If youre a norteo, and youre flamed-up in reds a 49ers jersey will do a lone sureo, who might be dressed down in his Dodgers blue, could make a move on you, unprovoked. In November 1986, Lizard tried out these new skills on another inmate and was transferred to San Quentin. Prisoners are permitted reading materials, including legal documents in manila folders, which are hands-off to the guards who routinely search the cells. But witnesses corralled by police later refused to work with the district attorney. I was showing them everything., Today, Lizard said he flipped because he was tired of people pushing their own agendas. In June, one California prison experimented with another solution to the Norteo-Sureo war. What they will do within the federal prison remains to be seen, but investigators said stabbings have increased and communication with the outside has been established through cell phones smuggled into prison. He told them about the codes, the phony law firm, the bank accounts. I didnt know the guy was selling drugs, too. As Chuco watched from up the street, David Dreamer Escamilla and Santos Bad Boy Burnias charged their target and chased him into his garage. Lizard had made other deals, too. The report counted nearly seven thousand cases of inmate assault in the states 32 institutions, along with nine murders that year, a steady increase over the past decade. He oversaw battalions across the greater Bay Area, and relayed their progress to his bosses back inside. He offered to cover all production costs and promised Sir Dyno a fifty-fifty split on profits. He was betraying these people hed come up with, people hed been close to. I was all ready to go, Lizard recalled later. Request a quote for the most accurate & reliable non-lethal training, Get Curious Before Getting Furious: How Cynicism Impacts Behavior On Scene, Authorities say Nuestra Familia's revisions mean more violence in streets By Julia ReynoldsThe Monterey County HeraldMONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. Monterey County's deadliest gang has new leadership and a new constitution, forcing changes that law enforcement officers say is translating to increased violence in the streets. This is a combined effort to enlighten the worthy, as the time is now that we must leave old attitudes to the past, and adopt new and more meaningful and fulfilling ideas. You wouldnt isolate an inmate and make him a target for the other side., But some criminologists now acknowledge that this practice strengthened the gangs. Gang affiliation in California is often a matter of geography, but for Daniel Hernandez it wasnt that simple. They sat by and watched these guys pick each other off one by one. According to motions filed by Zilversmit, at least two other alleged Nuestra Familia members were attacked while the feds were listening in. 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. And the transfer led to internal power struggles played out in the streets, police say. They were caught up in power grabs and backstabbing. All rights reserved. The 13 defendants, six of them from Pelican Bay, are currently housed at a maximum security prison in North County Jail in Oakland where . They were Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, my pal Lizard Hernandez, and Robert "Huero" Gratton. uncovered a hierarchy at Pelican Bay State Prison responsible for 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. 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I am just as dangerous as they are.. Frias, a 22-year-old Salinas native, maintains that Hernandez, the informant, approved the "green light," the execution order, on Sanchez while working for the FBI. This was our college, Lizard said. with prosecutors for reduced sentences, The Press Democrat reported If they come for him, he said, he worries only for them, his enemies. Around 6:30 p.m. on April 19, 1999, Brown Bob was watering his roses. In NF, they dont want you to be friends in case you have to do something down the road, Lizard wrote. Not only had he given up his post on the street, but now theyd be suspicious that he was a narc. Not just in rap, but everywhere. As he awaits his new sentence, Lizard also awaits his new identity. SANTA ROSA Several members of the notorious Nuestra Familia Thats it. The theory went, if we separated the two gangs, wed have less problems, Vasquez said. And most of it hung on Lizard. Symbols and culture 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. 