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Martin "Tito" Ríos


Chef

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martin.pngMartin Joaquin Ríos Hidalgo (born on August 15th, 1971) is a  Mexican-American whom once served as a Sergeant within the U.S. Army and a outlaw motorcyclist who belongs to the nomadic club known as Verdugos MC. Martin's life began in the neighborhood of El Burro, located in the eastern region of Los Santos, San Andreas. He was the only child of his father Joaquin and mother Rosa María, who immigrated from Mexico in their early twenties to seek a better life in America. Being an only child, Martin found it difficult to form the social skills typically developed through interactions with other children within his age group. His father, Joaquin, struggled severely with an addiction to heroin which often drained the family of the little assets they did have. His mother struggled with a language barrier and a lack of formal education, leaving her to chase after small jobs around the neighborhood which barely kept the family afloat.

 

hood.png.af543b9973fbcd538c50175364161676.pngWith an unstable and neglectful household, Martin found himself in search for some type of acceptance within his life. He began getting into trouble with other local preteens, committing crimes such as drug distribution, theft, and muggings in order to earn himself respect within his circle, as well as some pocket change to keep himself alive. Martin discovered a sense of completion by associating himself with these cliques of troubled youth, feeling as though he was a part of something tangible, a brotherhood of his peers. Not only this, the gang culture catered to aspects of his budding sociopathic tendencies. He found a real enjoyment in the adrenaline-pumping activities in which he’d participate. By high-school, Martin was an initiated member of El Burro Heights Rifa XIII, a sureño gang which would ultimately become defunct by the early 2000s.

 

gang13.png.c4ee6df41df81f09f57458c5f1a8f9c5.pngThe year was 1988 and Martin found himself in his senior year of high school, just barely scraping by the years previous due to his lack of involvement in the classroom and his dedication to the destructive gangland lifestyle he’d began living. The era of the late 1980s was an interesting time in Los Santos. Gang activity had been on the rise since the start of the ‘80s with the crack epidemic, and high school environments had evolved into something more sinister, comparable to the yards of prison. Different cliques of various races formed together and often times clashed on school grounds, while the powers that be on the school board struggled to get a handle on the situation. This environment ultimately caused a media explosion in April of that year, and young Martin would find himself on the headline.

 

During a dispute in Martin’s high school cafeteria, he found himself face to face with a member of a rival African-American gang who had begun uttering threats and racial slurs towards the young man. What started as a verbal arguments escalated in the two getting physically violent, and finally climaxed when Martin struck the teen in the side of the head with a glass soda bottle. The teen fell to the ground, bleeding profusely while Martin continued to kick the student in his ribcage, shattering three rib bones within him. School security broke up the fight and police were brought in to apprehend Martin and some of the other students involved. He was taken to the local police station to be processed and charged with assault. The injured African-American teen was rushed to the hospital where he was emitted into the intensive care unit.

 

A few months later, Martin and three other Hispanic students with ties to the El Burro Heights Rifa XIII faced trial for the savage assault. They stood before a Mexican-American judge who, luckily for them, took some pity on them due to their rough upbringing in a neighborhood where “they didn’t even stand a chance,” as the judge was quoted. The other students in question would receive twelve months probation, and be forced to go through a behavioral correction program while completing hours of community service. Martin was given the same, but due to his deeper involvement in the assault, was made to agree that he would join the army once he became of age. He had no choice but to agree to the ultimatum he was handed.

 

zancudo02.png.eb777124431455e6ff1d5831aa84d76e.pngUpon turning 18 in August of 1989; Martin left home to begin basic training at Fort Zancudo. He struggled at first with the strict regiment, routines, and discipline that the drill sergeants demanded of him, but after awhile he conformed and began straightening himself out. He adapted to life within the military and even began to excel in his training. He enjoyed the fraternity in which being a part of a unit provided; something he lacked growing up and chased after in his years of gang activity. Martin would pass his basic training and go on to be stationed permanently at Fort Zancudo, climbing through military ranks to land a position as a sergeant.

 

In 1995 at age 24, Martin was given a bad conduct discharge from the U.S. army after he was caught having an inappropriate relationship with a senior female officer who was in charge of his unit. Martin was immediately made to pack his belongings and leave the military base, ultimately forcing  him to return to his old stomping grounds of El Burro.

 

Martin sought out employment with several establishments in the community, all of which turned out to be dead-ends once they heard of his past and reason for discharge. As his finances dwindled, Martin was eventually evicted from his apartment and forced to live on the streets. He began struggling with withdrawal from reality and alcohol addiction, coping once again with his endless need for acceptance and fraternity. It seemed luck was with Martin once again when he stumbled upon a man by the name of Armando "Pepe" Zayas, who took in Martin and helped rehabilitate him. Armando was a patched member of a motorcycle club known as Verdugos, who would bond with young Martin over respect for his military training and their shared culture. Armando helped him seek employment from a motorcycle garage in which he had invested, and began mentoring him in the life of a 1%er. It did not take Martin long before he would fall in love with the lifestyle of belonging to an outlaw MC. He saved up money through his new employment, got himself established, and purchased himself his first bike; a 1992 Harley Davidson Fat Bob Custom. It was around this time he began his prospect phase for Verdugos.

