nation
* Bloods
* Black Disciples (some sets)
* Vice Lords
* Four Corner Hustlers
* Latin Kings
* Chicago Outfit
* Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Rivals|

* Folk Nation
* Gangster Disciples

Notable members| Jeff Fort
Eugene "Bull" Hairston
G Herbo
Lil Bibby

The Almighty Black P. Stone Nation (often abbreviated as BPS, BPSN, Black Peace Stones, Black P. Stones, Stones, or Moes) is an American street gang founded in Chicago. The gang was originally formed in the late 1950s as the Blackstone Rangers. The organization was co-founded by Eugene Hairston and Jeff Fort. In later years, under Fort's leadership, an Islamic faction of the gang emerged, naming themselves the "El Rukn tribe of the Moorish Science Temple of America" (or simply El Rukn, Arabic for "the pillar" or "the foundation").[2][3][4] They eventually started describing themselves as Orthodox Sunni Muslims. Jeff Fort changed their fort name from El Rukn Moorish Science Mosque, to El Rukn Sunni Masjid al-Malik.[5][6]

Considered by law enforcement authorities to be Chicago's most powerful and sophisticated street gang,[7] the BPSN finances itself through a wide array of criminal activities and is part of the large Chicago gang alliance known as the People Nation.[8] Under Fort's command, the BPSN assumed an increasingly revolutionary outlook as it became associated with the black nationalism movement, eventually attracting the attention of the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who introduced them to Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi and Nicaragua's Sandinistas. In 1986 four of its members were indicted for conspiring to commit terrorist acts in the United States for the Libyan Government.[2][7] The verdict marked the first time American citizens had been found guilty of planning terrorist acts for a foreign government in return for money.[9]

## Territory

[edit]

The BPSN originated, and is based, on the South Side of Chicago in the Woodlawn neighborhood.[10] The BPSN had then advanced in the Northwest Indiana communities of Gary, Merrillville, Crown Point, Portage and Elkhart. It has since emerged in other areas, particularly Wheatley Place, South Dallas Texas in the United States and Meadow Heights, North-West Victoria in Australia.

There is a set in the West-Side Black P Stones in the Los Angeles area called the Jungles and the Bity another area called Crenshaw & Adams. They were founded by OG T Rodgers from Chicago after he moved to Los Angeles. When he was 13 years old he built his set, with 500 or more in membership. They also are affiliated with the Bloods due to the Bloods and the Piru Bloods protecting BPSN in Los Angeles from the Crips when they began in Los Angeles.

## History

[edit]

Headquarters in 1978: Vacant theater in 3900 block of South Drexel

The Blackstone Rangers were founded at the St. Charles Institution for Troubled Youth[11] by Jeff Fort and Eugene Hairston as a community organization for black youth in the Woodlawn area of South Chicago. Between 1961 and 1963, they evolved into one of the most dangerous and powerful gangs in Chicago.[12] Fort seized upon the gang's changed mission, renaming it the Black P.(Peace) Stone Nation. He transformed the BPSN into a black nationalistic group, and continued to involve the gang in street crime and drug trafficking. BPSN co-founder Eugene Hairston was incarcerated on drug charges in June 1966 and was eventually murdered in 1988. Fort was arrested for mismanagement of government grants totaling $927,000 from the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity in March 1972. Fort was released in 1976, but was later re-incarcerated on drug charges in the early 1980s. At the same time he was released from prison, Fort converted to Islam and imbued the BPSN with Islamic overtones, and adopted the name Abdul Malik Ka'bah.[13]

Following meetings during 1986 with Libyan operatives from Colonel Gaddafi's government, Fort was arrested. In 1987, Fort was tried and convicted for conspiring with Libya to perform acts of domestic terrorism.[2] He was sentenced to 80 years imprisonment and transferred to the USP Marion, the federal supermax prison in Marion, Illinois.[14][15][16]

