The Shoe War by Ramon "Mundo" Mendoza

[silentwssj]

Purchase book: https://amzn.to/2LENVR0

Ok, I just finished reading this book which is hot off the press! I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it! I would have to say that is by far the most complete book written on this subject. I have read this story in numerous other books but this one was far more in depth in the information that it presented. I always pick up something new every time I read about this subject. Other good books that tell this same story are: "The rise and fall of the Nuestra Familia", "Prison Gangs in America", and "The Black Hand". This one is the best in my opinion because it is dedicated entirely to telling this story and only this story. Another reason it is so good is that it is told by Ramon 'Mundo" Mendoza who was there and it is corroborated by correction guard William Hankins memoirs contained in his book "Alpha Guard". I am sure that the author also had inside access to someone who worked at CDC because their is just no way they could have compiled all the official records and quotes from Debrief reports contained in the book. I wouldn't doubt it if Razormann AKA Tijuanajailer from "In the Hat" had something to do with all of that! We will see if he reads this and wants to fess up.

Anyhow, there are definitely some bomb shells dropped in this one. a number of NF founding members are said to have been providing information to staff. This same claim was made in "Alpha Guard". In fact it is that book that is quoted to corroborate this claim in this book. All i can say is that the individuals that supposedly were giving up information all became dropouts later on and some even testified against the NF later on. I guess given that they all went out that way it is very possible that they were giving up information way back then as well. One head scratcher for me though is how could the NF really have taken off to become what it is today if all these early members were informing. I just cant see a prison gang blossoming into something when founding members are telling. "Deathrow Joe" gives sheds a little light on the situation. He basically says that in the beginning the NF was simply trying to get numbers up to be able to contend with the EME. They were not about quality as they are today. Another thing he says is that they were not organized in the beginning. The first constitution was not written until 1972. He says that schooling and discipline were non existent! This makes a lot of sense to me as according to this book the NF took the brunt of the early battles. In fact as this book points out all the murders came from either EME or AB killing NF members with the one exception of "Chy" Cadena! In my eyes this makes sense of the whole situation. I know from personal experience that the NF of today is very organised and ruthless. Back then they were just starting up and all they cared about were numbers. there was no discipline and they paid the price for it with lost lives. As the book points out the two sides have been separated ever since the early seventies, so neither side has had much opportunity to kill each other since! I am sure the numbers would be more even today if they would let them out of their cells in PBSP SHU to play with each other, Lol!

Another interesting fact that was thrown out is that "Hawaiian John Fanene" a samoan became a member of the Aryan Brotherhood. I know this is a little off topic but wow, I just don't see a Samoan becoming a member of the Aryan Brotherhood. Anything is possible though I guess. I wonder if we could get someone like Bumperjack to comment on this?

One important question this book answered was when did the whole Norteno vs Sureno thing get started? We actually debated this on this web site about a year ago. Well according to this book we can say about 1972! It is explained that Surenos started showing favoritism to locked up EME members being that they hailed from the same area and knew each other because of it. EME members could not get out to GP so Surenos began stepping up for them. The first Sureno to get killed by the NF is talked about in this book. Incidents like this further polarized both sides. By about 1972 we can say the whole North-south thing kicked off full force. This book details many incidents that led up to this. Bumperjack, if you are reading this I know that you are going to say no way. I remember you saying 1984 was when it kicked off. Just remember that we are talking about a slow spread here. It started in San Quentin and over time it made its way out to the streets. My neighborhood became Nortenos in 1982 which I verified from my own sources. I was also told that we were late to the game by these same people. The neighborhood that you came from maybe did not become Nortenos until 1984. As I said it was a slow eventual spreading throughout the state! At this point sides have been choosen but it took well into the mid eighties for this to spread completely from the prison yard to individual neighborhoods. Today obviously every Hispanic neighborhood in California is either Norteno-Sureno-Bulldog-Maravilla. It was not always so back then.

