The Black Hand, a Mexican Mafia book - 2008

[alexalonso]

If you have watched tv news in Los Angeles during the past 20 years, Chris Blatchford, from Fox 11 news has a book coming out called The Black Hand: The Story of Rene "Boxer" Enriquez and His Life in the Mexican Mafia..

http://www.streetgangs.com/bookclub/blackhand

[dinky]

Hopefully it will be a good read,im not aware of there being many books on the Mexican Mafia.

[Trickeration Station]

Another book:
http://www.freewebs.com/behindprisonwalls/

[StillNoScript]

Tony Rafael's book is garbage. It's all about Pee Wee Aguirre's Avenues clique, and the team that prosecuted them. You can read his blog at inthehat.blogspot.com and I'm telling you there is nothing remotely interesting in the book that isn't already on the blog.

[StillNoScript]

If you have watched tv news in Los Angeles during the past 20 years, Chris Blatchford, from Fox 11 news has a book coming out called The Black Hand: The Story of Rene "Boxer" Enriquez and His Life in the Mexican Mafia..

http://www.streetgangs.com/bookclub/blackhand

There was a DVD being sold at Amazon with that same photo on it, that already sold out. It just went up for sale like a month ago. Anyone seen that? Is it related to the book?

Anyhow, what's the release date for the book, Alex? Are you selling it? If so, I'll buy it here. "Boxer" and Blatchford can't be a worse writing team than Tony Rafael and the LA district attorneys office. It should be worth it.

[necron]

If you type in "Gangster Confidential" in Youtube, it shows an interview Boxer did with the Feds. Very smart guy although he obviously wasn't like that when he went in. You might also want to see all the BS the wannabe surenos were talking about him being a "pinche rata" when they would have murdered or given their life for him when he was a godfather.

[alexalonso]

[alexalonso]

Rene Enriquez, former member of the Mexican Mafia

[willihen]

got it on preorder...

Dude sounds articulate, pretty smart.

[necron]

got it on preorder...

Dude sounds articulate, pretty smart.

He is. I bet he didn't go into prison like that though nor would he have reached godfather status if he hadn't have schooled himself. Sad thing is even though he's defected for a reason that I can relate to, there's every possibility that he will spend the rest of his life in jail, which on the other hand is warranted because he is/was a cold blooded killer. The real tragedy is he had to be on 23 hour lockdown in the SHU before he was able to educate himself. Personally I would have done the same but as a free man, not in the white mans penal system.

[willihen]

What city and hood was he from?

[Sia20]

nice..

[willihen]

Just finished the book. Amazing.
Not just a great read, but makes you
realize you should think twice before
messing with La Eme.

I know everybody writes books and says something to the effect that hopefully it'll show
the real lifestyle and keep people from aspiring to be affiliated or join....well this one does.

I can't be sure, but this has to be the best book out there written on the subject.

[Tricky69]

He is from Artesia,Ca .Artesia 13 gang.

[REEBOK]

cant wait to read it

[SlicedAlone]

Damn good book. I haven't read a book in ages and I went through this one in a little over a day. Page turner.

[necron]

It's on Play.com for about £12. I'm gonna get it shortly.

[Old_man07]

I just read this book, damned good book. Probably one of the best gang autobiographies out there, along with 'Home of the Bodybags' and Monster Kody's book.

More than any other book this really tells you the devastation the gang life takes not only on the victims, but also the gang members themselves. The media loves to hype up the gang lifestyle and promote it as if it's something cool, but the reality is far, far less pleasant. He talks about his many demons including drug addiction (seems like many gang members have a severe problem with drug addiction with heavy narcotics like heroin that follow them behind the walls). What's really striking is that no matter how 'down' you may be with your homies or with your gang/movement, you can still be targeted to die. It could be anything and everything, maybe you pissed off the wrong person, or something you said, but one day you are cool with everyone, next day you are on the hit list. I thought it was pretty interesting that Rene (Boxer) mentions numerous times about the fear he felt when confronted with certain situations. With all the drug use, constant threat of death and violence, and always worrying if you will be on the hit list, it's no wonder some just burn out or go crazy.

There are many interesting revelations in this book. The history of the Mexican Mafia, and how and why they chose to unite all the Surenos. What it took for him to survive and be an EME leader. The infamous hit in 1995 that killed several innocent children, what led to it and the aftermath, stomach turning stuff. The Pelican Bay racial riot in 2000, the biggest riot in California history (Boxer and the senior EME members weren't even aware of the planned riot; it was planned separately by EME associates who were in control of that yard). Why he flipped and turned witness.

