The favor increased from the lighting of a cigarette to mailing letters for the inmates as they claimed to lack stamps to do so. (Gang Intelligence 101), In 1984, the Texas Syndicate declares war on the Mexikanemi. Top Gear , a British car show, featured an episode (comedy) in which they tested three luxury automakers; Rolls-Royce Ghost , Mercedes-Benz S-Class , and Bentley Mulsanne , to see which would be best suitable for Albanian Mafia bosses. The group planned to march to the state capitol in Montgomery, 54 miles away, to protest of the February 26 murder of Jimmy Lee . This Albanian link seems to confirm that the Sacra Corona Unita and the Albanian Mafia are "partners" in Puglia/Italy and delegate several criminal activities". Luis Sandovals interactions and troubled story highlight the importance of race within the Texas prison system between Mexican American inmates and Mexican American guards, but also largely under a white prison administration. Thus, in many areas of Italy, the market for cannabis, prostitution, and smuggling is run mainly by Albanians. The Texas Syndicate was established at Folsom State Prison in California in 1978 in direct response to the other California prison gangs, notably the Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia, which were attempting to prey on native Texas inmates. After his short stop off at Conroe, they made their way to Huntsville, the capital of the Texas Department of Corrections, and since 1989 known as the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Prosecutors announced they were pursuing criminal charges against two British soldiers who took part in the Bloody Sunday. He married Veronica on Saturday June 22, 1985. Lastly, he had finally gotten to the point where they tasked him with muling drugs into the prison and participating in package drop-offs that likely contained illegal drugs to be brought into the prison units. Thus, the public generally perceives prison gangs and their activity to be violent. But, soon after the murder of Joe Arredondo, Sandoval was charged with the crime and inmates who were allegedly present provided corroborating details. Today, November 21, 2020, is 100 years since the events known as ' Bloody Sunday' in Dublin in 1920. Law enforcement authorities estimate that different Albanian mafia families may smuggle as much as 440 pounds of heroin a year into Scandinavia at any given time. In an Albanian television station ""ShqipTV" Saviano went on to say that the Albanian and Italian factions are "one of the same", and that they dont consider each other as foreigners. In fact, the building tender system had purposely ignored Mexican Americans as potential candidates based on racial ideas. This is a listing of enterprises, gangs, mafias, and syndicates that are involved in organized crime. This marriage took place only after Sandoval was able to attain job security with the Texas Department of Corrections as a correctional officer in Huntsville. Sandoval contends that the door was kept unlocked and that he was framed because officials at the prison feared they would be held liable in Arredondos death (News Briefs, 1991). NPS Photo The early spring of 1965 became the turning point in the tensely-waged struggle for voting rights throughout Alabama and the "deep South." A myriad of factors may have explained why Sandoval took on the tasks by the Texas Syndicate. Bloody Sunday happened at the very beginning of 1972, which proved to be horrendous - the worst year of the Troubles, with almost 500 people killed. Albanian "banks" in Germany are a special story. For incarcerated Mexican Americans from Texas, Tejano identity was seen as an important component by the Texas Syndicate for admission. Prior to the creation of this new prosecutorial arm of the Texas prison system, individual prison units handled internal criminal or objectionable acts and handed out punishment that they perceived fitting for the crime outside the confines of courtrooms. The Bloody Sunday killings cast an indelible stain on British history and scarred the life of more than 30 families and the wider communities of Derry. Osmani Brothers : According to the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) the Osmani brothers as the "most important figures of organized crime in Hamburg and other cities in Germany" Adriatik Coli : Leader of one of the most powerful "15 families" known as " Banda e Lul Berishs" based in Durrs , Albania . Paul Vanden Boeynants was released (physically unharmed) a month later, on 13 February, when an undisclosed ransom was paid to the perpetrators. We found that "Eulinda" was a cover-up for some other business, said high criminal counselor from Dsseldorf Rainer Bruckert. Jose Daniel Flores, aka "Cuate," 43, was sentenced to 360 months in prison after pleading guilty in March to intent