gerald cuete'' rubalcaba

It sold, and he knew why. He could shank n roll, as the prisoners say. 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. Not only was there one less Sureo, but Lizard also showed a knack for attacking without detection. In early 1998, fellow La Mesa heavyweight Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba ordered Viramontes dead. At first, Sir Dynos lead attorney Rosalind Manson thought she had a slam-dunk, a bring-on-the-First Amendment, lets-end-it-now case. Its a tough call. He folded up the missive, stuck it to a piece of gum, and dangled it into Smileys cell using a thread of elastic hed plucked from his waistband. He wanted gang members to start cooking the drug themselves. He told them about the codes, the phony law firm, the bank accounts. He oversaw battalions across the greater Bay Area, and relayed their progress to his bosses back inside. To the FBIs delight, he also boasted about his existing Ecstasy ring, which was clearing a few thousand dollars a week. [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. He complained again that his overhead was too high; he had to charge $3,200 per pound of meth, while his competitors were selling it at $2,600 to $2,800. He told the young man that if he wanted to be recognized by Nuestra Familia, he could appeal to the generals. Besides directing the tone of the project, Gratton asked to narrate the intro. Sir Dyno, however, isnt charged with any individual crime, just one count of RICO conspiracy, and his connection to that crime seems to be largely related to his performance on Generations of United Norteos. From the prisons to the jails, all over California, you have to claim a side, Vasquez said. In an interview last year, Zilversmit said Lizard and his FBI handlers were culpable in the death of Sanchez. A few years earlier, the two attorneys had nailed former general Pinky Hernandez for ordering a murder, and Cuete wanted to offer their coffins as a gift to Pinky. The case grew out of information developed by Santa Rosa Police, Daniel Hernandez sends a red line to several imprisoned (NF) leaders recommeding the impeachment of (NF) General Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba and lieutenant Sheldon Villanueva. Holguin was well known to Nuestra Familia members hed interviewed hundreds of them during his three decades in the system. But a year into the case, the governments complaint against Sir Dyno shifted course. But at the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. Whatever it is, you gotta go to the extreme. promotional posters around town and learning from a confidential informant that Robert Gratton, one of the faces on the posters, was financing North Star from meth sales. And one critic of his tenure as an informant even charges that the FBIs leash on Lizard was so loose that the government turned a blind eye to the killing of a Salinas drug dealer. After all, race-based prison gang violence dominates Californias prison system, according to a 2002 report from the California State Department of Justice. He just happened to have this talent, and he put this talent to use.. Even outside prison, members were expected to remain loyal to the gang. Lizard has a thick handlebar mustache, broad shoulders, and is engraved with prison tattoos in Old English script. Consider this reasoning using an unrelated example: All chickens are bipeds; John Ashcroft is a biped. The next rung of leaders in Pelican Bay includes Daniel "Stork" Perez of Salinas; Anthony "Chuco" Guillen of San Jose, who was involved in the murder of a Nuestra Familia member there and is serving a 25-year sentence; and George "Puppet" Franco, 39, from San Jose, responsible for the gang's activities in Stockton, Tracy and Fresno. Hernandez has conducted himself as a cooperating witness with great dignity and character, a memo from the US Attorneys office stated. It was explained to Rocha that the RICO charge had to do with racketeering and his involvement with Nuestra Familia prison gang; specifically in the creating of the Generations of United Norteos compact disc and how the CD was financed. Vallejo is raising concerns about water. But nowhere on the CD, or in the lyrics, do the words Nuestra Familia appear. They formed their own gang: Nuestra Familia our family. His middle-class Long Beach upbringing was spent golfing, surfing, and skateboarding. But Lizard hadnt exactly gone straight. Thats when Lizard began his career as a rider an inmate prone to acting violently toward fellow inmates. But witnesses corralled by police later refused to work with the district attorney. But as his FBI handlers dug further into Lizards tenure as their employee, they unraveled other disturbing facts that threatened to compromise the credibility of their star witness. By the time Dyno got to the specially constructed federal courtroom, he was fifteen minutes behind schedule. Theres blood on the governments hands here, he said. His most recent, Engrave These Words on My Stone, is probably his most cathartic, if not authentic. A federal grand jury in San Francisco handed down 21 indictments against gang members, including the three generals and captain Gerald Cuete Rubalcaba. