Gangland (2007) s05e05 Episode Script

male narrator: It is the Crown jewel of the heartland, But chicago's cold winds blow Deadly.
Everything.
I woke up this morning ready To die.
narrator: The four corner Hustlers own these streets.
the four corner hustlers Run wild all over the west side, Taking, stealing, pillaging.
it was like a hollywood Movie.
People's getting shot, Gamblers and prostitution, Drugs, whatever you want.
four corner hustlers got Their hand in everything.
narrator: But everything they Touch turns to violence and Murder, even between brothers.
we fours till the world Blow up.
everybody was trying to Chop each other head off.
We were our worst enemy.
It was a modern day frankenstein Story where the creation Kills the creator.
narrator: Chicago, illinois.
The sun over lake michigan casts A blinding light on america's Third largest city.
But a dark shadow looms over Chicago's west side, where Gangs reign supreme.
the west side is crazy.
It's either kill or be killed Down here.
It's a jungle.
You got to live in it.
there's a lot of vacant lots.
It'sit's got that kind of A lunar landscape look.
It's a little bit like The end of the world.
narrator: Chicago's west Garfield park is known as the Most dangerous neighborhood in The city for kids.
The notorious four corne Hustlers or fours are part of The reason.
you a four corner hustler, Let's go out there and shoot Somebody.
Let's go gangbang.
narrator: The abandoned lots And looted storefronts are the Perfect breeding ground for the Gang's brutal empire to Multiply.
you've got four corner Hustlers inin detroit.
You got four corner hustlers in California.
I'm from the west side Of chicago, Where the four corner hustlers Started.
narrator: The gang's name Describes exactly what they Believe.
They pledge allegiance To the almighty dollar.
the things thatthat Signify hustler itself was Getting money, Anywhere from gambling to theft To pimping.
They would jump trucks.
They rob the pushers in The neighborhood, and that's how They hustle.
Whatever way to get a dollar.
narrator: To the four corner Hustlers, there are two simple Choices: Hustle or pay the Price.
If you don't do what the Gang says pardon my language, You gettin' fáááááup.
narrator: From armed robbery To drug trafficking If it pays, the fours will play.
I was hustlin'.
I was fightin', you know what I'm sayin'? With my people, sellin' drugs Out here, man, gettin' money, Man.
narrator: 20-year-old Jermaine rhodes, aka "illy mac," Joined the gang when he was 16.
my mother gangbanged.
She a crack head.
My daddy was a crack head.
You know, all my older cousins Gangbang.
All my older brothers gangbang.
this is my daddy.
As y'all can see, He a crack head.
He's been a crack head since Before I can remember.
When I was, like, five or six, My parents lost us.
narrator: Illy mac says Joining the gang was never A choice.
I was already a four corner Hustler by association, by Bein' from the neighborhood.
You know, when in rome, Do what the romans do.
That was gangbangin' and Sellin' drugs.
So that's what I did.
narrator: In a neighborhood Where unemployment hovers in the Double digits, illy says gang Life put clothes on his back.
you know, it was rough Growing up.
My brother might have the Good underwear.
And I want to wear them Underwear today.
You know, we fight over that.
So when I started sellin' drugs And start makin' my own money, You know, it felt good.
the gangs that controlled This area were making A tremendous amount of money.
Some spots were making $5,000, $6,000, $7,000 a day.
narrator: And those spots Must be protected by any means Necessary.
Lose control of these streets, And another west side gang will Take you out.
Along with the four corner Hustlers, gangs like the new Breeds, gangster disciples, And the black souls prowl the Streets looking for action.
There's an enemy on every Corner.
the west side is overrun By gangs and narcotics Trafficking.
Every 3 1/2 seconds, there was An in progress police call On the citywide radio.
narrator: Four corner hustler Fred wallace, aka "lil' fred," Has been at war with his rivals For more than 30 years.
I'm a enforcer/chief.
Let's say I was a gun for hire For the four corner hustlers.
narrator: Fred wallace first Joined the gang when he was 11.
I didn't grow up and say, "hey, I want to be a fireman.
" No.
I wanted to grow up and be A four corner hustler.
narrator: Gang life Introduced fred to a heroin Addiction by the time he was 13-years-old.
a daily thing with me was Waking up to the drugs and Robbing drug dealers.
