And with an ever-increasing prison population that only assures the continued growth of it and other gangs, the very segregation that bolstered the gangs strength appears irrevocable. When Lizard asked Goose about protection for the rings, the underling said, Ill produce the manpower [and] the weapons to facilitate our needs and firepower to lay the motherfuckers down.. I didnt realize lyrics could be taken so seriously, he now says, claiming that he rapped for shock value on G.U.N. Its not a good thing, said former San Quentin warden Vasquez. For seven months, he secretly recorded meetings with his gangs underbosses, allowing federal agents to listen in as his carnals planned drug deals, bought firearms, and talked openly about killing people, including two deputy district attorneys from Santa Clara County. Lizard brushed aside Holguins offer. But since prison officials scanned all mail that wasnt legal mail, Lizards challenge was to create an even more surefire way to communicate. It took 26 years for death to catch up to Donald Ramon Ortiz. Zilversmit represents Armando Suave Heredia, a gang member arrested for ordering a successful hit on Salinas heroin dealer Ray Sanchez. It is here that the stories begin to diverge: Rocha claims that in the eleven or so months he knew Gratton, the parolee never discussed his ties to the highly secretive prison gang. I am just as dangerous as they are.. Lizard then drove to a house in Stockton, where he tested the powder and sold it to another Norteo. Since then, district attorneys from five NorCal counties had teamed up to share unsolved homicide files on dead Norteos. Gratton is the guy whos going to make the entire case against David; its his word against Davids. Cuete had gone power mad. Its rise even exceeded the mushrooming growth of the greater California prison population. I know theres some things you dont ask., Dyno claims thats the moment he realized hed been duped and would never see his cash. And in every fashion when necessity called for it, I wanted the NF hierarchy to recognize my loyalty and dedication to NF. Up to that point, Lizard had identified himself as a Sureo, but only when pressed. When it concluded in April 2001, after a $5 million investment, it was one of the largest takedowns on a prison gang in US history. FBI reports show that while on the federal payroll, Lizard performed unauthorized drug deals. Hes got a future. We aint gonna whack no prosecuting attorney, Lizard said. Ramirez confided to Lizard that his own boss, Heredia, who would later be Zilversmits client, wanted to go to war. What to do? But one year later, his family moved to Long Beach, the heart of Sureo country. His wife had declined to enter witness protection until the trial arrived. The Norte-os are trying to establish (in Salinas) but every time they try to, there's shootouts." 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. I said, Yeah, I could rap like that, whatever. Grattons wife was the cousin of a rapper named E-Clips, who at the time was a member of Darkroom Familia. Following his arrival at the jail, Dyno was interviewed by Thomas Ribota, another Modesto detective. If you say, Nothing, youre not gonna make it. The idea was to create a music CD that would appeal to young Latinos and help recruit them into the ranks of the Nortenos, the breeding ground for hate toward the soldados of the Mexican Mafia. Together, Nato and Lizard robbed drug dealers, committed petty crimes, and raised funds for their carnals back inside. They made their beds, and so did Bob. It probably aggravated the situation, and forced people to align, pick a side. Lizards letters were sent to code breakers at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. In the aftermath of Operation Black Widow, the five highest-ranking leaders of Nuestra Familia, James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio . He offered to cover all production costs and promised Sir Dyno a fifty-fifty split on profits. By 1965, Sureos outnumbered Norteos by roughly seven to one inside the prison system. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Nato had worked his way up in the ranks from Norteo street thug to membership in the Nuestra Familia prison gang. In his interview with FBI agents the next day, Gratton confessed hed concocted the idea for G.U.N. The justices will decide whether prisoners are denied their constitutional rights when forced to cell with another inmate based on race; a ruling could force administrators to consider full integration. The gang's new constitution says the five should still be respected as former leaders, but has stripped them of their power in California. While members of the Norteos gang are considered to be affiliated with Nuestra Familia, being a member of Nuestra Familia itself does not signify association as a Norteo. A member of the Mexican Mafia, Ortiz was cast out of the criminal organization in the mid-1990s after angering . Now, the legal definition rests simply on whether a person has a slight connection to the mob. They moved together into a Pittsburg apartment, and Nato continued his cousins indoctrination in Nuestra Familia. Bakersfield was the traditional dividing point, but with the crush of immigration, the numerically superior Sureos pushed the demarcation line further north, first to Fresno and then to Modesto. The thought of slashing his cousin made no sense. For instance, if Lizard wrote Hey Love, that meant that every third word was part of the real message. The DA was forced to offer Lizard a six-year deal, which he happily accepted. Black tattoo ink scribbled across their forearms and crawled up their necks, and some of them hid stone-faced beneath dark Ray-Ban-style glasses. Lizard himself adamantly denied Zilversmits claims, insisting that he pressed for peace in the case of Sanchez. He is the most significant witness and cooperators in this prison gang/organized crime family in history. The shooters blasted Brown Bob with seven shots to his arms, chest, back, and legs. He already was serving a life sentence for murder in Pelican Bay State Prison, but now he was under indictment for ordering a hit on an underboss named Miguel Mikio Castillo. 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. "DC Cervantes is calling the shots," said J.R. Auten, a former gang investigator for state prisons and now a consultant for federal and state law enforcement. By the time Dyno got to the specially constructed federal courtroom, he was fifteen minutes behind schedule. This was our college, Lizard said. Finally, he was going to San Francisco to testify. Sicc OG. How could he go back in with Cuete wanting him dead? Heres my card.'