Chi-Town

By William E Wilson

Alfonso Lewis goes by the name of "Sunshine." After serving twelve years in Illinois State Prison on drug related charges, he is released and returns to the south side of Chicago to pick up where he left off. White Chocolate, Sunshine's partner in the illicit drug trade, kept things operating while Sunshine was away, but now, it's back to busines

• Language: English
• Publisher: Book Vine Press
• Release date: Oct 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9781959450108

William E Wilson

Mr. Wilson begin writing after retiring and has published four different genres of fiction to date. This being his latest. He debated as to the subject matter, but once again settled on writing another suspense thriller. He likes combining the feeling of surprise, anticipation of success, vagueness and uncertainty, including the readers expectation of what comes next. So many areas are open to him giving his readers that array of variety, range of moods, and diversity which he includes in all his works.

Book preview

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Prologue

The year 1837, Chicago incorporated. Later the fledging town literally was mud jacked from the swamp lands which it sat on, and eventually implementing its own police presence sometime in the 1850’s. The boom town with its rag-tag group of law enforcement officers soon took on a life of its own and still struggles with many of the same issues today.

Chicago, from its earliest beginnings, has been home to some of the most famous and notable Mafioso crime figures in American history.

Law enforcement agencies of Chicago still face the same status quo today as in the past. With its continuous corruption by certain local elected politicians and exploitation of a small number of police; lawlessness, disorder and mayhem continue running wild and uncontainable. Will Chicagoans’ ever learn?

It was not until in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, that the city’s most notable underworld figures came crawling out of the woodwork, like Roger Plant. An emigrant who migrated from England and established the first house of ill repute called, Under the Willows whorehouse. From this modest beginning, this criminal practice got its start and quickly made its presences known in Mud-City or Chi-town as it is now so aptly referred to. The criminal element emerged quickly during the latter part of the 1800’s and early 1900’s, when many notable crime figures appeared in the windy city filling a void for corruption and exploitation.

Michael Hinky Dink Kenna and John Bathhouse John Coughlin were an unlikely pair who appeared on scene around that time. They were total opposites. Hinky Dink was very low key and passive, while Bathhouse John was flamboyant and lively. They were two of the most memorable and colorful men born around 1850’s and later become known as Lords of the Levee. Both were later elected as aldermen in Chicago’s 1st ward which held the distinction of being the richest but most corrupt ward in Chicago at the time. Ward 1 boasted of its diverse businesses such as bordello’s, cheap hotels, nightclubs, bars and churches. Plus, a mixture of brothel-keepers, prostitutes, bettors, thieves, business men, both professional and common crooks.

Chicago’s Ward 1 operated wide open up until around 1910 when all houses of ill repute and wagering parlors were forced to close. But that was not the end of the notorious era of Chicago’s underworld only a precursor as to what was to follow.

During the early years of mob presences, many notable characters appeared from out of nowhere,

such as:

Al Capone, Don O’Banion, Bugs Moran and Tony Accardo to name a few.

Around the time of the Great Depression Chicago underwent numerous changes and considerable turmoil. Chicago was in a for a turbulent ride for years to follow. Many different events which changed the cultural and tone of the city during the years from 1930 thru 1939.

Chicago held its own Century of Progress World’s Fair.

There were even outbreaks of violence by those calling themselves Communist on public streets and on public property.

The University of Chicago Medical Center was completed.

The Committee on Social Thought was formed.

The Heisman Trophy was awarded for the first time in Chicago in 1937 by the Downtown Athletic Club.

A second Chicago Union Stock Yard fire in Chicago’s history happened in 1934.

It was not long until A Great Migration of Blacks invaded the city, settling on the south side later became known as the Black Belt.

The Little Steel Strike as it was referred to was an indiscriminate and brutal slaughter of ten people killed by local police.

The Chicago Cubs baseball team won the National League pennant.

And Raceway Park completed.

*Wikipedia

The underworld had become so entrenched during those early years and yet runs deep in Chicago’s overall fabric even today. It’s not the bad boys of yesteryears but a New Breed today. They are smart, sophisticated bankers, lawyers, and business entrepreneurs along with lesser educated street thugs who are brilliant and intense in their own right. They are the street-smart pimps, drug dealers, savvy hustlers experienced in handling the dangers within the urban environment in which they live. It’s still as lawless and corrupt metropolitan area same as yesteryear but on a diverse level. Its violent corrupt ways are more intense and unforgiving today as any time in its past. Today’s drive-by shootings and killings in the windy city is no different than in the 20’s or’30’s, only more frequent and without explanation, purpose or justification.

