My Bloody Life: The Making of a Latin King

After his initiation into the Latin Kings, Sanchez joined Morena, Cubana, and Lil Chino from the Spanish Lords gang for a night out. Their plans were interrupted when they encountered tension between the Spanish Lords and the Cobras, sparked by the Cobras tagging the Lords’ territory. Fueled by alcohol and bravado, Sanchez participated in an ambush where Papo shot two Cobra members.

The escalating violence spread across gang lines, involving larger organizations like the Latin Disciples. A subsequent retaliation killed a leader of the Unknowns gang, sparking a full-scale gang war. As the Kings’ alliance with the Unknowns solidified, Sanchez was forced to join an ambush against the Disciples gang. Using his knowledge of the area, he helped set up an attack that left one Disciples member dead and three injured. Although Sanchez avoided being the shooter in these incidents, he felt increasingly paranoid and distressed as time progressed and his involvement with the gangs intensified.

Sanchez visited the Spanish Lords’ new hangout and later stopped by Papo’s house. As he watched a Chicago Cubs baseball game, he became restless and craved drugs. Borrowing a bike, he impulsively decided to visit Jenny, expecting a warm reception. Instead, Jenny rejected his advances, reminding him of their past conflict. Undeterred, he aggressively forced himself on her, but her screams and her father’s approach forced him to flee, narrowly avoiding confrontation.

Seeking solace, Sanchez returned to gang headquarters, finding comfort in alcohol and drugs. He confided in Cubana, exaggerating his tales of violence to impress her. This led to a passionate encounter between Sanchez and Cubana in Humboldt Park, which cemented Sanchez’s view of women as manipulable and unworthy of respect. Despite his views, Cubana became a source of fleeting happiness for Sanchez.

That summer was marked by intense gang violence, leading to numerous deaths, including of innocent bystanders. Increased police intervention temporarily slowed the bloodshed, but resentment festered among rival gangs.

Sanchez started his sophomore year at Clemente High School, flaunting Latin Kings colors to establish his gang affiliation. However, his attempts to impress Rosie, the girl he still admired, were met with outright rejection and public humiliation. To cope with his insecurities, Sanchez relied heavily on marijuana, using it to bolster his confidence and fuel his relentless pursuit of Rosie.

Outside school, gang conflicts intensified, particularly at Maplewood Park, where the Latin Disciples gang began overtaking the weakened Latin Kings’ territory. The Disciples exploited the Kings’ dwindling presence after key leaders were arrested in raids. Despite efforts by other Kings factions to defend the area, the Disciples steadily gained control, forcing many Kings and Queens, including Morena, to leave. Those who remained often switched allegiances.

Sanchez also witnessed a violent confrontation at Maplewood Park. Armed with a gun, he joined other Kings in defending the territory, but fear consumed him as a gunfight erupted. Several gang members were injured or killed before the police arrived. Despite escaping unscathed, Sanchez reflected on the escalating violence and its toll on his gang.

Sanchez shifted between the Kings and the Spanish Lords as his gang activity continued to interfere with his education. At school, his focus remained on identifying rival gang members, further contributing to the cycle of violence and academic neglect.

Sanchez’s popularity as a gang member grew at Clemente High School, though it was informed by fear rather than respect. He reveled in the privileges that his gang status afforded but remained fixated on winning over Rosie. Over time, Rosie unexpectedly softened, initiating conversations, and she eventually agreed to a relationship with Sanchez. The two quickly became intimate, and Rosie started to profess love and dreams of a future together. Sanchez became deeply attached to her, distancing himself from his gang life to prioritize Rosie.

However, Rosie’s insistence that Sanchez visit her home, which was in the territory of another gang, raised tensions between the two. She assured him that her brother, who was a member of the Disciples gang that dominated the area where she lived, would protect him, but Sanchez remained wary. When Rosie invited him to her birthday party, her insistence sparked Sanchez’s suspicions. Sheena, a mutual acquaintance, intervened, warning Sanchez that Rosie was setting him up to be killed. Initially, he dismissed Sheena’s warnings as jealousy, but a drive past Rosie’s house revealed the truth: Rosie was passionately involved with a Disciple and orchestrated a trap for Sanchez.

