Search the Community

Stoner from the Valley

HISTORY This history is written by Big Rock an NF member dating back to the 1970s that schooled John "Boxer" Mendoza, this is his account of the true history of the Nuestra Familia. In 1952, the Aryan Brotherhood (AB) was the first prison gang to evolve and organize itself with the ability to threaten the rest of the prison population. They functioned under a no-ethnic boundary policy, basically preying on the weak and vulnerable. They did this proficiently with sheer numbers. It didn't matter if you were black, Mexican, Asian, another race, or even a non-affiliated white, you became susceptible to being attacked and were open game to being targeted. As the majority of other inmates weren't organized and stood alone, they didn't a chance and became effortless victims. A few years late in 1957, an individual by the name Luis "Huero Buff" Flores from a neighborhood in East LA called "The Hawaiian Gardens" founded another group who began calling itself "La Mexicana." This was a Hispanic prison gang which formed to protect Hispanic inmates from other prison clicks, such as the Aryan Brotherhood. Huero Buff's vision was to bring all the street gangs in LA together to form a super gang in prison. Once La Mexicana had firmly established its presence within the prison system, a symbolic working arrangement was established amongst them and the AB's. They had full control over all the illegal activities that took place within the prison system (i.e., gambling rings, extortion, prostitution, distribution of narcotics, etc). All the same illicit activities that happen on the streets are also prevalent in prison. Over the next few years, these La Mexicana members grew in numbers and began turning their aggression toward the non-affiliated Hispanic inmates. They began taking their personal possessions, strong-arming them and taxing them under the threat of violence. Basically, you had to pay them not to assault you so you could do your time without being subjected to their inflictions. Huero Buff would later change the group's title to the Mexican Mafia. However, some of the hardline members felt as if this title was too closely associated with the Italian Mafia, and in turn, began pushing for a new name. Rudy "Cheyenne" Cadena, one of the group's co-founders, introduced the abbreviated name "La EME." Cadena was also one of the group's prestigious visionaries. The term La EME (Spanish for the letter "M") satisfied the hardliners but the title Mexican Mafia still remained. As the EME's abusements continued, some of the non-affiliated Hispanics grew tired of EME's transgressions and began banding together in Soledad State Prison. They talked about taking a stand in clandestine meetings, but fierce reputations of the Aryan Brotherhood and the Mexican Mafia held them back. The group eventually grew bolder and began identifying itself as "La Familia" (The Family). The founders of the group were "Lil John" from the Valley, Gonzalo "Chalo" Hernandez from Bakersfield, Huero Morgan from Clanton, Freddy Gonzalez from San Diego, and "Sammy" from New Mexico. Lil John became the group's "Padre" (Father) and Chalo acted as his second-in-command. Lil John and Chalo wrote guidelines for the group but the group remained somewhat clandestine. Small pockets of the group began popping up in other prisons and small skirmishes broke out. But nobody seemed to take notice that this was another group evolving. They waived these sporadic incidents off as isolated incidents but this still became more frequent. In 1965, two La Familia members were attacked and murdered in San Quentin, Phillip Neri, and Sonny Pena. This escalated tensions even more. On September 15 1968, an EME member by the name of Carlos "Carlitos" Ortega stole a pair of state boots belonging to a La Familia member by the name of Hector Padilla and gave them to a fellow EME member by the of Robert "Robot" Salas from Big Hazard in Boyle Heights. Salas wore the boots to the yard and eventually confronted by Padilla. Salas, in turn, stabbed Padilla, paving the way for one of the most infamous prison stories in the two group's histories, known as the "shoe war." The following day, on September 16, 1968, La Familia decided that enough was enough and launched a full-scale attack against the EME in San Quentin. This was also done in conjunction with the day landing on the Mexican Independence Day. They launched their assault in South Block's Alpine Section at the final unlock. The full-scale press resulted in seven EME members being stabbed and one killed. More deaths would have occurred but the EME members who were being attacked began running and locking themselves in their cells. The NF's erupted that day and the EME's vulnerability was exposed. This was the beginning of a long-standing blood bath, and some of the main perpetrators were being transferred to Chino State Prison where they began establishing this as one of their strongholds. The prison administration had unknowingly facilitated the war throughout the whole prison system by making those transfers. This day was now recognized as the first day La Familia took a stand against the EME and is honored as the Familias' anniversary, September 16, 1968. After La Familia's attack on the EME, its ranks and numbers began to flourish so rapidly that the California Department of Corrections began calling it the "Blooming Flower." The recruitment procedures actually had to be revised and the books were closed, as there were just too many members getting pulled. It became a blood fest. The EME has finally been brought to its knees and everybody who had grown tired or had suffered inflictions at their hands now wanted to become a member of La Familia. The paradox created a vast change in La Familia's recruiting procedures. Meanwhile, Cheyenne, who helped co-found the group, emerged as a prominent leader for the EME. Coincidentally, he was childhood friends with Chalo, who was one of La Familia's founders. Cheyenne embarked on a personal crusade to forge a truce with La Familia and approached Chalo with his intentions. Cheyenne, being a