Larry Hoover

Larry Hoover, aka 'King Larry,' was a famous Gang Leader in the 1960s. He is famous as the co-founder of the Black Gangster Disciple Nation, an African American street and prison gang based in South Chicago, better known as Gangster Disciples.

The gang leader was infamous during his time and is currently serving six life sentences back-to-back in a high-security federal prison in Colorado named the ADX Florence supermax prison. Having been jailed since 1973, King Larry, in his prime, was famed for being a notorious kingpin with a broad reach. 

Now, as the former leader of the gang, Larry publicly stepped down in July 2022, denouncing the gang and wanting nothing to do with it.

Who Is Larry Hoover? What Was He Convicted Of?

Larry was first sentenced to about two hundred years in prison in 1973 for involvement in the murder of a nineteen-year-old drug dealer, William Young. In addition, he was also charged for his association with the Chicago gang scene. He was initially at the Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, Illinois, for his crimes and was later moved to the Dixon Correctional Center.

Then in 1997, more years were added to his prison sentence after he was arrested in his cell in 1995 for drug conspiracy, extortion, and continuing to engage in a criminal enterprise. Larry was moved to a federal prison in Florida, where he is still held. The facility is considered unbreakable and used to hold the most notorious prisoners. 

Early Life Details 

Born on November 30, 1950, in Jackson, Mississippi, in America, Larry grew up in a segregated inner-city neighborhood in America. He spent his childhood in impoverished conditions. He reportedly grew up with his parents, grandparents, siblings, and relatives. His family did move to Chicago after he was born, but the timeline is unclear.

Growing up during the rise of Chicago gangs, Larry claims he was easy prey to the then mentality and allure of violence. He could not receive a proper education or be given the guidance to take a proper path in life.

Education Qualifications

Larry had a late start to education as he was "functionally illiterate" before he went to prison. It was there that he began his educational journey and obtained his GED. He was just in his early twenties at that time.

He later went on to obtain an emergency medical technician license. He would also study politics and broaden his mind with books. This is also associated with Larry's political planning and future plans, as sources allege that he saw new ways to rule and ways to legitimize his trade.

Net Worth: How Rich Is Samaya Hoover's Father Larry Hoover?

Sources allege that Larry Hoover's net worth is $100 million. Most of the money is allegedly from recruiting soldiers for his GD gang. In addition, Larry also has many other assets which he owned with his illegal money. However, it is still a mystery since he has not officially revealed it. 

Most of the wealth is just rumored and not certifiable. And it is stored in the gang's illegal activities. In fact, Larry and his family may not even have access to such funds as they may have disappeared. 

Larry Hoover's Wife

Larry is a married man, and his wife's name is Winndye Hoover. The pair tied the knot on January 10, 2020, but have been together since 1968.

In fact, one of the impediments to their marriage was the fact that the Illinois penitentiary kept denying them the chance to wed legally. They threw roadblocks that were totally unnecessary toward the long-term couple despite Winndye visiting her husband in prison for more than forty years. 

Larry's Wife Has Stood By Him For Years

Winndye Hoover has always worked for her husband's release. After he went to jail in 1973, she always visited him in prison for years. At that time, she was just his girlfriend and his baby mama, but she still stuck by him and continued supporting him. 

Winndye later began calling him her husband and said they were a common-law couple. She is still raising awareness about him and asking for his release. She hopes that her family will come together outside bars.

Has A Son And Daughter

Larry has a son named Larry Hoover Jr., who was born after his incarceration in 1974. His mother, Winndye, was pregnant when his father, Larry Sr., went to jail. As of now, he is married to event decor specialist Chaneak Graham who is active on social media.

According to the internet, Larry Sr. has more children, but their identities are unclear. He does Will Larry's Jail Sentence and allegedly has a daughter called Samaya Hoover, but the news about her remains unclear.

About Larry Hoover Jr.

Larry Hoover Jr. was named for his father and has been visiting him in prison from an early age. He reportedly works with his mother doing social work and uplifting struggling families. 

He has appeared in various activities to ask for the early release of his father, but his actual job remains unclear. He might be a business owner or an entrepreneur. 