That's how Ithat's how I rose In the rank of four corner Hustlers.
narrator: Lil' fred never Backed down from a fight, and he Has the scars to prove it.
I got shot in '82.
I got shot in the head with Buck shots, and '88, I got shot In the leg, and '97, I got shot In the arm and in the back.
narrator: He was almost Killed by the four corners' Biggest rival, a gang called The black souls, who claims turf Just to the west.
we was gangbanging, And I was fighting another gang Member.
Suddenly, the souls ran to Their car, leaving lil' fred And his crew thinking they'd Retreated.
But the souls returned with A vengeance.
they jump into a car and Tried to run us over.
narrator: Lil' fred's fellow Gang members dove out of the Way.
Lil' fred was not as lucky.
I got ran over by a car.
I fractured my pelvis and stayed In the hospital for a few weeks.
narrator: While recovering, Lil' fred plotted his revenge Against the rival gangsters.
He eventually got it.
I can't say how, but they Ain't gonna do it no more.
narrator: This willingness Never to back down has earned The four corner hustlers A reputation as the most feared And despised gang On the west side.
they really had no regard For human life.
They were sticking up, shootin', Robbin', runnin' around Far more aggressively Than the other gangs were.
narrator: Death for A gangbanger is a common Occurrence.
In 2008, there were 229 Gang-related homicides in Chicago.
I've been sitting right next To a person who's got shot and Killed.
I had two bullet holes went Straight through my jacket.
narrator: Richard "blade" Wilkens is a four corners Veteran of many gang wars.
He says being in the wrong place At the wrong time can prove Fatal in this city.
oh, yeah.
That'sthat's chicago.
That's chicago.
You got to be aware of where You at in chicago, 'cause anytime somebody can say, "hey, that one of them fours Right there," and if you not In your territory, Then you subject to get whooped.
You'll get beat half to death.
narrator: But death doesn't Always come at the hands of Rival gangs.
The most fatal battles the Four corner hustlers have fought Have been with each other.
Chicago, 1994.
A ruthless four corner leader Named angelo roberts, aka "lo", Was trying to consolidate power.
The 24-year-old was revered As well as feared.
he was viewed on the street As a stone-cold killer That would kill for practice.
He would kill for sport.
He would kill for power.
And through that reputation and That fear, he was able to lead.
narrator: He was so bold, He was accused of firing on and Injuring a chicago cop.
Though that attack was never Proven.
Angelo's crews were more Organized and effective than Anyone else's.
He was the ultimate enforcer.
Willing to go after those Above and below him.
roberts backed down from No one.
He had no fear and was able To use this mindset to create Violence throughout the whole Community.
lo was a cat who could make An example out of guys.
Lo would kick your head off Your shoulders.
narrator: Richard "blade" Wilkens was serving time with Angelo roberts in chicago's Notorious cook county jail, A place where gangs ruled.
Blade says angelo saw another High-ranking hustler smoking Dope, which was forbidden to Four corner members.
angelo was serious about Four corner hustler and laws.
So this cat was on the deck Openly gettin' high.
He violatin' the laws in front Of everyone, man.
you know, we had laws.
You couldn't delve into Narcotics use.
angelo told the guy, "hey, look, man, you got to get Out of the dayroom.
" narrator: The member didn't Listen.
Angelo, who practiced karate, Decided to teach him a lesson.
you know, and he told him one More time.
The brother ain't move.
And he kicked him about 20 times, whop, whop, whop, Whop, whop.
angelo was wild.
He was very, very wild.
And heI mean, he was all About violence.
narrator: Angelo and the Daughter of the gang's original Founder had children together.
This put him in the perfect Position to move up in the gang.
But according to police, angelo Wasn't willing to wait his turn.
he wanted to be the guy.
He wanted to be the king And the leader of the four Corner hustlers with nobody No undisputed challenge.
narrator: In spring, 1994, in Jail on a weapons charge, angelo Began plotting a dramatic scheme To take out anyone who might Oppose him and take over The gang.
he wanted to run the entire Four corner hustlers, and at one Point I think he had grandiose Ideas of controlling the whole West side.
narrator: Angelo contacted A weapons dealer and met With him during visiting hours In the jail.
