Customer Reviews

The Black Hand: The Bloody Rise and Redemption of "Boxer" Enriquez, a Mexican Mob Killer

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My first acquaintence with Rene Enriquez came in the early 1990's, during a week-long, Chris Blatchford exclusive on the Mexican Mafia.

In that early 90's report, Blatchford revealed 'Boxer' as a cold-hearted Eme leader who (during his double-murder, double-attempted murder trial) turned calmly toward the camera lens of a courtroom news crew and broke into 'shoulder -shaking laughter'. Since then, I have been anxious to know more about this man.

Like Blatchford himself, I too was floored when I learned (a few years ago) that Rene Enriquez had chosen to 'debrief' and to turn aside from his Gang. After all, not only had 'Boxer' previously demonstrated the Can't-stop-won't-stop mentality of a loyal Eme soldier (by laughing in the face of a possible death penalty situation) but had also risen through the ranks of Eme leadership to the highest echelons of Mafia power.

Blatchford's long-anticipated book on Rene Enriquez does not, by any means, disappoint! To the contrary, it is perhaps the best first-hand account of the Eme's power, influence, ruthlessness and depraved potential in print today. (While "Mundo" Mendoza's seminal work provides an in-depth understanding and historical background of the first 25 years of the Eme's existence, Blatchford/ Enriquez bring readers up to speed on 'M' into the 21st century)

Blatchford covers Rene Enriquez from his childhood in Cerritos (then surrounded by dairy farms) to his initiation (following his older brother's footsteps) into 'Arta/ Artesia X3', to his teenage years gang-banging against the likes of Hawaiian Gardens, Tokers Town & Norwalk, getting high, doing robberies and growing increasingly rebellious against his parents and against authorities.

Blatchford follows Rene's graduation from Los Padrinos to Boys Republic to OC County Jail to Soledad, San Quentin & beyond. Rene speaks at length about his relationships with Eme leaders like "Black Dan" Barela who "read his Bible every day, but yet had a kill-first-talk-about-it-later attitude", "Topo" Peters who, after stabbing "Mon" 26 times in the LA County Jail's attorney room, urged "Boxer" to 'just plead guilty so we can go to our cells at Pelican Bay and watch color TV'.

He talks about the execution of Nico Velasquez for converting from Eme to Christianity (an action which Rene Enriquez himself disagreed with strongly), and about "Kilroy" Roybal's conversion to Christianity after being stabbed in Tehachapi, and a plethora of other interesting facts.

So much more can be said about Rene Enriquez's evolution/ redemption and about Blatchford's book. Much more than a mere book review can capture. The thing that struck me hardest, perhaps, was how utterly contrary to the popular/ romanticized version of Mafia the actual reality is.

Contrary to the notion of Eme being a closely-knit fraternity of brothers bound by loyalty to one another, Rene portrays the incessant backstabbing, politicking and scheming of 'carnales' against one another; about the never-ending anxiety that "Boxer" carried with him from day one of someday ending up "In the hat" (ostracized and marked for death by his own 'brothers') for some small, inconsequential infraction.

Contrary to the popular notion that power and 'palabra' (in the criminal world) is the be-all and end-all of life, Rene portrays with sober clarity that nothing could be further from the truth. Both Joe Morgan and "Topo" Peters died alone (and lonely) and in prison. (Not to mention that there were only a half-dozen attendees at "Topo's" funeral service).

To end with a theological reflection: the devil's a LIAR...and a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy. For those youngsters who aspire to become 'carnales' and who are starstruck by the 'Big Homies' you hear and read about: don't take my word for it! Take it from "Boxer" Enriquez...someone who reached the heights of power in both the streets and the pinta...and concluded that it's all a massive (and evil) deception, and definitely NOT worth it!

Street life can be brutal, even for those who think they hold the winning hand.