In 1988, Fort was also convicted of ordering the 1981 murder of a rival gang leader and was sentenced to 75 years in prison to be served after the completion of his terror conspiracy sentence.[17][18] While Fort continues to exercise considerable influence over the BPS from prison, the various Black Stones splinter groups suffer from rampant infighting without a clear leader. There are two major groups that have split with the BPSN: The Mickey Cobras were supporters of Mickey Cogwell, a co-founder of BPSN killed by Jeff Fort. The Titanic Stones were supporters of Eugene Hairston who had a falling-out with Fort.[citation needed]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "National Gang Threat Assessment 2009". United States Department of Justice. January 2009. Archived from the original on 5 February 2011.
2. ^ a b c Malcolm, Andrew H. (October 31, 1986). "4 In Chicago Gang Indicted In Libyan Terror Plot". The New York Times.
3. ^ Blau, Robert; O'Brien, John (September 8, 1991). "Rise And Fall Of El Rukn: Jeff Fort's Evil Empire". Chicago Tribune.
4. ^ Florida Department of Corrections. "Street Gangs — Chicago Based or Influenced: People Nation and Folk Nation". Archived from the original on 2008-03-16. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
5. ^ Shipp, E. R. (27 December 1985). "Chicago Gang Sues to Be Recognized as Religion". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
6. ^ Smith, Brent L. (1994). Terrorism in America: Pipe Bombs and Pipe Dreams. SUNY Press. ISBN 9780791417591.
7. ^ a b Maurice Possley and William B. Crawford Jr. (October 31, 1986). "El Rukns Indicted In Libya Scheme". Chicago Tribune.
8. ^ Kenneth O'Reilly, Racial Matters: The FBI's File on Black America, 1960 - 1972 (New York: Free Press, 1991), 409.
9. ^ "Gaddafi's Goons". Time. December 7, 1987.
10. ^ Lance Williams, "The Black Pyramid Stone: Black Power, Politics, and Gangbanging," University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, February 12, 2001.
11. ^ Knox, George W. (2003). "GANG PROFILE UPDATE: The Black P. Stone Nation (BPSN)". National Gang Crime Research Center.
12. ^ McPherson, James A. (May 1969). "Chicago's Blackstone Rangers (I)". Atlantic Monthly. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
13. ^ Dart, Robert W. (1992). "Views from the Field: The Future is Here Today: Street Gang Trends". Journal of Gang Research. 1 (1): 87–90.87-90&rft.date=1992&rft.aulast=Dart&rft.aufirst=Robert+W.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Almighty+Black+P.+Stone+Nation" class="Z3988">
14. ^ "Five Draw Long Sentences for Terrorism Scheme". The New York Times (Associated Press). 1987-12-31. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
15. ^ Don Terry (1991-05-19). "In Chicago Courtroom, Nation's First Super Gang Fights for Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
16. ^ "Rossi, Rosilind (1992-08-24). "How the Law Won War With El Rukns". Chicago Sun-Times. "Jeff Fort, serving 155 years at the federal prison in Downstate Marion"
17. ^ "GANG CHIEF GUILTY IN RIVAL'S SLAYING". The New York Times. 1988-10-20. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
18. ^ Rossi, Rosalind (1988-11-15). "75 more years for Fort 4 other Rukns draw stiff terms". Chicago Sun-Times: pp. 3.

## Further reading

[edit]

* 2011 The Almighty Black P Stone Nation: The Rise, Fall, and Resurgence of an American Gang Natalie Y. Moore (Author), Lance Williams (Author) ISBN 978-1-55652-845-3
* Cooley, Will. "'Stones Run It': Taking Back Control of Organized Crime in Black Chicago, 1940-1975," Journal of Urban History 37:6 (November, 2011), 911–932.
* Cooley, Will (2017). "Jim Crow Organized Crime: Black Chicago's Underground Economy in the Twentieth Century," in Building the Black Metropolis: African American Entrepreneurship in Chicago, Robert Weems and Jason Chambers, eds. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 147–170. ISBN 978-0252082948.

## External links

[edit]

