You guys have to understand that these guys aren't your average mafiosis. They're kids who grew up in gang neighborhoods and got into the fast lifestyle(that's even more brutal than the Mafia's) very young. Rene himself mentioned he started using crack cocaine, I believe it was, when he was 13-14 years old. Others are much like him.
A hundred years ago this is EXACTLY what cosa nostra was. Most were petty thieves and did small time shit just like these gangsters. Same shit different ethnicity. Prohibition turned cosa nostra HOODS into more sophisticated criminals but there really is no difference between the American mafia a hundred years ago and these gangbangers of today.
I grew up with a lot of cholos (or vatos) that were bused into our schools. These kids were smarter than shit academically but by junior high school most of them just sniffed paint and sold drugs and committed crimes. A lot of them got pinched for selling drugs and are in prison doing 15 yrs for it and some are dead. One of my friends had to move and change his name just saw him last summer went to a concert with him. His father was a big time drug dealer, is in prison. They are like what cosa nostra was years ago. If you are getting in the way of them making money you are DEAD. No mercy.
