In fact, prison authorities attempted to break up the gang by moving members to other local prisons, but this only served to spread them out and recruit more and more numbers so they controlled more drug trafficking, extortion, contract killings, and debt collection. After its inception in 1957, the Mexican Mafia grew rapidly in size and strength. So you can see how violent this time must have been to give it the same name as those months during the French Revolution. This time period, in the Mexican Mafia's earliest years, was so bloody that it was actually referred to as the Reign of Terror, which is more commonly associated with the purge of France from its enemies in the Revolution. Whether you had no clue what the Mexican Mafia even was until stumbling upon this article, or you are well-versed in all things organized crime, here are 15 fun (and sometimes scary) facts about one of America's most notorious prison gangs, the Mexican Mafia. So what do we know about the infamous Mexican Mafia? Plenty, although most of it is not pretty. Now, six decades later, it has definitely succeeded in that goal, as this group is responsible for everything their revered American Mafia is: theft, intimidation, and murder to those who go against them in any way, shape, or form.

The Mexican Mafia is nothing if not respectful their gang's name was chosen to honor and show respect to powerful criminal organizations such as the American Mafia. They formed to protect themselves from other prison gangs they were incarcerated with, but the gang became much more than they had anticipated. The highly-organized criminal organization was formed in the 1950's by Luis 'Huero Buff' Flores and 13 Hispanic street gang members who were all doing time at the Deuel Vocational Institution in California. No matter how terrible their crimes, no one can say that is not impressive. Many people do not know that actually, the Mexican Mafia is not some far-off gang south of the border, but a gang that began in and continues to operate in the United States- and mostly from behind bars, I might add.

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