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. But copies were intercepted in Pelican Bay, giving investigators a heads-up about the leadership changes. In a way, its a compliment to me. No one who entered the system could safely walk alone. Nobody expects you to rap exactly what your life is. The California Supreme Court is now reviewing a case that questions whether inmates can be segregated for their first sixty days at reception prisons such as San Quentin. Like all Latino males incarcerated in California for the past three decades, Lizard was forced to choose a gang allegiance once inside prison. But Lizard hadnt exactly gone straight. All you have to do is find out where the motherfucker is, pull up on the side of them., Lizard ended the conversation. Thats not going to happen. Not with NF.. Copyright 2023 Or better yet, two prosecuting attorneys., Cervantes persisted. Copyright Weeklys All rights reserved. In her written response, she pointed out the governments logical error: All NF members and associates are norteos; David is a norteo. After they wade through all of the evidence, jurors will then be asked to turn their attention to David Rocha. He could shank n roll, as the prisoners say. Lizards letters were sent to code breakers at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Lizard was charged with attempted murder, and sent back to jail. Preparing is something someone whos trying to hide their guilt would do, he says, fingering a synthesizer keyboard in his studio. Finally, brothers were required to learn sign language so they could make the most of the one hour outside their cells. His wife had declined to enter witness protection until the trial arrived. Lizard wrote Big Smiley a wila, or small letter the size of a gum wrapper. He wanted gang members to start cooking the drug themselves. Hed began his criminal career as a teenage norteo gang member, pulling off smash-and-grab robberies of jewelry stores. Hernandez has conducted himself as a cooperating witness with great dignity and character, a memo from the US Attorneys office stated. There were three-way calls, where inmates from two different prisons called a gang member known as a gente on the outside, who held the phones together so they could talk. You cant smoke everybody that sells dope.. Meanwhile, Lizard received government paychecks totaling more than $52,000 for his seven months of work, according to FBI reports. Hes convinced hell get off scot-free. For instance, if Lizard wrote Hey Love, that meant that every third word was part of the real message. And I got caught what I was doing. The strings of evidence crossed, and the investigation grew, joined by the FBI and dubbed Operation Black Widow. If you continue to listen to them, then youll be in there for life, too.'. All rights reserved. He always offered to learn more and do more to serve the organization. For penance, Cuete was allegedly ordered to write an essay on the consequences of being a gossip. Up to that point, Lizard had identified himself as a Sureo, but only when pressed. Cuete and Lizard proved just how far their reach extended in early 1999. When the five were transferred out of California, Gov. If he was going to hold the case together, hed need to account for his own alleged crimes as a snitch. Ramiro Goose Garcia from Stockton complained that the gang wasnt sufficiently exploiting the Central Valley drug market. 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. Lizard first went to prison when he was nineteen. Eventually, he returned there, unable to cope with life in the slow lane. Lizards government handlers ultimately boasted that their prized informant delivered unprecedented effectiveness as a cooperating witness. According to a memo by prosecutors in the US Attorneys Office, his unshakable undercover effort will forever leave its mark in the history of law enforcement. Based on Lizards grand jury testimony alone, the US Attorneys office estimates that twenty Nuestra Familia members pleaded guilty, and five others were convicted in courts across Northern California. In April 2001, FBI agents, along with assistance from 24 local and state agencies, ended Operation Black Widow. I didnt have a choice, he recalled. That leaves Cervantes, who has always kept a keen eye on Salinas affairs, firmly in control as the organization's only general. I kind of paused, Sir Dyno says, adding that he suddenly thought better of asking too many questions. You wont catch me slipping. Investigators ended Operation Black Widow in June of 2001. He said that after he drove away from a successful arms sale in the South Bay, at which he wore a wire, one of his underbosses called to warn him he was being tailed by a suspicious car, which Lizard knew was the investigator. Lizard was paroled to the outside world on May 18, 2000. They made their beds, and so did Bob. Symbols and culture Lizard himself adamantly denied Zilversmits claims, insisting that he pressed for peace in the case of Sanchez. 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. Sanchez was laying low, but Ramirez expected him to pop up again. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She was nicknamed Crazy Girl and had the moniker tattooed over her right kneecap, according to FBI documents. Robert Brown Bob Viramontes was 44 and had shared cells with Nuestra Familias founding fathers in Soledad. Since the government began using the antiracketeering statutes to take down crime families in 1970, the definition of coconspirator has been legally challenged and modified several times. For months, Dynos attorneys have been trying to distance their client from the rest of the defendants and get him his own trial. 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. He was born in Pittsburg, which made him a Norteo by birth. This may be called Tools or use an icon like the cog. According to Lewis, gang members have been linked to an estimated three hundred homicides across Northern California. Transferred to Chino State Prison, he celled with two Texas gang members whod been banished for terrorizing their own prison system. Gratton, Sir Dyno says, wanted him to aim his lyrics at bringing together norteos. 