I learned something else that I did not know until now. Frank "Joker" Mendoza who was one of the NF members that killed "CHY" originally tried to join the EME. In fact he approached "CHY" about it and was denied. I guess his killing was personal revenge as well as getting back at the EME in general.

Bottom line this book is very good! If you are interested in the subject I suggest picking up a copy! It is filled with pictures from both sides. It is also filled with a lot of details of various hits that happened. far to many to talk about here. There is a chart outlining the war of 1972. It shows names of victims, who killed them. what groups the victims and the perpetrators came from and what prisons the incidents happened in. One of my favorite parts was at the very end it gives a breakdown or personal history for each main player in all of this. It talks about the role that each individual played in the "Shoe war" and what happened to them later in life. If they are still alive it lets you know and if they are dead it lets you know how they died and when and where. From reading this I came away with a thought. According to this book Joe "Deathrow Gonzales, Gonzalo "Chalo" Hernandez, and Hector "Maddog" Padilla are all still alive today! They are all original NF members and were a part of the 'Shoewar". I wonder if it would be possible to get them to collaborate and write a book on the subject before they pass from this earth. I know they are all hiding out in witness protection but hey so is "Mundo" and he wrote this book. It would be interesting to get the story from the other sides point of view.

Anyhow, I recommend this one! I am well read on the subject and I recommend it if you want to know more about it! Silent!

[bumperjack]

Silent good post I might have to check it out the shoe war huh.Them were days before My time.although I was banging in 1972...from my schooling and understanding Hawaiian John Fanene was a Mexican Mafia member not a Aryan Brotherhood member silent...they got into a riot in Soledad on 1/13/1970 (3) BGF members got killed by tower guard Opie Miller and the Shotcaller for the brand Billy "Buzzard" Harris got his testicle shot off...The EME has had a few Samoan members but not the brand. I go back 30 years and was schooled by our co- founder who also was my homeboy Wayne "Bulldog" Ladd...anyhow the riot had (3) EME members and four brand members Colorado Joe Ariza Hawaiian John Fanene, & Raymond Guerro,"EME members"Billy Buzzard Harris,Harpo Harper,Chuko Wendkier & Smiley Hoyle Brand members...I think Mundo was mistaken on that one Silent or maybe he through it out there with no merit.Its hard to say.

[bumperjack]

I believe he was a sleeper for the eme and not many are all of them new and he did from time to time kick it with some AB's in Soledad and SQ...and even participated in Riots with the BGF as other eme members always did back inthem earlier years.I myself was a sleeper for 7 years before I got my indeterminate SHU...So I can see how he through that out there really not truthfully knowing...

[Racingfam24]

Silent, where can one obtain this book? Look forward to reading this one! Mucho Gracias Sir.

[silentwssj]

Look up razorman55, he put up a link in the book and magazine section.

[silentwssj]

Its at police world publisher.

[razorman55]

