Get A Glimpse Inside The N.J. Latin Kings' Gang Structure

Sun Tzu, the 6th century Chinese military strategist had this to say about structuring an army: “Management of many is the same as management of few… It is a matter of organization.”

So it goes for the N.J. Latin Kings.

On Aug. 26, a state appellate court in Newark released a 26-page decision that upheld an earlier conviction of several alleged members of the N.J. Latin Kings for murder and kidnapping.

As part of a plea bargain resulting from that case, alleged gang member David Martinez detailed the inner structure of the Latin Kings’ New Jersey chapter to the court.

According to Martinez, here’s how the gang is set up.

THE STRUCTURE

The N.J. Latin Kings are controlled by the chairman of the state Crown Council, the highest-ranking member in New Jersey.

The state Crown Council – the most powerful decision-making body of the N.J. Latin Kings – consists of the chairs of the six regional Crown Councils.

Each of these regional Crown Council chairs has four regional officers beneath him, who are each responsible for the oversight of multiple local chapters, such as Newark, Elizabeth and Perth Amboy.

Each of the local chapters has a “First Crown” in charge. There is a Second Crown (who acts as vice president and assists the First Crown), a Third Crown (who acts as an “enforcer”), a Fourth Crown (who acts as secretary) and a Fifth Crown (who acts as treasurer).

“The group is structured more like a Fortune 500 company than a collection of thugs and drug dealers,” Philly.com wrote, describing the Kings’ meticulous organization of their gang.

“The Latin Kings operate as a well-organized ‘business,’” the New Jersey State Police stated in a release following an operation that resulted in 47 arrests in 2003. “[They are a] well-structured, clearly defined criminal organization, with a defined chain of command and written operating procedures that include formal constitutions, by-laws, oaths and manifestos.”

File photo of Latin Kings graffiti via Wikimedia