walls at Pelican Bay State Prison to carry out the crimes. The album would preach the unification of norteos Chicanos born north of an invisible border located somewhere around Fresno who, once inside the prison system, were eligible to join Nuestra Familia. They were, according to the government, members of Nuestra Familia, Northern Californias most notorious and ruthless prison gang. They were caught up in power grabs and backstabbing. Please subscribe to keep reading. It would bring the most attention and the most sales. In 1968, in response to La Emes overwhelming power, a group of Norteos bonded together in the exercise yard of what was then named Soledad State Prison. He leaves behind a 3-year-old son of his own, but vows that the cycle of violence ends with him. Anytime he drove out of the area, he had to call Ragan or his partner. For the next three months, he made his bones among Norteos by slashing Sureo inmates, brothers hed once shouldered with. federal racketeering case, according to court papers. The rules were simple: Lizard had to record all his phone conversations with gang members and wear a wire when he held stings set up by the FBI. The former leaders include James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez. On his first day of freedom, according to Grattons account, a norteo named Big Smokey met him at the bus terminal, set him up with $5,000 in cash, a 9mm pistol, and a condom. I wanted my brothers to eventually put me in a position that would enable me to push the Familia into the future, on a profound level.. They spent the next two days debriefing their new informant. Like all Latino males incarcerated in California for the past three decades, Lizard was forced to choose a gang allegiance once inside prison. Down one tricep it reads East and down the other, Bay. On the side of his shaved head he has a dragon next to the words Convicted by Insanity.. They were getting orders in and out of that prison in no time. They were Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, my pal Lizard Hernandez, and Robert "Huero" Gratton. In sealed court documents, Lizards primary FBI handler claimed that he was duped by his informant. Rocha did not seem to understand the reason for the arrest or the charge. We shared a common goal, and that goal was to be the very NF members who put the organization back on track.. This is a combined effort to enlighten the worthy, as the time is now that we must leave old attitudes to the past, and adopt new and more meaningful and fulfilling ideas. For penance, Cuete was allegedly ordered to write an essay on the consequences of being a gossip. As Chuco watched from up the street, David Dreamer Escamilla and Santos Bad Boy Burnias charged their target and chased him into his garage. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). The history of that hit calls into question the governments handling of Lizard. The rationale for the federal case, officials said, was to cripple the gang's power base . Besides directing the tone of the project, Gratton asked to narrate the intro. January 22,2001 It was during that interrogation Sir Dyno says he first learned about Grattons connections to Nuestra Familia. After the informant completed his undercover work, I discovered that the informant had engaged in unauthorized drug deals, Agent Ragan wrote. The rappers story varies somewhat depending on whos doing the telling. He faced 25 years to life. He wanted to know what assurances could be made for him. They, in turn, approved hits and issued directives, while prison censors were prevented from reading the supposedly legal correspondence. Once the government proves the existence of a criminal organization like Nuestra Familia, evidence establishing beyond a reasonable doubt defendants connection with the conspiracy, even though the connection is slight, is sufficient to convict defendant. If the legal standard is a slight connection, then the CD and videos where Gratton and Sir Dyno appear side by side as brothers in crime may prove overkill. But paid parking could return, in some form, this year, as the city works to pu. When the five were transferred out of California, Gov. And when that rhyme ran out, as it usually does, he went where other rappers go to make up for the sudden loss of material: He started making shit up. His shackled codefendants didnt even look at him as he took his seat among them. It wasnt worth it to me anymore., Yet the claim that the rapper was blissfully unaware of Grattons gang connections doesnt pass the sniff test for law-enforcement guys like Jared Lewis. He was sentenced to six months in the prisons infamous Secured Housing Unit, where more than a thousand inmates spend 23 hours a day triple-locked inside individual cells, with only a small food slot as a window. They taught him to grind down plastic shampoo bottles into shanks for knifing an attacker, and to roll up the pages of National Geographic as makeshift spear handles. If he wrote Dear Love, every sixth word mattered. They didnt care about agendas like that.. And though prison officials recently reorganized the housing in a way that slows down gang communications, coded directives are still smuggled out that translate to violence in California cities and farm towns. He