Investigative reporter Chris Blatchford delves into the shadows of La Eme, the Mexican Mafia, in this authorized biography of former gang enforcer Rene Enriquez. The tentacles of this monster of urban terrorism spans several continents and grips the halls of government, businesses and neighborhoods by day, while brutally dealing drugs, extortion, vice and murder under the darkness of night.

And Enriquez - who is serving a life-sentence for crimes perpetrated for the gang - was once a player in the largest street gang in Los Angeles. Enriquez learned the ropes while growing up on the street of East L.A. and showed the smarts and muscle to find his way into La Eme.

His life of violence and the reasons he finally broke away, along with what happened when he began to publicly renounce the gang, makes for a compelling and urgent story. But Blatchford connects the dots in the puzzle that makes La Eme a force in North, Central and South America, with a growing army of gang members and supporters who have massive influence within a web of operations.

This is not some Hollywood version of wise guys or a fictionalized account of "honorable" men in a dishonorable profession; this is the hands of terror that are scooping up power and slapping aside those honest enough to stand in their way.

It is a call from the "Boxer" to stop the onslaught by the thugs before it is too late.

"Eme is the new La Cosa Nostra...in southern California their army of loyal Latino gang members numbers in the tens of thousands. La Cosa Nostra in the U.S. never had anything close to those numbers to build on." [PG303]

"...[La Eme] represent the single greatest threat to the internal security of the nation because their power is derived from a 'choke-hold' on the prison system at the federal, state, and local levels. That power is growing rather than receding in the years since 9/11, when law enforcement took its eye off the ball. Eme was battered and bruised in the late 1990s and into 2000-2001 - on the verge of extinction - but law enforcement at every level left the field, and Eme has undergone resurgence. Today they are at the pinnacle of the crime pyramid in the USA." [PG 301] I heard that 30% of today's U.S. prisoners are Latino. With rising crime committed by illegals, I thought, tho a high percentage, that was the explanation for it. This quote gave me pause.

"Thank God most of them are heroin addicts. It keeps them from doing what they have the potential of doing." - Gang expert & retired L.A. County sheriff's sergeant Richard Valdemar [PG 303]

"I don't think the public understands the ramifications of what the Mexican Mafia has grown into - and right now it's in its nascency. THERE IS A BIG SHIFT TOWARD MAKING GUYS WHO AREN'T LIFERS AND DO NOT USE DRUGS. - Rene Enriquez [PG 303]

"They ran it essentially like a corporation." [PG 300]

"Rene invested his drug 'tax' dollars in U.S. Treasury bonds, CDs, and double-e series U.S. savings bonds. ... He and other inmates legally set up interest-earning banks accounts at Bank of America...some Mafiosi even play the stock market." [PG264]

I just heard that some MS-13 members were arrested. You've probably heard of them. Pretty scary people. Glad to hear that law enforcement is gettin' it done, right? But here's what Richard Valdemar said on PG 298:
"The irony here...is that MS-13 is the junior varsity. MS-13 pays tribute to La Eme. That number '13' marks MS loyalty to the Mexican Mafia. ...La Eme is the big-time, not MS." Couple this up with the info above that imprisonment is no obstacle to continued criminal activity...

SO WHY DO WE HEAR ALMOST ZILCH ABOUT LA EME IN THE MEDIA? WONDER WHY I DON'T RECALL AMERICA'S MOST WANTED EVER COVERING THEM? I'd love to hear whether a year's time has changed the status of this threat.

