Mexican Mafia ( La Eme )

What's the state on them now ? Are they still as powerful as they used to be ?

And another thing I always wondered about the Mexican Mafia : are a lot of the members actually mixed-race ( mixed Anglo and Mexican )? I know Pegleg Morgan was fully white ( Anglo-Slavic) but how about Benjamin Topo Peters, Michael Mulhern, Jesse Chenero Gordon, Raymond Huero Shyrock,...and countless other members who had Anglo-Saxon names but looked pretty Hispanic.

There still probably powerful. Alot of their street activity has been getting busted recently though.

There was even an internal war with in the orange county faction.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/moreno-311699-mafia-county.html

There is nothing LE could do to these guys because their whole power structure is in prison so what can they do??99% are mexi only 1% are anglo

Yeah I only know of one real Anglo member ( Morgan ), but Peters, Mulhern, Gordon, Shyrock,...all had Anglo surnames but they still looked Hispanic. So maybe there are a lot of members in La Eme who are of mixed descent.

The main distrubution of drugs to the US goes through Mexico and they've also seized control of the methamphetamine market as recently highlighted by the big Outlaws MC bust in Philly.

They're the most powerful force in organised crime in America today on a street level and they do have members in and outside the prisons. They exert their influence because the criminal fraternity at one point or other will have to negotiate jail at some point and to do so they will feel the wrath of the Mexcian Mafia if they do not do there bidding on the street.

The Mongols MC as well as all the Mexican street gangs in the California area are under the sphere of influence of La Eme. They are top of the food chain and the only organised crime syndicate seriously capable of going to war if need be.

La Cosa Nostra barely even carry out hits anymore, if at all and are into semi-legitimate fraudulent ventures where they keep a low profile. They scare no-one and Le Eme barked them out of LA years ago like the Mickey Mouse Mafia they were.

The only thing that keeps the wiseguys going is politcial connections. on the street they are a laughing stock.

Until this day the American Mafia is still the only gang competent enough to pull off the Labor Union racketeering. That's really their main money-making machine.
In the drug trade La Eme is much more powerful than the Mafia. But then, even some Crip sets are far more powerful in the drug business than Cosa Nostra

I think the mexican mafia is like the mercedes of prison gangs and also a very powerful force on the streets of southern california.But i think you have to differentiate between them and the mexican cartels, some people seem to think they are the same thing, although theres probably cooperation between the two i dont think that every drug cartel cell deals soley with just la eme in california. They have had dealings with black gangs, asians and even iraqis. They dont really care about racial loyalty they just want to sell drugs to whoever can take it off their hands.

That's true, but because they have such influence on the streets La Eme do have a pivotal role to play. I found it interesting when the Mongols were drawn into a confrontation with La Eme about La Eme members having duel membership with both sets.

To La Eme this wasn't acceptable and the Mongols were on the receiving end of some very heavy firepower and in the end the Mongols had no choice but to pay the Mexican Mafia off. If a Mexican street gang deals on Mexican Mafia territory then they has to pay up or face the consequences. Outlaw MC, street thugs or petty crooks.

Now the Mafia in southern California can't really be compared to the North East. But why I said that La Eme were the most efficient organised crime group ona street level is because the co-ordination of alot of street thugs and gangs takes some doing in this day and age and they have achieved this aim on a very impressive level.

However alot of La Eme members are psycopaths and dope fiends but this hasn't prevented them from encroaching into local polictics and having representatives in Government funded programs that have proved lucrative.

What LCN have is connections. This Irish fella from Inwood who worked in the Unions once told me that the political connections the mob has in New York whether on a labour union level or otherwise is what has kept LCN so strong despite the indictments and the heavy hits they keep taking. They've adapted and moved with the times which is something they've been doing since the Outfit moved from bootlegging and Charles 'the Camel' Humphreys got them laundering money into laundromats and other local businesses. With easy flow of capital through the web and catastrphes like the sub-prime mortgage boom the Mafia has been on hand with some ingenius ways to capitalise.

In some ways LCN are overated, sometimes underated but overall they're still a presence but on a street level less powerful. The only place where they retain a powerful street presence is Toronto and Montreal. In my opinon. But as long as they look after their own they don't need to. One of the advantages of having such a long history of connections.

i definitely wouldnt call the mob a laughing stock. They're still the #1 criminal organization in the us. just because they dont deal in drugs which most families didnt do until the 70s/80s doesnt mean they are not powerful

La Eme was just starting as the Los Angeles La Cosa Nostra was fading out. It's not accurate to say La Eme "barked" the LA family out; I doubt they ever had any contact or any dealings. I think it was changing demographics and increased law enforcement heat that rendered the Los Angeles family null and void. And don't forget: the LA family was never a large organization; it was more like a satellite group affiliated with several families in the North and Northeast.