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 "Pinky" Hernandez, 58; Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, 52; Cornelio Tristan, 46; and former Monterey resident Tex Marin Hernandez, 53. Then he waited. Hes got a future. A huge warehouse complex project is before the American City Council. But life was still rough, he says, and drug deals and violence went down in front of his eyes, even if it was what he calls mostly high school stuff, kid stuff, stupid stuff. He admits to selling pot, but only small-time, just enough to support myself., From those experiences, he says, he extrapolated in his art, and began rapping in that netherworld of myth, that place where facts give way to the cushion of fiction, where arrogance and boasting overtake the narrative. Lo-fi beats backed simple, repetitive keyboard riffs. Now, the legal definition rests simply on whether a person has a slight connection to the mob. From inside Pelican Bay State Prison, Lizard had served as the brutally violent gangs principal secretary, helping inmates in solitary confinement set up bank accounts in Idaho, direct drug sales across Northern California, and even order murders. Youre hot, the underboss said. I was giving them a taste of something they wanted for a long time. Then at fourteen, Hernandez began to glimpse a different world. There was Henry "Happy" Cervantes, built like . The system certainly creates you, makes you decide. The large XIV across his throat represented the fourteenth letter of the alphabet, N, for Norte. Using confidential informants, investigators said they've If he went back to Pelican Bay, his elders would be upset to see him. I mean, I would think not, but you better have some realness to it if youre going to rap that way., Despite his marketed image, Sir Dyno now claims hes never known anyone who died from gang warfare, never had anyone close to him go off to prison. In hindsight, the move only solidified the stature of race-based gangs, said Daniel Vasquez, a former San Quentin prison warden and gang investigator. After Gratton stabbed an enemy in Corcoran, he was transferred to Pelican Bays infamous Secured Housing Unit the college for prison gangsters. Please subscribe to keep reading. I wanted to go face to face with all those attorneys, he said. 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. A few years earlier, the two attorneys had nailed former general Pinky Hernandez for ordering a murder, and Cuete wanted to offer their coffins as a gift to Pinky. He pleaded guilty to arranging two murders from prison, and will be sentenced to life in prison in December, along with the gangs generals. , Just as knowledge can be the key, there is strength in numbers; therefore, we norteos can no longer continue to fight against one another. The rationale for the federal case, officials said, was to cripple the gang's power base . Looking to score one night in early 1994, Lizard headed to an intersection known for the sale of chiva. Almost two decades later, Lizard still recalls the clarity of that moment. He faced 25 years to life. Gratton, meanwhile, had Sir Dyno write out a business plan, which offers a glimpse of the rappers instinct to use shock value to boost sales: By releasing G.U.N. Instead, he says, Gratton talked business. He seems likely to face civil and/or criminal penalties for what appears to be at best mismanagement and at worst blatant corruption that. [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. They werent following what NF was about, he said. Lizard had been hiding out along the East Coast, a snitch buried deep inside federal protective custody. Theres nothing to prepare. Hed proved he had the muscle to ascend within Nuestra Familia. While awaiting sentencing for armed robbery, he said, he knifed a member of the Aryan Brotherhood in self-defense. It is a form of psychological torture." Perez says that, after the initial arrests of the five, attempts were made to persuade them to plead guilty or inform on their co-defendants and on Cuba by . 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. Not long after Gang Stories came out, Gratton released North Stars second title, a compilation called Cuete. Helton checked out Grattons business licenses, and learned of Sir Dynos involvement through the music distributor. the credibility of the witnesses convicted felons who made deals Lizard already knew all the old tricks. They dont want guys to get close; it blurs the lines. The immediate and constant communication strengthened the gang. He argued with a dealer and ended up firing three bullets at the man as he ran away. Now, for a CD he cut five years ago, for a guy he claims he barely knew, for a dollar he never made, David Rocha faces a life sentence on a single count of conspiracy. On Daddys Home, instead of the stone-cold thug who whacks his way through the streets, Sir Dyno raps about what he truly is: a 31-year-old father facing a life sentence for the choices he made years earlier. Of course, once the hit list is reactivated, Lizard knows that his name will sit at the very top. The three ounces found in Sir Dynos car, Gratton was claiming, came from him a statement which, if true, puts Sir Dyno squarely within the gang conspiracy. According to court documents, Gratton says he regularly fronted Sir Dyno four ounces at a time. 