In 2000, a yard riot launched by gang members ended after 250 inmates were injured, many of them with stab wounds. Sicc OG. Rocha still did not understand the charge or why he was being placed into custody. , Just as knowledge can be the key, there is strength in numbers; therefore, we norteos can no longer continue to fight against one another. Copyright 2023 And I was part of that policy. He used rap to vent about what every other twenty-year-old male stuck in a small town vents about: how fucked-up life is. Under federal law, its rather easy to be declared a coconspirator in a RICO case. It always does., Even Judge Charles Breyer seemed to question the value of Operation Black Widow. You have permission to edit this article. After a few weeks of writing and recording, the CD was released on Cinco de Mayo of 1998 and found its audience immediately. OUR PUBLICATIONSCannabis ChronicleEast BayGilroy DispatchGood Times Santa CruzHollister Free LanceKing City RustlerMarin Pacific SunMetro Silicon ValleyMorgan Hill TimesNorth Bay BohemianPress BannerSalinas Valley TribuneSouth ValleyWatsonville Pajaronian, ADVERTISINGAdvertiseLegal NoticesObituariesSponsored ContentWriting An ObituarySubmit an Obituary, COMPANY INFOJob OpportunitiesPrivacy Policy. None of these other [Nuestra Familia members] have a thing to say about [Sir Dyno], Manson says. Ribota declined comment for this story, in light of the upcoming trial. "He's trying to regroup these guys. The rapper says his final meeting with Gratton occurred while the label owner was outside washing his car. The federal indictment named 13 members, including Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, the boss who greenlighted Viramontes, and the two other reigning La Mesa members, James "Tibbs" Morado and Cornelio "Corny" Tristan. For the next three months, he made his bones among Norteos by slashing Sureo inmates, brothers hed once shouldered with. Ultimately itll be a jurys role to sort out the truth, but this much everybody can agree on: In 1997 an NF captain named Robert Huerito Gratton was paroled from Pelican Bay State Prison, moved to Modesto, and started a label called North Star Records. He faced 25 years to life. Lizard is unapologetic about his behavior, even today. Grattons wife was the cousin of a rapper named E-Clips, who at the time was a member of Darkroom Familia. Once paroled, Lizard then served as Nuestra Familias highest-ranking member outside prison. They also hardened into gang boundaries on the streets. 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 The former leaders include James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez. They were drooling, Lizard later wrote. He crawled into his living room before dying in his familys arms. Any Nuestra Familia member who betrayed his fellow carnals was subject to article two, section five of the groups constitution: AN AUTOMATIC DEATH SENTENCE WILL BE PUT ON FAMILIANO THAT TURNS TRAITOR, COWARD, OR DESSERTER [sic]. Every day we prepared for war., Lizard speaks about his gang membership with such conviction and authority that one law enforcement official jokingly compared his oratory skills to those of Fidel Castro. Im so afraid, oh my God/Dont take me away, he raps, slowly, to the jailers whove come for him. The cases were spread across Northern California. Not only was there one less Sureo, but Lizard also showed a knack for attacking without detection. Lizard was the kind of guy who took the NF way very seriously. You can cancel at any time. In all, 21 people were indicted in the FBIs three-year investigation into Nuestra Familia, code-named Operation Black Widow. Symbols and culture Gratton was shirtless, a large Nuestra Familia tattoo visible in bold letters across his back. If you ever want to help yourself, you can. Its the life story of a petty hood who reached his full criminal potential only afterentering the California prison system. Back among the general prison population, Lizard reported to his ranking captain, Gerald Cuete Rubalcaba, one of the gangs most revered members. Gang affiliation in California is often a matter of geography, but for Daniel Hernandez it wasnt that simple. The next rung of leaders in Pelican Bay includes Daniel "Stork" Perez of Salinas; Anthony "Chuco" Guillen of San Jose, who was involved in the murder of a Nuestra Familia member there and is serving a 25-year sentence; and George "Puppet" Franco, 39, from San Jose, responsible for the gang's activities in Stockton, Tracy and Fresno. Gratton stands only five foot seven, but his bold tattoos did the talking. Shes not liking it too much. Helton checked out Grattons business licenses, and learned of Sir Dynos involvement through the music distributor. Not far from Tristan sat Rico Smiley Garcia, facing the death penalty for carrying out his bosses orders and putting two bullets in the back of Castillos head. For instance, if Lizard wrote Hey Love, that meant that every third word was part of the real message. Lizard and the government deny this accusation. And most of it hung on Lizard. She was nicknamed Crazy Girl and had the moniker tattooed over her right kneecap, according to FBI documents. That what I decided to do.. Sanchez was laying low, but Ramirez expected him to pop up again. Rank and file morale plainly sucked under Parks. Vallejo is raising concerns about water. Up to that point, Lizard had identified himself as a Sureo, but only when pressed. The founder of the failed company is Sam Bankman-Fried. Frias was not indicted in the federal case but was convicted of murdering Sanchez in a state case built on the FBI's investigation. Till Eternity which most people simply call the G.U.N. Symbols and culture He and his team of agents tore through Lizards hotel room, looking for evidence to send him back to the clink a bag of pot, a letter to a carnal, a bag of speed. According to Lewis, gang members have been linked to an estimated three hundred homicides across Northern California. There sat Cornelio Corny Tristan, one of three alleged NF generals. Had they not almost burned my identity, I wouldnt have had to be doing any of that, he said. Well, if youre upset with the content, the First Amendment says Too bad. Using confidential informants, investigators said they've He took a job at a golf course and used his access to the links to reclaim his swing, sometimes playing 36 holes a day. Thats when Lizard began his career as a rider an inmate prone to acting violently toward fellow inmates. To Sir Dyno and his attorneys, the report demonstrates his utter confusion under unbelievable circumstances. I even convinced the government that Im this crazy guy.. I did it because I was ordered to do it. Lizard already knew all the old tricks. He was a loyal and merciless soldier until a foolish parole violation threatened to send him back to prison, where his own safety was in question. I want to be with my family/but I killed a man yesterday.. The CD includes Nuestra Familia artwork and a statement that the success of this project has resulted from true Norteo unity we applaud the Carnalismo we would also like to give a special thanks to our family [emphasis theirs] and all the warriors. Trial witness R.G. Hoping to curtail the violence, wardens stopped putting Anglos, blacks, and Latinos in cells with one another. The idea was that rap music could unite and galvanize young Norteo soldiers across the state, and it did. 