He arranged to buy an arsenal That included silencer-equipped Machine guns and an anti-tank Rocket.
With the weapons, angelo could Take control of four corner Hustler territory and expand it.
But that wasn't his only goal.
Angelo told his dealer he had Reserved the rocket launcher For a special purpose.
He wanted to wage war on The chicago police.
angelo was all excited, and He wanted a rocket, law rocket, I think he said, 'cause he Wanted to blow up area four Police station.
They're the ones that arrested Him on the case he was in.
you have to be a little nuts To come up with a plan to take That rocket to the harrison Street police station And launch it right through The front door to send that Message.
"who's the top dog of the West side?" narrator: In June 1994, Angelo was released from jail And set his master plan In motion.
He had no idea that the Bloodbath he was about to Create would trap him as well.
I think that we were our Worst enemy, Four corner hustler.
narrator: Chi-town, An american metropolis where The famed gold coast Never shuts down.
But right in the shadow of Chicago's vibrant downtown are Some of the poorest, most Violent streets in the country.
that's how it is on The west side.
We'll fight amongst our self All day.
We might even go as far as Gunplay.
narrator: It's here on the City's west side that A notorious street gang, The four corner hustlers, Has its power base.
The fours have crews all over The country, but it started More than 40 years ago in Chicago's west garfield park Neighborhood.
46-year-old reginald "akkeem" Berry was an early member of The gang.
The year was 1968.
The place: Delano school Playground.
delano playground used to be The mecca for guys to come And hang out and play basketball And the girls to come to show Off theirtheir outfits.
narrator: West garfield park, A predominantly black Neighborhood, was erupting in Racial tension.
Ethnic whitespolish and Italianssurrounded the area, And anyone not affiliated with A gang was at risk.
back then, you had to be able To throw your dukes, you know What I'm saying, show your Bravado.
narrator: At the delano Playground, about a dozen Teenagers decided to band Together.
Their leader was 17-year-old Walter wheat.
Walter was older than most of The kids, and was equally loved And feared.
walter wheat, you know, He could grab you and lick your Face affectionately in one Moment, and he could grab you And bite your nose off viciously In the next moment.
narrator: Walter and his new Crew came up with a name.
they all came together to Form the four corner hustlers.
narrator: Curtis henderson, Aka "noon," was an original Member.
He says the gang's name was About big dreams.
it stood for the four corners Of the world.
That's what we was claiming, The four corners of the world.
We were saying that there was No limitations to four corner Hustlers.
narrator: But at the Beginning, the hustler's Territory was limited to eight Square blocks bordered by Pulaski road to the west, Madison and jackson to the north And south, and hamlin boulevard To the east.
Their crimes were also modest.
we did our own thing In terms of hustling.
We carried dice, And we shot pool.
stealing cars, petty thefts, Ripping off neighborhood stores, And over time, it escalated.
narrator: The four corner Hustlers were ambitious, always Cooking up bigger and better Scams.
One favorite involved freight Trucks carrying cigarettes.
they used to rob the big 18-wheeler trucks coming Down the street.
it was an organized plan.
And you send your decoy out There, and she might drop some Coins in the middle of the Street.
The trucks have to stop.
narrator: As soon as the Trucks stopped, the gang members Jumped on the back, opened them Up, and unloaded the Merchandise.
The drivers never stood A chance.
when the truck driver come Out of the truck, you got two Enforcers right there with Bats like, "try that if you want To," you know? And that was another way Of hustling.
narrator: The money was Small, but the gang stuck Together.
You were either a hustler Or an enemy to be dealt with.
they were the king of The hill.
Thatthat certain area was Their area, and they defended it At all costs.
narrator: During the 1970s, The gang had a strict hierarchy And a king, walter wheat, Who laid down the law.
we had a code of conduct that Walt would personally enforced.
One of his main things was that You better not get caught Being on drugs.
narrator: Another rule was That every gang member had to Pursue an education.
it was a must that you went To school.
narrator: Lil' fred scheduled His time around classes to do What he calls his "dirt.
