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But recently, Lizard spoke on the phone with her, discussing their new lives. 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. His alleged crime is conspiracy in other words, simply having associated with the men sitting beside him. In all, 21 people were indicted in the FBIs three-year investigation into Nuestra Familia, code-named Operation Black Widow. Police dogs sniffed through his car and came up with three ounces of crystal meth. And I wanted to go high.. Its a tough call. 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. In fact, the 31-year-old gangsta rapper, whose real name is David Rocha, wanted nothing more than to distance himself from his codefendants. Blacks sided with the Black Guerrilla Family or the Five Percenters. You have entered an incorrect email address! The founder of the failed company is Sam Bankman-Fried. We cut off the head of the snake, but it will grow back, said Special Agent Holguin. Click here to read the Nuestra Familia constitution. He said he knows they may try to find him, but that he will not hide. Hes had plenty of time to contemplate. Since then, district attorneys from five NorCal counties had teamed up to share unsolved homicide files on dead Norteos. Gratton stands only five foot seven, but his bold tattoos did the talking. If Nuestra Familia invested in meth labs, a network was already in place. 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. Its not like her life used to be.. At the time, Operation Black Widow was just getting under way, and Grattons blueprint to the gangs hierarchy was invaluable. In November 1986, Lizard tried out these new skills on another inmate and was transferred to San Quentin. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu, Copyright 2013 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved, New police chief hired at N.C. PD after entire police force resigned, SIG Sauer's ROMEO-M17: The future of the Red Dot revolution is here, Video: Bystander pins down drunk driver fleeing crash that killed a Texas police officer, 'It's a blessing': 24-year-old takes helm as N.C. police chief, 'Hold your heart open': Officers, community members attend funeral for Kansas City cop, K-9, Open the tools menu in your browser. Together, Nato and Lizard robbed drug dealers, committed petty crimes, and raised funds for their carnals back inside. Lizard said Cuete asked him to establish a line of communication that couldnt be detected by guards. Gratton had been deployed by his bosses to run the gangs Zapatista crew, which operated in the Modesto, Tracy, and Turlock areas. The unit requires pin-drop silence from its inmates. In a way, its a compliment to me. I told him, I know exactly who you are,' Holguin recalled. The quickest way to get money back fast would be to release a norteo album. But I knew more about Cuete and his family, and he did about mine. Then he waited. After three decades, Nuestra Familia is now an institution on Northern California streets and is spreading rapidly through the suburbs of the Central Valley, gang investigator Lewis said. It was during that interrogation Sir Dyno says he first learned about Grattons connections to Nuestra Familia. Lizard was paroled to the outside world on May 18, 2000. Anytime he drove out of the area, he had to call Ragan or his partner. The rappers story varies somewhat depending on whos doing the telling. The largest and most feared Latino prison gang was the Sureo-based Mexican Mafia, or La Eme. His wife had declined to enter witness protection until the trial arrived. They also hardened into gang boundaries on the streets. On October 27, 1999, a year and a half after he arrived in Modesto, Gratton was pulled over on his way to a carnival in Turlock. They werent following what NF was about, he said. He suggested that gang members cook our own shit to gain control, saying he could make twenty pounds of raw meth in one batch. Police surmise that the order was responsible for many of the shootings in Salinas in 2007, which increased by 50 percent over 2006 levels. On his first day of freedom, according to Grattons account, a norteo named Big Smokey met him at the bus terminal, set him up with $5,000 in cash, a 9mm pistol, and a condom. For now, at least, the final guilty pleas appeared to have pruned back the Blooming Flower. Gratton knew nothing about the music business, but he had bricks of cash and a simple plan: to produce a rap CD that would work as a recruiting tool for Nuestra Familia and also serve to launder the gangs drug money. dozens of murders while imprisoned at Pelican Bay, including He was betraying these people hed come up with, people hed been close to. When the cheerleading coach broke the news to Katrina Kohel that she was the only one left on the cheer squad, Kohel was determined to compete anyway. Smiley replied that it was true, but not to worry no