The HBO America Undercover documentary "Latin Kings: A Street Gang Story" unnerved and saddened me in a way I thought not possible. Emmy award-winning director Jon Alpert followed the life of Antonio "King Tone" Fernandez, former leader (or "Inca") of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (or "Latin Kings").
The Latin Kings were one of New York City's largest and most violent gangs until King Tone took over in 1996. During his three-year reign (that's six years in gang years), King Tone attempted to turn the group in a socially-conscious organization instead of a violent street gang. Unfortunately, King Tone became part of penny-anny drug deal and the three-strike law got him. King Tone was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison (10 years for good behavior).
Now, I'm not about to extoll the virtues of street gangs. I heard of the Latin Kings in New York in the mid-80s and they were devastingly destructive. But I want to focus on the leader: Supreme Inca King Tone.
King Tone is a natural-leader. Full of charisma and a genuine love of his Puerto Rican people, folks just gravitate to him. I talked to a uncle of mine who is a police officer in the Bushwick section of New York City. He admitted that during King Tone's reign, crimes by the Latin Kings diminished substantially. He even saw some of their rallies and was impressed by the behavior of all those in attendance. "King Tone had Martin Luther King-like oratory skills", says my uncle, "He had my fellow officers and I believing that things were turning around forever." But looking at the documentary, you see that King Tone was poor. He has to support his girlfriend Myrna and two children. So when I saw the film of him participating in a drug deal, I wasn't shocked. What shocked me was how fully he owned up to the crime, how he accepted his jail time, and he did it with class and dignity.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - gerrard
I don't know, the guy seemed to have some pretty obvious personality flaws. He seems like the type of person who would have trouble resisting the corrupting influence of power.
On top of that, the rapid fragmentation of the group once he was in jail makes me think of the personality cults of the last century written in small type.
2 - S-Train
Yes, seeing them fragment so fast was very disturbing. But I still hold on that he could have been used in a productive way instead of throwing him in jail.
3 - Neraida
AMOR DE REY
4 - Latin Queen
ANTONIO Fernandez is a good leader.. he only tries to set his gang members straight... i look up 2 him as the best leader ever
5 - GhettoTechnology
He understood the hardships of the young men and women he sought to save but if he hadn't pulled himself up out of the turmoil, how can he save anyone else? My question was, throughout the whole doc: What is the Nation's goal? What is the primary aim? Latin pride is great but what is it bringing out? What difference had they made? All I heard was "Amor de Rey" and little else...
6 - trish
I feel what happened to King Tone was
not totaly fair. I am not a latin king
but I do suport him all the way.
7 - Walter
I have family members who are involved in the Latin King's organization (they now are not involved in it as much as they use to be). I met King tone when I was very young through my cousin from Brooklyn. This man from what I hear has done great things. However, like you and I, we are not perfect. I am going on to my fourth year in college as a student-athlete with a strong anxiety of becoming a lawyer. My goal in life as I see it through my eyes and God's eyes is to help people from the injustice of the criminal justice system in this country. Not to put the system down completely, but like I said we are not perfect. As a strong, proud, religious and loving latin man I say "Latin people, rise from the depression first from oneself before doing it on to others!" Oh, and king Tone, if by any chance you read this, if you are still around, I would like to represent you in a court of law when I become a lawyer ssome day. God Bless.
8 - King Ed
AMOR DE REY
9 - Mac Diva
Some black and Latino leaders attempted the same thing, trying to bring gangsters into the mainstream, during the 1980s. The situation totally backfired. The gangsters just pretended to be going straight, while continuing with their usual criminal activities. People like poet Gwendolyn Brooks, who became a mentor to the Blackstone Rangers, ended up with egg on their faces. I believe the applicable axiom is: Judge people by what they do, not what they say.
10 - RGV
Well, I used to live in Jackson Heights, NY and I remember seeing and being afraid of getting robbed by a Latin King. I was a good kid in a tough city which ended up making me tougher than most people I know, at least spiritually and moraly. As I grew older I realized that the Latin Kings was not the same gang led by King Blood in which it was an incredibally intimidating and violent gang. For that King Blood got time that he deserved and got locked up in solitary confinement for life. On the other hand, King Tone changed everything for the Latin Kings, he made them stronger morally, intelectualy, and most importantly socialy. I dont support the fact that a street gang should exist, but I believe that they could have changed the method of imprisonment for someone who could help change a community for the better. If being in jail does not affect King Tone in a psycologically devistating way, he could be released to the community as a wisely rebuilt and stronger contemporary leader of the world. I never thought I would say this, but AMOR DEL REY.