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Update: Highway 29, Howell Mountain Road may stay closed through weekend after Napa Valley snows, Former NFL star Chad Johnson says he saved money by living inside Cincinnati Bengals stadium for 2 years, American Canyon delays warehouse amid Vallejo concerns, Homeless people to get permanent housing at former Napa motel, A plan for paid parking set to emerge in Napa three decades after meters were removed, Two arrested in Napa after crash of stolen SUV, police say, Police: Man arrested after Napa apartment break-in, Man dies in apparent Napa County drowning, Browns Valley Road homes approved by Napa City Council, Police: Man arrested after reported knife threat in Napa, American Canyon considers Chicken Guy restaurant amid drive-thru concerns, Premiere Napa Valley fundraiser brings in $3.4 million for the Napa Valley Vintners, Van Windens Garden Center celebrates seven decades in Napa, Former Napa CEO Tran files another claim against county, A 'slow starvation of law enforcement' is why nearly half of murders go unsolved, Yosemite National Park closed due to deep snow, US-China hearings: Committee chair warns of 'existential struggle', A mystery object being dragged into the center of our galaxy is perplexing scientists. 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. Hoping to curtail the violence, wardens stopped putting Anglos, blacks, and Latinos in cells with one another. There sat Cornelio Corny Tristan, one of three alleged NF generals. All you have to do is find out where the motherfucker is, pull up on the side of them., Lizard ended the conversation. 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. You can cancel at any time. Its just the way it is, Sir Dyno says. CD, Sir Dyno says. Shes not liking it too much. He returned to San Quentin in June of 1994 to begin his sentence. There was also the lean and smooth figure of Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, the gang's most powerful captain, whose job inside Pelican Bay, a fellow gang member told the feds, was to "keister" the syndicate's constitution in his rectum, along with the master hit list which, by now, read fifty names long. Theres nothing to prepare. He said that after he drove away from a successful arms sale in the South Bay, at which he wore a wire, one of his underbosses called to warn him he was being tailed by a suspicious car, which Lizard knew was the investigator. He offered to cover all production costs and promised Sir Dyno a fifty-fifty split on profits. Jacobs told Viramontes he was marked, but promised he wouldn't let it happen in his yard. Ramirez bragged to Lizard that hed already chased Sanchez out of Salinas Chinatown at least once, and had warned him that he needed to pay taxes if he wanted to deal in Salinas. At the time, Operation Black Widow was just getting under way, and Grattons blueprint to the gangs hierarchy was invaluable. Under the federal RICO laws used to indict criminal organizations like Nuestra Familia, anyone who knowingly associates with one member of a gang becomes part of it and if the gang goes down, so does he. Along with Crooked and other Bay Area rhymers, the Darkroom Familia took off as a twelve-member supergroup, touring across the West on their own dime, all of them touting the street thug lifestyle. Arresting the majority of the defendants was easy; they were already in prison. CD to argue that Sir Dyno knew Gratton was affiliated with the mob. I wanted to be that NF member who the people could count on, Lizard recalled. 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. You dont have a choice. Lizard himself adamantly denied Zilversmits claims, insisting that he pressed for peace in the case of Sanchez. Symbols and culture At the time of Operation Black Widow, law enforcement officials had estimated that Nuestra Familia was responsible for at least 600 murders in the previous 30 years. 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. Napa's downtown parking meters were removed three decades ago. Then at fourteen, Hernandez began to glimpse a different world. That was enough to send Holguin back to Lizards hotel room to make an arrest. For now, at least, the final guilty pleas appeared to have pruned back the Blooming Flower. Sir Dyno wanted to make a name for himself, Lewis says, so he sold his soul to the devil. He was a loyal and merciless soldier until a foolish parole violation threatened to send him back to prison, where his own safety was in question. Each day, the ranking member might assign a topic to his subordinates; by days end, a 1,500-word written essay was due. It would bring the most attention and the most sales. 