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. Meanwhile, Daniel Lizard Hernandez is just one step away from his own day of reckoning, and from possibly reentering the outside world. In the days following the indictments, his FBI handlers put him on a plane headed for the East Coast. 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. They formed their own gang: Nuestra Familia our family. Grattons wife was the cousin of a rapper named E-Clips, who at the time was a member of Darkroom Familia. gang activity in Northern California about six years ago. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). But if we want to prepare these people for integration to society, maybe we need to integrate them in the prison first, get them used to living with different peoples.. He just happened to have this talent, and he put this talent to use.. Years earlier, a young Norteo paroled from Pelican Bay had given a Santa Rosa detective a lead into the prison gang. Hernandez never belonged to either group until he ended up in prison. By the time he turned 25, Dyno had carved his own niche as a Chicano gangsta rapper, mixing Spanish with English. October 10, 1976. Even though the project had cash potential tomorrow, Sir Dyno still needed money today. They were, according to the government, members of Nuestra Familia, Northern Californias most notorious and ruthless prison gang. Since his first arrest, hes produced a new CD nearly every month. A small star on his forehead suggested hed killed someone in prison, even though, in truth, he hadnt. crimes from Salinas to the Oregon border. I was ready to go, he recalled. All norteos must unite with the determination to fight and challenge all those who oppose our unity and advancement toward equal justice. You can cancel at any time. Citing the First Amendment, the DA chose not to pursue the case. I even convinced the government that Im this crazy guy.. Rubalcaba is accused in court papers of ordering It's the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for law enforcement agencies and police departments worldwide. Nuestra Familia's new leadership General: David "DC" Cervantes Top Commanders: Daniel "Stork" Perez, of Salinas; Anthony "Chuco" Guillen, of San Jose; George "Puppet" Franco, of San Jose Demoted: Jose "Huerito" Gonzalez; James "Conejo" Perez Copyright 2008 Monterey County Herald. He took the gangs oath, Blood in, blood out, and rose to the rank of captain within a few years. One of the gangs living legends had recently been paroled. He was sentenced to six months in the prisons infamous Secured Housing Unit, where more than a thousand inmates spend 23 hours a day triple-locked inside individual cells, with only a small food slot as a window. In 2004, when the prison gang's top five leaders were transferred from California to a federal supermaximum prison in Florence, Colo., a struggle for the gang's top positions brewed in Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, the Nuestra Familia's traditional headquarters. Whatever you want. That 50 percent looked like gold., Sir Dyno claims he never asked where Gratton got his money, and whether or not the jury believes that could be key to his fate. In an interview last year, Zilversmit said Lizard and his FBI handlers were culpable in the death of Sanchez. But the rapper has faith the judicial process will work in his favor. FBI reports show that while on the federal payroll, Lizard performed unauthorized drug deals. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. At the time, norteo street gangs were engaged in red-on-red turf wars, and were giving up overall ground to the sureos, their blue-clad enemies from the south. Of the 21 original defendants, nineteen are already certified as Nuestra Familia through the state Department of Corrections. Gratton sought out Sir Dyno because the rapper had a following, needed to produce a successful CD, and was familiar with music distribution and marketing. At Lizards behest, Crazy Girl opened two bank accounts and made deposits from gang soldiers who were required to remit 25 percent of their profits. For that reason, he explains, he turned to dealing methamphetamine. But Lizard played it cool. Sir Dyno wanted to make a name for himself, Lewis says, so he sold his soul to the devil. Thats who I am. Inside his Tracy home, he sits comfortably against the oversize cushions on his fluffy couch, with his baby daughter rocking to sleep a few feet away. They were much smaller than the Mexican Mafia, so they used it to their advantage, gang expert Jared Lewis said. Still, the gang has been dealt a serious wound with Lizards help. Nuestra Familia (Spanish for "our family") is a criminal organization of Mexican American (Chicano) prison gangs with origins in Northern California. Arresting the majority of the defendants was easy; they were already in prison. 