* FBI file on the El Rukn
* Black P Stones in Los Angeles by Streetgangs.com

* v
* t
* e

Organized crime groups in the United States

African-American|

* 31 Gang
* 39ers gang
* Bailey Boys
* Black Disciples
* Black Guerrilla Family
* Black Mafia
* Junior Black Mafia
* Black Mafia Family
* Black P. Stone Nation
* Bloods
* Black Spades
* Bloods
* Black P. Stones
* Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods
* Cedar Block Piru
* Crenshaw Mafia Gangster Bloods
* Elm Street Piru
* Fruit Town Piru
* Mob Piru
* Nine Trey Gangsters
* Pirus
* Sex Money Murder
* Tree Top Piru
* United Blood Nation
* Byrd Gang
* CBL/BFL
* Chambers Brothers
* The Council
* Crips
* Grape Street Watts Crips
* Kelly Park Compton Crips
* Nutty Blocc Compton Crips
* Rollin' 30s Harlem Crips
* Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips
* Rollin' 90s Neighborhood Crips
* South Side Compton Crips
* Venice Shoreline Crips
* D-Block Boys
* D.C. Blacks
* The Family
* Four Corner Hustlers
* Fruit Belt Gang
* Gangster Disciples
* OutLaw Gangster Disciples
* Hidden Valley Kings
* KUMI 415
* Lenox Street Boys
* LRGP
* Lucerne Street Doggz
* Metz Gang
* Miami Boys
* Mickey Cobras
* Orchard Park Trailblazers
* Savage Nomads
* Schuele Boys
* Somali Outlaws
* Supreme Team
* Vice Lord Nation
* Westmob
* Young Boys Inc.

East and
Southeast Asian|

* Asian Boyz (Southeast Asian)
* Bahala Na Gang (Filipino)
* Born To Kill (Vietnamese)
* Fullerton Boys (Korean)
* Menace of Destruction (Hmong)
* Satanas (Filipino)
* Tiny Rascal Gang (primarily Cambodian)
* Tokyo Boyz (Japanese)
* Yakuza (Japanese)

Chinese and
Chinese-American|

* Bamboo Union
* Big Circle Gang
* Black Dragons
* Chung Ching Yee
* Flying Dragons
* Four Seas Gang
* Fujianese organized crime
* Snakeheads
* Ghost Shadows
* Jackson Street Boys
* Ping On
* Tongs
* Bing Kong
* Four Brothers
* Hip Sing
* Hop Sing
* On Leong
* Suey Sing
* Ying On
* Triads
* 14K
* Sun Yee On
* Wo Hop To
* Wah Ching
* White Tigers

Hispanic and
Latin American|

* 10th Street Gang (primarily Hispanic, also African-Americans)
* 7th Street Gang
* Almighty Saints (primarily Hispanic, also Whites)
* Barrio Azteca (Mexican)
* The Corporation (Cuban)
* Dominicans Don't Play
* Fresno Bulldogs (Mexican)
* Ghetto Brothers
* Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos (primarily Mexican)
* Jheri Curls (Dominican)
* La Raza Nation (Mexican)
* Latin Counts (Mexican)
* Latin Eagles
* Latin Kings (Mexican / Puerto Rican)
* Maniac Latin Disciples
* Marielitos (Cuban)
* Mexican Mafia
* Mexikanemi
* MS-13 (Central American)
* Ñetas (Puerto Rican)
* Norteños (Mexican)
* Nuestra Familia (Mexican)
* Puro Tango Blast (Mexican)
* Savage Skulls
* Los Solidos
* Spanish Cobras
* Spanish Gangster Disciples
* Sureños (Mexican)
* 18th Street gang
* 38th Street gang
* Avenues
* Azusa 13
* Barriox13
* Culver City Boys
* El Monte Flores
* Florencia 13
* Logan Heights Gang
* OVS
* Playboys
* Puente 13
* Santa Monica 13
* Toonerville Rifa 13
* Varrio Nuevo Estrada
* Venice 13
* Vineland Boys
* Westside Locos
* White Fence
* Temple Street
* Texas Syndicate (primarily Mexican)
* Tren de Aragua (Venezuelan)
* Trinitarios (Dominican)
* Vatos Locos
* Young Lords

White American|

* Chicago Gaylords
* Dead Man Incorporated
* Dixie Mafia
* State Line Mob
* Popes
* Simon City Royals (primarily White, also Hispanics)

European-American|

* Albanian mafia
* Albanian Boys
* Rudaj Organization
* Greek mafia
* Philadelphia Greek Mob
* Velentzas crime family
* Polish Mob
* Russian mafia
* Serbian mafia

Irish-American|

* Irish mob
* Charlestown Mob
* Egan's Rats
* Gustin Gang
* Hogan Gang
* K&A Gang
* Mullen Gang
* North Side Gang
* Westies
* White Hand Gang
* Winter Hill Gang

