Kassiquan

3^rd & Columbia

3^rd and Columbia, Lugo’s gang claimed this territory in the late 1960’s.  Lugo, which I discovered later, was actually his last name.  Everyone in our neighborhood knew him by Lugo.  Lugo was the leader of this gang and Sergio was his lieutenant; his second in command.  Sergio had a younger brother named Harry.  Most of the neighborhood kids called him “Horse Face Harry” because his face was long like that of a horse.  I do not remember the names of the other members of Lugo’s gang except for these three, Lugo, Sergio and Harry; they are forever etched into the recesses of my memory and they will never be forgotten.

My family owned and operated a neighborhood candy store from 1967 to 1970.  We sold candy, soda, ice cream, milk and emergency household items (toilet paper, soap, Kleenex and laundry items).  We also made sandwiches and hoagies that we would sell; especially to the workers at the factory across the street on the corner as they stopped in during their lunch hour.  My father would be working during the day while my mother tended to the store.  After school my brother and I would help, each assigned to his own counter.  Lugo’s gang would come in and “hang out.”  My mother did not mind them hanging around.  Yes, they were a bit noisy at times but they were respectful to my mother and did not bother the customers when they would come in.  Of course, to the customers who knew my mother, Lugo’s gang would “play and clown around,” never violent.  In fact, I was glad for Lugo’s gang being present because if a customer came in and caused trouble or was rude to my mother, Lugo and his gang would set the customer straight.

Lugo’s gang was known for “glue sniffing;” it was “the thing to do”.  The members carried brown paper bags with soaked rags in them and sniff from the bags every now and then.  There would also be a whiff of turpentine, too.  In my opinion, I did not see Lugo’s gang as being violent.  Of course, Lugo’s gang did get into fights, but I never heard of anyone getting seriously hurt.  Lugo’s gang would bully and harass kids in the neighborhood that tried to walk by them or break in the middle of them.  But Lugo’s gang would never bully or harass me.  Lugo’s gang would always make a path for me to walk through safely and, of course, they knew I respected them, too.  Lugo’s gang was very familiar about our family; they knew my father and heard about how he treated my mother.  Gossip in the neighborhood was pretty much the truth when you heard it.

Before I tell you about the altercation between Lugo’s gang and my father, let me share some things about the three members I mentioned earlier.

Lugo, was a handsome looking guy.  I don’t recall him being in high school and I don’t’ even know if he had a full-time job.  We were not actual friends; he was just an acquaintance; most of them were.  I was not thinking about becoming friends with any of Lugo’s gang.  But, as I mentioned, they were respectful and did not bully or hassle me.  One evening, it was probably around one or two in the morning, I was suddenly awakened by voices coming from across the street near the side entrance of St. Jacobus Lutheran Church.  Although it was dark with some light coming from the street light, from my bedroom window I could see Lugo standing in the shadows with a girl who was saying clearly to Lugo, “No, Lugo. Stop!  I don’t want to.”  I could hear him say, “Come on, there is no one around.”  Lugo had the girl up against the wall, “necking” her while his one hand tried to maneuver up the blouse and the other down in her jeans.  The girl was clearly trying to block him as best as she could.  With another shout, “No, Lugo,” she wriggled free and ran down the street.  Lugo was alone, the gang was not around but I saw Lugo, swaying away as he slowly walked the other way holding a brown paper bag to his nose.  Lugo was high.  I never saw the girl again nor did I see Lugo with any other girls afterwards.  Lugo never knew I saw what happened that night.

Harry, Horse Face Harry as he was called by us in the neighborhood, I did not know too well.  Harry was always causing trouble; he was a “bad egg.”  Harry was not a member of Lugo’s gang by of the “junior gang,” younger brothers of Lugo’s gang.  My brother hung out with some of the members of this gang and this was the time my brother was introduced to marijuana.  Toni was a member of the junior gang and my brother was seeing his sister, Nancy.  Toni’s brother was Freddie (now that I remember), also a member of Lugo’s gang.  One night as I was helping my mother in the store Sergio, Harry’s brother came into the store and he was alone.  I noticed that Sergio was real quiet, sad looking, not talkative.  I went over to him and sat on the stool at the counter next to him.  Although a gang member, I thought Sergio was a cool guy, a warm hearted guy when he was by himself.  I looked over at him and asked, “Are you okay?”  Sergio looked me in the eye and I could see he was holding back tears but then he saw that he could really talk to me.  He told me that Harry had been shot and was killed.  I told Sergio that I was really sorry to hear this.  Sergio kept saying, “I told Harry not to get mixed up in the gang life.  He caused too much trouble.”  I told Sergio it was not his fault.  I knew Sergio felt responsible for Harry.  I felt so bad for Sergio.  I just sat there with him for a while until Lugo and the gang came in.  Sergio gave me a look as if saying, “Don’t say anything.”  I never did.