No matter how much things have changed over the years, violence still runs ramped in Chi-town as in the bygone days. The gang violence, and lawlessness on the city street of Chi-Town today are no different than in its heyday of the mob supremacy in the windy city. There’s still an ongoing, uphill battle as the city fathers raise public awareness, along with their rage against such acts of violence but to no avail. It’s a most difficult challenge, one which continues in taking the lives of its young and old without rhyme or reason.

The New Breed as they were later referred began forming in the late 1960’s on the south side of Chicago. Two rival groups laid the foundation for a gang called the Black Gangster Disciples. Since that time the numerous gangs (past and present) have continually reorganized themselves throughout the city, struggling with deadly activities on a daily basis in order to retain power and dominance over rival gangs throughout the city.

Rival gangs with diverse backgrounds and ethnicities clash over anything not in their best interest. You find pockets of the New Breed in all neighborhoods throughout Chicago, especially the south east and south west sides.

Part of that New Breed aka, The Black Gangsters, is considered one of the most notorious and infamous of all the gangs running wild in the windy city.

Many of the gang’s leaders are relocated because of their criminal background to the Illinois correction facilities or more secure correctional institutional where they presently serve time for their past misdeeds.

While incarcerated the likes of George Booniem, Black Davis, Roger Cochise Collins and Maurice King Baldy Jackson founded the BG’s or Black Gangsters which pledges its affiliation with Folk Nation group while still maintaining its ties with the Royal Family. Though not on the streets they still maintain strong ties with their affiliates on the outside. With small organized groups inside state prisons and other facilities outside Illinois carry on business as usual controlling their own local pockets of the drug trade throughout certain neighborhoods within the city.

During the 1980’s certain inter-city neighborhoods combined forces with the New Breed, BG’s, Conservative Vice Lords, Traveling Vice Lords, Black Souls street thugs, in order to control the drug turf war in their respective hoods. The New Breeds later branched out to other states growing their followers well into the thousands and are still growing and active today.

Chapter 1

Chicago, known as Mud-City, Chi-Town or The Windy City, has been a place of unrest, turmoil from its inception.

At one time the Irish and Italians were the reckoning force in the city during the mid to late eighteen hundred. Then out of the blue came a black man known as John Mush mouth Johnson. The first black hoodlum with enough clout to muscle his way into mainly an all-white business. Johnson, known as the Policy King established connections in a saloon and gambling business along with two others, Bill Dice Man Lewis and Tom McGinnis. Together they opened a club called Frontenac Club on the second floor of a building co-owned by Big Jim Colosimo.

Johnson became one of the first black entrepreneur to successfully run an upscale illegal gambling and saloon business and catering to mostly wealthy whites in downtown Chicago during the early nineteen-hundred. Johnson was successful running the business with his associates for a short period of time until his demise in 1907. His death was attributed to stress rather than natural causes. This was the beginning of the end for the Italians and Irish reign going forward. In the next few years Chi-Town became a mecca for many different ethnicities. Each group became established in different areas in the windy city run by their own rules and codes of each participating clique affiliate. With so many groups there was always differences of opinions and matter of principals. Each faction with its own temperaments is revealed by their action and violence.

Since its founding, Chicago has been a Mecca for violence, drug dealing, prostitution and murder. How it’s survived its pitfalls and unsurmountable obstacles of the past remains a mystery. Chi-Town to this day remains resilient, enduring its countless setback, pitfalls, atrocities and still struggles to recover from its humble beginnings.

Sometime during the early 1960’s Chicago went through another metamorphous or transition throughout the inter-city. This new evolution of crime and violence has lasted longer than the gangsters of yesteryear which ran rampant and out of control during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. A New Breed has entrenched its-self deeper in the underworld activities and more deeply-rooted in Chicago’s fabric than any time in its history. It’s one of the world’s most dangerous municipalities with a tarnished reputation synonymous with gang aggression and violence. No matter how hard the city has tried to eradicate the violence, it continues today, stronger and more ferocious than ever.

The Chicago police having shared part of the city’s violent past by accepting bribes and inducements from the different factions as they have worked the city streets from its inception. With so much dishonesty and deceit, the city has become embroiled in a virtually impossible task ridding the city of undeniable political involved with the rampant growth of the underworld of drugs. Until the city fathers awakens, this type of behavior will remain and the mindset of those politicians will continue. Ridding the city of its underlying problems and concerns for its criminality behavior must begin at the top and trickle down. The dishonesty and double-dealing of politicians and those appointed to enforce the laws must be held accountable if this problem is to be eradicated. Then and only then will the bulk of the crime problems Chicago faces will it be controlled or removed.