" I'd do a little dirt, Hustlin', hoppin' on trucks, Snatching purses, before I went To school and a little dirt After school.
narrator: Walter wheat and The other leaders of the gang Functioned as father figures to Young hustlers and made sure They worshipped more than just Money.
one of the things walter Wheat did was embreembed it In us that we had to be tight, You know, and that this was A brotherhood.
You know, and ifif one four Got into a altercation and Started to fight, then you had To fight.
Everybody had to fight.
We was real, like, a close knit Family.
narrator: In the mid-'70s, Heroin flooded the streets of Chicago, and the gangs decided They wanted in on the action.
All of a sudden, the small time Gang members were swimming in Money and high-powered guns.
dope and guns go hand in hand 'cause you got to protect The dope.
So you got to have the guns.
If you ain't got the guns, There's somebody gonna come And take the dope from you And your money and your life In the process.
narrator: Battles over turf Were now about more than pride, They were about drug profits.
The gang was beginning to grow Beyond walter wheat's control.
Convictions for assault and Possession of a firearm put him In prison for more than A decade, further diminishing His influence.
the mob he built got too Crazy for him to control, and That wasn't what he was about, So he kind of fell back from it.
and before you know it, With the '80s came Ushered in the scarface era.
narrator: The four corner Hustlers had transformed into A monster, with crews located Throughout the chicagoland area.
Power in the fours fell to The most successful and Ruthless dealers.
One of the most most violent Was a hustler named Monroe banks, aka "money.
" In 1986, money ended a prison Term for rape and murder and Returned to the streets.
Money took the fours to A new level, Building what would become A lucrative drug empire.
Employing hundreds of street Soldiers, he created a highly Regimented and violent Enterprise to sell the hottest Drug on the streets: Crack cocaine.
narrator: Money raked in Millions and ruled his empire With an iron fist.
Under his ruthless leadership, Violence wasn't only directed Outward at rival gangs, but at Anyone who stood in the way of Him and his profits, Even fellow fours.
money was notorious for being A no nonsense type of a guy.
At that point in time, Violence became the order of The day, you know.
that's when fours started Harming each other when he's Doing his reign of power.
narrator: If money felt Betrayed by a fellow four, He paid to have them beat up.
He also issued green lights.
The hustlers had made a sharp Turn from their days under Walter wheat's leadership.
I think walt kind of saw Where the monster was gettin' Out of control.
But because he loved so hard, He couldn't let go.
narrator: In 1991, Monroe "money" banks died by the Sword he lived by.
there was a guy up in a tree Trying to get a cat.
And money was standing there With his bodyguard, and he was Looking up, watching the guy In the tree, and a guy came up And shot him.
narrator: Money was killed by A rival gang member over a drug Turf dispute.
His death left a power vacuum In the four corner hustlers, But not for long.
Angelo roberts was looking for A way to move up the ranks of The fours.
The death of money banks was The break he was looking for.
As a gang enforcer, he had Earned the respect of the Younger, more violent members.
narrator: Angelo also had an In with the gang's elders.
He was dating walter wheat's Daughter.
he had a baby by walt's Daughter.
He was kind of close to walt.
I think walter wheat almost Tried to develop roberts And school him into ways of the West side.
narrator: But angelo, it Turned out, was too ambitious to Play good son and wait his turn.
roberts didn't want to be Schooled or take orders or be Under anybody's tutelage.
Angelo's personality all Centered around power.
narrator: Chicago: A metropolis of 2.
8 million Where monsters lurk in the Poorest neighborhoods.
These badasses have no fear.
narrator: Street gangsters Spill blood daily, Battling their rivals For a piece of the pie.
narrator: At the center Of this war zone, On the city's west side, are The four corner hustlers, Gangbangers who make millions Off the streets.
it's a corporation that does Monstrous things in the name Of profit.
Shooting at people for You know, because you think That that's your enemy Over there.
There'sthere's no good reason.
narrator: For the four corner Hustlers, money is the only Reason they need.
They sell crack cocaine with A highly regimented drug Distribution network.
it's like a chain of command.
You got the top drug dealer.
You got thethe people at the Table that bags it up.
You know, you got thethethe Little man that run it to the People on the street corner, and The people on the street corner Sell it to the customers.
narrator: Lil' fred wallace Witnessed the operation for Years.
