The Life of Joe Morgan


The story of Joe “Pegleg” Morgan is a fascinating tale of how a white man could reach to the top of the most feared Hispanic prison gang in the USA. For several decades, Morgan was one of the leading figures in the so-called Mexican Mafia, and he was as loved by his friends as he was feared by his enemies.

Joseph Morgan was born in San Pedro, California in 1929. Joe was raised by his Croatian mother. He never knew his Irish-American father. Joe and his mother moved to East L.A. when he was 12. When he was 17, Morgan was convicted of murder after he killed the husband of his older girlfriend with a tire iron, and was sentenced to 9 years in prison. He escaped a few months after being sentenced, but he was soon captured. He became the youngest inmate ever at San Quentin State Prison. Morgan was a tall and tough kid, who developed a good relationship with the Latino convicts, because he was a member of the Mexican-American street gang El Hoyo Soto Marvilla.

Joe was released on parole in 1955, but would go back to state prison the next year, after he had robbed a bank with a machine gun for almost $20,000. At the same time, a couple of young inmates at a youth facility in California decided to form a prison gang to protect themselves from other criminals, and this group would later be known as the Mexican Mafia. The leader and founder was a guy named Luis "Huero Buff" Flores, who was from East L.A. Growing up in East L.A. and with a background with Hispanic street gangs, Morgan joined the gang when they were later transferred to San Quentin. The Mexican Mafia, or La Eme (The letter M in Spanish) soon got a reputation for being one of the most dangerous and most violent prison gangs in the entire country. As the power of the gang grew, so did the power of Joe Morgan, and even though he was not Hispanic, he became one of the godfathers of the Mexican Mafia. The original members of La Eme were from Southern and Northern California.

He had a calming presence, not like the many hot-blooded members. “Pegleg” (a nickname he got because of his artificial leg, but it was rarely said to his face) was also the mastermind behind their most lucrative business; the drug trade. Due to his connections with the drug cartels, he was able to import pure heroin and cocaine from Mexico, and then supply it to the whole West Coast. “La Eme” became one of the first prison gangs to take their business outside of jail. Drug dealers in the Los Angeles area now had to choose between paying the gang or a bullet in the head. There were few who said no. In a couple of years, Joe and the rest of the “brothers” (carnales) organized a drug racket that brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars every month, making the organization even more powerful.

In 1965, a small group of Mexican Mafia associates who were angry with the way they were being treated by Mexican Mafia members started a gang called Nuestra Familia in Soledad Prison. As soon as some Nuestra Familia members began arriving at San Quentin in 1968 they were treated very bad by the Mexican Mafia. Nuestra Familia member Sonny Pena was the first victim to be murdered by the Mexican Mafia. Pena’s brutal murder was the Mexican Mafia’s way of letting other California inmates know that new prison gangs would not be accepted. Mexican-American prisoners from northern California also became targets, leaving the California Department of Corrections with no other choice but to segregate all Nuestra Familia members and northern California inmates at that time. This gave Nuestra Familia the perfect opportunity to let Hispanic criminals from northern California join their gang. Bakersfield, California soon became the dividing line between the Nuestra Familia and Mexican Mafia territory.

Because of Morgan’s race, he also had a connection with the Aryan Brotherhood and even some members of the Italian-American mob in L.A. The Mexican Mafia would sometimes pay the Aryans for hits on “rats” or opposing gang members. Morgan’s best friend, Rodolfo Cadena wanted to gather the Nuestra Familia and La Eme into one national crime syndicate, but he was killed by the NF, after being stabbed over 50 times in Chino Prison in 1972. This would begin one of the bloodiest feuds in the American prison system, and La Eme members still have a “kill on sight” policy for Nuestra Familia members. Cadena was the second boss of La Eme.