Hey Silent Man …….. Just happened to check into Streetgangs.com and was wondering why I wasn’t getting any updates. Somehow I was taken off the “lista” and had to log in like a brand new guy and I saw all these posts. I see you read The Shoe War and saw your lengthy review and I also see that you now understand a few things about THEN and NOW. You are spot on when you write about your experiences NOW as opposed to those people’s experiences THEN. If Mundo’s credibility was not up to snuff with some folks, DR Joe explains it as good as anyone and, like Mundo, he had no axe to grind once he debriefed. The informants’ colloboration with staff, of those years, does not necessarily reflect on the strength (or weaknesses) of any gang although it isn’t good NF propaganda (smile). Had the NF known of their activities, those three gentlemen (Chalo, Freddie and Black Jesse) would have been killed on the spot by their own brothers. Once the gangs were separated for good in the early 70’s (after the Cheyenne hit), the Nortenos did a better job of representing than the NF did in the early years. But they were still Triple AAA and Double A (baseball analogy) and not Big Homies. Yes, they are all deadly but they ALL have a breaking point and you will probably never read about some of the active prison gang members who talked to us about things they should not have; topics that surely would have got them killed and I will leave it at that. Not looking to burst any bubbles but we have the paperwork and audio/video recordings that can NOT be used at this time for the safety of certain highly placed people.
Back to the Shoe War: As for “fessing up” to anything, you should know better than that, Silent Man. Let’s just say that Mundo’s experiences, coupled with his law enforcement contacts (past and present), really helps get out these incidents so that the history buffs can sink their teeth into what really occurred. He had to be “persuaded” to include the story of Joker and Mandi Varela. He didn’t want to write it because he didn’t want to appear as if he wanted Joker and the NF to look bad because that’s not his agenda, he said. Plus, Joker and Mundo were very close from CYA days. But we told him to not worry about haters, that it was a grrreat story and simply tell it like it was and people will form their own opinions anyway. Joker and Mundo actually spearheaded the anti-NF movement in 1970 after both had been kicked out of Soledad North for attacking a group of bikers over a dispute. It was Joker and Cheyenne who wanted this unification to take place and they were visionaries. The EME resisters didn’t object because of Norte vs. Sur issues (they had many Norteno members and associates in their circle) but they knew who the weak NFers were and could not see themselves (THEN) mentioned in the same breath with many of those guys (what you read about their leaders gives you some insight) as they knew there was “hanky panky” going on but couldn’t prove it. Anyway, I must’ve read it about 5 times to get the true flavor and you are correct, DR Joe is alive in an unmentionable location, Chalo is alive and does not wish to talk anymore nor write any books (trust me, we tried) and Hector Padilla is alive and maintaining a low profile (and hopefully off drugs). Mad Dog took the NF at DVI to an more organized level but DR screwed up his endeavors and he defected in the middle of all the politicking.

Will post a follow-up on your observations as this one is already getting long-winded.

Razorman55

[razorman55]

((One head scratcher for me though is how could the NF really have taken off to become what it is today if all these early members were informing)) With all due respect, I disagree with you here Silent. Some of the most deadly prison gang members I’ve met put in more work than many current members enjoying prima donna status. They simply had a breaking point and made their own decisions to talk (or not to talk). In the end, you are ALL men and our Good Lord makes NO distinction. The guys who were collaborating back then were shrewdly making sure the volatile EME guys were in a lockup unit so they could enjoy the comforts of GP without interference. These “bad apples” were later purged and the NF became what it is today. That simple. Your observations are correct, the NF’s quality control literally sucked back then with a few hardcore guys running the show and surrounded themselves with numbers (quantity). Even DR saw that and this is what compelled him to sit down with Mad Dog and others to draw up an NF Constitution (in B-Section, San Quentin). The NF did indeed take the brunt of the early battles (the lethal brunt) and paved the way for the game Nortenos we see today who literally have to fight for their survival in the face of larger numbers. If you ask me, it doesn’t matter who would “win” the war if pitted against each other TODAY. BOTH would lose and I’m sure many people on the sidelines would love to see this. Anyway, it will never happen because they are kept apart.