He says the fours used A simple sales pitch.
and I holler "rocks blows Park.
" That means, "hey, we got dope And rocks.
Park your car.
" Like you, you know, like you Selling candy.
And the money goes back.
narrator: Chicago pd must Constantly cruise the west side, Using undercover officers As drug buyers and installing Surveillance cameras, or blue Lights, to monitor gang activity In drug trafficking areas.
The hustlers stay ahead of Every innovation.
once the streetlight go up, You move on to the next corner.
You move to the next alley.
It doesn't stop because A police light go up.
It doesn't make a difference.
It's like a cat and mouse.
Your job is to catch me.
My job is to get away.
by this corner store, I sold plenty of drugs, Plenty drugs, got plenty Of money, got chased plenty Of times.
narrator: The four corner Hustlers run their crews like Franchises.
Anyone with an independent Streak and a talent for hustling Can start his own crew.
Illy mac runs with the Brave heart fours.
I got my b.
H.
Tattooed on Right there.
You know, we see us with this For real.
You know, wide spread.
We kind of everywhere right now.
Like, we known.
narrator: What connects these Franchises together are common Symbols, gang signs.
I'll throw it up.
this is how we used to do it Like this.
You know what I'm saying? sometimes we greet each other By saying "solid.
" That means solidarity.
Sometimes we throw up four Fingers like this.
narrator: The gang represents With trademark colors.
four corner hustlers pretty Much had their own colors at The inception, which was black And brown.
But as the years transgressed, We started wearing the black And gold.
narrator: They also have A logo.
we'll have a big old four With c.
H.
On the side of The four, the "c" on the top And the "h" on the bottom.
narrator: The logo can be Found all over their established Turf.
Blade wilkens used to carry Spray paint with him Wherever he went.
I was like the unofficial Artist of four corner hustlers.
We was marking our territory.
You know when you came in the Land who territory this was, Where you was at.
narrator: The gang also tags Buildings with a diamond Or playboy bunny.
All stand for the four corner Hustlers nation.
Illy mac and the brave hearts Have created a symbol to Represent the younger Generation.
I just write b.
H.
, just write A big b.
H.
On the wall, B.
H.
Then be "bitch" under it.
It's like, "b.
H.
, bitch," You know.
narrator: Wherever the tag Goes up becomes a battleground With rival gangs like the black Souls or gangster disciples.
narrator: Walls where tags Have been blacked out Show where one crew Has lost to another.
narrator: The constant Battles age gang members Quickly.
Four corner hustler illy mac Is only 20, but has Already lived a hard life.
I done been through it.
I done been shot at.
I done beat up people.
I done been beat up, man.
I done been through it all, man.
This is my older brother, Michael, "mike mike.
" narrator: Mike, also a member Of the fours, is only 26 years Old.
I did things I wasn't never Supposed to do.
Look at me now, man.
I walk with a cane.
I've been shot.
It's not for the new generation, Man.
narrator: But the new Generation keeps joining, Obsessed with easy money.
narrator: It's those young Guns who followed One of the gang's most Vicious and revered enforcers: Angelo roberts.
He would put the gang on A collision course with its Founder that would shake the Hustlers to their very core.
he had a lot of love for four Corner hustler, you know? And sometimes you can have Too much love, 'cause, you know, That love can blind you.
narrator: Chi-town, 1994.
The four corner hustlers had Grown to be a force on Chicago's west side, Controlling illegal drugs And numerous other scams, Including prostitution And protection rackets.
you know, whateverwhatever You wanted to get into on the West side of chicago, you could.
narrator: One charismatic Leader was looking to Consolidate the crews And take over: 24-year-old angelo roberts.
his reputation in the Four corner hustlers was fear.
They were very, very fearful Of him because of his complete Neglect for human life and Authority.
He was uncontrollable.
narrator: In spring of 1994, Angelo was jailed briefly for The unlawful use of a firearm.
From behind bars, he began Plotting to take over the gang And to take out the area four Chicago police station, The pd's hub for his Neighborhood.
Angelo contacted an arms dealer And arranged a huge buy.
in order to take over the West side and the four corner Hustlers, he had a Predisposition and a plan In place to come out strong, To obtain weapons.
narrator: What angelo didn't Know was that the arms dealer Was an informant with the a.