In LA the mob is/was definitely a laughing stock. But on the other hand, while the power of street and prison gangs is increasing, they still are very territorial. Prison and street gangs ( the more organized sets. 90% of their sets are worth shit, but there's 10% that's really hardcore) are often very powerful within their own territory, but on a national level they have far less influence. LCN's influence still spans across a couple of states. The Sicilian and American mafias are also the only gangs that have succesfully blended with the everyday civilians. You often wouldn't tell the difference between an everyday civilian or a Cosa Nostra-member. Camorra, Albanians, Street gangs, Prison gangs, Russians,...the practising members of these organizations often still look like dangerous gangsters.
But yeah I agree that it's the politics that keeps LCN going and that still makes them the major crime syndicate on a NATIONAL level. Because in terms of violence they would be toast in comparison to other groups ( and especially LA Eme).

There certainly was a documented confrontation between the two factions and the Los Angeles family certainly backed down from that confrontation.

They didn't really have much choice.

the mob in LA was never that big anyway

I think the Mongols and La Eme still have a falling out.

http://www.mongolsmc.com/press_post/let-the-light-shine-in

dam mexicans had 200 yards of grass growing down the street of from the white soxs play, good for them.theres got to be plantanions evey city in the north east.

Yeah and one of the Westies kids had a pretty smooth operation going flying those fresh green leaves to the North East to evade road-blacks and police traffic stops and to preserve the freshness.

Pretty good operation Bokun had going in California.

Asians vs Mexicans at folsom prison. Was in september so pretty recent.

la eme is nothing compared to lcn to me even today anyway
it's just a prison gang with some crews in los angeles and a couple other cities dealing drugs
make some people scared in a couple of neighborhood? yeah
do you really think the mafia makes nobody scared in new york? i doubt it youre talking out of your ass
but they are not the strongest group at all, maybe in california but not at national level
even today the mafia is present in more states and cities than la eme in the states
they are not the mexican cartels, just a prison gang

How the Hell are Asians able to punk the Mexicans in a CALIFORNIA prison?!?! That's embarrassing for that gang.

Cambodians/Laotians/Hmong are pretty trigger-happy, but that still doesn't explain why they kicked the Mexican's asses with their fists in a California prison

The reporter then went on to say at the end of the interview why he would go on to explain why an attack on such a target was very rare given who the target was. And that is because it is well known that the Mexicans are the most organised prison gang in the system.

Shit happens in prison and Asians are pretty dangerous with a knife. Who said being tough in prison had anything to do with brute physical force? Equipping yourself and organisation in a fight is the key.

The Mexicans have the numbers and they have organisational skills that the other prison gangs don't have to the same extent. I'm no fan of La Eme believe me I don't think very highly of them but the reality is they are top of the food chain in not all but the majority of prisons. Good luck to anyone standing uo to them, in prison you have to stand your ground. If you think the Asians are punks then you need to do your research.

And what does that make the black thug who opened a can of whoopass on Gotti? King of the underworld? He had to pay the AB for protection. And he was actually a LCN member who was tough.

LCN is still very powerful on a sophisticated level and in the neighborhoods were they work ( and they work in quite a lot of neighborhoods in the northeast ) they're still number 1.
But in the prison system and in other regions they are really outnumbered by blacks, hispanics, asians and rednecks. That's why they have to pay another big prison gang for protection.

I wouldn't argue with that. You see, on the outside world you could be a major player with a lot of connections but once you go behind the walls you either become a taget or buy yourself protection.

The guy your paying for protection might be some dime bag pusher, jewellery thief or a stick up guy who got high on meth one day and decided to blow away his best friend just for the fun of it.

Just the way life is in the joint. It's what you do inside that counts or who you can pay to make life easier. Alot of these criminals have been nobodies their whole life. The only time they are somebody is when they pick up a shiv and inflict wounds on a fellow gang member. They ain't gonna make no-one's life easy for free. Especially some big shot mob guy who wears dapper suits and finds himself on the front cover of Men's magazines.

No way, pay your way or go your own way and see how far you get. Simple.

It seems that the asians struck first before the mexicans did, the element of surprise probably brought them a bit of time so that they can organise themselves a bit better against the mexicans in the long run. Mexicans are definatley still gonna get payback though and the asians are probably expecting it.

