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GANG HISTORY

Between 1967 and 1968 at San Quentin, a state prison in Northern California, an incident occurred which would forever change California's Hispanic street and prison gangs. LA EME had already gained a reputation for toughness. Other aspring young Chicano hoodlums became interested in affiliating with the Mafia, and, according to rumor, The Mafia members insisted that initiates murder another prisoner. This rumor and the actually attacks aroused the consolidated a large number of "independant" Chicanos, who planned to eliminate the Mafia members. On the planned day, the other Chicanos pursued known Mafia members through San Quentin, attempting to assassinate them, Several dozen prisoners were seriously wounded and one was killed in this daylong battle, but the Mafia held its ground. They won many knife fights and were not eliminated. The deceased was allegedly a police informer who gave law enforcement officers information on the drug trafficking activities of the gang. This killing of a brother Mexican-American initially created much unrest throughout the prison population but was generally thought to be justified under the circumstances. After this unsuccessful attempt, some of the formerly independant Chicanos, particulary from inmates from the northern rural areas and towns of California, who had been in conflict with Los Angeles Chicanos for decades, and the Texas Syndicate which was made up of inmates from Texas, formed a counter group: "Nuestra Familia" (NF), meaning "our family" to defend themselves against the violence-prone EME. Aligning with the EME against the Neustra Familia is the white supremist group known as the Aryan Brotherhood, (Cacucasian White Supremcist Gang) who also assists the EME in conducting various criminal activities such as drug trafficking, robberies, and contract killings both inside and outside the prison walls. Members of the Texas Syndicate migrated back to Texas from California and were eventually arrested and re-incarcerated in the Texas Department of Correction. The Two Different Versions On How "Tension" Really Got Started. . . There are at least two versions of how it started. Sgt. Joe Valdemar reports that an Eme member, "Pieface," shared a cell with Hector Padilla, a Hispanic from Northern California. Padilla's most prized possession was a pair of shoes which he shined and cared for every day. One day, while Padilla was out of the cell, Pieface stole his shoes. Pieface discovered that the shoes were too small to fit him. In an effort to win some points with La Eme, he decided to give the shoes to a higher-ranking member of the prison gang. Surprisingly, he chose Robert "Robot" Salas. The shoes fit the Eme gang member, and Pieface walked back to the cell area, only to find Padilla frantically looking for the shoes. Padilla recognized that Salas was wearing his shoes. An argument ensued, and Padilla, the real owner of the shoes, accused Salas of stealing them. This statement, of course, insulted the Eme gang member, and the fight started. Padilla was stabbed several times during the argument and died. Word of this spread quickly through the prison system, especially among the Hispanic inmates. Another version of the incident says that "Robot" Salas was the roommate of Padilla, rather than Pieface. In this version, Salas received the shoes as a gift and returns to his cell, which is of course shared with Padilla, and the fight occurs in the cell. However it occurred, the murder solidified the rivalry between northern and southern Hispanics, both in the prison system and on the street. The Hispanics from northern California formed Nuestra Familia (NF), another prison gang, in response to the conflict. NF was formed to protect the northern Californians from La Eme, whose membership was made up primarily of southern Californians. As a result of this incident, several members of the NF ambushed and stabbed seventeen EME members, killing one of them. Since the 1968 incident, the EME has been in an all-out war with the Neustra Familia (NF), which has resulted in the murders of over 30 prisoners. Over the years The "EME" recruited some of the most dangerous and violent Mexican inmates. Penal institutions responded by transferring gang members from one institution to another which only served to expand the membership of the gang from the California prison system to the Federal prison system.

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The Street Gang Rivalries of North and South And Grey Imaginary Line. . . . Rival southern California Hispanic street gangs had one thing in common: they were enemies with anyone from northern California. This rivalry united them in jail and in state prisons. The same was true for northern Hispanic gang members, except their common enemy was any gang member from the south. Somewhere, while the dust was settling between these two groups, they began to visualize an imaginary line which divided the northern gangs from the southern gangs. This line turned out to be a gray area, rather than a clear line, in central California. However, gang members usually agreed that the division was located somewhere between the cities of Bakersfield and Delano.

The Sureņos and Norteņos. . . . Street and prison gang members from northern California began to use the number 14 as an identifier. It represented the 14th letter of the alphabet, the letter "N." The letter stood for Norteno, the Spanish word for northerner. The term norte was used to show that a person was from the north. Individuals from southern California were automatically considered rivals, both inside the prison system and on the streets. Southern California gang members began using the number 13 as an identifier. The 13th letter of the alphabet is the letter "M," and the word for this letter in Spanish is " Eme." Southern California gang members started using words like Sureno, which means "southerner." Often, this term was abbreviated as sur/SUR. Gang members also started to tattoo themselves with the number 13 and with the terms Sureno or sur along with the name of their gang, to signify their origin in southern California. Within prison walls La EME "shot callers" direct Southern Hispanics, also referred to as Surenos, to assault other inmate groups and staff. Prison records indicate the Surenos are involved in many of the prison melees or mini-riots. Inmates in the state prison system were given bandannas in a railroad print, and could select from two colors: red or blue. Hispanic street and prison gangs from northern California claimed the color red to identify themselves. They used this color because most of the southern California Hispanics in state prison had chosen to wear a blue-colored railroad handkerchief. The Crips and Bloods were not the first gangs to use red or blue to identify.