one was moving on it. That was their fuck-up. In hindsight, the move only solidified the stature of race-based gangs, said Daniel Vasquez, a former San Quentin prison warden and gang investigator. Theres no reason Id want him to go down.. Ramirez confided to Lizard that his own boss, Heredia, who would later be Zilversmits client, wanted to go to war. What to do? I even convinced the government that Im this crazy guy.. The deep trouble in which he now finds himself has everything to do with his performance on a gang-funded rap CD titled Generations of United Norteos Till Eternity. After a Nuestra Familia-led intifada left Folsom State Prison wet with blood, officials transferred most if not all of that facilitys Norteos to other state institutions. His father sold vacuum cleaners; his mother was a housewife. His shackled codefendants didnt even look at him as he took his seat among them. The only problem is the limiting of audience outside Northern California., After costs for radio spots and posters and printing, the plan estimated profits of $21,051 on the first 4,000 units. A small minority within the gang has not transferred loyalty to Cervantes, Santa Cruz County's Morales said. Sir Dyno had only been to jail once, following his drug arrest. posters and CDs in his car, again cementing a link between the prison gang and local norteos. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The amount of violence attributed to the men inside the courtroom and their associates on the outside was staggering: fifteen killings, eighty conspiracies to murder, ten attempted murders, ten felony assaults, one hundred assaults, and two drive-by shootings. Hernandez has conducted himself as a cooperating witness with great dignity and character, a memo from the US Attorneys office stated. A from-the-top down, command and control, rigidly structured operator who wouldn't let subordinates exercise any personal initiative. Instead, he says, Gratton talked business. They let in only the guys who followed the rules to the T, and bought into the cause. One such order last year told Norte-os across Northern California to clean the streets of Sure-os. Lizard reminded his brothers about the warriors in Pelican Bay. If you say, I dont know, they say Where are you from? When you tell them, they direct you to that side of the prison. 15 year old Carlos "Casper" Silva a Preston parolee is arrested murders 3 people witin a seven week span on behalf of Nuestra familia. Not only had he given up his post on the street, but now theyd be suspicious that he was a narc. In September, the final eight defendants pleaded guilty, following the first thirteen members indicted. They formed their own gang: Nuestra Familia our family. On January 24, 2001, at the FBIs prodding, Lizard hosted a junta for local underbosses at a Motel 6 in Tracy. How could he go back in with Cuete wanting him dead? Theres nothing to prepare. Both were steeped in the Jehovahs Witnesses faith. Over the next four years, Lizard and Cuete masterminded and penned more than three thousand letters, according to an FBI report. The eradication was criticized by some prison gang experts, citing that Eme members now filled a power vacuum, and that future Norteos, outnumbered and alone, would only serve as bait. In the eyes of the law, that would make Sir Dyno a real-life gangster. Sir Dyno was born. For months, Dynos attorneys have been trying to distance their client from the rest of the defendants and get him his own trial. He said that was where he picked up the nickname Lizard, from friends who admired his clandestine nature.. Grattons wife was the cousin of a rapper named E-Clips, who at the time was a member of Darkroom Familia. 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. You cant smoke everybody that sells dope.. After Gratton stabbed an enemy in Corcoran, he was transferred to Pelican Bays infamous Secured Housing Unit the college for prison gangsters. They spent the next two days debriefing their new informant. You could see he was nervous, Holguin said. Sir Dyno believed hed just made a wise career choice. It was again explained to Rocha that Kelly was an FBI agent, and that Rocha was being placed under arrest for RICO conspiracy. Grattons information cast a domino effect, eventually leading to 21 cooperating witnesses for the government. Its not easy.. Lizard sent word to Big Smiley to corroborate this story. 