Chicago Gangs Feared Crack Would Run Them Out of Business

Do you recall the War on Drugs? Does it still exist? Maybe. But there was a time when the introduction of crack into the main American cities' streets was still a big deal because it appeared to have pandemic proportions. But for a rather surprising reason, Chicago was slower to submit than other cities.

Despite the fact that drug sellers eventually spread throughout the city, it was thought that Chicago was able to hold the drug at bay for a while due to the influence of powerful drug lords and cartels. For fear of losing out on sales, the gangs that dealt in powder cocaine and heroin refused to let crack spread. Smaller dealers were thought to constitute a danger to their overall dominance of the city's drug trade. In fact, it was thought that 90% of the crack in the city was manufactured at homes and not intended for sale around the city.