What's Going On Now. . . Through murder and intimidation, the Mexican Mafia has grown to be the most powerful and influential prison gang in the system. Recruitment of local Hispanic street gangs extend the Mexican Mafia grip deep into the neighborhoods of Southern California communities. La EME also taxes local Hispanic street gangs who peddle narcotics. The NF and La EME fought and prison administrators attempted to segregate the gangs, designing two prisons, San Quinten and Folsom for the Mafia and Soledad and Tracy for La Nuestra Familia. When Chicano enter the California prison system, they are asked gang affiliation; if they are to be sent to those 4 prisons, they are sent to the one dominated by their gang. Gang recruitment and taxation combine to make the Mafia a dangerous force in the underworld of prison gangs. A recent split in the leadership of La EME has caused prison officials and jail staff to closely monitor the internal struggles to insure safe housing and double celling of gang affiliates. The wrong placement of cellmates could lead to more violence in a prison system already exacerbated with gang warfare. Some gang experts attribute the leadership split to a recent successful federal prosecution of the La EME leadership. The shake-up has lead to several Mafia leaders being scattered throughout the vast federal prison system. In the ensuring years, the conflict between the Chicano gangs increased and spread even to the outside, where the gangs have tried to penetrate outside drug trafficking. Today, the Mexican Mafia has spread to at least seven other states, with an estimated memebrship of 600.

Many intelligence personnel and officers confuse the EME with the Mexikanemi from Texas. Great care should be taken in evaluating these distinct groups. Some believe the Mexikanemi share identical tattoos and symbols with EME, but there are subtle differences to be taken into account when attempting to associate membership. La EME is not readily recognizable in the Florida Department of Corrections; however the history of the group and documented acts of violence in other jurisdictions warrants STG certification.

Receipt of inmates on interstate compact and the current membership in groups with Hispanic/Latino supremacy ideology and Latino street gangs lend to the threat. The EME uses killing as a means of discipline or gaining respect. EME killings are extremely gruesome and calculated to establish fear and intimidation. The current Mexican Mafia of Texas was formed in the Texas Prison System in 1984 to protect the Hispanic inmates of the Texas Prison System from the Texas Syndicate. EME's philosophy centers on ethnic solidarity and control of drug trafficking. It is said that no EME member may practice any form of Christianity. EME is the Federal Bureau of Prisons' most active gang, in terms of incident frequency rather than severity. Ordinarily, each prison has a separate leadership.

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"Gang members who end up serving time in jail as adults often graduate to the toughest gang of all--the Mexican Mafia, or "La Eme," a prison-based gang that controls drug sales in San Antonio. Joining the Mexican Mafia is equivalent to playing in the major leagues. Drive-bys become planned executions, and drug sales and racketeering replace auto theft and vandalism. Members are recruited in prison. Young street-gang members taking their first trip to the penitentiary often choose the hard-core gang lifestyle of the Mafia for the protection it offers in jail." (Texas Monthly, Audrey Duff 10/94)

The Mexican Mafia or La Eme started around 1957 at Duel Vocational Institute in Tracy, California. A group of young Hispanic street gang members formed into a group to protect themselves against African American inmates. The group consisted of mostly street gang members from the Maravilla area in Los Angeles and as more Los Angeles Hispanics came into prison, they were recruited into La Eme. As La Eme grew in memebers, they were able to be the predator and not the prey. The early years of La Eme was dramatized in the film American Me with Edward James Olmos. La Eme denied that the film was factual and there has been murders surrounding the people involved in making the movie. The organizational structure of La Eme consists of a chain of command whereby instructions from generals are carried out by captains, lieutenants and soldiers. Ordinarily, each prison has seperate leadership. When a member is transferred to another prison, he generally does not keep the status he possessed at his last prison. There are exceptions if a member has substantial prestige and position, he may assume a leadership role at any prison. La Eme members imitate traditional Italian Mafia and have a structure framework which identifies them as well organized and disciplined. Membership is based primarily on race, excluding non-hispanics generally. Many of its members are part of the Surano street gang grouping. In 1986, La Eme had approximately 300 members and up to 1000 assocites. A prospected member like other prison gangs must have a sponsor and make a hit to prove himself. La Eme utilizes killings and attacks as a means of discipline and gaining respect. When La Eme kill, they are extremely gruesome and calculated to establish fear and intimidation. Over kill is the norm for La Eme so the message is deliered, "You don't mess with Eme." Beginning in the late 1960's, La Eme began to move its operation into the community. members inside have ordered hits on the street. Gang members have also been been involved in numerous bank robberies. In addition, Dan Vasques, a special agent for the Department of Corrections, testified before a Senate Subcommittee on Civil Disorder that La Eme has attempted to take over Federally funded drug abuse programs by getting members seated on the boards of directors. It was hoped that such positions would not only provide access to funds but also garner support within the Mexican community. It would then use this support to front addtional criminal activities. In November of 1997, 13 members of La Eme were charged in a 26 count indictment for murder, conspiracy to commity murder, drug dealing and extortion. Defendants are charged with collecting rent or protection money from fellow inmates, receiving and distributing narcotics within prison and "shaking down" actor Edward James Olmos.