Who is Larry Hoover?

Who is Larry Hoover? The Gang world knows Larry Hoover as a convicted American murderer and the alleged head of the Gangster Disciples gang (also known as the Black Gangster Disciple Nation) in Chicago. Hoover is reputed to be the leader of the gang in spite of the fact that he has been in prison continuously since 1973.

Hoover was  born November 30, 1950 in Jackson, Mississippi but moved to Texas with his mother at the age of 4. He became involved with street gangs at the age of 12. By the age of 16 Hoover had been arrested several times and had survived several shootings.

On February 26, 1973, Hoover and another Gangster Disciple, Andrew Howard, shot and killed William Young over a debt^[1]. Both were later arrested and sentenced to 150-200 years in prison. Howard was paroled in 1992. In 1974, after the death of David Barksdale, Hoover was appointed the new leader of the BGDN.

Two years later, Jerome Freeman left the BGDN, making the Black Disciples and the Black Gangster Disciples separate gang organizations. Even in prison, Hoover gave orders to his gang members and directed their illegal drug trade. On July 22, 1978, an inmate riot at the Pontiac Correctional Center in Illinois resulted in the death of three corrections officers. This uprising was rumored to have been ordered by Hoover. 21 inmates were indicted; ten were acquitted after an 11-week trial. Charges against Hoover and seven others were eventually dropped.
Hoover and the leaders of other gang organizations in Chicago came together to form the Folk Nation alliance, a pact meant to settle disputes and instill a more peaceful environment behind prison walls and on the streets. Hoover cultivated an image as a community leader and a reformed inmate. He was eventually transferred to a minimum security prison in Vienna, Illinois but his parole was denied repeatedly.
Hoover's continued involvement with the gang prompted a federal investigation. The five-year undercover investigation by the federal government led to drug conspiracy, extortion, and other criminal charges against Hoover. On August 31, 1995 Hoover was arrested at the Vienna Correctional Center by federal agents and moved to the MCC Chicago. In 1997 Hoover and six associates were found guilty of these charges, and Hoover was transferred to a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana to serve a life sentence.

Cultural references

Hoover was mentioned in the chorus of the Rick Ross song, "Blowin' Money Fast": "I think I'm Big Meech, Larry Hoover".^[2]

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