argued with a dealer and ended up firing three bullets at the man as he ran away. In fact, the 31-year-old gangsta rapper, whose real name is David Rocha, wanted nothing more than to distance himself from his codefendants. The shooters blasted Brown Bob with seven shots to his arms, chest, back, and legs. He was a long way from his former East Bay stomping grounds, and hadnt dared visit his wife and children, who still lived locally. I wanted to be that NF member who the people could count on, Lizard recalled. Though vastly outnumbered, Nuestra Familia distinguished itself by organizing its troops along strict paramilitary lines. They knew I had them., He still hasnt been reunited with his family. He told them about the codes, the phony law firm, the bank accounts. The unit requires pin-drop silence from its inmates. She was nicknamed Crazy Girl and had the moniker tattooed over her right kneecap, according to FBI documents. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The gang's new constitution says the five should still be respected as former leaders, but has stripped them of their power in California. At the time, norteo street gangs were engaged in red-on-red turf wars, and were giving up overall ground to the sureos, their blue-clad enemies from the south. You can cancel at any time. Cuete took a shine to Lizard because Lizard was a stickler for detail, one police investigator said last year. Lexipol. Looking to score one night in early 1994, Lizard headed to an intersection known for the sale of chiva. Whatever you want. That 50 percent looked like gold., Sir Dyno claims he never asked where Gratton got his money, and whether or not the jury believes that could be key to his fate. Its founding fathers adopted the phrase Blood in, blood out, and wrote a fifty-page constitution setting out the organizations bylaws. He told them about killing Brown Bob. Prison gang members set to testify against Nuestra Familia leaders. The thought of slashing his cousin made no sense. He was as bright and loyal as they came, so Cuete could trust him.. And I got caught what I was doing. was drawing the attention its makers craved, and then some. FBI reports show that while on the federal payroll, Lizard performed unauthorized drug deals. Otherwise, he was free to go about his business. Sir Dyno had only been to jail once, following his drug arrest. What they will do within the federal prison remains to be seen, but investigators said stabbings have increased and communication with the outside has been established through cell phones smuggled into prison. The five former leaders are James "Tibbs" Morado, 59, whose common-law wife, 20-year-old Salinas resident Crystal Nenque, was found slain on Hecker Pass Road near Watsonville in 2005; Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, 58; Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, 52; Cornelio Tristan, 46; and former Monterey resident Tex Marin Hernandez, 53. He said that was where he picked up the nickname Lizard, from friends who admired his clandestine nature.. The former leaders include James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez. It is my hope the federal prison system is better equipped to derail the violence.. Its a tough call. And I did my time for what I was doing. His FBI handlers had been clear: Talk down violence at all costs. I did what I had to do, he says. On the new CD, he pounded out a few norteo rhymes, deriving material from his meth bust, after which hed pleaded guilty to a reduced charge and was sentenced to a year of house arrest. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Thats not going to happen. These divisions werent just cultural. Holguin also was searching for evidence that connected Lizard to a larger operation. Lizard said that whenever brothers were allowed into the law library, they used sign language to swap information, trade intelligence reports, and even assign homework. On one Gang Stories track about issuing payback on the cops, a voice in the background calls out Detective Ribotas name, a suggestion to watch his back. And frankly, heres a guy whos committed numerous violent crimes, and hes getting a free pass. Once that dried, the correspondent would write another letter in ink on the page, but the recipient knew to hold it up to the light to read the real message. Now he had to prove he had a mind to match. Nuestra Familia members in the Secured Housing Unit kept to a punishing daily regimen of crunches and push-ups, followed by makeshift weightlifting with a barbell fashioned from pillow cases filled with books and magazines. If youre a norteo, and youre flamed-up in reds a 49ers jersey will do a lone sureo, who might be dressed down in his Dodgers blue, could make a move on you, unprovoked. "He's trying to regroup these guys. Happy was hardcore, with a permanent smile beneath his Fu Manchu mustache. October 10, 1976. What if you get away with it? He always offered to learn more and do more to serve the organization. Lizard said he shook the tail, but later needed to prove he was clean. On the back cover, he stands next to Gratton, flashing XIV signs. Im wearing a wire. While Nuestra Familia is primarily a Chicano gang, membership sometimes extends to other Latinos as well as non-Latinos. Hes 31 now, soft-spoken and contemplative, a Papa Bear figure, a Chicano Dr. Dre; hardly the guy who would urinate on a dead mans plot. Sir Dyno claims Gratton stiffed him on payments a few months after the CD hit the streets, and that he never worked with the dude again. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. This may be called Tools or use an icon like the cog. The eradication was criticized by some prison gang experts, citing that Eme members now filled a power vacuum, and that future Norteos, outnumbered and alone, would only serve as bait. [Gratton] said he was sick and tired of going to prison, he didnt want to go back, he wants to be legitimate, Dyno recalls, so he wants to sell cars and start a record company. We cut off the head of the snake, but it will grow back, said Special Agent Holguin. Joe Gonzales orders the murder of familiano Richard Hernandez for failing to carry out orders. On April 30, 1997, Robert Huerito Gratton arrived in Modesto, fresh from Pelican Bay. The strings of evidence crossed, and the investigation grew, joined by the FBI and dubbed Operation Black Widow. I told him, I know exactly who you are,' Holguin recalled. Together, Nato and Lizard robbed drug dealers, committed petty crimes, and raised funds for their carnals back inside. , Just as knowledge can be the key, there is strength in numbers; therefore, we norteos can no longer continue to fight against one another. who joined the FBI and other agencies in an investigation of street Lawyers for the eight defendants, however, are likely to attack On Daddys Home, instead of the stone-cold thug who whacks his way through the streets, Sir Dyno raps about what he truly is: a 31-year-old father facing a life sentence for the choices he made years earlier. Of course, once the hit list is reactivated, Lizard knows that his name will sit at the very top. Like other major prison gangs, including the Aryan Brotherhood and the Mexican Mafia, Nuestra Familia issues orders from its power base in the Security Housing Unit of Pelican Bay. According to Lizard, the commander had one more piece of information: Cuete says youre a no-good. Now, nearly all Norte-o soldiers and Nuestra Familia regiment captains across California answer to Cervantes, gang experts say, but re-establishing the gang's control over the streets has not been easy. Sir Dyno, however, isnt charged with any individual crime, just one count of RICO conspiracy, and his connection to that crime seems to be largely related to his performance on Generations of United Norteos. When the cheerleading coach broke the news to Katrina Kohel that she was the only one left on the cheer squad, Kohel was determined to compete anyway. He has since repudiated his former gang life, and spends his time writing and speaking to law enforcement gatherings about prison gangs. Finally, he was going to San Francisco to testify. And what had germinated inside the prisons was now blooming all across California. All rights reserved. I dont rattle, he said. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You dont have a choice. Nuestra Familia generals James "Tibbs" Morado, Cornelio Tristan and James "Pinky" Hernandez, and captains Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba and Tex Hernandez were already serving life sentences in California when they were indicted by a federal grand jury in 2001. Napa's downtown parking meters were removed three decades ago. But nowhere on the CD, or in the lyrics, do the words Nuestra Familia appear. Meanwhile, Lizard received government paychecks totaling more than $52,000 for his seven months of work, according to FBI reports. Lizard is unapologetic about his behavior, even today. Silent also provided Lizard with a stolen Dodge Durango to test-drive. This time, Goose brought bar charts to show drug production and expected net profits. But even after Lizard shed his prison skin and sided with the government, his behavior was hardly that of a reformed citizen. Copyright Weeklys All rights reserved. For the first time in decades, one man sits alone at the helm of the criminal organization that for more than 30 years has called the shots for thousands of Norte-o gang members in the Salinas Valley. As gang-on-gang violence grew in the late 1970s, prison administrators also began housing Norteos and Sureos in separate cells. The quickest way to get money back fast would be to release a norteo album. The job seemed like a good fit. In an interview last year, Zilversmit said Lizard and his FBI handlers were culpable in the death of Sanchez. In September, the final eight defendants pleaded guilty, following the first thirteen members indicted. The policy eventually trickled down to county and city jails and even the California Youth Authority. A general named Art Big Smiley Ramirez was transferred from Pelican Bay to the cell directly below his own. Again, he uses a kernel of truth to anchor his rhyme, and a metaphor to exaggerate his reality. only to sell records. Years earlier, a young Norteo paroled from Pelican Bay had given a Santa Rosa detective a lead into the prison gang. Then he waited. the credibility of the witnesses convicted felons who made deals I know theres some things you dont ask., Dyno claims thats the moment he realized hed