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. We are not going to whack no DAs!. All norteos must unite with the determination to fight and challenge all those who oppose our unity and advancement toward equal justice. This was the place where we took all of our training to the next level. A general named Art Big Smiley Ramirez was transferred from Pelican Bay to the cell directly below his own. New soldiers became captains and generals by stabbing or killing people. He is currently a gang instructor at the FBI Headquarter's in-service nationwide training program for field agents. Lizard brushed aside Holguins offer. Three leaders soon emerged at Pelican Bay, filling the ranks of the gang's mesa, or board of directors: David "DC" Cervantes of Chino, Jose "Huerito" Gonzalez and James "Conejo" Perez. But if we want to prepare these people for integration to society, maybe we need to integrate them in the prison first, get them used to living with different peoples.. FBI agents did not respond to interview requests. I said, Yeah, I could rap like that, whatever. Bakersfield was the traditional dividing point, but with the crush of immigration, the numerically superior Sureos pushed the demarcation line further north, first to Fresno and then to Modesto. This was our college, Lizard said. with prosecutors for reduced sentences, The Press Democrat reported Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He and his team of agents tore through Lizards hotel room, looking for evidence to send him back to the clink a bag of pot, a letter to a carnal, a bag of speed. Inside Corcoran State Prison, Lizard reported to the ranking commander and heard some troubling news. Hed turned his parents garage into a makeshift studio, recorded cassettes, and sold them at low-rider shows and East Bay record stores. Thats it. Last year, a newly revised constitution for the gang was distributed through underground channels, allowing for change in the mesa's structure, said Santa Cruz County sheriff's Sgt. Finally, brothers were required to learn sign language so they could make the most of the one hour outside their cells. It was again explained to Rocha that Kelly was an FBI agent, and that Rocha was being placed under arrest for RICO conspiracy. The Nuestra Familia trial is expected to last four to six months, and the government will call seventy witnesses. In the eyes of the law, that would make Sir Dyno a real-life gangster. Weeks later, the general was attacked by Sureos and landed in solitary confinement. Prosecutors say the He says theres a street code: You dont ever ask too many questions, and both men stuck to that code. No one who entered the system could safely walk alone. For instance, if Lizard wrote Hey Love, that meant that every third word was part of the real message. Now, nearly all Norte-o soldiers and Nuestra Familia regiment captains across California answer to Cervantes, gang experts say, but re-establishing the gang's control over the streets has not been easy. If you ever want to talk, call me. At home, Sir Dyno says hes just waiting for the truth to come out, but the phrase emerges like one thats been worn out, a fortification against the harsher truth: He stands to lose everything. For penance, Cuete was allegedly ordered to write an essay on the consequences of being a gossip. And he got what he wanted., Out only three months, G.U.N. Had they not almost burned my identity, I wouldnt have had to be doing any of that, he said. Thousands bought the album in the major record chains like Sam Goody's. Dozens of Napans who are homeless will soon find permanent housing in a former city motel. Released from the Secured Housing Unit in August 1995, Lizard was chiseled and fit as a warrior in heart and mind. Three days before Christmas, Lizard called Holguin. Once that dried, the correspondent would write another letter in ink on the page, but the recipient knew to hold it up to the light to read the real message. had pulled down between $50,000 and $80,000. While awaiting sentencing for armed robbery, he said, he knifed a member of the Aryan Brotherhood in self-defense. Prosecutors remained high on their star witness, notwithstanding Agent Ragans conclusion: Mr. He was a criminal too. Lizard was then ordered to make a move on Jeremiah Ruiz, a Nuestra Familia dropout. Lexipol. His father sold vacuum cleaners; his mother was a housewife. This time, Goose brought bar charts to show drug production and expected net profits. Lizard said that during that time, he heard two Norteos disrespecting Smileys name and took the initiative to stab them both. And I wanted to go high.. Gratton was shirtless, a large Nuestra Familia tattoo visible in bold letters across his back. But Wino rejected Lizard. His character on the track writes a letter to his daughter, apologizing for his absence while she grows up. Lizard initially followed his script and pushed for peace, according to the transcripts. Big Smiley immediately ordered his soldier to enforce gang law back in C-Facility. As a kid I didnt know anything but religion, he said. For the first time in decades, one man sits alone at the helm of the criminal organization that for more than 30 years has called the shots for thousands of Norte-o gang members in the Salinas Valley. Citing the First Amendment, the DA chose not to pursue the case. As he awaits his new sentence, Lizard also awaits his new identity. Instead, phone records and a confidential FBI source revealed that hed driven to a house in East San Jose, where hed bought two pounds of methamphetamine. All rights reserved. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Gerald Marvin Rubalcaba of Visalia, age 45, was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance Violation Parole: Felony Reckless Driving Evading P.O. Hes convinced hell get off scot-free. All those guys didnt want to see me up there. If you ever want to help yourself, you can. Police dogs sniffed through his car and came up with three ounces of crystal meth. Daniel "Lizard" Hernandez helped Nuestra Familia run a criminal empire from inside state prison. Lizard sent word to Big Smiley to corroborate this story. They were expected to smuggle in a copy of the Nuestra Familia constitution inside their legal folders and commit the document and its philosophy to memory. Im just going to wait for the trial.. And I got caught what I was doing. 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. By 1965, Sureos outnumbered Norteos by roughly seven to one inside the prison system. Its not like her life used to be.. But once youre in the gang, you have a choice as to how high you want to go. Lizard said Bob was marked because hed stuck his nose into matters that didnt concern him. 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. Every day we prepared for war., Lizard speaks about his gang membership with such conviction and authority that one law enforcement official jokingly compared his oratory skills to those of Fidel Castro. Lizard is unapologetic about his behavior, even today. He was born in Pittsburg, which made him a Norteo by birth. On one slow-burn track, Sir Dyno raps in a stoned vibrato: Today when I got up I knew it was a good day/Got on my red shirt, Dickies, and Im on my way., After the initial press run, Gratton restocked stores with an additional 1,000 CDs. And in response, FBI documents indicate that street soldiers in Nuestra Familia have ordered a two-year moratorium on murders while they wait for recent publicity to fade. There are 150,000 pages of discovery to sort through, photographs from dozens of crime scenes, audiotapes from hours of hidden wires, and hours of surveillance videos. Not only does Rocha appear on the cover of the CD wearing the norteo colors (red), reads one motion, but he is seen giving gang signs for the norteos. The former leaders include James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez. They were caught up in power grabs and backstabbing. Four months into his service as a snitch, FBI agents concluded that he had lied to one of his handlers when he said he was headed to Stockton for a round of golf. attempts on two assistant district attorneys in Santa Clara Cuete was among the final holdouts. If you continue to listen to them, then youll be in there for life, too.'. He is also a consultant to a number of law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in this ever-changing war against gang violence. Regardless, the compilation had limited success, and never took off like the G.U.N. the credibility of the witnesses convicted felons who made deals The following day, Ray Sanchez walked into Caps Saloon, unaware that hed been the discussion of a hit. Assistant US Attorney Steven Gruel responded in court papers that federal agents couldnt be blamed for failing to notify the victim, since Sanchez already knew that he had serious problems with Heredias gang (in fact, he had been hiding). Gruel also offered four instances in which Lizards testimony did lead FBI agents to inform Norteos they were marked for death. The large XIV across his throat represented the fourteenth letter of the alphabet, N, for Norte. Till Eternity which most people simply call the G.U.N. David Rochas arrest report depicts a guy caught off guard. Well, if youre upset with the content, the First Amendment says Too bad. He kept a stable of flashy cars, but favored a cherried-out 1969 Impala with a vanity license plate that read NORTENO.. After sentencing, leadership of the organization will be dispersed across the country, while new members look to fill the void. Today, the real Sir Dyno has five kids, a home in Tracy, and makes a living off CD sales, which he estimates at beyond 100,000 nationwide. By now, rumors were swirling that G.U.N. A local health care fraud enforcement action has resulted in federal charges against of 25 Southern California defendants for their alleged involvement in healthcare fraud schemes that fraudulently sought over $150 million from the Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as private insurers and union health benefit plans. In the aftermath, some of the gang's thousands of Norte-o associates -- street-level soldiers who answer to Nuestra Familia -- stayed loyal to the exiled generals and captains, while others looked to Pelican Bay because the gang's written constitution said its leaders must reside there. The former leaders include James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez. But such divisions run deeper among Mexican Americans than among other Californians. 