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. I didnt know the guy was selling drugs, too. December 12, 1976. 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.. Rap is an exaggeration of life, he says, just like in a movie. 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. The red line also called for (NF) lieutenant David Cervantes to be put on retirement status. This time, Goose brought bar charts to show drug production and expected net profits. Its founding fathers adopted the phrase Blood in, blood out, and wrote a fifty-page constitution setting out the organizations bylaws. And in another case, according to his handlers, Lizard drove to Lodi with Happy Cervantes for a weekend getaway, where he left his wire behind and failed to stay in touch with the FBI. The former leaders include James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez. Three leaders soon emerged at Pelican Bay, filling the ranks of the gang's mesa, or board of directors: David "DC" Cervantes of Chino, Jose "Huerito" Gonzalez and James "Conejo" Perez. On January 24, 2001, at the FBIs prodding, Lizard hosted a junta for local underbosses at a Motel 6 in Tracy. Even though the project had cash potential tomorrow, Sir Dyno still needed money today. Lizard also followed protocol and reported his arrival to the prisons ranking gang member, Daniel Wino Perez. Cuete and Lizard proved just how far their reach extended in early 1999. [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. 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. I could rap political, I could rap street, it doesnt matter, Sir Dyno says. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). 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. They need their cut, he said. He was as bright and loyal as they came, so Cuete could trust him.. He told his interviewers Sir Dyno put out Gang Stories without permission and, for that, was very close to being placed on a hit list.. Then in late April 2001, more than two years since hed last spoken to Robert Gratton, he was summoned to a meeting with his parole officer. Lizard said he wrote to a member of the Black Guerrillas whom hed met in San Quentin. 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 Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez, were transferred to the United States Penitentiary, Florence ADX, the federal supermax prison in Colorado. The 13 defendants, six of them from Pelican Bay, are currently housed at a maximum security prison in North County Jail in Oakland where . But within a few months, Nato got pinched for robbery, and with his long rap sheet, he got 39 years. Inside Corcoran State Prison, Lizard reported to the ranking commander and heard some troubling news. According to court documents, Gratton says he regularly fronted Sir Dyno four ounces at a time. All Gratton needed was a rapper. They pulled in young guys by the bushel.. After Gratton ratted out his fellow gang members one by one, offering a list of 350 names, he was moved into the federal Witness Relocation Program. Eager to shore up his status in Nuestra Familia, Lizard said, he soon stabbed Sureo Rudolpho Castillo in the throat, nearly killing him. 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. Silent also provided Lizard with a stolen Dodge Durango to test-drive. 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. But copies were intercepted in Pelican Bay, giving investigators a heads-up about the leadership changes. He leaves behind a 3-year-old son of his own, but vows that the cycle of violence ends with him. After all, race-based prison gang violence dominates Californias prison system, according to a 2002 report from the California State Department of Justice. Consider this reasoning using an unrelated example: All chickens are bipeds; John Ashcroft is a biped. Assistant US Attorney Steven Gruel responded in court papers that federal agents couldnt be blamed for failing to notify the victim, since Sanchez already knew that he had serious problems with Heredias gang (in fact, he had been hiding). Gruel also offered four instances in which Lizards testimony did lead FBI agents to inform Norteos they were marked for death. Lizard has a thick handlebar mustache, broad shoulders, and is engraved with prison tattoos in Old English script. In the aftermath, some of the gang's thousands of Norte-o associates -- street-level soldiers who answer to Nuestra Familia -- stayed loyal to the exiled generals and captains, while others looked to Pelican Bay because the gang's written constitution said its leaders must reside there. According to Ribotas report, when he asked about the rappers affiliation, Rocha denied having any gang involvement but is a norteo. All norteos must unite with the determination to fight and challenge all those who oppose our unity and advancement toward equal justice. prison gang are prepared to testify against their top leaders in a We are not going to whack no DAs!. After he was expelled, his parents sent him back north to live with an aunt in Pittsburg, where he continued to carouse. [21] According to grand jury testimony, Lizard sent a coded letter that eventually reached Antonio Chuco Guillen just before he was paroled from San Quentin. It was his way or the highway. 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.. He wanted gang members to start cooking the drug themselves. This was our college, Lizard said. I dont rattle, he said. He told them he could go undercover for them. And in response, FBI documents indicate that street soldiers in Nuestra Familia have ordered a two-year moratorium on murders while they wait for recent publicity to fade. A local health care fraud enforcement action has resulted in federal charges against of 25 Southern California defendants for their alleged involvement in healthcare fraud schemes that fraudulently sought over $150 million from the Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as private insurers and union health benefit plans. 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