Mexican Mafia- Sureños

Mexican Mafia

La Eme was founded behind the walls of Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy, Ca. in the late 1950's by Louis "Huero" Flores and 12 East L.A. gang members. The organization was formed to unite Mexican-American prisoners into a powerful force against other ethnic groups that would later become the Aryan Brotherhood and the Black Guerrilla Family. It later would become one of the most powerful prison gangs in America with influence within prison walls through control of narcotics within the California State Prison System. It also flexed it's muscle on the streets and varrios of Southern and Central California through fear, extortion and murder.

Run with an iron fist by Rudy "Cheyenne" Cadena and Joe "Pegleg" Morgan, La Eme expanded its operations through alliances with The Aryan Brotherhood and other prison gang's throughout the country. But in the late 60's the formation of La Nuestra Familia created a rivalry between Southern and Northern California Hispanic

inmates, a rivalry that would have future implications on the streets of California and other western states.

Rudy 'Cheyenne' Cadena saw this rivalry as a hindrance to La Eme's expansion and by the early 1970's openly discussed uniting the two powerful gangs into one, but that dream was never realized and in December of 1972 Rudy 'Cheyenne' Cadena was stabbed 70 times in the dinning hall of Chino State Prison and died as a result of his attack. Today, La Eme is more powerful than ever, despite law enforcements efforts to dismantle the organization. It has expanded it's operations and has influenced a new generation of followers, estimated at 40,000 + foot soldiers from various Sureño gangs throughout the country, La Eme continues to grow in respect and folklore status among Mexican- American youth.