He rapped about how much money hed make, how famous hed get, how many women he could tag, how many people hed shoot. You see, this is Norte, he growls on Scrap Killa. X-I-V fourteen, dont ever ask me what I mean/I got the gat that will put you in the dirt/I piss on your grave with your mamas feelings hurt.. People like the extreme., He was one of the few who really got off their butts and did it, says Eduardo Crooked Quiroz, a rapper and filmmaker who has known Sir Dyno for ten years. And he got what he wanted., Out only three months, G.U.N. They dont want guys to get close; it blurs the lines. If you continue to listen to them, then youll be in there for life, too.'. Its not a good thing, said former San Quentin warden Vasquez. Cuete and Lizard proved just how far their reach extended in early 1999. After Gratton stabbed an enemy in Corcoran, he was transferred to Pelican Bays infamous Secured Housing Unit the college for prison gangsters. But recently, Lizard spoke on the phone with her, discussing their new lives. He took the gangs oath, Blood in, blood out, and rose to the rank of captain within a few years. Police1 is revolutionizing the way the law enforcement community Cuete arranged for the new hotshot to move into his cell. Anytime he drove out of the area, he had to call Ragan or his partner. But he was undergoing a lot. A few weeks later, the rapper signed a new contract with Dog Day Records and quickly released an album called Gang Stories. At the end of the trial, after Mr. Rocha spends four to six months sitting with other Latin males, the rest of whom are chained to the floor, how will jurors see him as an individual and judge him fairly in light of the limited evidence against him? they argue in one motion. January 22,2001 But at the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. You have permission to edit this article. You could see he was nervous, Holguin said. True to my nickname, he said, Im chameleon-like, and can blend in. He would be the highest-ranking brother on the streets, responsible for overseeing the gangs battalions and communicating back to the generals. Back among the general prison population, Lizard reported to his ranking captain, Gerald Cuete Rubalcaba, one of the gangs most revered members. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The job seemed like a good fit. Lizard reminded his brothers about the warriors in Pelican Bay. who joined the FBI and other agencies in an investigation of street 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. The consequences that the gangs have caused in society have given rise to two effects, which are the most outstanding: gang violence and citizen insecurity. But while prosecutors were assembling their final case against the gang, Lizard was drug-tested as part of the terms of his release. According to grand jury testimony from family members, Bobs wife was just about to call him in for dinner when a Ford Explorer pulled up to the curb. 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. Man, Im from the streets. But once youre in the gang, you have a choice as to how high you want to go. Under federal law, its rather easy to be declared a coconspirator in a RICO case. The rapper arrived dressed in neatly pressed beige Dickies pants, spotless work boots, and an untucked flannel-print shirt a vato in his Sunday best, mumbling his apologies. Now, the legal definition rests simply on whether a person has a slight connection to the mob. They were Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, my pal Lizard Hernandez, and Robert "Huero" Gratton. 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. 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. The guys I played with didnt care Norteo, Sureo, or what side you were on. [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. Not at all coincidentally, Pelican Bay also has become the headquarters of Nuestra Familia. He could shank n roll, as the prisoners say. Lizard and Nato were both soon paroled. Were moving your ass. Fourteen of those charged in federal court in Los Angeles and Santa Ana . I was giving them a taste of something they wanted for a long time. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). They were, according to the government, members of Nuestra Familia, Northern Californias most notorious and ruthless prison gang. The rationale for the federal case, officials said, was to cripple the gang's power base . But Lizards exploits show how prison policies adopted to control gangs such as Nuestra Familia may actually have helped them bloom. Rocha then asked for what was he being arrested, indicating he did not understand the charge. Sir Dyno believed hed just made a wise career choice. I was showing them everything., Today, Lizard said he flipped because he was tired of people pushing their own agendas. Lizard hadnt, so Nato schooled him on the long-standing war. He reiterated that he told Martinez clearly: no bloodshed., How could I order the hit? he asked. Like a religious convert eager to please his superiors, Lizards first efforts impressed his would-be peers. The album would preach the unification of norteos Chicanos born north of an invisible border located somewhere around Fresno who, once inside the prison system, were eligible to join Nuestra Familia. federal racketeering case, according to court papers. Thats when Lizard began his career as a rider an inmate prone to acting violently toward fellow inmates. I told him, I know exactly who you are,' Holguin recalled. You have entered an incorrect email address. According to prison officials, gang leaders could arrange such deals by offering to keep the peace. "He's trying to regroup these guys. Inside the state prison system, norteos side with Nuestra Familias syndicates, and sureos with La Eme, aka the Mexican Mafia. Lizard was paroled to the outside world on May 18, 2000. 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. Rocha did not seem to understand the reason for the arrest or the charge. It was again explained to Rocha that Kelly was an FBI agent, and that Rocha was being placed under arrest for RICO conspiracy. On one Gang Stories track about issuing payback on the cops, a voice in the background calls out Detective Ribotas name, a suggestion to watch his back. Instead, he says, Gratton talked business. Daniel Lizard Hernandez was awakened by an FBI agent at 4 a.m. a few weeks ago. Now he had to prove he had a mind to match. He was all business, all the time.. Years earlier, a young Norteo paroled from Pelican Bay had given a Santa Rosa detective a lead into the prison gang. You cant smoke everybody that sells dope.. I said, Yeah, I could rap like that, whatever. Its different for her, he said. Copyright 2023 Roy Morales. Dyno has since expanded his own label, Darkroom Studios, starred in three independent movies, and penned a fictional autobiography about a gangster named Joaquin who takes up arms for the Zapatistas. I was all ready to go, Lizard recalled later. He is currently a gang instructor at the FBI Headquarter's in-service nationwide training program for field agents. That was their fuck-up. Lizard is unapologetic about his behavior, even today. Lizard said he beat Ruiz to a pulp with his fists, bringing his victim close to death. 