Chapter 2

A local by the name of Alfonso Lewis gained a reputation as young teen-ager selling ordinary drugs. It was not until later drugs with potent mind-altering hallucinogenic such as LSD or Lysergic acid diethylamide sometimes referred to as Sunshine became available to street vendors. Alfonso was one of the first in his neighborhood to sell and distribute the new drugs and quickly became known as Sunshine. He still carries that nickname today.

Although certain drugs are banned, they continued to be manufactured by illegal laboratories in small back room labs throughout the country. Their availability on the black market continues to this day and are highly sought after as recreational drugs of choice in some localities. All drugs today consumed by drug addicts are either taken orally or injected and are much more potent and powerful than drugs of the past.

Sunshine, since his days working the streets and his many run-ins with law; eventually worked his way up the chain of command to become one of the most successful drug dealers of all times in and around Chicago. During his earlier days selling drugs was arrested and charged with several counts of selling and distributing illegal drugs which constituted felony charges being brought against him. After being brought before the court on charges of selling and distributing drugs, he was found guilty on all charges and sent to prison for several years. While incarcerated, Sunshine vowed he would never spend time in such a place ever again once he was released. On a cold, wintery day in late November he was released from the Illinois penal institute after serving only twelve years of a twenty-year sentence. Alfonso Sunshine Lewis was met by one of his homie’s outside the prison gates who drove him back to his old haunt located on the lower west side of Chi-Town to begin anew. His first taste of freedom in over twelve years Sunshine was eager returning to the hood to resume his unscrupulous life style, the only life he’d ever known.

Back in the confines of his sanctuary along with his white chick White Chocolate whom he moved back in with after serving his stint in prison. White Chocolate had been instrumental in holding the business together by running the day to day business at the stash house while Sunshine ran another part of the operation from the confines of his cell. He did the buying and she ran the distribution part of the business. It had remained a lucrative business even though Sunshine was not around.

White Chocolate had become very hard core and ran the operation with an iron hand. The street boys, staff and enforcement on the payroll respected White Chocolate and did their jobs without question. She was one of a kind.

Sunshine had been lucky to meet up with her prior to his imprisonment. She was a gifted leader in her own right and ran the lucrative day-to-day business while he was incarcerated. She was tough, as tough as they came but fair to the group as they trekked through the daily routine attending to business until Sunshine’s return.

Their small integral group prior to Sunshine departure doing time in the big house had been given the handle The Source. It was associated with the Black Gangster Disciples working the streets of Chicago with impunity at the time of his internment. The group, The Source had free rein of the lower south western and north eastern part of the city and points in between, thanks to the corrupt politicians and police on the take deeply imbedded within the laxed system.

The Black Gangster Disciples along with Sunshine’s assistance within the walls of the prison increased its membership tenfold during his incarceration and had grown exponentially since his absents. After returning and seeing what radical changes had occurred in Chi-Town during his time away decided to redefine and reformulate the way the group ran its business. This change had to be done quickly if it was to remain viable and solid.

Gathering his cohorts together with White Chocolate along with a large contingency of disciples plus the acting interim Board of Directors.

Sunshine, once the group was assembled inside the stash house; he brought the meeting to order and informed them what was in the new charter. The new regulations inserted into the charter only reinforced the old principals governing the hierarchy of the different sections of the business. He made sure everyone understood the new guidelines and that each group was on the same page concerning the new rules and guiding principles. Wanted them to know and understand the new directive were to be adhered to and strictly followed. If the clique was to survive, they had to be tight knit and shrewd heading into the future; that that was the sole purpose of the new rules and directives.

After the informal meeting informing the group of the new rules; elections were held as any corporate company did when it wishes personnel changes. Alfonso Sunshine Lewis "along with several others put their names on the ballot for several opened positions within the organization. Sunshine along with White Chocolate were the only two running for Chairman and Co-Chairman and elected by acclamation. With full power and control Sunshine and White Chocolate were able to dictate and determine the groups direction and future goals. It was Sunshine and White Chocolates job to keep the group in line with the help of its newly elected board members. The underling’s jobs were to focus on directing the intricate activities of the group on a daily basis. Sunshine had been down this road before but times had changed drastically while incarcerated. The new breeds around Chi-Town had become more forceful and brutal than he remembered. It was not the hood that changed but the attitudes of the new breeds on the streets and their approach to aggression in and outside the neighborhoods.

After the elections and all positions within the organization filled, it was time to get back to doing what they do best, selling illegal drugs. Sunshine, immediately began his new role as chairman by contacting distributors for high grade cocaine, weed and new narcotics illegally made and purchased on the black market.