Italian and
Italian-American|

* American Mafia
* Bufalino crime family
* Buffalo crime family
* Chicago Outfit
* Cleveland crime family
* Colorado crime family
* D'Aquila crime family
* Dallas crime family
* DeCavalcante crime family
* Detroit Partnership
* Five Families (New York City)
* Genna crime family
* Kansas City crime family
* Los Angeles crime family
* Lucchese crime family
* Milwaukee crime family
* Morello crime family
* New Orleans crime family
* Patriarca crime family
* Philadelphia crime family
* Pittsburgh crime family
* Rochester crime family
* San Francisco crime family
* San Jose crime family
* Seattle crime family
* St. Louis crime family
* Trafficante crime family
* 10th & Oregon Crew
* Broadway Mob
* Camorra
* New York City
* East Harlem Purple Gang
* Jousters
* Murder, Inc.
* 'Ndrangheta
* New Springville Boys
* Sicilian Mafia
* South Brooklyn Boys
* Tanglewood Boys

Jewish-American|

* Jewish Mob
* Bugs and Meyer Mob
* Eastman Gang
* Lenox Avenue Gang
* Murder, Inc.
* Odesa mafia
* The Purple Gang
* Yiddish Black Hand
* Zwi Migdal
* Israeli mafia
* Abergil crime family
* New York divorce coercion gang

Polynesian and
Native American|

* The Company
* Native Mob
* Red Skin Kingz
* Sons of Samoa
* Tongan Crip Gang

West and South Asian|

* Armenian Power
* Chaldean mafia
* Independent Soldiers
* Israeli mafia
* Punjabi mafia
* Turkish mafia
* VVT (Tamil)

West African|

* Cape Verdean organized crime
* Nigerian mafia

Outlaw motorcycle gangs|

* Bandidos
* Breed
* Brother Speed
* Devils Diciples
* Diablos
* Dirty Dozen
* El Forastero
* Free Souls
* Galloping Goose
* Grim Reapers
* Gypsy Jokers
* Hells Angels
* Red Devils
* Highwaymen
* Iron Horsemen
* Mongols
* Outlaws
* Black Pistons
* Pagans
* Sons of Satan
* Sons of Silence
* Vagos
* Warlocks (Florida)
* Warlocks (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
* Wheels of Soul

White supremacist|

* 211 Crew
* Aryan Brotherhood
* Aryan Brotherhood of Texas
* Aryan Circle
* Aryan Nations
* Aryan Republican Army
* Atomwaffen Division
* Combat 18
* The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord
* European Kindred
* Hammerskins
* Keystone United
* Lynwood Vikings
* Manson Family
* Nazi Lowriders
* The Order
* Public Enemy No. 1
* Soldiers of Aryan Culture
* Spook Hunters
* Universal Aryan Brotherhood
* Volksfront

See also
Gangs in the United States
List of gangs
Organized crime groups in the Americas

* v
* t
* e

Organized crime groups in Chicago

African-American|

| Active|

* Black Disciples
* Black P. Stones
* Four Corner Hustlers
* Gangster Disciples
* OutLaw Gangster Disciples
* Mickey Cobras
* Vice Lords

|

Chinese and Chinese-American|

| Active|

* 14K
* Hip Sing Tong
* On Leong Tong

|

Hispanic and Latin American|

| Active|

* Almighty Saints
* La Raza Nation
* Latin Counts
* Latin Eagles
* Latin Kings
* Maniac Latin Disciples
* Sinaloa Cartel
* Spanish Cobras
* Spanish Gangster Disciples
* Tren de Aragua

|

Inactive|

* Young Lords

Irish-American|

| Inactive|

* North Side Gang
* Ragen's Colts
* Sheldon Gang
* Valley Gang

|

Italian-American|

| Active|

* Chicago Outfit

|

Inactive|

* Forty-Two Gang
* Genna crime family
* Italian-American National Union

Jewish-American|

| Inactive|

* Mike Heitler
* Samuel Morton

|

Middle Eastern|

| Inactive|

* TAP Boyz

|

Outlaw motorcycle gangs|

| Active|

* Hells Angels
* Hell's Lovers
* Outlaws
* Wheels of Soul

|

Polish-American|

| Inactive|

* Hymie Weiss

|

White American|

| Active|

* Gaylords
* Popes
* Simon City Royals

|

Inactive|

* Jousters

Events|

* The Battle of Barrington
* Black Hand
* Chicago circulation wars
* Operation Family Secrets
* Saint Valentine's Day Massacre

See also
Chicago Crime Commission
Folk Nation
Gangs in Chicago
History of gangs in Humboldt Park
List of Chicago criminal organizations and crime bosses
Timeline of organized crime in Chicago
People Nation
Organized crime groups in the United States
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