Read a book that mentioned the Black Disciples in Chicago, it said they have 100 sets in the city each with about 50 members in it, with the leader of each set making about $100,000 a year. The leader than answers to a board of directors which consists about 20 guys making $500,000.

So here you have 100 drug dealers making $100,000 each and about 5000 foot soldiers beneath them...

Chicago residents, is that accurate? It seems that the Outfit in Chicago is tiny compared to the African-American gangs in the city. Not sure if this book is over exaggerating though.

Depends on what you call power, the outfit has far less soliders obviously. But theyre a smarter organization.

The outfit makes money through, extortion, bookmaking and construction [i believe thats their biggest]

But the black disciples is a network of different street gangs and to be fair is more disorganized crime than organized.

The outfit has been around forever because its involved in legitimate business and has a higher level of criminal. Many of its members are old and have been in the life for 40+ years.

Comparing them is like comparing a toyota corolla to a rare ferarri....more is not always better.

BTW im sure a decent drug dealer makes more than 100,000 a year haha

The Outfit had only 40-50 made men and maybe 100 associate, the black displine had more foot soldier so yes the black disciples are more powerful that the Outfit same thing for the latin king or the Outlaw mc.

do you call power having lots of hood rats working for you? or being an actualy crime family?

A thousands of rats with a gun was more dangerous on the streets that 40-50 men in old age.
So yes I call it power.

Being nearly invisible, making good coin...much better.

TBH the outfit is pretty secretive these days, who knows what they are even upto

What are we talking about?? This is apples and oranges..

The average age of the Outfit these days is 70 years old, so there's no comparison. They don't have the muscle anymore to win a street war that's for sure..

Where did you read this information from? There's many inaccuracies and possibly misinformation.

The Black Disciples have an estimated 4,000 members in Chicago metro depending on the source. BDs leaders earns a various amount of money depending on their location and there's no 20 member board of directors.

Each deck (crew) range in size of 20-50 members, and they're involved in gambling, extortion, gun trafficking, other crimes as well.

Therefore if your going to compare the Outfit to the BDs then you chose a specific deck and not the entire collective. If you regard power to numbers or activities. Most of your mobs in Chicago have legit businesses and involved in other rackets just like the Outfit. Many people don't realized this due to lack of interest.

I got it from a book called "Freakonomics" a BD member is interviewed and he describes how the organization and finances works. But as you said it's wrong.

Are all the decks for the Disceples organized or are they independent like the crips and bloods?

i thought we were talking about power not a street war

Though all criminals, they are worlds apart. A war would only happen in the movies. A really bad, B-mob movie.

I wasn't talking about a street war, I was talking about number of members and the gross revenue of the BD. But if there was ever going to a street war (that would never actually happen) seems like the Outfit would be outgunned by thousands.

BlackFamily, do you know if the BD in Chicago contend the five families in NYC by size and in profit?

not a chance, the 5 families bring in literally several billion combined.

Power is dynamic and fluctuates a lot in Chicago.

A Street War involving BD and Outfit - really

Outfit would use their common enemy approach and use the Light Blue Helmet Force.

Too much fantasy here boys

First, A street war wouldn't happen due to mutual interest in earning money. Speaking on a realistic war then it will strictly be the decks involved with the Outfit. Despite collectively being larger than the Outfit, BDs just like all the other mobs , conflict is base around their location. Inside Illinois prison then the Outfit have no choice but to back down.

It's difficult to calculate the total earnings of any crime groups, BDs have amassed hundreds of million from drug sales but not including other rackets. Membership overall is larger than NY 5 families membership.

To be honest freakonomics has its fair share of detractors. I find it hard to believe that they allowed this sociologist to look at their books. And if I'm correct he released his book after marvel thompson had been arrested and i think even convicted so he could have gleaned that info from the court papers and news sources.

The black disciples operation from the 1990s till 2004 and was huge involving as much as $300,000 a day in drugs being sold and millions of dollars being laundered through businesses including a record label.

I just realize that information is from Freakeconimics, and it's still incorrect. Rough estimates perhaps but not absolute of course. Certain territories can earn up to 50-60K + or less as 2K - 3K per day in drug sales. Also, there was no figure or estimates on their other rackets.

Thanks for the info.

How does the administration for the BD work? And who are the big players at the moment?

Leadership change just prior to Operation Marvel-less, in which you have a 3 King panel. It's possible that a King behind bars is still directing activities on the streets.

Right now there's no telling who are the Kings until indictments or they're killed. Now days it seem the leadership resides out of state.

If it came down to a war on the streets....the Italians are done.

Is that just regarding Chicago or the NY families as well?

Its depends on many variables. but I would say....USA

The only winners would be the feds. They'd swoop in an arrest everyone before either side was done.

Feds feds feds...you are right but once inside the war would be over even faster.

Back in the 90s you had law enforcement actively calling the GDs " the new outfit". They had something like 30000 members, but what really put them on the Feds radar was the forays into politics, they couldn't allow that. They were on their way to getting a stranglehold on blocks of votes, that would have lead to true power in City Hall, maybe....


Closest thing I can think of is that Canada situation, with the street gangs warring with certain factions of the mafia, or at least, contracted for hits.


Power in the street, sure, I think they got more, but the Chi has BEEN a gang city.

Would like to know how you arrived at this figure..

There ain't enough cooperation between gang sets in Chicago to be powerful enough to make serious money let alone match the outfit political clout and corruption

@JHype11

I remember where the source is now, Gang Leader For A Day book. Then Freakonomics took sections and come up with those figures. It was focus on the GDN not the BDN.

@ CabriniGreen

True, The GDs was more organized between the 70s-90s. Despite the hierarchy their was still internal conflicts amongst the Board, Governors, and Regents. That 30,000 number have been thrown around a lot and it's for their nationwide membership. In Chicago around 93 it was stated their membership at 6,000 & currently 18,000 by that Illinois senator ( accuracy is questionable ).

They did achieve a few political success and so did other street organizations. If any black mob should be referred to in similar to the Outfit , it's the Black Souls ( also New Breeds & VLs). The Black Souls maintain a low profile and tight knit structure, hence why we rarely hear of them. Albeit they're the smallest amongst the black mobs , around 750 members organized into 4/5 branches.

@Black Family

Do you think they over estimated set sizes? I'm not from Chicago an my hometown is Bloods mostly. The sets there had as little as 5 guys and at the most like 12.

Somewhat until a member speak out on management. Now days you have these renegade cliques like 051 Young Money and their territory is just about 3-5 blocks, not a large membership base. On the other hand , You have Moe Town with about 30+ blocks, large size group. It varies just like a LCN crew.