Hawaiian John Fanene was indeed on the O-Wing yard in 1970 but he was in the AB camp, listed as a member by CDC staff and an EME sympathizer in 1968 at San Quentin. FYI, John “Chuco” Wendeiker (don’t let his last name throw you off), who was also on the Soledad O-Wing yard, was actually a Hawaiian who was originally (on the streets) known as Chuco from East Oakland. Billy “Buzzard” Harris was the AB whose testicle was shot off in the O-Wing incident and was nicknamed “One-nut Buzzard” by EME’s Mundo Mendoza when Buzzard, Chuco and other AB’s were later housed with EME dudes in lockdown at San Quentin’s B-Section, a nickname that stayed with him as we confiscated dedicated photos to each other bearing this reference. During the O-Wing fray, the AB and EME agreed to let the AB handle their vendetta with the BGF as the BGF was biting at the bit to avenge an earlier AB killing of one of theirs and Harpo (AB) was the real target for the Black guys. Joe “Colorado” Ariaz and Ray “Cabezon” Guerrero were the only two EME members on the yard that day and they proceeded to play handball and continued doing so when the bullets began to fly and ricochet. According to Colorado, he jumped over one of the BGF bodies to get to a ball, according to what he told Mundo. Mundo thinks this may have been Colorado putting “Jalapeno sauce” on this story but Colorado had been involved in several racial skirmishes alongside Ray “Cabezon” and others vs. the BGF during his lockdown years at Soledad, Folsom and S.Q. As for a Samoan being an AB member, I don’t think the AB had any so-called “pure” Aryans as a rigid criteria for membership as they had at least (2) Native-Americans, (1) Hawaiian and at least (1) guy of Jewish extraction on their team. But we can surely defer to Bumperjack or an AB expert on that one. Not that important in the bigger scheme of the Shoe War. The incident report cited in the book gives you staff’s thinking and Mundo’s understanding.
(((EME members could not get out to GP so Surenos began stepping up for them))) EME members could not get out to the GP because there were a handful of collaborators that were conspiring with staff. The Surenos in GP (especially Joker, Mundo and others) suspected something amiss when they personally spoke with NF and Maravilla leaders and asked about having an EME member (Big Mike Mulhern) released from A/C. They said they would indeed sign a petition to that effect to be submitted to gang Sgt. “Bill” Hankins. But, when the petition was circulated, only a handful of Maravilla dudes signed and this revved up the tension on the Yard. The rest is in the book.

Peace,

Razorman55

(Part II)

[razorman55]

(((…but it took well into the mid eighties for this to spread completely from the prison yard to individual neighborhoods))) Silent Man, I believe you now have a handle on this “thing” we are/have been discussing. In very early posts, I know it appeared we were “arguing” somewhat but this North-South thing is like a big puzzle that is very simple (especially in the early years) and actually becomes very complex as we progressed into the 21st Century!! The Fresno Bulldogs have their own apparatus on the streets, although they may purchase dope from some EME people. Maravilla (today) is almost totally in the EME fold with a few objectors and this was inevitable if you understand Los Angeles gang dynamics. I am sure they were tired of being placed in a P.C. tank/module at LACJ and for the most part ostracized and victimized by all the other street gangs. Even MS-13 (those from L.A.) pays their taxes.

The Shoe War – The History of Nortenos vs. Surenos can be picked up for $30 on the following web site:

http://www.policeworldpublishing.com/

FYI, Silent Man, this publisher is also working with two retired law enforcement officers and NF experts from their time in a lengthy NF book provisionally entitled:
Nuestra Familia: The Bloody History of a Notorious Prison Gang
The book is co-authored by David Byers, San Jose P.D. gang investigator from the 1970’s and 80’s; and George Collord, Santa Rosa P.D. case agent for Operation Black Widow.
This book will profile many, many NF characters and San Jose and Salinas NF members are very prominent in this book. This will be an absolutely can’t-pass up book and right down your alley, Silent Man.
FINAL THOUGHT: DR is probably our last hope for an OG NF member’s voice to be heard on the early years from an insider’s perspective. Let’s hope he will want to come our way with this information which he does, by the way, have committed to paper !!!

For Bumperjack: We also have an “in” with some AB OG’s (one active soon-to-defect member and one recently defected in the feds) who are from California and were “there” when theirs too was budding. For history’s sake, we remain hopeful for their input.

Peace to All,

Razorman55

Part III

[silentwssj]

Wow! That is a lot to digest! It's been a while Razorman! I need to re read your post again later in the week to get a full grasp. It's been a few months since I read the book so I am not sure what I wrote. I am super busy with work at the moment. 60 hour work weeks and out of town on top of it! I am going to turn in for the evening as I am dead tired! I will take some time later in the week to re read all this and get back at you though! Peace out! Silent!