Heartbroken and humiliated, Sanchez retreated into anger and despair. This betrayal marked a turning point, hardening his outlook on life and deepening his reliance on violence and substance abuse as coping mechanisms. Rosie’s deception became a catalyst for his growing ruthlessness.

Sanchez continued masking his heartbreak over Rosie with drugs and aggression. At the Latin Kings’ headquarters, he sought out marijuana and alcohol and provoked conflict by throwing a bottle at a car carrying rival gang members, injuring one of them. The Kings prepared for potential retaliation as Sanchez’s outburst created unease in the gang.

Later, Sanchez encountered Loco and was introduced to a covert operation in the gang’s clubhouse. There, he met Officer James, a corrupt police officer who aided the Latin Kings by providing intel in exchange for payment. This interaction exemplified the gang’s deep connections and organized operations. Loco gifted Sanchez two guns, teaching him how to use and maintain them, solidifying his role as a trusted enforcer within the gang.

Sanchez was further entrusted with selling drugs and was even offered the position of president of the Peewee Latin Kings (a division of the gang). Although flattered, he declined, unwilling to alienate his peers. He was then assigned to lead a planned hit alongside Daffy, a new recruit. Despite lingering doubts, Sanchez acted confident, influenced by Cubana’s admiration for this type of aggressive behavior.

Morena and other Latin Queens pressured Sanchez to identify Rosie, whom they planned to attack for her betrayal. Though hesitant, Sanchez pointed out Rosie, and this resulted in a brutal assault that left Rosie severely injured. Overwhelmed with fear and guilt, Sanchez fled the scene and hid for hours, knowing that the police would connect him to the incident.

He found temporary refuge at the Kings’ clubhouse as the police were actively searching for him, and his name became a target in rival gang territories. Tensions escalated when Paco and Tito robbed Maria’s new boyfriend. This led to Sanchez being thrown out of Maria’s apartment, which was still his main residence. This betrayal by his gang peers severed Sanchez’s ties with Maria, forcing him into an unstable life of squatting in the clubhouse and other unsafe locations. However, despite fleeting moments of regret, he remained unable to break free from the gang, trapped by fear, loyalty, and his own identity as a King.

Sanchez’s life took a heartbreaking turn when his young friend Juni became a victim of gang violence. Although Sanchez was deeply involved in gang activity, he continued to play baseball with the Western Boys, a group of young men who were not affiliated with gangs. They tolerated his presence on the condition that he keep his gang affiliations separate. Juni, a cheerful and kind boy from New York, admired Sanchez and became curious about the Latin Kings. Sanchez neither encouraged nor discouraged Juni’s fascination but exposed him to aspects of the gang lifestyle.

The night before an important baseball game, Juni followed Sanchez after sneaking out of his house. Some Latin Kings passed by in a car and greeted them. Juni, eager to prove himself, responded with the gang’s salutation. Moments later, shots were fired, and Juni was fatally struck. Sanchez held his dying friend in his arms, overwhelmed with guilt and despair.

The police questioned Sanchez, and Juni’s grieving mother blamed him for her son’s death. Consumed by anger, Sanchez initially sought revenge, believing that rival gang members were responsible. However, he was eventually persuaded by gang members to hold off.

Sanchez and Loca visited the apartment of “a white lady” called Kaye (195) —this was a known party location for the Latin Kings. Inside, Sanchez noticed Kaye’s three young children in the same room where drugs were being used, which prompted Loca to scold Kaye. After getting intoxicated, Sanchez shared the story of the hit he had just carried out, and Loca praised him for his loyalty to the Kings. They then took a walk to the pool, where Loca warned Sanchez about a rival gang called the Dragons.

At the pool, Sanchez disposed of the guns he used in the hit, but as they were swimming, they were interrupted by the arrival of the Dragons. Loca urged Sanchez to leave, and they hurried back to Kaye’s apartment, where they heard gunshots from the pool. Sanchez and Loca then went to Loca’s apartment, which was a clean, peaceful refuge compared to the chaos of gang life. Loca advised Sanchez to stay inside, away from potential trouble.