T.
F.
And chicago police.
After angelo's release on bond, Law enforcement worked out The sting.
so the deal's set up.
We're gonna do it.
They're gonna give us cocaine And money.
narrator: Angelo set up A meeting with the informant on July 14th to make the exchange At a hotel parking garage.
An undercover A.
T.
F.
agent Pretended to be the arms Dealer's partner.
The rest of the team was parked Outside.
narrator: Suddenly, angelo Changed his mind and told the Informant by phone to meet At another location.
well, angelo wouldn't come Out, and we wouldn't move.
And the deal was going on For quite a while.
There was negotiations going Back and forth.
There was several conversations With angelo and the informant.
narrator: Then angelo sent in One of his soldiers.
he did the deal with the Undercover and gave them The money and the drugs.
narrator: The soldier was Arrested on the spot.
When he didn't return with the Weapons, angelo was convinced He'd been double-crossed.
he was really, you know, Losing his mind.
So he gets on the phone, Screaming at the undercovers, "those are my guns.
That's my dope.
I'll kill you guys if I don't Get my stuff.
I'll come after you.
" narrator: But angelo Apparently had second thoughts.
He never came to the hotel.
narrator: Paranoid and Enraged, angelo focused his Attention on a new enemy: The gang's original founders.
something strange was Going on.
Those of us who were In leadership, we were all Targeted to be assassinated.
narrator: First up in the Crosshairs was the fours' Founder walter wheat, the Grandfather of angelo's child.
Walter had spent most of his 43-year existence in and out of Prison as the sporadic leader Of the four corner hustlers.
walt, um, was gettin' to the Point where as you know, he was Tired, you know, and walt was Kind of, like, indecisive At things.
One minute you feel like You're ready to retire, Then six months later, he was Back out there, you know, Full force.
narrator: Walter could often Be found drunk on street Corners.
he resurfaced every now And again and, you know, And you can't do nothin' But honor that or respect that.
A lot of folks want him to take A permanent vacation.
narrator: July 25, 1994.
Walter was sitting in a car when A bare-chested teenager came Riding up on his bicycle.
The 17-year-old hired hand was A four corner hustler and loyal To angelo roberts.
He approached walter wheat.
Without warning, he pulled out A handgun and fired two shots.
One bullet struck the founder Of the gang in the head.
The other bullet entered his Back.
narrator: Walter was killed Just blocks from delano Playground, the birthplace of The gang.
it was a modern day Frankenstein story where the Creation kills the creator.
it was like losing a father.
I cried when they told me That walter had passed.
I was very upset, angry.
wow.
One would have never imagined That anyone would take the life Of walter wheat.
narrator: The 17-year-old Hit man was eventually arrested For the crime.
Chicago police were certain Angelo had ordered the hit, Though they couldn't prove it.
no young kid popping up is Gonna stand up to angelo.
It was pretty much angelo trying To be the leader of all Four corner hustlers.
narrator: And angelo's reign Of terror was just beginning.
One month later, another elder Of the gang was targeted: 40-year-old richard "left hand" Goodwin, a chief in the fours.
Goodwin was murdered while Playing dice deep in hustler Territory.
this is where he got killed At right in front of this house Right here.
He got killed right here.
Right on the side, Up in the alley.
He was a good brother.
narrator: Around the same Time, curtis "noon" henderson, One of the gang's original Members, was almost murdered While serving time in the pen.
somebody stabbed me in the Back, and I started getting Stabbed and hit with a pipe.
So I guess they got tired Or whatever, and it was Over with.
narrator: By this point, Chicago police were convinced That angelo roberts was calling The shots behind the scenes.
But angelo was too slippery To catch.
By January 1995, he had been on The run for seven months and had Become the focus of A nationwide manhunt.
Someone eventually found him But it wasn't the police.
I was sitting in the county Jail, dozing off, when one of The guys woke me up, like, "man, wake up, wake up.
" Ey're like, "man, they just Found lo.
They just found his body in The trunk of a car.
" We was just stuck, man, in awe.
narrator: Angelo roberts' Body was found frozen and stiff In the trunk of a car on Chicago's south side.
whoever killed him wanted him To know why he was dying.
He was beat real bad.