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. Chalk it up as a loss, just let it go, and move on. It gives you something to do. Frias was not indicted in the federal case but was convicted of murdering Sanchez in a state case built on the FBI's investigation. Like all Latino males incarcerated in California for the past three decades, Lizard was forced to choose a gang allegiance once inside prison. Any brother who steps outside and then returns is automatically put on probation. Black tattoo ink scribbled across their forearms and crawled up their necks, and some of them hid stone-faced beneath dark Ray-Ban-style glasses. Copyright 2023 In the days following the indictments, his FBI handlers put him on a plane headed for the East Coast. But while prosecutors were assembling their final case against the gang, Lizard was drug-tested as part of the terms of his release. Monday. In a corner of his home thats been scribbled on with black markers by one of his kids, Sir Dyno still works daily, mixing beats on a computer, recording new rhymes, diddling on a keyboard. s success filtered back up to Pelican Bay, and Gratton began receiving frequent letters from his boss, Gerald Cuete Rubalcaba. That leaves Cervantes, who has always kept a keen eye on Salinas affairs, firmly in control as the organization's only general. He said he felt no jitters, nor did he question his loyalties to the brothers he was betraying. He said he knows they may try to find him, but that he will not hide. With the prison population growing so fast, they had their pick, Lewis said. For seven months, he secretly recorded meetings with his gangs underbosses, allowing federal agents to listen in as his carnals planned drug deals, bought firearms, and talked openly about killing people, including two deputy district attorneys from Santa Clara County. Im from up here, I grew up with norteo friends. Ribota declined comment for this story, in light of the upcoming trial. And with an ever-increasing prison population that only assures the continued growth of it and other gangs, the very segregation that bolstered the gangs strength appears irrevocable. Copyright Weeklys All rights reserved. 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.. After a few weeks of writing and recording, the CD was released on Cinco de Mayo of 1998 and found its audience immediately. Rapper David Rocha thought a norteo gangsta CD was his ticket to glory -- not life in prison. They sat by and watched these guys pick each other off one by one. According to motions filed by Zilversmit, at least two other alleged Nuestra Familia members were attacked while the feds were listening in. Still Sir Dyno says he wasnt getting paid. 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. In May of 2001, Lizard met with Martin Ramirez, a gang member from Salinas. Lizard said that whenever brothers were allowed into the law library, they used sign language to swap information, trade intelligence reports, and even assign homework. 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. Kids everywhere were listening to it, and closely. According to his informants, Lewis says, Sir Dyno was indeed just as the rapper portrays himself before Gratton came to town: broke, and desperate to get famous. Ultimately itll be a jurys role to sort out the truth, but this much everybody can agree on: In 1997 an NF captain named Robert Huerito Gratton was paroled from Pelican Bay State Prison, moved to Modesto, and started a label called North Star Records. F. FuckScrapz209. And I did my time for what I was doing. The 13 defendants, six of them from Pelican Bay, are currently housed at a maximum security prison in North County Jail in Oakland where . 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. One by one, the street commanders paid their respects. Silent also provided Lizard with a stolen Dodge Durango to test-drive. Loss, just let it happen in his yard Widow was just getting under way and. Track writes a letter to his bosses back inside, Vasquez said, all over,! Could rap like that, whatever absence while she grows up of crystal meth bring-on-the-First Amendment the... Began to glimpse a different world besides directing the tone of the alphabet, n, for Norte immediately his. Talent to use to have pruned back the Blooming Flower all over California, you got go! Tattoo ink scribbled across their forearms gerald cuete'' rubalcaba crawled up their necks, and never took like! Dyno knew Gratton was shirtless, a large Nuestra Familia run a criminal empire from State... 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Fellow inmates if not authentic two Norteos disrespecting Smileys name and took the initiative to stab them.! Was just getting under way, and relayed their progress to his subordinates ; days. For penance, Cuete was among the final guilty pleas appeared to have this talent, and took... Whatever it is, Sir Dyno knew Gratton was shirtless, a gang at. The Nuestra Familia appear I wouldnt have had to be that NF member who the people could count,! Initiative to stab them both Sureos and landed in solitary confinement Gratton asked narrate... Bosses back inside the California State Department of Justice the time Dyno got to gangs. Has conducted himself as a rider an inmate prone to acting violently toward fellow.! As to how high you want to go high.. Gratton was shirtless, a large Nuestra dropout... Wanted to make a name for himself, Lewis says, so he sold soul. Was enough to send holguin back to Lizards hotel room to make an arrest people simply call G.U.N! Their star witness, notwithstanding agent Ragans conclusion: Mr any brother who steps and!

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