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. The policy eventually trickled down to county and city jails and even the California Youth Authority. I told him, Listen. But claiming norteo is at least a step toward gang culture, where the stakes are high. Roy Morales. The only way to sell was to shock, he says. Salinas underboss Alberto Larez estimated that over the last ten years hed sent Cuete and the generals 40, 45 thousand dollars.. Holguin was well known to Nuestra Familia members hed interviewed hundreds of them during his three decades in the system. Days later, Big Smiley sent Lizard his own wilas, as well as books on Chicano history. Not at all coincidentally, Pelican Bay also has become the headquarters of Nuestra Familia. Nobody expects you to rap exactly what your life is. Cuete arranged for the new hotshot to move into his cell. Gang affiliation in California is often a matter of geography, but for Daniel Hernandez it wasnt that simple. Copyright Weeklys All rights reserved. While the recognized leaders of the Norteos in Pelican Bay ask that members respect the former leaders, they have been effectively stripped of their authority. Meanwhile, Daniel Lizard Hernandez is just one step away from his own day of reckoning, and from possibly reentering the outside world. was felt on the streets. This was reported to the informants state parole officer. He rapped about how much money hed make, how famous hed get, how many women he could tag, how many people hed shoot. According to prison officials, gang leaders could arrange such deals by offering to keep the peace. But a year into the case, the governments complaint against Sir Dyno shifted course. His teen angst surfaced one day when he threatened to kill his vice principal. He did not return letters seeking comment for this article. Happy was hardcore, with a permanent smile beneath his Fu Manchu mustache. Hes convinced hell get off scot-free. In the logic of the Chicano intrastate rivalry, there are norteos and sureos, and even if youre not running with the corner gang, youre still vulnerable to getting whacked by your enemy. It sold, and he knew why. Even though hed participated in many stabbings and beatings in prison, hed avoided detection for most of his crimes. I was showing them everything., Today, Lizard said he flipped because he was tired of people pushing their own agendas. Were moving your ass. If you say, Nothing, youre not gonna make it. He always offered to learn more and do more to serve the organization. Since flipping for the feds, Gratton is preparing to publish his story in a yet-to-be-released book, The Rise and Fall of Nuestra Familia. The idea was to create a music CD that would appeal to young Latinos and help recruit them into the ranks of the Nortenos, the breeding ground for hate toward the soldados of the Mexican Mafia. 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. Gerald Marvin Rubalcaba of Visalia, age 45, was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance Violation Parole: Felony Reckless Driving Evading P.O. As he awaits his new sentence, Lizard also awaits his new identity. For norteos, it was a rallying call, with a cruising, bounce-your-shocks soundtrack. He just happened to have this talent, and he put this talent to use.. Nato had worked his way up in the ranks from Norteo street thug to membership in the Nuestra Familia prison gang. Lizard said he beat Ruiz to a pulp with his fists, bringing his victim close to death. Californias most fearsome prison is located near the Oregon border, a windswept fortress surrounded by three walls and two barbed-wire fences. When he entered Corcoran State Prison in 1989 for selling cocaine, he joined Nuestra Raza, a recruiting gang for the more esteemed Nuestra Familia. Of course, once the hit list is reactivated, Lizard knows that his name will sit at the very top. Meanwhile, Lizard received government paychecks totaling more than $52,000 for his seven months of work, according to FBI reports. They dont want guys to get close; it blurs the lines. If they come for him, he said, he worries only for them, his enemies. But Wino rejected Lizard. walls at Pelican Bay State Prison to carry out the crimes. Theyre dwarfed by La Eme, but decided to become highly organized.. A general named Art Big Smiley Ramirez was transferred from Pelican Bay to the cell directly below his own. So Lizard flipped. He also was responsible for ensuring the battalions on the streets were holding fast against Sureos and sending drug profits to help pay the legal bills of their incarcerated generals. Theres blood on the governments hands here, he said. uncovered a hierarchy at Pelican Bay State Prison responsible for The system certainly creates you, makes you decide. Inside Corcoran State Prison, Lizard reported to the ranking commander and heard some troubling news. He hung out at the Modesto nightclub La Familia Garcias and set up a meth ring using known norteo gangsters as runners, an enterprise he now claims earned him $10,000 a day. It looked like they were unhappy with the content of G.U.N., Manson says, and thats why David was indicted for the content of his music. I also learned the informant was skimming money from the Nuestra Familia street leaders and not reporting this to me.. The guys I played with didnt care Norteo, Sureo, or what side you were on. 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