One of the most influential gangs coming out of the midwest, a gang that runs everything “Stones Run It”. The Blackstone Rangers created a force that authorities could not stop or figure out.

A highly organized Street gang that turned into a criminal empire. The Blackstone Rangers have been studied and written about in many reports and books.

This gang follows a set of rules and follows true beliefs, and is the reason why they are feared and respected in the streets as a gang and as a business.

Lets dig in to how the Stones came to be this way.

Blackstone Rangers History and Origins

The Blackstone Rangers or Black Peace Stone Rangers (BSPN) was started by Jeff Fort and Eugene Hairston under the guidance of Presbyterian minister Revered John Fry.

It is documented that the Black P Stones started approximately between the years of 1957 and 1960 in St. Charles, a reform school in Illinois.

Early Days

During the start of the BSPN, like most street gangs they were a group of youth protecting each other from any rival gang that would threaten their cause. A bunch of misfits that were looking to make a name for themselves.

It was not until the mid 1960s where they started to show who they really were, with the help of Rev. Fry. Before this they engaged in petty thefts, vandalism, shoplifting and other small time licks. In other words they were a regular street gang.

Occupied Territory

In the earlier days when the gang first started out, they occupied and area known as the Woodlawn neighbourhood on Chicago’s south side.

Woodlawn was an area that was dominated by whites and had strict rules for race at the time, the whites tried to keep blacks out of this community with such rules. This battle was lost due to the economic downturn of the Great Depression. Due to the economy the neighbourhood slowly started depreciating and deteriorating, introducing a new dominating race, the black community.

At first the Rangers were only about protecting their turf from other gangs, it was only until 1965 where they shifted from protecting home base to becoming a real threat.

This is when their rivalry with the Devils Disciples really grew. Growth and organization became second to this bloody rivalry.