I took this picture near Winthrop and Ainslie in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood during the mid-1970s. This street corner was Latin King central for Uptown in that era. The graffiti on the wall in this shot identifies a Latin King named Jerry D. This boy was trying to emulate him by looking as tough as he could. It felt to me as though he was auditioning to become part of the next generation of Latin Kings. As a psychologist once told me, kids crave role models. If they don’t find them in the home, they’ll find them on the streets.