A new ballgame, which now included several new gangs coexisting parallel alongside the Black Disciples. The Latinos, Italians, Asians each clique had become an entity of fear and fighting for a piece of the action for new territory within the city and several outlying burgs. It was just short of mass hysteria everywhere you looked. Everyone was now armed, locked and loaded and not hesitant in using that fire power at the drop of a hat. When a gang member of one hood ran across a gang member from another hood in or near its territory, more likely than not a gun battle would erupt following the intrusion; and it did not end there.

The rival invaders of the hood were visited by the competing group who hunted down the trespassers and when found assaulted those responsible for the intrusion which only added fuel to the violence. There was no end in sight to this bloody insanity carried out on the bad streets of Chi-Town daily.

The police, with their hands full as the city ran ramped with gun battles between rival gangs. Drive by shooting and murders were a daily occurrence. Drug dealing appeared on every corner, stash houses strategically located throughout neighborhoods, everywhere you looked within the city and outlying burgs were the pushers and addicts.

Police patrolled the mean streets regularly but more often than not, with closed eyes to the openness of the drugs being peddled ubiquitously throughout the city. Even if a drug pusher was arrested, he or she were likely bailed out and back on the streets within hours. Local gang members had no fear of law enforcement and worked the streets with impunity selling their merchandise. It was like living in the Wild Wild West in its heyday with little or no law and order.

Since Sunshine’s return and regaining his rightful position on the west side of the city along with his confidant White Chocolate was once again in control of the neighborhood in which they lived and operated. Not long after being voted in as Chairman of the Board, Sunshine and White Chocolate eventually reorganized the operation in their neighborhood and surrounding area. Sunshine with the help of White Chocolate ran a tight ship allowing little to no interference from other hoods in the area. If an intrusion occurred, or a foray into their territory it came with stiff consequences. Anyone from a rival gang spotted in or around their turf, the situation was immediately addressed. Sunshine learned quickly in prison to be ruthless and unforgiving. He had become harden and merciless with little or no feelings toward his adversaries but open-minded to his loyal followers. He was not tolerant of bad behavior from anyone within his organization with views or beliefs that differed from his own, he was uncompromising to say the least when it came to running the business.

One morning after conferring with his street boys and before leaving for their daily grind on the streets warned them, if they did not sell all the drugs in their possession not to return until they did. Some of the street boys had been sluffing off lately and he was not going to tolerate this type of behavior from them or anyone within the organization. It was his way or they were out. They quickly got the message.

As the street boys hit the streets that morning, it was not long until a rival gang came into the neighborhood driving through the area at a high rate of speed shooting randomly at the street boys and spotters in and around the street corners. The shootings left one of Sunshine’s street boys dead and one wounded. It was learned later that morning after some investigating who had been responsible for the drive-by; turned out to be a group from the Latin Kings. They were fingered as the responsible party of the drive-by. This was the first real problem Sunshine faced since his return.

The Latin Kings formed sometime in the early fifties and were still one of the most vicious and notorious groups in Chi-Town. They concentrated mostly in and around the south and west sides of the city in the less desirable areas. They were the vilest group in Chi-Town at this time, highly motivated and highly volatile. With their high number of members, they were considered one of the most ruthless but the most loyal and faithful of all the groups.

Joining the Latin Kings, was for life. To be accepted into the group, one had to go through a ritual of being severely beaten along with other violent acts too horrible to mention. All this just to prove their loyalty before allowing them into the organization as gang-banger. But once you’re in, there was no turning back, the affiliation was forever. One big family protecting and watching over each other. They were one of the most successful and feared groups in the entire country from the east coast to the west coast and many municipalities in between.

Sunshine, with no recourse but to confront and retaliate against the Latin Kings on their own turf for the mayhem caused by the recent action against his group. He vowed to hunt the perpetrator’s down and take revenge against the tenacious offenders before the situation got out of hand. This was a job for the inside group known as the Street Enforcers.

The reprisal on the Latin Kings was known around the organizations as [tit-for-tat, eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth]. This action administering havoc on the Latin Kings was a result of injury and death they caused in Sunshine’s neighborhood. It was not acceptable invading a hood especially the Black Gangster Disciples without facing severe repercussions or consequences.

The Latin Kings were all too familiar to the different factions within the city. Their desire was sooner rather than later in becoming top dog in the city. They would try anything in their arsenal in achieving that objective. The Latinos were involved in many types of anti-social behaviors from, sexual assault, robberies, murder, mayhem and selling drugs and paraphernalia. Name it, if it was illegal, they were involved. The Latinos were a force to be reckoned with but Sunshine had his own job which he took just as seriously.

Gathering the street

Reviews for Chi-Town

[mary campbell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this book, William Wilson created “Sunshine,” and “White Chocolate,” two very interesting crime figures operating in and outside Chicago. The many twists and turns in this book will hold your interest to the last word. Congratulations to
Mr. Wilson for his story telling abilities!