11 - sarah
i'm starting dowm with latin kings because,i have some family from my puerto rican father is latin kings and queens.i already left the blood nation because,these mother fuckers try be slick.i thought they cool and fuck it,i'm start joining almighty latin kings and queens nation because,the kings is more religion than bloods and they make me to stand-up for my latin race.some people said the kings is like latin version of kkk because,the kings is pro-latin and klans is pro-white,they worship some good and bad things in the church ,kings say"amor de rey" and klans say"white power" and all that bullshit.my lover and security blanket is latin king.king tone is the man,dont let these crackers put him down becase he's hispanic,fuck outta here!tone,you the man,baby!amor de reina!
12 - Jack
DO the crime & do the time. He is a fine example indeed.
13 - Chi
The DA was right. Dont believe that ol bullshit. Its all a front for whats really goin down. Open your eyes...he aint no robin hood.
14 - Eric Olsen
These comments are fascinating - certainly different voices tha nwe usually hear. Thanks again S!
15 - S-Train
Indeed the comments are fascinating, Eric. This has a special connection to me since I was a gang member in my teens. Almost bleeding to death in a abandoned warehouse and having a retired Marine save my life turned my life around 180 degrees. I understand the do the crime, do the time slant. And like I said, I'm not excusing what he did. I'm more interested in using guys like him in different ways besides locking them up first. Obviously the Latin King and Queen Nation listened to him. And now, from my studies of current set(s), the NYPD has more problems now than before.
16 - aangel
alls i got to say is amor de rey..... he helped us puerto ricans... everybody not perfect.. amor de rey... god bless king tone...
17 - Mac Diva
S-Train, how many felonies has the guy been convicted of? It is unlikely he would be sent back to the slammer for real time if his record was even relatively clean before the latest conviction. So, what gives?
Eric, I agree these are different voices.
18 - S-Train
From what I've been able to find out Mac Diva, King Tone definately got hit with the three strikes law in New York. He had two minor felonies previously (I think drug possession and some civil unrest charge, correct me if I'm wrong). But what sent him to prison was a penny-anny drug deal that he was the lookout. The Three Strike Law is another discussion altogether. Like I said previously, I have NEVER excused his felonies. I only wanted the NY DA to handle this differently since King Tone had such an influence over several thousand people.
19 - Eric Olsen
S, it's easy to pass judgment from the outside. I admire the fact that you were able to change your life and that adds hope to those who would like to. I freely admit (been doing that a lot lately!) I would have just assumed the worst about someone like Tone, but I am reminded we shouldn't write people off quite so quickly. I also think the three strikes laws have been a disaster and that a big part of "judgment" involves "judges," and tying their hands has helped no one.
20 - Queen Loca
*ADR*.Much Love and Respect GOes out to all da Manitas y Manitos out there.living life..Rise and Throw ur Crown Up High Ur a Queen and King Form God...Much Love Respect Goes out to Ya.
Queen Loca ADR 360
21 - queen-envy
i believed that keeping king tone in jail is wrong especially when he is the only one that can stop the latin kings from being so violent, he is the only one that can do it and without him there will be alot of distrucion. im not a queen but one day i pray to god i do i have so much respect for them i know everything there is to know the prayers and the whole 5. well king tone if u ever read this rememeber me make me a queen. take care of uself self king ull see freedom one day and ull see ur gang uniting in peace and representing us latinos.
A.D.R. Latin Queen 360
22 - Erica
All tone wanted 2 do was do good for da puerto rican people! amor de rey! 1 luv 4 da boricuas!
23 - Kingrojo
he deserves it. that spic nation is going to get run outta nyc
24 - KING WHO
Fuk that nigga named kingrojo, who the fuk are you to be sayin' the word "spic"
whats your race? Couse if you aint Latin it aint happenin'. Yeah, I admire what King tone was doing for his chapter in New York, but what wasn't gonna do any good to Chicago(Chi-Town) Im a Latin King from the city of Chi. I give him profits, but like I said in Chicago, the original, bad-ass mothafuka goes out to King Blood. And fuk all them bitch ass flakes from Chicago all the way to New York City, king love 360^. TWO-SIX-KILLA-BITCH
25 - young homes
one luv to kingtone keep yo head up baby