Larry Sr. Published A Manifesto 

In 1986, while in prison, Larry Hoover released a manifesto, Blueprint of the New Concept. This book had six concepts of Growth and Development shaped as a six-point star. This symbolism is quite interesting as it was also used in the Gangster Disciples symbol as a tribute to its late co-founder David Barksdale.

According to Larry, he transformed the Gangster Disciples into a community-service organization called Growth and Development. He also added that this organization has been working to increase education for the community.

Growth and Development initially gained lots of positive attention. It registered voters, helped needy children, and conducted peaceful protests. However, later it was accused of being a front for money laundering and fraud. The charities allegedly helped no one.

About Blueprint Of The New Concept 

The manifesto released by Larry Hoover was taken positively by many gang members. Its six concepts were Love, Life, Loyalty, Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding. The blueprint guided the Gangsters Disciples community to more legitimate business interests and political outreach.

Later it was also sold as From Gangster Disciple to Growth & Development: The Blueprint in 1996, with the author Rod Emery, who thanked Larry for "his guidance." This was seen as an attempt by the GD gang toward book publishing. The book was embraced by its audience, who had come to see Larry as a figure of power and the "OG" gangster. 

Gang History

The co-founder of the Black Gangster Disciple Nation, Larry Hoover, was a part of gangs from an early age. Growing up in Chicago, where the gang scene was quick to pick all available young teens, many young boys did not have a chance to pick much else. At just fourteen years of age, Larry joined the Supreme Gangsters and started his criminal activities. They ranged from theft to assault and shootings. 

As Supreme Gangsters grew, Larry gained leadership and began the inevitable turf wars and exchanges. He later united with a rival gang leader, David Barksdale, who was the main man of the Black Disciples. They formed the Black Gangster Disciple Nation (BGDN), which became one of the major gangs in America from the 1960s to the 1990s.

After Barksdale died in 1974, the gang split into the Black Disciples and the Gangster Disciples, with Larry controlling the latter. The two factions have continued to engage in territorial display for years. The split could also be because Larry was in jail and could not deal directly with the cracks.

About Gangster Disciples 

Known as one of the most influential gangs of its time, the GD, at its peak, had a reach of 110 cities and 31 states. The majority of members were ethnically African American and men. 

Before splitting up with the Black Disciples, the GD had massive success and a daily profit of more than a thousand dollars in the 1970s. The split between the factions was pretty devastating, but the GD contained to grow. The gang is still active in Chicago today.

21st Century V.O.T.E.

In 1990, the 21st Century V.O.T.E. was founded by Larry. The organization planned various activities, such as peaceful political demonstrations outside City Hall, voter registration, and neighborhood cleanups. They also supported the alderman campaigns of two candidates, Gator Bradley and Hal Baskin, but they were not elected.

21st-century VOTE was also organizing petitions for Larry's early release. Before his indictment in 1997, several prominent Chicago people, such as academics, social workers, ministers, and even former mayor Eugene Sawyer endorsed Hoover for parole.

Larry's Influence Raised Even More After Jail

Samaya Hoover's father, Larry Hoover, was jailed in 1973 after getting caught for ordering a murder and his sentence was six life sentences. However, this did not stop him from running his gang and recruiting new members. In fact, reports suggest that the gang became even more powerful after Larry was imprisoned. 

As a kingpin, he offered protection to other inmates who would later be devoted gang members. Even the prison wardens saw his influence, and he was known as a peaceful mediator and positive influence in stopping prison riots.

Larry got a lot of benefits in turn and later lived a luxurious existence in prison with the best foods, clothes, and even jewelry. The GD gang was reformed on the surface and started doing good deeds such as giving free breakfasts, community service, and spreading education. After that, Larry began to gain positivity and goodwill from people.

Later Legal Issues

Authorities saw this as an act to obtain early release and were quite skeptical. Others suggest that the government disrupted the gang's positive changes, such as peaceful activities, and increased political influence, by adding drugs to the mix. The GD was allegedly pushed toward the drug trade by the authorities, and its positive reputation was corrupted.

In 1995, after decade long sting operation by the Feds, Larry Hoover was arrested in his prison cell and accused of drug conspiracy, extortion, and continuing to engage in a criminal enterprise. The courts found him guilty, and he was sent to federal prison. 