been duped and would never see his cash. I am just as dangerous as they are.. I fear no man, he said. In the early 1970s, gang fights which were called race riots then became more common inside the prisons. That was their fuck-up. According to Lizard and FBI informants, the accounts held up to $25,000. I want to be with my family/but I killed a man yesterday.. His middle-class Long Beach upbringing was spent golfing, surfing, and skateboarding. [21] Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He was still using meth and heroin, on-again off-again pleasures hed picked up back in Pittsburg. It probably aggravated the situation, and forced people to align, pick a side. The rapper arrived dressed in neatly pressed beige Dickies pants, spotless work boots, and an untucked flannel-print shirt a vato in his Sunday best, mumbling his apologies. Gerald Marvin Rubalcaba of Visalia, age 45, was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance Violation Parole: Felony Reckless Driving Evading P.O. In the logic of the Chicano intrastate rivalry, there are norteos and sureos, and even if youre not running with the corner gang, youre still vulnerable to getting whacked by your enemy. In the months since federal officials brought indictments based on the evidence he helped them gather, Lizard told his tale from within the confines of protective custody via letters and telephone interviews. Its as sensible as that East Coast-West Coast thing. But claiming norteo is at least a step toward gang culture, where the stakes are high. gang's leaders communicated by some form of secret code within the According to Lewis, gang members have been linked to an estimated three hundred homicides across Northern California. One of those footnotes involves Sir Dyno who, despite his history of gangsta-rap posturing, clearly is not a criminal on a par with his codefendants. Hernandez never belonged to either group until he ended up in prison. But compared to allegations lobbed by San Francisco attorney Marc Zilversmit, the drug and money violations turned out to be the least of the governments worries. As a kid growing up in this small town, David Rocha was a freestyle BMXer who bounced along on one wheel during Fourth of July parades. Gratton was also using heroin, another mistake in the eyes of the gang. Lizard had been hiding out along the East Coast, a snitch buried deep inside federal protective custody. At the time of Operation Black Widow, law enforcement officials had estimated that Nuestra Familia was responsible for at least 600 murders in the previous 30 years. Brown Bob brought it on himself., It was just like the Nuestra Familia constitution said: Blood In, Blood Out., By the time Lizard exited Pelican Bay, prison guards had nicknamed Nuestra Familia The Blooming Flower for its astonishing growth. But if we want to prepare these people for integration to society, maybe we need to integrate them in the prison first, get them used to living with different peoples.. You see, this is Norte, he growls on Scrap Killa. X-I-V fourteen, dont ever ask me what I mean/I got the gat that will put you in the dirt/I piss on your grave with your mamas feelings hurt.. Gratton had been deployed by his bosses to run the gangs Zapatista crew, which operated in the Modesto, Tracy, and Turlock areas. Using confidential informants, investigators said they've There was also the lean and smooth figure of Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, the gang's most powerful captain, whose job inside Pelican Bay, a fellow gang member told the feds, was to "keister" the. All Gratton needed was a rapper. Special Agent Kelly explained to Rocha that he was being placed under arrest for violation of RICO conspiracy, the report states. They need their cut, he said. All you have to do is find out where the motherfucker is, pull up on the side of them., Lizard ended the conversation. But since prison officials scanned all mail that wasnt legal mail, Lizards challenge was to create an even more surefire way to communicate. He pleaded guilty to arranging two murders from prison, and will be sentenced to life in prison in December, along with the gangs generals. Frias returned to the bar, gun tucked in his waistband, walked behind Sanchez, and fired a bullet into the base of his skull, killing him. He hung out at the Modesto nightclub La Familia Garcias and set up a meth ring using known norteo gangsters as runners, an enterprise he now claims earned him $10,000 a day. Since at least the 1920s, many California Latinos have thought of themselves in the same way that other residents of the state divide themselves: as Northern Californians, or Norteos; and Southern Californians, or Sureos. [Robert Gratton] will testify that these messages on Rochas CD is further proof of the projects connection to the Nuestra Familia., In Mansons view, the government was also arguing that a persons identification as norteo equated to a claim of membership in Nuestra Familia. Works to pu norteo paroled from Pelican Bay to the cell directly below his own but... 30, 1997, Robert Huerito Gratton arrived in Modesto, fresh Pelican! Investigator said last year to other Latinos as well as non-Latinos commander had more... 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