Table of Contents
Analysis and Commentary
For good or for bad, Larry Hoover will be judged as a man of great qualities who showed exemplary leadership and had the brain and the nerves to survive and thrive in the world of drugs and crime. Running from the prison a humongous gangster organization of 30,000 strong “soldiers” spread across 28 states with sales of more than $100 million a year is not an ordinary thing. Imagine for a while that the organization had all cash retail sales, minimal of written work, and a literally cut-throat competition with no rules of the game.
Larry Hoover understood power better than most politicians today and had an uncanny ability to unify powerful people and groups and bring them under his fold. Had he been from an early age a rational thinking law abiding person having positive emotions filled with love and compassion for himself and his fellow beings, he perhaps would have made an enormous impact on the lives of countless men and women of all ages.
Hoover had charisma and showed great intelligence and strength of character, mostly in a negative way, in his decisions and actions. He was tenacious and set ambitious goals for himself and possessed a spirit that was incredibly indomitable. People with such determined, strong and resilient spirits make a name for themselves whichever field they pursue and Hoover was no exception.
Larry Hoover is the type of person who could have made a great name for himself in politics, business or philanthropy. He could have helped the have-nots coming from the downtrodden, oppressed and discriminated sections of the society. He did turn towards the good but it was perhaps only a masked attempt to get favor from the authorities to be set free.
A series of federal cases against the Gangster Disciples over the last three decades decimated the gang’s hierarchy. The Gangster Disciples still continue to operate in Chicago, but their power is not the same. The vacuum was filled by a number of smaller gangs which made the situation more manageable for the authorities. The feds can also claim that they have been able to successfully prevent Gangster Disciples from becoming a Mafia style organized crime organization.
Larry Hoover’s choices in life and the decisions that he made make him responsible for the pain and suffering of countless people. In the final analysis, Larry Hoover’s life is a life gone waste along with the innumerable friends, foes and innocent people who were killed, maimed, looted, psychologically damaged or made drug addicts. The question for us all is: Who is responsible for this failure? Larry Hoover himself, his parents, his teachers, the government or the society? And, what can be done to prevent a loss like this in future?
According to Useni Eugene Perkins, a longtime social worker and author of the book The Explosion of Chicago’s Black Street Gangs, “The problem is larger than Larry Hoover, and Larry Hoover is not the problem. He’s a symptom, and a victim, too.”
Larry Hoover’s life and imprisonment offer a glimpse into the complex world of street gangs, criminal enterprises, and the challenges of reform. While his incarceration continues to divide opinions, his story serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle to address social issues and the problems associated with the American criminal justice system.
Larry Hoover in Pop Culture and Literature
Larry Hoover has been discussed in a number of songs, documentaries and books.
He appeared on multiple tracks of Geto Boys’ 1996 album The Resurrection where he expressed his views on the prison system and the youth of the African-American community. His views were recorded via phone from prison,
There is a song titled Teflon Don in Rick Ross’s hit 2010 album Blowin’ Money Fast that mentions Larry Hoover.
Kanye “Ye” West also had two songs Jesus Lord and its remix Jesus Lord Pt. 2 in his 2021 album Donda which featured Larry Hoover’s son, Larry Hoover Jr. pointing out the flaws of the American justice system and talking about the effect of his father’s imprisonment on him and his family. The two songs end with Larry Jr. saying “Free my father (Jesus), Mr Larry Hoover Sr. (Lord)”.
Documentary: The Larry Hoover Story: The Sanctioned Version, 50-minute docudrama by Don Diva. Released in 2006.
Documentary: American Gangster Season 2, Episode 2 Larry Hoover, 41 minutes, aired on Oct 10, 2007
Book: Gangster Disciples, Part 1 of 1 – Scholar’s Choice Edition by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Published by Scholar’s Choice in 2015.
Book: Beneath The Surface: Unveiling The Structure of The Gangster Disciples by Professor Michael Everlast. Independently published in 2023.
Caution: The book The Legend of Larry Hoover by Alan Alfredo Geday, 362 pages, published in 2022 is a novel and is not related to Larry Hoover of Gangster Disciples.
Key Takeaways
1. Always choose good over evil, for yourself and others, even if the gains are little or none.
2. Always stay on the right side of the law.
3. A life in the world of crime will inevitably get you killed or land you in jail where you might end living the rest of your life.
Arrest Record of Larry Hoover Prior to the Murder of William Young
Summary of Larry Hoover’s Convictions and Sentences
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