On the other hand I really believe that prison gangs are becoming a major force in organized crime. They have extended their reach to their communities. La Eme has influence in the Mexican and Central American communities throughout California. Black Guerilla Family has spread its tentacles from the California prisons to the African-American communities in San Francisco, Oakland,...even as far as Baltimore. While I don't think the California Aryan Brotherhood is nearly as powerful as they once were, the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas on the other hand has influence not only in Texan communities, but also in Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Indiana,...and other Southern communities.
What the Cosa Nostra does for the Northeast and parts of the Midwest, prison-and street gangs are doing for the (South)west and the deep South.
It will only be a matter of time before the Southeast Asians will form a prison gang...

you're right in some way, but it's depend on the prisons in new york, jersey and other north-eastern prison where they have influence outside i doubt gangs hurt them
in other prisons it's different, but i also doubt theyre forced to pay if they pay it's coz they want some bodyguards like merlino had
who pay protection are the most vulnerable inmates and mafiosi sure are not among them

A lot of the hispanic gangs in Southern California have to pay a extortion tax to La Eme if they want to deal drugs or any other type of activity. Though they do not directly control all of the hispanic gangs in Southern California but they do have a lot of influence on the streets. There is no other gang in the U.S that is able to do this to their level at least to my knowledge. It is amazing how the 1% can control the 99%, La Eme are true 1%ers.

ms-13 in south california pay la eme to operate? i don't think so, they sure control some neighbourhoods and some small gang pay them but not so many as you claim

I dont think the mob hold much influence in new york prisons either, rykers island for instance is basically dominated by bloods, latin kings, netas and trinitarios, and unless there cliquing up with hispanics i doubt any mob guys are gonna be holding any weight in there unless theyve got a good drug connect. MS-13 is actually a mexican mafia affiliated gang and they are considered as part of the surenos so is 18th street. The 13 in their name signifies the letter m in the alphabet.

Yes they do, the reason La Eme is able to do this is because they are highly organized and centralized unlike the majority of the gangs in California and because they have control of the prisons. There is no other gang in the U.S that do this or at least to their level.

ms-13 is mostly formed by salvadorians not mexicans it's not at all a mexican mafia affiliated gang

i think in new york prisons the mob has influence and gangs not hurt them i heard they even did recently ceremony initiations inside those prisons
same in new jersey and other north-eastern prisons

It is a mexican mafia gang. They maybe salvadoran, but they are still a hispanic gang that originated in LA and they still gotta survive in prison.Not only that but they pay respect to eme by use of the number 13.

Also there are alot of north eastern prisons and correctional facilities so maybe the mob has some influence in a few but i dont think its wide spread or anywhere near the extent that the mexican mafia does.

They've been a major force for some time now.

Obviously anyone can attack anyone in or out of prison. My point is Le Eme are the biggest, baddest prison gang. No doubt they will retaliate (I'd put my money on them winning, too), but the fact that the Asians even dared to challenge La Eme is surprising. Could this mean there is a crack in La Eme's power? It will be interesting to see what develops.

^^^^ Asians are getting tougher they'll hiss at you!

Prison violence is a sort of tit for tat game. The southern mexicans have the numbers and organisation, but thats not gonna stop the other groups from defending themselves. Also the prison goes into lockdown after incidence like this so its not like there able to freely walk around stabbing each other. It actually requires a bit of planning especially an organised assault like the ones the asians did. If the prisons in lockdown it makes business that much harder to do.

I think you've nailed it right there. The thing is, what you will often see when they show the videos of these showdowns in the joint is one tiny guy trying to fight a guy twice his size.

That guy must have balls you must be thinking. Well, yeah, kind of but this guy also knows that any signs of weakness make him an easier target amongst his own crew. So he really has no choice but to fight. If you fail to throw down you become the scrapings of the barrrel, the low of the low whereas at least if you play the game you can at least enjoy a degree of comfort within your own clique.

When a showdown happens there's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. If you try and get returned to your crew you will be finished as far as the joint is concerned and may be in danger of getting green lighted for a hit.

If you have a crew you can either try to hold it together whilst the bigger crew tracks you down one by one or you can get your retaliation in first and consolidate your power base. I think I remember one time in Marion in Illinois that at one time the whites were heavily outnumbered in one particular section of the joint.

Now they were filming these 4 or 5 white guys who were getting picked off at every opportunity yet still kept on fighting the war even though they were ridiculously outnumbered. In the end the Mexicans stormed the 3 or 4 of them that were left and the authorities hospitalised them and moved them from the wing. No matter how bad the odds they still had to fight until the inevitable happened.

That's prison politics and it sucks if you have to fight these wars on the losing side or against the greater numbers but the alternative in being shunned by your own group is even worse and you lose any status whatsoever.

Either move is dangerous but either way the Asians are going to remain green light targets for the Mexicans. Nothing is going to change that fact. They did the right thing. They weren't going to get anywhere rolling over and the top Asian gang members would lose their credibility and become targets in a power play from within themselves if it began to look like they couldn't provide protection for their people.

But these Asians would have been in more danger if they had not of carried out this attack because they were obviously backed into a corner and a deal wasn't on the table. Either the Mexicans were asking for too much or they were looking to wipe out their hierachy altogether. As they have got their retaliation in first they will be safer for the time being and at least have a temporary respite as this has given them a buffer zone from

1) The Mexicans who will have to bide their time for a while at least and most likely be frustrated for a while, having to settle with picking off the odd Asian straggler or two until all the fuss has died down. The weaker Asian inmates, especially the innocent ones are most at danger now.

