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

This book changed a entire outlook of the Mexican mafia. This book made me feel compassion for a stone cold killer in boxer of the Mexican mafia it was a great read.

This is by far one of the most detailed stories about the Mexican Mafia. Growing up in southern California the EME was as legendary as La Cosa Nostra. Until now I never thought the inner workings of La EME were so complex. Politics within members in La EME rival those of major corporations (without the deadly consequences) or small governments. Rene and I grew up in very similar circumstances. Although we share business mentalities, I however do not have the balls to kill. Ending up in the Los Angeles County Jail for 4 days was enough for me. I was scared straight. This book reemphasizes that experience. I would consider it a must read for anyone in criminology or law profession of any kind. Read this book for entertainment, if you like reality in its purest form. I wish Rene the best and am thankful for his story being made public.

"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 GR

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.

This book was the best book I read this year when it comes to gangs. I usually read about biker gangs. I have to say, I have heard of the EME before but didn't know that much about it. NOW.... Now I have learned about a whole different sub-culture out there. It made me see everything in a whole new light. I used to spend summers in East Los Angels with cousins. I never knew all this was going on. I knew there were gangs and I actually remember some of the areas mentioned. It was definately a eye opener and I couldn't put it down. If you like reading about different gangs or I should say Mafias, this is definately the book for you. You will not be disappointed. Enriquez tells all and doesn't hold back. He actually tells you their secrets and the day to day life of those in the EME. But be prepared to hear about some very graphic details though. Not very pretty. I also couldn't stop thinking about the book and the life that Enriquez led long after I finished the book. I kept thinking of how there are other young kids out there on the streets of L.A. and other areas that are going to be misled like he was. If you know of a young teen getting mixed up and heading towards prison, then this is a book that teen should read. It even scares you. It tells how he was once a kid in L.A. then a teen starting out in small crimes here and there and then it gets worse and worse. Even though Enriquez led the life he did. I have to hand it to him and thank him for making a book that can hopefully help other troubled teens to think about it before they end up in prison too. This book is not written in a cocky manner. I have read books that glorify everything and gets tiring to read. Enriquez just writes things as they happened in his life. This is a MUST READ! You won't waste your money!!

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.