Alex Mouslopolous
The imperial gangsters of the Chicago's Northwest side had the best looking uniforms of the seventies gangs these sweaters were prized commodity of many old Gaylord's and police over the years and indeed confiscated sweaters of this powerful Puerto Rican gang can go foursome big bucks. In fact, many Puerto Rican youth back in the day would rather have this sweater than an auto signed Pirate jersey of Roberto Clementi and Kent Teculvi. The Imperial Gangsters were a gang that wasn't ashamed to have pink as its tag and indeed they brought some respect to that color even from their most hated foes including the Gaylord's. many Gaylord's started many turf wars finding a isolated IG and taking his beloved seventies era gang wear from his possession. The theft of a gang sweater to these gangsters in this era was like stealing a four caret diamond ring and it was something that needed immediate revenge and retaliation I have discovered from various readings of gang turf battles in the seventies and eighties.
It is kinda a shame that these sweaters and the style of the gangs fell out of line into a more urban rap look as opposed to these glorious school type sweaters. In the era before global Asian sweatshop produced Reeboks, Nikes, and Converse became so profitable these school sweaters altered into gang uniforms were much more in demand. The statement gangs were saying stealing the fashion out of fifties style school pride attire was something that is often over looked in the evolution of gang clothing. They were saying fuck the fifties and this is a new era yet still resembled the Cherish school child of the day confusing older folks with their sinister wardrobe that only other gangsters could identify. The imperial gangsters got their heads beaten and beat a lot of heads troy these sweaters back in the day and the role of the glorious sweater in gang culture is something that the modern day gangster doesn't appreciate that his fore fathers fought and died over the years.
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