Sanchez struggled with nightmares about Juni’s death, and later, he spent time with Cubana, learning more about her secret life as a mule (smuggler) for a gang member in prison. However, Sanchez and Cubana’s relationship became more strained, and he began to distrust her. Loca, on the other hand, became a stable figure in his life, providing him with shelter and care.

Sanchez’s gang activities escalated once more following the murder of Morena. Morena was killed by a carload of rival gang members, the Imperial Gangsters, while standing near a Latin Kings emblem. Overcome with guilt and grief, Sanchez blamed himself for not being with her at the time. At her funeral, he mourned her intensely but skipped the burial, as he was consumed by plans for retaliation. He launched a four-day shooting spree against the Gangsters, driven by anger and a sense of duty to avenge her death.

Sanchez’s actions strained his position within the gang. Although his leaders appreciated his loyalty, they reprimanded him for acting without their approval, as his reckless vengeance brought police attention and resulted in another Latin Kings member, Dino, being wrongly imprisoned for the shootings.

During another planned hit, Sanchez narrowly escaped death after being recognized by a former friend, Julio, who spared his life despite their opposing affiliations. The operation ended with Sanchez sustaining a minor gunshot wound, which the Kings celebrated as a badge of honor.

At the end of the chapter, Sanchez reflects on his growing desensitization to violence and the diminishing sense of brotherhood within the Latin Kings. Morena’s death, he recounts, marked a turning point in his life, fueling his transformation into a hardened gang member who nevertheless acted out of anger and survival rather than loyalty to the gang.

Sanchez recounts how he witnessed a significant gun deal between the Latin Kings and two white men from southern Illinois, which was arranged through imprisoned gang members. Loco, Lalo, and Sanchez met the sellers at a bar near Humboldt Park. The men brought an arsenal of weapons, including rifles and a Magnum revolver, which one of the sellers gifted to Sanchez. This weapon gave Sanchez a feeling of power. The guns were transferred to the home of Lucky in Bucktown—a safer area where many gang leaders had relocated to avoid the dangers of their old neighborhoods.

Lucky, once a respected Latin King, had become erratic and was rumored to be using heroin. His deteriorating state led the gang to strip him of his leadership status. Angry and feeling betrayed, Lucky lashed out and eventually stole gang-owned guns to fund his addiction. Days later, while openly insulting the Latin Kings in the street, Lucky was killed with one of the same rifles acquired in the gun deal. His death was viewed as justice within the gang’s code, and no one attended his funeral.

Sanchez particularly enjoyed his visits to Chinatown, where he encountered a blend of cultures and admired the women’s self-respect. He became close to Cindy, who was a Latin Kings member’s sister. She encouraged him to return to school and earn better grades. However, he did not follow through with this advice. Their friendship left a positive impression on him, but his involvement with the gang overshadowed these aspirations.

As gang violence escalated, he operated independently, planning a winter hit during a blizzard. Using the snowstorm for cover, he attacked rival Cobras but avoided immediate retaliation and returned to safety. The Kings’ influence diminished over the winter due to arrests, fewer meetings, and vandalism by rival gangs. Despite this, Sanchez’s involvement deepened, and he advanced within the gang, excelling in burglary alongside his partner, Daffy.

Sanchez concludes the chapter by detailing a brutal act of vengeance. The Kings disrupted the funeral of an Imperial Gangster linked to Morena’s murder. They removed the body, desecrated it in the street, and scattered before the police arrived. This act, intended to assert the Kings’ dominance, only fueled further violence and added to Sanchez’s problems.

Sanchez recounts how he intervened when another gang member tried to kill a 10-year-old boy, saving the child’s life despite opposition from his fellow gang members. This act led to a brutal three-minute “violation” (the word that gangs use for “punishment”) against Sanchez, where he endured a severe beating because he defied gang orders. Although injured, he refused to show weakness and was later celebrated for his resilience.

The violation left Sanchez bedridden, with Cubana and Loca caring for him. He grew increasingly detached from the gang, questioning its values and loyalty. However, despite his discontent, he continued engaging in dangerous behaviors, including committing burglaries and using drugs. His reckless actions and the toxic environment further reinforced the cycle of violence and pain.