In 1976, Joe Morgan was again released on parole. He married his girlfriend Jody, who he would have 2 children with, but he would soon enough find himself in trouble with the law again. After he was indicted with federal narcotics charges, he ran away to Utah, but was arrested there the next year. Even though he pleaded guilty and only received a moderate sentence in 1978, he would never again be a free man. The same year, a former La Eme member turned on the gang, and testified against Joe. He pinned Morgan to several murders, both inside of prison and out on the streets. “Pegleg” was sentenced to life in jail, to be served in the maximum security section of Pelican Bay State Prison. Many describe him as the most powerful La Eme member ever. He became a legendary icon for many young gangsters, and even prison guards (who claim he was always kind and respectful towards them) say there was “something” about “Papa Joe”. A member who badmouthed the “White Godfather” in 1991 found out just how respected Morgan was by the other members when he was stabbed 26 times in 1991.

In 1992, the movie American Me about Morgan and his friend Cadena brought national fame to the prison gang. La Eme was not satisfied with how they had been portrayed, because the movie showed some of the Mexican Mafia members raping an inmate and Cadena being raped as a young man, which both of those situations never actually happened. Morgan himself filed a lawsuit against Universal Studios for basing one of the leading characters on him without his permission. On May 13, 1992, a gang counselor named Ana Lizarraga was gunned down for helping with the film.

The next year, Morgan was diagnosed with inoperable cancer and transferred to California State Prison in Corcoran where he died November 9, 1993 at the age of 64. Even to this day, and even though he had no Hispanic blood in him, Joseph Morgan is a hero to many Latino gangsters, and they regard “Papa Joe” just as much a Chicano as they themselves are. A more historically correct look on the history of the Mexican Mafia, than the American Me movie, is the book “The Black Hand” by Chris Blatchford from 2008.









That's All

Ana Lizarraga was gunned down on La Eme council orders. About a month later his cousin was killed, but it was related to a drug deal gone bad and had nothing to do with Ana. Joe Morgan was the most powerful individual to be able to cross race lines in the prison system in California. He was both respected and feared. Florez is an interesting one too in the gang as there is no record of him after his release from prison. Some say he was killed, while others say he never committed another crime and led a straight life after his release. Still there is no record or documents on Florez once he was released.

Yeah, she was murdered on their orders. Very sad that they killed an innocent lady like that. But that's how evil and ruthless they are.

You killed one then testified against your brother!! JEEZ

No way dude! Can't get set up. Too smart for that. Thanks for the Msg about that, though.

'Rocky' Luna of EME was also killed because of American Me, he served as an assistant in it.

The whole movie thing is an interesting story. Apparently, 'Huero Shy' Shyrock, 'Pee Wee' Aguirre and another carnal I forgot got 100k from Edward James Olmos on the threat of his life. Olmos should make a movie about it

Can a white be in the Mexican Mafia in general?

The stabbing scene in American Me when Olmos' character was killed was fucking brutal especially the sound of all those knives sticking him repeatedly before they tossed him off the tier what a sound

Yeah.

Good question. You'd basically have to grow up with them and they have to be able to trust you. Any white inmate or street person can't just walk up to them and want to be a member. Plus I'm sure to be a member you'd have to put in more work for them and do more dirt than the Mexican guys. Morgan was also half Croatian, which is not really white. It's close to Italian. There are a few guys that are half Mexican and half white with La Eme too. These guys are very bad dudes. Make no mistake about it.

Don't mean to get off topic but do Native Americans have their own prison gangs or do they join the latino prison gangs if their locked up?

The Natives ride in what's called the skin car at least on the West.

Croatian is absolutely white as is Italian. The nerve of some people.

Italian IS white,-------

Opinions are like assholes. We all have them!

Lol stern, I'm Croatian and trust me, we are far, faaaaaar from Italians. By our culture, by our looks, by everything.

I don't think Stern is educated by making such a comment. I have in-laws who are also Croatian. Stern maybe you should study world history instead of street gangs and the mafia.

I can see why he was banned. He came off harsh on his last comment. Glad some of you liked my BIO.

There have been more high ranking members who were Anglo or part Anglo: Ray Shyrock, Randy Therrien, Roland Berry, Mike Kudo (part Japanese actually). I don't know about Topo Peters. He looked Hispanic to a T, but had an Anglo surname.

I wonder why they don't have a branch in new york

I may be wrong, but I believe it's because EME membership is made out of Surenos, and there's no Surenos in New York.