The one thing he didn't really discuss in depth was the current racial conflicts between blacks and mexicans on the streets. As he was one of the head honchos during that time when EME decided to take over the drug operations from black gangs, you would think he would have more insight on this current conflict. It was funny though how he recalls a Crip actually saved his life one time when he OD'd on heroin, the Crip threw some scalding coffee on his legs to wake him up as he had stopped breathing.

Overall, a must read if you want to know the history and life of one of EME's biggest turncoats.

[crm]

This was an excellent book. What struck me was how people can be so loyal to an organization that could turn on you so easily. It seemed like they were killing each other at every turn. They preach loyalty but they dont practice it.

[crm]

Tony Rafaels book was not that bad. Don't get me wrong, the black hand was a lot better. It provided details from an insider, an actual eme member. But tony rafaels book gave the reader a pretty good idea of how the mexican mafia operates. People say that the guy went off on a tangent by going into details about the avenues, but I think the author did this because he used the emes infiltration of the avenues to demonstrate how the eme enforces its will on the streets through street gangs. The book mentions how this is not unique to the avenues. The book is also interesting because he discusses street gangs in general, and again he uses the avenues as an example to show how street gangs function and how they are tied to more organized crime (eme). His descriptions of how law enforcement and how it operates are also interesting.

[MCD]

I been reading this book for a couple weeks its one of the most interesting books I've read. I like how different stories and people pop into the book like peewee aguirre and Character and the crew that shot up that family. I think anyone looking to learn more about La eme and the prison system needs to pick up this book.

[19DAGO04]

One thing that bugs me about this book...and its fuckin nit picky...but...

Del Sol is not a Chula Vista gang. VDS is on the outskirts of CV in South San Diego.

But Bat did grow up in Chula Vista 's Castle Park neighborhood. How the hell did Bat end up riding with Del Sol instead of Otay if he was from the Castle Park hood? Now that's a trip!

[nmarie17]

I've read in articles and posts that Boxer is now a guest speaker in classes..does anyone know where he is being held (prison) ? I'd love a chance to sit in or at least write to him. I've read the book and the near the end where he describes the first time he cried really affected me. I enjoyed the reading very much and am now "obsessed" with learning more.

[youngspade]

I've read in articles and posts that Boxer is now a guest speaker in classes..does anyone know where he is being held (prison) ? I'd love a chance to sit in or at least write to him. I've read the book and the near the end where he describes the first time he cried really affected me. I enjoyed the reading very much and am now "obsessed" with learning more.

Either Homosexual Or A Dumb Cop, But hes already locked up and told all, so hes gay, yup! Im sure he would be happy to sit next to you too!

[MCD]

I've read in articles and posts that Boxer is now a guest speaker in classes..does anyone know where he is being held (prison) ? I'd love a chance to sit in or at least write to him. I've read the book and the near the end where he describes the first time he cried really affected me. I enjoyed the reading very much and am now "obsessed" with learning more.

Either Homosexual Or A Dumb Cop, But hes already locked up and told all, so hes gay, yup! Im sure he would be happy to sit next to you too!

haha

[StillNoScript]

This book's garbage. Some law enforcement and journalists have been trying to make EME look like an east coast Italian mafia for years. I'll tell you right now, if they were, you wouldn't see gang banging the way you see it in LA.

[MCD]

This book's garbage. Some law enforcement and journalists have been trying to make EME look like an east coast Italian mafia for years. I'll tell you right now, if they were, you wouldn't see gang banging the way you see it in LA.

they're not like the italian mob its a whole different breed. a group of mobsters that control thousands of street soldiers, the only thing preventing them from being the most powerful organization is lack of discipline and order

[stickupkidakaBIGBANDIT]

DEL SOL WAS A CLICK OF OTAY. FROM RIVERBOTTOMS TO BEYER. I KNOW HIS FAMILY REAL WELL. HIS SONS ARE FROM OTAY. HIS BEST FRIEND IS FROM OTAY. THERE'S A RUMOR HE HAD AN OTAY TATT.



OTAY IS OLDER.

One thing that bugs me about this book...and its fuckin nit picky...but...

Del Sol is not a Chula Vista gang. VDS is on the outskirts of CV in South San Diego.

But Bat did grow up in Chula Vista 's Castle Park neighborhood. How the hell did Bat end up riding with Del Sol instead of Otay if he was from the Castle Park hood? Now that's a trip!

[StillNoScript]

This book's garbage. Some law enforcement and journalists have been trying to make EME look like an east coast Italian mafia for years. I'll tell you right now, if they were, you wouldn't see gang banging the way you see it in LA.

they're not like the italian mob its a whole different breed. a group of mobsters that control thousands of street soldiers, the only thing preventing them from being the most powerful organization is lack of discipline and order

I don't know if I'd call it control. I think they just extort them. When I hear the word "control", I think of a man walking his dog. "sit dog", the dog sits, etc. If EME is controlling all of these gang members, EME's giving them orders to tag everything, put the number 13 by their tag, which is now common knowledge that it represents their loyalty to EME? EME's ordering all of these random, day to day murders over nothing more than turf? Why? I don't see anything "controlled" about the Chicano gang scene in Los Angeles. Out of control is more like it.