He wasn't just shot.
They cut his throat from ear To ear.
They definitely, definitely Tortured him andand wanted Him to know why he was dying.
narrator: Angelo's murder was Never solved, but most believe It was an inside job.
four corner hustlers killed Him, you know, because he was Allegedly responsible for the Assassination of walter wheat.
the seeds that you plant Will eventually be the fruits That you harvest.
narrator: Chicago, 1995.
The murder of four corner Hustler leader angelo roberts Capped an 8-month bloodbath That left the gang's top Leadership dead, including Original founder walter wheat.
The gang had imploded.
Leaving a power vacuum that Persists to this day.
it left the door open for, You knowyou know, all the Snakes to roam, and everybody Was, you know, tryin' to chop Each other head off, you know, And that'sthat'sthat's Where four corner hustler's At now.
yep, I-I would say it was The The fratricide among fours Is what's caused the demise Of four corner hustlers.
They're primarily a household Without a head.
narrator: Today, the four Corner hustlers continue to Expand their membership And territory.
But each crew has its own leader Who answers to no one.
The streets are chaos.
it's either kill or be killed Down here.
It's a jungle.
You got to live in it.
You know, if our drugs stopped Sellin', we can go rob somebody Else who is sellin' drugs, You know, maybe another four Corner hustler.
We didn't care.
narrator: More than 10,000 Gang members nationwide sport The four corner signs and Colors, but they don't talk to Each other.
Instead, they are all trying to Carve out their own piece of The hustle.
In 2005, a federal investigation Dismantled a $50,000-a-day Drug operation run by A four corner hustler in Chicago's austin neighborhood.
Operation street sweeper put Away a total of 34 people for The distribution of heroin, Crack cocaine, and marijuana.
But with no central leadership, The bust was like stepping On an anthill.
You can never get them all.
there's no control.
Today itit's all about drugs Mainly, a lot of the violence Today is with younger Gang members.
narrator: After serving an 11-year sentence for robbery, Richard "blade" wilkens is done With the fours.
while I was in prison, They had a drug treatment Program.
And that was the turning Point in my life.
I went to school, and I just Continued to pursue it when I got out.
narrator: Blade now works With at-risk youth, trying to Steer them away from gang life.
It's a change 41-year-old Lil' fred has not been able To make.
He still struggles with heroin Addiction and continues Running with the hustlers.
I'm notI'm not proud of Some of the things that I had to Be involved in, but it was the Way of life.
I hahad to do things that I reay Didn't want to do.
I'm not proud of shooting People.
I'mI'm not proud of selling Drugs.
narrator: Lil' fred is Entrenched in the lifestyle and Sees hustling as the only way.
I'm too far in now to say, "I quit.
" All I know is the street life.
So sometimes I have to go back To the streets to provide for My family, and that leads to A little trouble.
narrator: His legacy has been Passed down to his children.
I hate to say it, but my Son's a four corner hustler.
I didn't want him to go that Way, but he went that way.
So he's 18 now, so you can say He's the next generation Of four corner hustlers.
narrator: The new generation Of four corner hustlers is A virus, self-replicating with No cure.
they're making a tremendous Amount of money.
And as the young adults and The kids join those gangs to Make that money.
Why would you go work at wendy's For $5 an hour or cut grass for A landscaper or whatever When you could go work for Four corner hustlers, Carry a gun, drive a fancy car, And make thousands and thousands Of dollars? narrator: Those who may wish To leave, like 20-year-old Illy mac, face a tough road.
In this part of chi-town, The hustle is the name of the Game for life.
it ain't nothin' but a big Circle.
You keep doin' the same thing.
You buy a car, the police take The car.
You buy another car, They take that one.
You know, you go to jail, You get out, you go back to Jail, you know, that circle Of life.
narrator: Illy mac sees the Writing on the wall and is Trying to clean up his act.
so right now, I work at A clothing store.
And I'm a family man.
narrator: Illy is trying to Lead an honest life and provide For his two-year-old son, A lesson his father never Taught him.
narrator: Despite His determination, Illy realizes he has a tough Road ahead of him.
I pretty much went off gang Bangin', but, you know, I'm Still from that neighborhood.
I can tell a million people I'm Not a four, but a million people