. December 12, 1976. It remains to be seen ultimately whether this prosecution was warranted, he said in accepting the guilty pleas. 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. It gives you a sense of purpose. Look for a box or option labeled Home Page (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) or On Startup (Chrome). Cuete arranged for the new hotshot to move into his cell. All rights reserved. Weeks later, the general was attacked by Sureos and landed in solitary confinement. In a corner of his home thats been scribbled on with black markers by one of his kids, Sir Dyno still works daily, mixing beats on a computer, recording new rhymes, diddling on a keyboard. Lizard returned to the Bay Area and worked closely with FBI Agent Sean Ragan. Smiley replied that it was true, but not to worry no one was moving on it. I even convinced the government that Im this crazy guy.. 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. Louis G Rubalcaba, 15826 Silvergrove Drive, South Whittier / Sunshine Acres CDP, CA 90604 Find homes for sale, market statistics, foreclosures, property taxes, real estate news, agent reviews, condos, neighborhoods on Blockshopper.com When the NF trial begins on November 3 jury selection starts this week federal attorneys will use photographs and lyrics from the G.U.N. I told him, Listen. Sir Dyno wanted to make a name for himself, Lewis says, so he sold his soul to the devil. and manufacturers. If you ever want to help yourself, you can. Latinos, although initially thrown together, had to choose Norteo or Sureo. prison gang are prepared to testify against their top leaders in a Theyre dwarfed by La Eme, but decided to become highly organized.. The official list of charges, which included more than thirty drug-related crimes along with acts of extortion and robbery, simply ended with the open-ended clause and other numerous crimes.. But one day on the yard, he was approached by Juan Nato Gurule, a long-lost cousin from the East Bay. Fourteen of those charged in federal court in Los Angeles and Santa Ana . Regardless, the compilation had limited success, and never took off like the G.U.N. I didnt have a choice, he recalled. It's the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for law enforcement agencies and police departments worldwide. According to an FBI report, Cuete and his cohorts have continued to manage the gang while awaiting transfer to federal prisons from Alameda Countys Santa Rita Jail. 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. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He took the gangs oath, Blood in, blood out, and rose to the rank of captain within a few years. Back among the general prison population, Lizard reported to his ranking captain, Gerald Cuete Rubalcaba, one of the gangs most revered members. If he wrote Dear Love, every sixth word mattered. with prosecutors for reduced sentences, The Press Democrat reported He told them he could go undercover for them. The boss reminded Gratton that the money belonged to the gang, and demanded more deposits into Nuestra Familia bank accounts. But rumors about G.U.N. Its not realistic to integrate them now, said Holguin, now retired from the Department of Corrections. Nobody expects you to rap exactly what your life is. And I wanted to go high.. You cant smoke everybody that sells dope.. Using confidential informants, investigators said they've What if you get away with it? Youre a lot smarter than those guys doing life in prison. 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.. 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. Later, when Heltons team arrested an alleged Nuestra Familia member named Vidal Spider Fabela during a traffic stop, they found G.U.N. In April 2001, FBI agents, along with assistance from 24 local and state agencies, ended Operation Black Widow. Holguin and his team came up empty that night. He was a long way from his former East Bay stomping grounds, and hadnt dared visit his wife and children, who still lived locally. Lizard says the drug was merely Vicodin, a pain reliever he took after strenuous workouts at the gym. Sir Dyno believed hed just made a wise career choice. 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. Rapper David Rocha thought a norteo gangsta CD was his ticket to glory -- not life in prison. Lizard also sent Crazy Girl a decoding list, known in FBI documents as The Salutation Code. In each letter he wrote, the greeting unlocked a key to the rest of the letter. They were Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, my pal Lizard Hernandez, and Robert "Huero" Gratton. These defendants wisely elected to plead guilty rather than face the prospect of Mr. Hernandez appearance as a trial witness against them.. The system certainly creates you, makes you decide. The guys I played with didnt care Norteo, Sureo, or what side you were on. You have entered an incorrect email address. The red line also called for (NF) lieutenant David Cervantes to be put on retirement status. And frankly, heres a guy whos committed numerous violent crimes, and hes getting a free pass. That report, based on information from another snitch, revealed that Cuete was demoted by the generals to the lowest rank for skimming funds and gossiping. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu, Copyright 2013 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved, New police chief hired at N.C. PD after entire police force resigned, SIG Sauer's ROMEO-M17: The future of the Red Dot revolution is here, Video: Bystander pins down drunk driver fleeing crash that killed a Texas police officer, 'It's a blessing': 24-year-old takes helm as N.C. police chief, 'Hold your heart open': Officers, community members attend funeral for Kansas City cop, K-9, Open the tools menu in your browser. Copyright Weeklys All rights reserved. Lizard said he shook the tail, but later needed to prove he was clean. Of Sanchez his own boss, Heredia, who at the time was a of. In Nuestra Familia bank accounts confidential informants, investigators said they 've what you. The trial arrived to membership in the mid-1990s after angering exceeded the mushrooming growth the... He told them he could go undercover for them Familia prison gang good thing said. Third word was part of the greater California prison population member of the criminal organization the. 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