devout believer in his Mexican heritage, stood strongly against Mexicans killing Mexicans. He genuinely wanted to stop the conflict. It was a vision of his to bring the two groups together, for the purpose of creating a super gang. He wanted to create a unified, legitimate, political organization, similar to the Black Panther Party. Meanwhile, Robert "Babo" Sosa from Santa Barbara emerged as La Familia's supreme commander. He appointed Joe "Death Row Joe" Gonzales as his second-in-command and together they began reorganizing the group under a paramilitary structure. Captains, Lieutenants, and Generals were appointed. The NF's visionary criminal genius, Death Row Joe, installed the organization's foundations and drafts the group's first set of goals, objectives, and by-laws. This was called the Constitution, or La Biblia (Bible). They also changed the title to La Nuestra Familia. Chalo ended up getting transferred to Chino State Prison where he still holds sway within the group but is now an underling to Babo and his chain of command. Cheyenne, knowing that his best chance at prevailing on the truce lies with Chalo, convinced the prison administration to transfer him there so he could make the proposition. By now, the prison administration had become desperate, after seeing the level of violence and the escalation of prison murders. They agreed to transfer Cheyenne as a last-ditch countercharge. When Cheyenne got to Chino, he approached Chalo about the truce. But Chalo told him that he would discuss it with Death Row Joe, as they're the ones who had the authority to make the decision. Meanwhile, another up and coming member of the EME by the name of Joe "Peg Leg" Morgan, began plotting to sabotage Cheyenne's efforts. Morgan wanted exclusive control over the mainlines and all the prisons. He had no interest in sharing this power. He looked at a truce as a form of bowing out and surrendering. Morgan also began growing tired of Cheyenne's personal indiscretions and began to view Cheyenne as a prison politician who was steadily losing sight of EME's best interests. He felt that Cheyenne's purpose had become self-serving and that he had become a fallen Emero. For the sole purpose of sabotaging Cheyenne's efforts, Morgan ordered four EME soldiers to attack and stab the Arenda brothers. Gilbert and Santos Arenda were both NF members from Maravilla, who were housed in another area of the prison. This was being done simultaneously during the time Cheyenne was approaching Chalo. When the Arenda brothers were stabbed, Babo and Death Row Joe assumed that Cheyenne was in on it the whole time and that his propositions about a truce were nothing more than a ploy and a deceptive diversionary tactic. Morgan's plan had worked. This resulted in Cheyenne becoming a marked man. It was decided that he had to pay for this with his life. Because of this, some could argue Morgan's own indiscretions became the motivating force in Cheyenne's death. Cheyenne suddenly realized that his power had completely disintegrated and that he had no longer held influence in the Mexican Mafia. Cheyenne met an inglorious and ungraceful death that day. He had no idea he was about to be killed and assumed that his childhood friend, Chalo, wouldn't allow this to happen. The NF didn't give Cheyenne any reason to believe that he was about to meet his demise that day either. This was initiated by complete surprise. The misrepresentations come from the significant blow to the EME's ego, and in some ways, to ameliorate the EME's conscience that one of their highest placed members had been taken out by a group who they considered inferior, or as they say "by a bunch of farmers." The fact remains that the Nuestra Familia emerged as a countervailing force and, whether the EME accepted this veracity or not, a group to be reckoned with. On December 17, 1972, Cheyenne exited his and was attacked with another EME member by the name of Bobby Zapata. Cheyenne was stabbed more than seventy times and then thrown over the tier. Once Eddie "Crackers" Vindiola, Frank "Joker" Mendoza, and Juan "Manzana" Colon finished stabbing him and threw him over the tier, Ray "Tiny" Contreras continued to stab him and eventually finished him off. By now, the EME began to worry that they were losing the war. Cheyenne's murder ignited a blood fest. The Nuestra Familia had tasted blood and all EME members now became targets. NF's offensive action became a phenomenal inspiration throughout the entire prison system. They became the voice and guiding light of all those that had been oppressed and tormented at the behest of the EME. Marrying Nancy Flores Marrying Nancy Flores is a formal term used by familianos to begin your induction also formally known as La Señora into the Nuestra Familia. Members undergoing La Señora, undergo schooling and series of tests are schooled on the history of the organization and must learn the Nuestra Familia's constitution, it is mandatory that all NR members memorize the 14 bond and the constitution also referred to as "The Bible." During La Señora their sponsor teaches members about Greys Anatomy to become prolific killers and study Eastern philosophy, Mao Sing, Socrates, Machiavelli and revolutionary writings to help develop militant and guerilla warfare mentality, the ethos of the organization is built on a paramilitary structure. They are also required to understand the concept and significance of the NF insignia, the Mexican sombrero with the dagger piercing through it. The hat symbolizes the Mexican heritage and the dagger represents the violent nature of the Organisation. There's a draw-string or braided rope attached to the sombrero which is supposed to characterize a unified unbreakable chain of NF members. At the tip of the dagger, there are three drops of blood. Each drop has its own individual meaning. One drop is for all the enemy blood that has been spilled in the course of a battle, the second drop is for all those members who have sacrificed their lives defending the Organisation, and the remaining drop is for all those members who turn coward, traitor or deserter. (Blood in, Blood out.)