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. 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. But I knew more about Cuete and his family, and he did about mine. If he stayed in Corcoran, hed have to watch his back for young Norteos. Gerald Marvin Rubalcaba of Visalia, age 45, was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance Violation Parole: Felony Reckless Driving Evading P.O. SAN JOSE - A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 17 defendants with racketeering conspiracy, including acts involving murder, robbery, drug trafficking, and money laundering, and charging five others with drug trafficking-related crimes. In the months since federal officials brought indictments based on the evidence he helped them gather, Lizard told his tale from within the confines of protective custody via letters and telephone interviews. If the underbosses suspected that he was the target of an investigation, they might shun him or worse. A from-the-top down, command and control, rigidly structured operator who wouldn't let subordinates exercise any personal initiative. Lizard returned to the Bay Area and worked closely with FBI Agent Sean Ragan. Gratton stands only five foot seven, but his bold tattoos did the talking. He already was serving a life sentence for murder in Pelican Bay State Prison, but now he was under indictment for ordering a hit on an underboss named Miguel Mikio Castillo. 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. But such divisions run deeper among Mexican Americans than among other Californians. When he entered Corcoran State Prison in 1989 for selling cocaine, he joined Nuestra Raza, a recruiting gang for the more esteemed Nuestra Familia. According to transcripts, two carnals, Israel Silent Mendoza and Anthony Morales, brought Lizard sixty grams of negra, black-tar heroin to sell, use, or barter. The case grew out of information developed by Santa Rosa Police, 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. Copyright Weeklys All rights reserved. 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. He told Ramirez there should be no bloodshed. But then he added: If something comes at us, you cant help it. They didnt care about agendas like that.. Of course, once the hit list is reactivated, Lizard knows that his name will sit at the very top. Rapper David Rocha thought a norteo gangsta CD was his ticket to glory -- not life in prison. David Rochas arrest report depicts a guy caught off guard. I was ready to go, he recalled. Once the government proves the existence of a criminal organization like Nuestra Familia, evidence establishing beyond a reasonable doubt defendants connection with the conspiracy, even though the connection is slight, is sufficient to convict defendant. If the legal standard is a slight connection, then the CD and videos where Gratton and Sir Dyno appear side by side as brothers in crime may prove overkill. In November 1998, he was pulled over on a traffic violation. Im wearing a wire. In August 1998, the CD appeared on the radar of Tim Helton, an investigator on Modestos Street Terrorism and Apprehension Team. Rocha still did not understand the charge or why he was being placed into custody. Theyre trying to say that when I met Robert Gratton I started selling drugs for him, and to finance the G.U.N. Arresting the majority of the defendants was easy; they were already in prison. Using confidential informants, investigators said they've His teen angst surfaced one day when he threatened to kill his vice principal. Frias used a pay phone to call another gang member, Roque Boxer Martinez, who said he would bring a .22 and meet Frias in the parking lot. All Gratton needed was a rapper. But on his way out the door, the veteran agent made Lizard an offer. But compared to allegations lobbed by San Francisco attorney Marc Zilversmit, the drug and money violations turned out to be the least of the governments worries. He was a long way from his former East Bay stomping grounds, and hadnt dared visit his wife and children, who still lived locally. He was as bright and loyal as they came, so Cuete could trust him.. By now, rumors were swirling that G.U.N. 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. ', All of the early motions from Gruel and his team of US prosecutors pointed only to Sir Dynos role in making the album. It sold, and he knew why. 15 year old Carlos "Casper" Silva a Preston parolee is arrested murders 3 people witin a seven week span on behalf of Nuestra familia. He kept a stable of flashy cars, but favored a cherried-out 1969 Impala with a vanity license plate that read NORTENO.. December 12, 1976. Thousands bought the album in the major record chains like Sam Goody's. The Norte-os are trying to establish (in Salinas) but every time they try to, there's shootouts." In September, the final eight defendants pleaded guilty, following the first thirteen members indicted. gang's leaders communicated by some form of secret code within the He told his commander that hed received an order from Cuete to kill two deputy district attorneys, a husband and wife team in San Jose named Kitty and Charles Constantinides. Lizard also sent Crazy Girl a decoding list, known in FBI documents as The Salutation Code. In each letter he wrote, the greeting unlocked a key to the rest of the letter. Its the life story of a petty hood who reached his full criminal potential only afterentering the California prison system. He returned to San Quentin in June of 1994 to begin his sentence. Its rise even exceeded the mushrooming growth of the greater California prison population. Lizard recalled feeling nothing in the aftermath of the hit. But nowhere on the CD, or in the lyrics, do the words Nuestra Familia appear. In a way, its a compliment to me. 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. With most prison gangs who try and use the mail, theres a big lag time things get lost, hits get reversed so theres a lot of miscommunication. 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. 305. Lizard hinted in his early letters that hed be sending more important documents for his legal case. In actuality, he sent a list of code names using Aztec and Spanish words. These divisions werent just cultural. But one year later, his family moved to Long Beach, the heart of Sureo country. Not only had he given up his post on the street, but now theyd be suspicious that he was a narc. They taught him to grind down plastic shampoo bottles into shanks for knifing an attacker, and to roll up the pages of National Geographic as makeshift spear handles. 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. They were drooling, Lizard later wrote. Gratton was also using heroin, another mistake in the eyes of the gang. 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. And what had germinated inside the prisons was now blooming all across California. 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. If they come for him, he said, he worries only for them, his enemies. Gang affiliation in California is often a matter of geography, but for Daniel Hernandez it wasnt that simple. 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. One of the gangs living legends had recently been paroled. 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