[19DAGO04]

DEL SOL WAS A CLICK OF OTAY. FROM RIVERBOTTOMS TO BEYER. I KNOW HIS FAMILY REAL WELL. HIS SONS ARE FROM OTAY. HIS BEST FRIEND IS FROM OTAY. THERE'S A RUMOR HE HAD AN OTAY TATT.



OTAY IS OLDER.

One thing that bugs me about this book...and its fuckin nit picky...but...

Del Sol is not a Chula Vista gang. VDS is on the outskirts of CV in South San Diego.

But Bat did grow up in Chula Vista 's Castle Park neighborhood. How the hell did Bat end up riding with Del Sol instead of Otay if he was from the Castle Park hood? Now that's a trip!

Crazy! I heard about that too. That DS split off of Otay in the late 1960's. I always thought that was a rumor. I asked a Yato about that. He wouldn't confirm it. But I heard of that split off. I heard that's how -RBLS- started up. Some inner beef in Otay..some spit off to form DS and then RBLS click formed from the rest that stayed with Otay.

My family lived in Otay way back in the day. They said that the gang Otay was around since the 1930's. They beefed with Sidro and Nacional back then. It was before your hood (-OTNC-) popped up. Well, it was pretty much your hood. They were supposed to have gone from just claiming Nacional to OTNC. Is that true? The Nacional->OTNC?

[mayugastank]

This book's garbage. Some law enforcement and journalists have been trying to make EME look like an east coast Italian mafia for years. I'll tell you right now, if they were, you wouldn't see gang banging the way you see it in LA.

they're not like the italian mob its a whole different breed. a group of mobsters that control thousands of street soldiers, the only thing preventing them from being the most powerful organization is lack of discipline and order

I don't know if I'd call it control. I think they just extort them. When I hear the word "control", I think of a man walking his dog. "sit dog", the dog sits, etc. If EME is controlling all of these gang members, EME's giving them orders to tag everything, put the number 13 by their tag, which is now common knowledge that it represents their loyalty to EME? EME's ordering all of these random, day to day murders over nothing more than turf? Why? I don't see anything "controlled" about the Chicano gang scene in Los Angeles. Out of control is more like it.

Yes they have a hard toime controlling anything due to a lack of members --they have their pick of thousands of soldiers and they supposedly got 100 real actual members. Thats why they run into such disarray in controlling anything. They dont have much say in the day to day gangbanging because they are too spread out and lack numbers! During the early part of the 1990s -they were extremely active and had total control of the streets. But those big busts in 1995 and 1999 basically took all of them out. Boxer said that during his time in the 1990s their were only some 20 EME out in the free world . 20 to control thousands of gangs?! No way ....the old heads were saying that their were too many new members being made for the wrong reasons so at their peak of power they pulled the plug on any new member . They went close to 7 years during the 1990s that not a one new member was inducted. When they finally did get numbers ...BANG! a new indictment and a 4th EME snitch....who basically singlehandedly wiped all members on the streets out.They need to make a good deal of new guys to get shit back in order again and I guess their so much resistance in making new members that its virtually impossible to get a full vote, on an incoming street member meaning that if that guy isnt already in Pelican Bay doing time with the main heads he is NEVER going to be considered for membership!What a waste of a power system they have ....people were actually almost killed over being made members during the time they closed their books.
I understand being selective but this is their biggest vaccuum -they can use guys to have a say so --but then other hoods are like he isnt even a real EME....fuck him! which happened in some citys in fountain valley and pomona.....

[MCD]

I don't know if I'd call it control. I think they just extort them. When I hear the word "control", I think of a man walking his dog. "sit dog", the dog sits, etc. If EME is controlling all of these gang members, EME's giving them orders to tag everything, put the number 13 by their tag, which is now common knowledge that it represents their loyalty to EME? EME's ordering all of these random, day to day murders over nothing more than turf? Why? I don't see anything "controlled" about the Chicano gang scene in Los Angeles. Out of control is more like it.

Well the biggest difference between italian mob and eMe n NF is that most of the bosses are locked up and send orders from prison, not like the mob where they operate best outside of prison and are destroyed by incarceration. At least that's how i see it. Also, i heard mob families have an actual screening process before they accept members at the street level, so that cuts out alot of the half-asses and punks. So they got a core of people who are straight business so they work more effectively, and the boss is physically there. Just more communication and order I think. And like mayugastank said there's way too many members for them to control, n you gotta figure most surenos or nortenos don't know all the bosses very well personally.