Mexican Mafia

The Mexican Mafia was formed in the middle 1950s by Hispanic street gang members while they were in prison at the Deuel Vocational Institution, in California. It was originally formed to protect Hispanic prisoners from other gangs inside the prison itself. As a large prison gang, the Mexican Mafia managed to eventually gain control and power over criminal activities (mainly drug traffic) within the California Prison System, of course by the use of violence. As members of the Mexican Mafia were released from state custody, they increased their influence outside prisons, seizing control of drug distribution and other illegal activities in Southern California.

Today, the Mexican mafia is composed of more than thirty thousand members, not counting prospective members or allied Mexican gangs.

The Mexican mafia is considered a “blood in, blood out” organization, and its members must follow four rules:

1- Don’t be an informant.

2- Don’t be a homosexual.

3- Don’t be a coward.

4- Don’t disrespect another member.

A violation of any of these rules results in an immediate death. Only a member of the Mexican Mafia can kill another member, and it requires the vote of three members of the Mexican mafia to authorize the murder.