[silentwssj]

Hey there! good detailed post Razorman! My knowledge has increased tenfold by reading these books. In the beginning I only had what knowledge my life experiences could provide. That is definitely worth more than what any book ever could give me. These books do provide a glimpse into an era that predated my life though. I would never be familiar with all of the characters that preceded me if it were not for these books. I eagerly await the coming of the George collard book. I am aware of who he is. He was supposed to write a book called "can't stop won't stop". That one never got published to my knowledge. It is a big puzzle Razorman. There are many stories and sides to those stories as well. Hopefully you can persuade some of the NF people to speak up at some point. I won't argue there humble beginnings anymore. If the people that were there when it all started want this to be how history looks at it, well I guess it is what it is! I know that the people that I came up around were pretty hardcore guys! I also know that a lot of what is on internet is not true in regards to Nortenos and the NF! Often times things get twisted in favor of one sides viewpoint. I won't argue the early years anymore though. As long as we understand that the NF and Nortenos of today function entirely different from those early members. Anyhow, you obviously have access to resources that the rest of us don't! That gives you a serious advantage when accessing information. Anyhow, got book Razorman! I can't wait to see what else you got up your sleeve, Lol! Take care and God bless! Silent!

[razorman55]

Hello Silent Man, I know you hear this all the time when books are being hyped and plugged but the NF book will indeed give everyone a very detailed account that has not been read before. All the important characters will be covered and some (like DR and Babo) will probably have their own chapters as their “weight” was felt throughout California in the 1960’s and 70’s. The profiles and events will continue with Brown Bob Viramontes, Black Bob Vasquez and many more. The list continues as the years advance.
Yes, the internet and social media is a great source for much information but it is also susceptible to those who wish to manipulate and spin stories as well as net bang. I'm sure you can immediately recognize when a knucklehead is on line talking the blue or red talk. In the prison system, the hard core prison gang members would refer to such loudmouths as "cell soldiers" because they "fought a good fight" from their cells. This is why I thoroughly enjoy reading many books out there that get into the real deal and can be vetted by dudes who have been there and done that.
You are correct, there is a difference between the first NF members and current ones. Same with the Nortenos as the early guys were not as aggressive as they are today. I suppose we could say today’s guys are more seasoned, experienced and weathered.

Will keep you posted as developments warrant. Don’t work too hard.

Razorman55

[alexalonso]

How much of the Shoe War that is publicly known is NOT true. Over the years so much of the story has evolved.

Purchase book: http://astore.amazon.com/streetgangs06- ... 1940053099

[silentwssj]

I agree Alex! I have read stuff on internet that says Hector "Maddog" Padilla was killed in the "Shoewar", He was not! This is but one example! The book is good and I recommend reading it if interested in the subject! I would like to see something from the the NF side though!

[alexalonso]

I agree Alex! I have read stuff on internet that says Hector "Maddog" Padilla was killed in the "Shoewar", He was not! This is but one example! The book is good and I recommend reading it if interested in the subject! I would like to see something from the the NF side though!

I still havent got it yet, but I am going to get it ASAP.

[meeks76]

FYI, Silent Man, this publisher is also working with two retired law enforcement officers and NF experts from their time in a lengthy NF book provisionally entitled:
Nuestra Familia: The Bloody History of a Notorious Prison Gang
The book is co-authored by David Byers, San Jose P.D. gang investigator from the 1970’s and 80’s; and George Collord, Santa Rosa P.D. case agent for Operation Black Widow.
This book will profile many, many NF characters and San Jose and Salinas NF members are very prominent in this book. This will be an absolutely can’t-pass up book and right down your alley, Silent Man.
FINAL THOUGHT: DR is probably our last hope for an OG NF member’s voice to be heard on the early years from an insider’s perspective. Let’s hope he will want to come our way with this information which he does, by the way, have committed to paper !!!

For Bumperjack: We also have an “in” with some AB OG’s (one active soon-to-defect member and one recently defected in the feds) who are from California and were “there” when theirs too was budding. For history’s sake, we remain hopeful for their input.

Peace to All,

Razorman55

Part III

Any updates on the NF book, razorman55?