Mexican Mafia

The Mexican Mafia is a Mexican American crime organization. It began in the United States, not Mexico. [1]

Mexican Mafia
The primary symbol used by La eMe
Founded1957 (1957)[1][2][3][4]
InDeuel Vocational Institution, California, United States[1][3][4]
Years active1957–present[1]
TerritoryWest Coast and Southwestern United States,[5] and throughout the federal prison system[6] and California prison system[6]
EthnicityMexican American[5]
Membership250–300 "made" members[6][7]
Criminal activitiesDrug trafficking, extortion, illegal gambling, prostitution, assault and murder[5]
Allies
Rivals

The Mexican Mafia (Spanish: Mafia Mexicana), also known as La eMe (Spanish for "the M"), is a mostly Mexican American prison gang and criminal organization in the United States.[1][3] The gang formed in the United States, not Mexico, despite its name.

The Mexican Mafia is one of the most powerful and violent prison gangs in the United States.[28] The U.S. Government considers it to be "among the most powerful, dangerous and feared criminal organizations in the world".[7]

Estimates say there are around 350 to 400 Mexican Mafia members in U.S. prisons today.[29] Additionally, the gang has tens of thousands of "foot soldiers" in street gangs throughout the state of California.[29]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Mexican Mafia. (2012). The History Channel website. Retrieved 10:45, February 2, 2012, from http://www.history.com/shows/gangland/articles/mexican-mafia.
  2. ↑ Rafael, T. (2007). The Mexican Mafia. p. 171–185, 237–267. New York: Encounter Books.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Mallory, Stephen L. (2012). Understanding organized crime (2nd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. pp. 218–220. ISBN 9781449622572.
  4. 1 2 Ortega, F. (February 8, 2008). Mexican mafia's roots run deep in san gabriel valley. The Whittier Daily News. Retrieved from "Mexican Mafia's roots run deep in San Gabriel Valley - Whittier Daily News". Archived from the original on April 10, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 Prison Gangs justice.gov (May 11, 2015)
  6. 1 2 3 Lawrence, E. F. U.S. Government Accountability Office, (2010). Combating gangs: Federal agencies have implemented a central american [sic] gang strategy, but could strengthen oversight and measurement of efforts (GAO-10-395). Retrieved from website: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-395
  7. 1 2 U.S. v. Shryock casetext.com (June 2, 2003)
  8. 1 2 Roots of the Armenian Power Gang Richard Valdemar, policemag.com (March 1, 2011) Archived March 27, 2023, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ "California Prison Gangs - The Price of Control". December 1982. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  10. ↑ La Cosa Nostra: Alive and Kicking Richard Valdemar, PoliceMag.com (March 14, 2011) Archived April 27, 2023, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ Christie 2016, p. 130.
  12. ↑ Former Prison Gang Leader Killed on Street Julian Guthrie, San Francisco Chronicle (March 25, 2001) Archived January 1, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ Morales, Gabriel C. (2013). The history of the Mexican Mafia : (la eMe). Scotts Valley, California: Create Space Independent Publishers. ISBN 978-1492711674.
  14. ↑ Langton, Jerry (2011). Gangland : the rise of the Mexican drug cartels from El Paso to Vancouver. Mississauga, Ont.: J. Wiley & Sons Canada. pp. 118–146. ISBN 978-1118014271.
  15. ↑ Chrystal, Chris (October 22, 1980). "Aladena 'Jimmy the Weasel' Fratianno boasted in a taped..." Los Angeles: UPI. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  16. 1 2 3 Florida Department of Corrections. "Prison Gangs (continued) – Gangs and Security Threat Group Awareness". Florida Department of Corrections. Archived from the original on 2010-03-12. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  17. ↑ The Infamous 'One Percenters': A Review of the Criminality, Subculture, and Structure of Modern Biker Gangs Danielle Shields (2012) Archived November 29, 2022, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ Bryjak, G. J.; Barkan, S. E. (2011). Fundamentals of criminal justice : a sociological view. Sudbury, Massacheusetts: Jones & Bartlett Learning. pp. 115. ISBN 9780763754242.
  19. ↑ Blankstein, A., & Linthicum, K. (February 17, 2011). Raids targeting armenian gang net 74 fraud suspects. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-feb-17-la-me-0217-armenian-gang-20110217-story.html
  20. ↑ Barkan, Steven; Bryjak, George (28 January 2011). Fundamentals of Criminal Justice: A Sociological View. Jones & Bartlett Learning. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-7637-5424-2.
  21. ↑ "Mexican Mafia: The Most Dangerous Gang". 12 April 2010. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  22. ↑ Organized Crime in California Annual Report 2007-08 Attorney General of California (2008)
  23. ↑ "The Mongol Motorcycle Gang and the Mexican Mafia". Police Magazine. 21 January 2008. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  24. ↑ "America's 11 Most Powerful Prison Gangs". Business Insider.
  25. ↑ Bruneau, Thomas; Dammert, Lucia; Skinner, Elizabeth, eds. (December 2011). Maras: Gang Violence and Security in Central America. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press. pp. 3, 23–34, 27–30, 32, 259. ISBN 978-0292742437. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  26. ↑ Nuestra Familia. (2012). The History Channel website. Retrieved 10:59, February 2, 2012, from "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link).
  27. ↑ Blatchford, Chris (2008). The black hand : the bloody rise and redemption of "Boxer" Enriquez, a Mexican mob killer (1st ed.). New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 9780061257292. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Prison Gangs: Inmates Battle for Control | Office of Justice Programs". www.ojp.gov. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  29. 1 2 "Mexican Mafia | Gang, Prison, Description, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
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