Larry Was Featured In Kanye West's 2021 Album Donda

"King Larry" was seen as a positive figure by the African American community by many. His manifest and opportunities given by his group Growth and Development had made him a bit of a legend. This was why he was mentioned in many music projects. In 1996, he was in many music videos for the Geto Boys' album The Resurrection, discussing the prison system and the black community.

Just recently, Larry was a feature in Kanye West's 2021 album Donda where his incarceration was discussed. Kanye has been vocal about wanting Larry's release and even discussed it with former president Trump in a 2018 lunch. He even allowed Larry's son, Larry Jr., to record a message in his music tracks and discuss his father's incarceration.

Kanye Gave A Free Larry Concert With Drake

The Free Larry Concert on December 9, 2021, was the talk of the time. Not only because of the fanfare it received but because of the fact that Kanye and Drake had been publicly feuding before and came together for this "greater goal" that united them.

The "Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert" in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was aimed to educate people about the incarceration of Larry Hoover. It also covered his prison sentencing and reform.

Although efforts were in the right direction, the recent mental breakdown of the Donda singer West has tarnished many things associated with him. This effort may also be one of the projects. In fact, the concert may not have helped much actually to release Larry from jail, but it was helpful in raising money for charities. 

When Will Larry Hoover's Jail Sentence End?

Larry was convicted and jailed for 200 years in 1973 when he was just twenty-three years of age. Later another six life sentences were added to his jail term in 1995, adding approximately 150 years. His full prison term is still debatable. 

His second trial is much disputed as it involved illegal wiretapping and alleged planted evidence. Most argue that this was because Larry had gained political allies through  21 century V.O.T.E and caused massive voter registration of African Americans, which threatened many people's interests. 

According to the legal system, Larry only has to serve a portion of his sentence before being eligible for parole, but his sentence denies him any parole.

How May The First Step Act Change Hoover's Jail Sentence?

President Trump passed the First Step Act in 2018 with bipartisan support. This new law allows federal prison inmates to earn reduced sentences for good behavior. More importantly, non-violent drug offenses can reduce twenty-five years of imprisonment.

Larry is eligible for such benefits as he fits the criteria and has had good behavior in his whole prison term, which is about fifty years. He is also an elderly man who suffers from health issues. His lawyer and family are trying their best to appeal his prison terms and see him home.

Social Media Interest

Larry is a famous topic on the internet, with information on him being available from Reddit to Instagram. In fact, his family has opened an organization for him, the larry hoover project, which is active on Instagram with the name @lhooverproject and has its own website called hooverproject.org. 

The Instagram handle is active, but the website seems to have been stopped at the moment. #freelarryhoover is still active on the platform. Podcasts and videos are made to this day about him.

The Recent Dontay Banks Story

Dontay Banks, the father of famous rapper Lil Durk, recently made news after he was released after twenty-two years in prison. In his interview, he stated that he was imprisoned for a long time after refusing to inform Larry.

Dontay Banks went to prison in 1993. During the time, Larry was already in jail, but the feds were building a case against him for charges such as drug conspiracy and extortion. Banks were asked to inform Larry in return for a reduced sentence and refused. He was sent to jail while the case against Larry continued till his arrest in 1995.

Larry's Situation In Federal Prison

Larry is imprisoned in the Supermax prison, where he is mostly in solitary confinement. He is jailed in the same facility as serial killers and terrorist bombers. He has little to no human contact, which has been the case for about twenty years.

Larry is sadly very aged and in poor health. He has not been given any appropriate benefits for continued good behavior in prison despite having clear conduct for about twenty years. He has written letters describing his situation there" as close to hell as possible" and asking for clemency.

The ADX Supermax has incentives that prisoners get for good behavior and has "a way to earn out" of such harsh confinement. Technically, Larry should be released to a less restrictive prison, but the authorities make no such effort.

Has Samaya Hoover's Father, Larry Hoover, Left The GD?

Recently, Larry publicly announced that he had left the gang GD in July of 2022. This statement was made through letters stating that he had denounced the gang's behaviors. In the letter, he wrote: 

"I have long since renounced my association with any and all criminal organizations and their membership. I am no longer a member, leader, or even an elder statesman of the Gangster Disciples, I want nothing to do with it now and forever.”

Federal prosecutors, on the other hand, see this to be a tactic to reduce prison sentences. U.S. Attorney John Lausch has even stated that reducing Larry's sentence would be "a miscarriage of justice."

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