Mexican Mafia

The Mexican Mafia, also called La Eme, is a Mexican American prison gang and criminal organization founded in California in 1957. It developed influence inside prisons and over some street gangs.

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Prison gang: A criminal group whose members organize within prisons and may maintain influence outside them. The Mexican Mafia is a prominent example of a prison gang with reach beyond prison walls.
Deuel Vocational Institution: A former California state prison in Tracy that opened in 1953 and closed in 2021. Accounts place the Mexican Mafia's formation at this institution in 1957.
Rodolfo Cadena: A Mexican Mafia member associated with the gang's early history who was killed in 1978. He is frequently identified as an early influential figure in La Eme.
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act: A United States federal law that allows prosecution of organized criminal activity through an enterprise. Prosecutors have used racketeering charges to pursue alleged organization-wide activity.
Sureños: A loose alliance of predominantly Hispanic street gangs associated with Southern California and the number 13. Some Sureño gangs have historically been subordinate to or affiliated with La Eme.
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: The California state agency responsible for prisons, parole, and rehabilitation programs. Its prison system provided the institutional setting in which La Eme formed and expanded.
Joe Morgan: A Mexican Mafia leader who became a prominent figure in California prison-gang history. His leadership and public profile helped define later accounts of the organization.
Gang injunction: A court order restricting specified activities by people identified as gang members in a defined area. Authorities have used injunctions against street gangs alleged to be connected to La Eme.
Nuestra Familia: A California prison gang formed in opposition to the Mexican Mafia, with roots in conflicts among Mexican American inmates. Its rivalry with La Eme shaped prison and street-gang alignments in California.
California prison system: The network of state prisons and correctional institutions operated by California. La Eme's early growth occurred within this system's facilities and inmate networks.