This is a fantastic historical report on the Mexican Mafia (aka the Eme), one of America's most dangerous and little understood organized criminal enterprises, as it was at the beginning of the 21st Century. I call it a report because Tony Rafael's book is built around a handful of crimes and court cases that finally exposed, once and for all to see, the existence of what had largely been a mythological construct up until that time, a huge organized crime cartel run entirely from inside the vast California penal system. The Mexican Mafia, as the book explains, differs from other prison gangs in that it's activities are focused outside the prison system (although they control much of what goes on inside in those facilities they dominate). And it differs from ordinary street gangs in that its leadership is entirely incarcerated. The Mexican Mafia is not Mexican but Mexican-American, it's criminal expression confined to the United States. And it is unlike the popularly known La Costra Nostra Mafia. the Mexican Mafia has a more horizontal and democratic leadership chain than the hierarchal Sicilian Mob. And Eme is far more violent. Much more violent than the old school Mafia ever was.
Rafael's book is comprehensive in that he delves into the historical backgrounds of many California gangs and the personalities and circumstances that led to the creation of the Eme. However, the book's center of gravity is those handful of court cases that blew the lid off the California gang and prison culture to reveal the Mexican Mafia for all that it is and was as of roughly 2011 when this book was published.
This book has two glaring weaknesses that keep it from getting a five-star review:
1. The Eme court cases are described in exhaustive detail. Since many of these trials were follow-on court appearances, there is a lot of repetition and confusion as evidence and witnesses change or are adopted to each case. Many of the names and gang-nicknames are similar and confusing, too.
2.There are no photos or charts to show the complicated relationship between the personalities and street level gang activities and how things flow to the upper tiers of the Eme's incarcerated leadership. A chronological timeline of some of the book's incidents would also have been helpful.
That all being said, I found this was a book I could not put down... even if some of the more brutal material was hard on the nerves. Eme is violent and the loser-lifestyle of the California street gang life is heartrending.
But I learned much from this book... and so will any reader who truly wants to know more about one of the most powerful criminal enterprises in California... and possibly in a neighborhood near you.
Highly Recommended for those with a professional interest in law enforcement, intelligence, national security, court cases, law, gang activity, crime, and social research. Also recommended for those who simply enjoy criminal and legal non-fiction, or books about organized crime.
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I was disappointed by Tony Rafael's book (pen name of "In the Hat" fame, not his real name). While it was a good literary work, it should have been named "The Avenues Boys and their recent involvement with La EME". It is really a case study of the recent Aves Trial, but barely touches on the past history and roots of the Mexican Mafia or other main EME shotcallers over the years. When it does mention some past incidents 1957-99, it is not always an accurate account by record or C-File. It talks about the Prosecutor, the Aves Case Detectives, but gives little to no credit to the dozens of EME Investigators/Experts in CDC and So Cal LE who monitored the prison gang over the years. It rarely cites where the writer got his research and history of the EME prior to 1999 to build up his own credibility. Rafael's book does quote Richard Valdemar at length and his role in the trials, but still there are no pictures like in Robert Morrill's book by the same title, or even like in "Mundo" Mendoza's book. I'd at least expect a few pics of the Aves if not Mexican Mafia members??? It talks about some of the "Brown on Black Hate Crimes" that have been covered in the media, but much of the info in the book has already been printed in L.A. newspapers or taken from court transcripts so I was left with the feeling I had not really learned much new.
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