 

hog.png.d066677899d0a88d2b1ff8576dfebd27.pngIn 1997, a year and a half after having embarked on his journey as a prospect, Martin was called upon by Armando, the other patched members and the officers of Verdugos to attend a meeting and their weekly chapter gathering, known in club culture as “church.” When Martin entered the room, he was brought face to face with Armando who beckoned him forward without uttering a word. The president at the time spoke a few words about the club’s roots, and how everyone in that room shared a sacrifice and honor of being bound together as a brotherhood. The president explained that Martin had come a long way in prospect tenure, and that those who stood before him in the room believed he was ready to take the next step. At this time, the president gave a nod to Armando, who squared up and socked Martin in the jaw as hard as he could. Martin tripped backwards and was caught by the patch holders behind him, who straightened Martin up and pushed him back in front of Armando. Armando looked him in the eyes and said in Spanish: “Now make me bleed too, brother.” Martin, obviously confused by the situation, was somewhat hesitant but eventually returned the hit to Armando, causing him to bleed from his lip as well. The president spoke up, and told the pair to spit the blood into their palms and shake hands as men. Upon doing so, he explained that the duo were now bound in blood as family, in the name of the Verdugos MC. Everyone in the room around the two applauded, and Armando embraced Martin before handing him his cut bearing the full patch of Verdugos MC. He was now officially part of the fraternity.

 

 

As a full member of the motorcycle club, Martin began uncovering another side to the club he had not yet experienced. Although never referred to as a criminal organization, many MCs including Verdugos have members which walk a thin line between lives of criminality, which often comes with the 1%er lifestyle. Under Armando’s wing, Martin was looped into a drug trafficking operation with many other MC affiliates. The operation, which crossed state lines, originated from back in the early days of the club’s formation. Over the years, the smuggling route had become increasingly dangerous as other larger clubs sought to take a piece of the action; upset by Verdugos crossing their states and not sending a cut their way. The tension never erupted into full scale war but did bring casualties along the way, which was why Armando was hoping Martin’s fresh perspective over the situation could prove valuable. Martin’s suggestion? Move away from crossing into other club’s turf, and look for the answer south of border.

 

The MC was no stranger of the Mexican cartels operating a few hundred miles south of Los Santos. Armando had close connection to high ranking members of the Mexican Mafia from his prison stints, and those individuals introduced the MC to numerous shady individuals involved in notorious organizations such as Sinaloa cartel. Martin himself held relation to the cartel through an estranged cousin by the name of Javier Hidalgo, a man who was suspected by DEA and ATF of controlling the San Andreas-Mexico smuggling routes. Martin managed to get in contact with Javier, and offered up his services to the cartel in exchange for protection in their routes as well as steady income for the club. In exchange, Martin had to get the cartel what they most needed - firearms.

 

It is believed the Martin was able to acquire firearms for the cartel by using an existing relationship he had with active members of the U.S. army based in Fort Zancudo. These individuals, with crooked backgrounds similar to Martin, were in charge of keeping track of and documenting all equipment which was owned by the army. Another part of their job was the destruction of weapons which were church.png.02486af67bc02a5a9f19534a5bcfdc5a.pngdecommissioned by the military. Many of these weapons, although non-existent on paper, were stashed away illegally outside of the army. Martin would purchase these decommissioned military wares to distribute among the cartel connection and other affiliates with which the club conducted business. 
 

In 1999, due to health complications, the long reigning President of the Verdugos motorcycle club passed away. This left a power gap to be filled by a voting of the club’s patched members and officers. Although proper procedure was followed, it was obvious that the one true fit for the role was Armando “Pepe” Zayas, whom had been one of the founding fathers. Armando was nominated, and subsequently voted unanimously by the chapter as a whole. Unlike other clubs of their nature, Verdugos does not hold a vote to decide the positions of Vice President and Sergeant-At-Arms; the second and third in command respectively. These ranks are selected by the President himself, leaving the roles of Secretary, Treasurer, and Road Captain to be chosen by a voting of their peers. With the election of the club’s newest President, it was time for new individuals to step up to the plate to become leading officers of the chapter. Armando decided to select Andres “Flint” Villegas to be his second in command as Vice President, and saw no one else appropriate for the senior enforcer role than Martin Ríos himself. He was patched in as the club’s Sergeant-At-Arms just before the dawn of the new millennium. 

 

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(To be updated.)

Edited by Chef
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