THIS BOOK WAS PRETTY DANG SCARY. THESE PEOPLE ARE SHOCKINGLY BRUTAL, WELL-FUNDED, WELL-ARMED, WITH TIES TO THOUSANDS OF OTHER GANG MEMBERS, WELL-SPREAD OUT IN MANY STATES. Rene's story is beyond compelling, his redemption inspiring. He deserves a measure of gratitude for opening up to us the reality of this 'cancer' that has permeated throughout our country. AND how difficult La Eme is to counteract. In his debriefing he made many good suggestions for how to interfere with Eme operations; POLITICS, POLITICIANS, COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS AND PRISON RIGHTS GROUPS interfered with implementing his recommendations. Disillusioned, some he described as 'idiots,' others 'corrupt' or cowardly, yet others "well-meaning...who do not understand who they are dealing with. ...Do-gooders should run from [Eme people] like their hair is on fire." [PG292] Some connections fanned out to La Raza and United Farm Workers. There's one recent reviewer here (he's clearly in denial that EVIL DOES exist among us) that thinks Senator Gloria Romero should SUE for mentions of her in the book. Maybe so (tho I don't think she has since the 2008 publication), but any time there's people with power (legal or illegal) and plenty of money, it's like a magnet to some, whether it be due to misguided ideology, greed or vicarious thrills/playing with fire. Luckily most of us can go about our lives unaffected, but we aren't ALL stupid and gullible! Here's one last telling quote which hopefully knocks out some naivete: "['Popeye' Barron, connected to Mexico, wanted to hook up with La Eme] was a 'terrorist' with major supplies of assault weapons, drugs and money and connections in Europe, Colombia, Japan, Jamaica, and Italy. ...the influence Popeye...had with politicians, judges, military officials, and law enforcement. Those contacts extended to a bail bonds company, U.S. embassy workers, Dept of Motor Vehicles employees, Border Patrol agents, a San Diego County sheriff's deputy, and even social services workers..." [PG 210] Get the picture?!

Enriquez takes the cover off and exposes a serious threat, and doesn't flinch at sorting out the 'good guys' and the 'bad.' He freed himself from "that twisted bizarro existence that confused right and wrong." "I don't want to kill anyone ever again. My greatest desire is to be a better man. I want my sons to someday be able to say that their father was a good person who made a lot of terrible mistakes but finally learned - that I ultimately had some positive impact, made a difference." My husband and I did some prison ministry for awhile; we developed discernment because convicts are notoriously skilled manipulators. Enriquez is highly credible in my opinion. Ignore his warnings at your (and our country's) peril.

This book is a very interesting read, but it is a little exagerated and not from the hit man Boxers point of view. It is from Chris Blatchfords point of view. Chris Blatchford makes the book interesting, but it is pretty obvious as one reads that Blatchford grew up in a suburb away from anything known as a gang. At times he seems almost scared or as if exagerating his points of view in order to scare the readers. With that in mind the book is still a great book to read for anyone in the criminology field.

Great book, tells you the backgroud story of a person who was involved in organized crime and it explains the struggles of the "crime life." I think every kid that tries to walk that line should read this book and understand the problems they will face.

Very good book, it offers a no holds bared look into the gang life and what can happen to you if you stay with it. I would recommend this book to anyone thinking of joining a gang or continuing in that lifestyle.

I really wish this book was translated in spanish!!
This is an awsome book you wont be able to put down.

This book is in so many ways an inside look at how la eMe operates. It allows you to see how the politics of la eMe really work and how for a memeber the line between life or death is very, very fine. It indirectly discourages prospects from even joining the group, a sort of subliminal warning.

The Black Hand is a good look into the Mexican Mafia, their prison lifestyle and the Sureno culture of Southern California. Along with From Altar Boy to Hitman and Tony Raphael's mexican Mafia and the fictional Wicked Sick by Anthony Murillo, the Black Hand fills its niche with the other Eme books. If you are intrigued by this brutal mysterious world check this out for sure. The prison stuff in the book is good too, like The Hothouse, In the Belly of the Beast, Prison Stories and Soledad Brothers. If you liked this check out Street Legends vol. 1 and 2 from Gorilla Convict Publications who are supposed to cover Eme godfather Joe Morgan's story in an upcoming volume of Street Legends.

this book is a real page turner and it revealed facts that made the movie even better cause it gave great insider info, a highly recommended read