Publish date: 2023-12-17
There are several ways to become a member of the group, but a new member must go through a proper initiation before gaining full membership.
As explained by Reymundo Sanchez in his book, "My Bloody Life," a new potential member has to prove himself to the gang first before he can be considered for going through the process of initiation. And while the Latin King's "initiation packet" espouses qualifications like morals, character, and cultural heritage as qualifications for prospective members (via the NYPD), entrance into the gang is often based on less altruistic notions. According to DNAInfo Chicago, in 2013, Esteban Sotelo was ordered to shoot a rival gang member as part of his initiation process. In Sanchez's case, he already collaborated with the Latin Kings in their retaliation against the rival Gaylords, thus already proving himself, as he recounts in his book.
After the proving phase, the real initiation takes place, with gang members taking their turns beating the initiate. "I would have to take an initiation violation that consisted of two chosen Kings beating me for three minutes. Unlike the head-to-toe violation, they would not be allowed to hit me in the face, groin, or basically anywhere where I could be seriously hurt. This was supposed to prove my toughness," details Sanchez.
After the initiation beating, Sanchez was given the notebook with rules, Nation Literature, and was told which prayer he had to memorize until the next meeting. "Failure to do so would result in disciplinary action," he said.
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