Saturdays, my father would tend the store in the evenings giving my mother a break.  However, on this particular Saturday, my father was tending the store most of the day.  Lugo’s gang came in as usual.  When my father saw who they were and heard the “rumors” about their reputation he, in his authoritative voice told them to get what they wanted and to get out.  When my father saw that they were not buying anything but “hanging out,” my father threatened them, yelling at them to get out and began causing a scene.  In the gang’s defense, I told my father to let them alone they are not hurting anyone.  My father yelled at me and told me what he thought of them.  Lugo was not with the gang but Sergio was present and I told Sergio that it would be best if they left.  Sergio, sensing that I would be in trouble later for siding with them got the gang to leave.  When they were all out the door, I told my father that he should not have threatened them or yelled at them or even called them names; they were not hurting anyone.  That night, we locked up the store and went to bed.  Sometime after midnight, I heard a girl’s heals, walking towards our house and then next thing I heard was a loud crash and glass shattering in the street.   My parents’ bedroom was directly below my bedroom and the store was below my parents’ bedroom.  I heard my father get out of bed and I followed him into the store which was connected to our dining room through a door.  There was our large picture window all smashed out and a brick lay on the floor.  My father cussed up a storm.  I told my father I heard footsteps running off after hearing the crash.  I told my father that he should not have threatened the gang alone but left them alone.  I knew who threw the brick, the girl lived down the block and she always wore these high heeled shoes and I recognized the way she walked.  But I was not going to tell my father who did it.  My father thought he knew the gang; I did.  Had my father listened to me and let the gang alone, we would not have had a broken window.

The window was boarded up and we opened the store as usual.  The following Saturday night, my father was ready for Lugo’s gang to come into the store.  I knew my father was asking for more trouble.  When Lugo’s gang came in, of course they wanted to buy something but my father refused to sell anything to them.  He grabbed Sergio and again threatened the gang; my dad had a gun.  My father told the gang to never step foot in his store again.  I shook my head.  We had two more picture windows left.  Later that night, the same heals walked down the street; our second largest picture window was smashed.  My father and I went down to the store, another brick on the floor.  My father did not understand; all he saw were “hoodlums, good for nothings, and “blankity blanks.”  A few months later, my father closed down the store for good and with my grandfather’s help (my mother’s dad) turned it into an apartment that he was able to rent and earn his extra money.

Lugo and the gang had disbanded sometime during my last year of high school.  I had just got off the train near our house and was walking up the street when I heard someone say, “Hey you.”  I turned around and there was Sergio behind me.  He walked up next to me and stayed beside me on my walk halfway home.  Sergio was well dressed, neat and clean shaven.  He was actually a very handsome guy.  He asked if I was still in school and I said, “Yes. I am.”  Sergio said, “Good.  Don’t stop and graduate.”  Sergio asked about my mother and my father and I gave him updates.  Sergio told me he went and got his GED and is now working and he got married.  I told Sergio that he looked really good and that I was real happy for him; my heart warmed up to him.  We parted and I don’t recall ever seeing him again.  But I will always remember him.

Today, I know that gangs can be more violent and disrespectful.  Are they different from the gangs of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, maybe; then again, maybe not because members of any gang are still human beings, human beings with feelings, emotions and disappointments; they have their own stories that are hidden.  Here is my own “take-away” from my experience with the 3^rd & Columbia gang.

1.       Not all members in gangs are violent.

2.       Most of the gang members find a sense they “belonging” when together

3.       Some of the gang members are cool, warm hearted when you get to know them one on-one.

4.     The gang I knew was respectful when you showed them respect, I mean human respect.

5.      With the gang around our store, we were safe, my mother and my siblings; in spite of my father’s behavior toward them.

6.      Lugo’s gang was a learning experience for me and stepping stone; because of them I got involved in youth work later in college; I understood the youth and from what home and life situations they lived.

The 3^rd & Columbia gang might not have been the most welcome to the adults in the neighborhood from where I grew up, but this gang has certainly been my teachers; as a group and as individuals.  Where ever they might be, God bless them; especially Sergio because I remembered one of the last professions he made to me on that walk home from school, “I am going to church now and turning his life around.”  Hmm, I do not remember talking about God to him but, it could have taken place the night he told me of his brother’s death.  But, somehow, Sergio needed for me to know this.  And for this, I am truly grateful.