The Mexican Mafia: A Powerful and Ruthless Prison Gang
The Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme (meaning M in Spanish) was founded in California as a Mexican-American prison gang in the 1950s that become one of the most powerful and deadliest prison gangs in the United States. Their membership is in the hundreds while having tens of thousands of foot soldiers on the street ready and willing to carry out their orders in Southern California. La Eme is involved in a variety of criminal activities including drug trafficking, extortion, illegal gambling, assaults, kidnappings and murders. Once a member of the Mexican Mafia, there is no leaving the gang and those who try to leave will be executed. They are a blood in, blood out organization that shows no mercy to their rivals or those who violate their code of conduct.
The Mexican Mafia has rivals inside and outside of prison to include the Nuestra Familia prison gang who has northern California gang members knowns as Norteños working as foot soldiers for the organization. Their main source of income is drug trafficking and extortion of local businesses and drug dealers.
La Eme has had a history of “racial cleansing” against African-Americans and are enemies of many black gangs like the Black Guerilla Family a prison-based gang, Bloods and Crips which are violent street gangs based in southern California.