2) Most of all from the Asians themselves. The most dangerous place to get whacked is in your own cell or amongst your own kind where petty feuds, powerplays and also punichment beatings and stabbings are carried out to keep gang members in check. Any Asian gang member who didn't comply with this attack would have received a severe punishment beating from their own before the Mexicans got to them.

They had everything to gain and nothing to lose. You back any animal into a corner and they become dangerous. Human nature is the same too. I remmeber one white ex-con who was tough but not a gang member who told me that he'd always give a rival the option of meeting him half-way as even the most cowardly punk can be dangerous when given a fight or die choice.

The Mexcicans may have the numbers and be the most organised group in prison. That doesn't make them the only game in town. As long as there are rival gangs in prison they are always going to remain legitimate targets.

interview with a white prison gang member, gives a good insight.
http://www.gorillaconvict.com/dirty-white-boys-2/

That thing with Stanfa was Philly shit, even if Geo was from Chicago. The Dirty White Boys put a hit out on him cos he went nuts and tried to put a hit out on 'Nick The Greek', one of the biggest meth handlers in Philly around the time alot of Philly guys from the North East and all over town were going down for that shit.

Nick Geo payed some guys to throw 'Nick The Greek' a beating but he took all three of them out in his cell. Then it got kind of fucked and Nick The Greek thought it was Stanfa who ordered the hit because Nick Geo had put the finger on him. Nick The Greek had reason to believe Stanfa may have had a hand in it too, him being tight with Merlino and all.

Anyway, eventually this is why the Dirty White Boys threw Geo a beating and sliced him up pretty bad. He crawled to the guards for help. He was a kind of fantacist who thought he was a real badass. not in a wannabe way but in a whack job kinda sense. He thought he had the right to take care of Geo without Stanfa's authority cos he was Greek and he considered himself a Greek Mafia shot caller.

Guy was cracked but no-one was convicted even though the Feds tried to push it.

I never knew Chicago had a 'Greek Mafia'. I knew there were/are lots and lots of Greeks active, but I always thought they were mostly associates of Cosa Nostra not really a seperate organization. At least not in Chicago

There is a small Greek community in the Near West Side traditionally Greektown but most have moved out to the suburbs. Businesses are still there. Nothing like the North East though.

In Chicago they payed their tribute to the Outfit like anyone else. Typical Greek guys in Chicago are on the fringe good example of your typical Greek guy would be someone like Nick "the Salesman" Valentzas, business owners who work in tandem with the Outfit and allow them to use their businesses for mettings, scams and other local rackets in the Greek community. When Gus Alex died I think the Greeks relationship with the Outfit nosedived and around 2001 as they faded out of the picture a bit like they did in Philly and NY. Gus Alex was considered a kind of boss for the Greek associates in the Greek community.

The Greeks have alot of restaurants, Cafes and businesses and they allow the Outfit a cut of the cards and craps games that they're allowed to run in the city.

Gus Alex was a high ranking associate of the Outfit who was aslso the figurehead for the Greeks in Chicago but the connections between the Greeks and their restaurants/businesses etc... has the same kind of working relationship and alliance with the Outfit in Chicago as their counterparts do in Philly.

The Greek mob has connections in Chicago for sure but they generally had to answer to the Outfit and it was always a game of cat and mouse with the Outfit putting their foot down and trying to get more and the Greeks doing their own shit and giving up as less as they could.

But they're around, scratching a living like anyone else. I think they have ties to East European crooks. The Russians are big time in Chicago but not so much the Greeks. The Russians use their retaurantsand bars alot too. The Greeks hate Albanians with an almost unhealthy passion. It's like ridiculous. I think the Greeks are pretty well connected to the Greeks and families on in Chicago and the East Coast but on their own pretty small in Chicago.

It wasn't an act of delf-defense. Initial reports is that they instigated the fight.

Also, Surenos or Southern Mexicans are not the same as La Eme. Surenos are the hispanic gangs in Southern California that pay respect and taxes to La Eme gang, though there are some gangs that are directly tied to La Eme like Tortilla Flats. MS-13 is considered a Sureno gang but La Eme members are small in numbers.

I think there are somewhere between 200 and 300 La Eme member max. I think that this is really the maximum number to maintain a good organization.

But the report didn't say anything about the Asians being under threat in the first place. if that was the case, then everything you said is correct. It's either get attacked or attack first and wait for the retalation. It's really a lose-lose situation. Unless you're really diplomatic and can form a truce.

The guy in the video said that the two groups were having meetings before the assault. Relations broke down and violence was inevitable, any action against a group the size of the surenos by a much smaller inmate population such as the asians is self defence. Different rules apply in prison im afraid.