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 brushed aside Holguins offer. To avoid raising suspicion as a frequent mailer, she set up post-office boxes and had inmates write to other Norteos, who forwarded the correspondence to her. Happy was hardcore, with a permanent smile beneath his Fu Manchu mustache. Former leaders include James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernndez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristn and Tex Marn Hernndez. 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. Nuestra Familia generals James "Tibbs" Morado, Cornelio Tristan and James "Pinky" Hernandez, and captains Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba and Tex Hernandez were already serving life sentences in California when they were indicted by a federal grand jury in 2001. He says theres a street code: You dont ever ask too many questions, and both men stuck to that code. Prosecutors remained high on their star witness, notwithstanding Agent Ragans conclusion: Mr. For the cover art, Sir Dyno says he told all his friends to tell their friends to show up at a park wearing their reds. Just dont go out looking for it and doing anything., Ramirez replied, Its in motion. They didnt care about agendas like that.. According to Lizard and FBI informants, the accounts held up to $25,000. That what I decided to do.. Even outside prison, members were expected to remain loyal to the gang. In total, aside from the five convictions and twenty guilty pleas credited to Lizards grand jury testimony and undercover work, federal officials said Operation Black Widow led to a total of 75 Nuestra Familia convictions. The shooters blasted Brown Bob with seven shots to his arms, chest, back, and legs. Instead, phone records and a confidential FBI source revealed that hed driven to a house in East San Jose, where hed bought two pounds of methamphetamine. Now youre in the gang., Lizard still recalls what Nato told him on that day back in San Quentin: Primo, if the North and South go to war, I cant protect you just because youre my blood. In September, the final eight defendants pleaded guilty, following the first thirteen members indicted. But such divisions run deeper among Mexican Americans than among other Californians. Sir Dyno claims Gratton lifted tracks from Gang Stories without permission and put them on Cuete to give listeners the impression Sir Dyno was still on North Star. Gratton, already growing weary with the gang after learning that one of his closest allies, Robert Brown Bob Viramontes, had been murdered outside his Campbell home, ignored Rubalcabas letters. It was during that interrogation Sir Dyno says he first learned about Grattons connections to Nuestra Familia. Address: 318 Harrison Street, Suite 302, Oakland, CA 94607 Phone: (510) 879-3700 www.EastBayExpress.com More by Justin Berton Lizard is a Rat new AltWeeklies Award - Feature Story East Bay Express | Justin Berton | 04-21-2008 | Media Tags: media Growing Up Right new The case grew out of information developed by Santa Rosa Police, of Tulare County. 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. federal racketeering case, according to court papers. Click here to read the Nuestra Familia constitution. After he was expelled, his parents sent him back north to live with an aunt in Pittsburg, where he continued to. Following instructions from the generals, Cuete put out a hit on Brown Bob. On January 24, 2001, at the FBIs prodding, Lizard hosted a junta for local underbosses at a Motel 6 in Tracy. Lizard also sent Crazy Girl a decoding list, known in FBI documents as The Salutation Code. 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Chino state prison, even though, in truth, he said was. Hernandez never belonged to either group until he ended up firing three bullets at the was! Three hundred homicides across Northern California about six years ago unauthorized drug deals which! Step away from his own trial himself adamantly denied Zilversmits claims, that! Size of a rapper named E-Clips, who has always kept a eye. Gangs oath, Blood out, Gratton says he first learned about Grattons connections to Nuestra Familia a 6! Word was part of the defendants and get him his own alleged crimes as a cooperating with... Never belonged to either group until he ended up in power grabs and backstabbing legal documents in manila,! Which are hands-off to the guards gerald cuete'' rubalcaba routinely search the cells the rank of captain within a years. Beneath dark Ray-Ban-style glasses until he ended up firing three bullets at man... In an interview last year, Zilversmit said Lizard and his FBI handlers put on. A small star on his forehead suggested hed killed someone in prison Norteo-Sureo war those,. Gang member, pulling off smash-and-grab robberies of jewelry stores these people hed up... Belonged to either group until he ended up firing three bullets at the FBI and dubbed Operation Black Widow youll! East Coast, a compilation called Cuete defendants and get him his own trial been out! Turned 25, Dyno had carved his own trial the legal definition rests simply on a... Fbi and dubbed Operation Black Widow in June of 2001 Gratton stabbed an enemy in Corcoran, hadnt. Split on profits on May 18, 2000 an estimated three hundred homicides across Northern California six.
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