to distribute heroin. The process of this type of coercive manipulation was a unique type of influence pursued by prison gangs in the prison system and highlights the nuance and complexity behind prison gang activity. State identity also occurred as a form of othering by the California prison gangs which did not extend membership to non-Californios. Statistical Atlas. After this incident Sandoval soon realized it was the inmates who ran the prison, not the guards, and surely not the state of Texas. Ortiz was the cellmate of John A. Hernandez, a high-ranking member of the Texas Syndicate. Italians. His lawyer argued that these allegations were extremely prejudicial and are solely calculated to provoke anger and hate for the defendant by the jury. In certain ways, Fischer contended that these allegations criminalized Sandoval for illegal activities he may or may not have committed, but had not been convicted of, a process easy for Mexican Americans to succumb to and for the rest of the general population to accept (The State of Texas vs Luis H. Sandoval, 1991). Sandoval was charged with the murder of Joe Arredondo through the special prison prosecution unit which was founded in 1984 to directly combat the escalation of prison gangs activity. Travis McDonald, the primary prosecutor for the states recently developed prosecution unit headed this charge against crime inside of prisons. Texas Syndicate (TS) is a violent prison gang that originated in the California penal system over 40 years ago. Sandoval was caught in the crossfire of prison changes. Just a few weeks before the Cesario Gonzales homicide that Luis Sandoval witnessed, Arturo Astro Aguilar, a Texas Mexican Mafia member was murdered on August 22, 1985 in the Eastham Unit by the Texas Syndicate. Sat Jan 22 2022 - 06:00. Robert Riggs Reports Blood In. Bloody Sunday, demonstration in Londonderry (Derry), Northern Ireland, on Sunday, January 30, 1972, by Roman Catholic civil rights supporters that turned violent when British paratroopers opened fire, killing 13 and injuring 14 others (one of the injured later died). (Associated Press), In June 2008, Texas Syndicate member Emanuel Camacho Gomez fatally guns down 27-year-old Rose Anne Martinez in San Antonio, Texas. Both prison gangs were identified as Mexican American prison gangs, yet developed at odds with each other, even while representing and emphasizing their Texas state identity. TheTexas Syndicate(or Syndicato Tejano) is a mostly Texas-based prison gang that includes Hispanic and at one time White members (The organization at one time did allow non-Hispanic members to join, but that policy was repealed in the 1980s). Relinquishing membership was not allowed. Sandovals attorney, Steve Fischer, had helped Sandoval in his trial by successfully eliminating the option for the prosecutor to illustrate the connection of Sandoval to the criminal activity. Southern Albanian groups also have good relationships with Sicilys Cosa Nostra "The Albanian criminals were special from the beginning," said Francesca Marcelli, an organized-crime investigator for the Italian government. 'No reasonable grounds' for arrest of Bloody Sunday paratroopers Crime Ex-paratroopers launch legal bid to halt Bloody Sunday murder inquiry Crime Bloody Sunday arrest could lead to chain of. Vice squad officers estimate that "Albanians now control more than 75 per cent of the countrys brothels and their operations in Londons Soho alone are worth more than 15 million a year." Russians. Derry, Northern Ireland, on Jan. 30, 1972. Here, it could be heard that they are even more dangerous than Cosa Nostra . "What we have here might be considered a sixth crime family," after the five Mafia organizations Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese said Fred Snelling, head of the FBI's criminal division in New York. (Associated Press), In 1993, the Barrio Azteca brutally beat and murder a Texas Syndicate member in the El Paso county jail causing the Texas Syndicate to alliance its self with the Mexikanemi. There are a lot of ways they can get you in trouble (McKay, 1991). Thirteen. During Sandovals trial, witnesses told a Walker County jury that doors in the Ellis I prison units south end were routinely left unlocked by guards in 1986. Texas Syndicate Gang Members Busted - Again. This group has lacked examination within the frameworks of mass incarceration scholarship, even as these studies continue to exponentially grow. In the French movie The Nest the plot centers around an Albanian mob boss in police custody being escorted to The Hague. 8,126 Hispanic members operate across Texas, including specific reportings in the Coffield Unit, about 60 miles southwest of Tyler, and at the Allred prison unit outside of Wichita Falls. Albanian organized crime has created new and unique problems for law-enforcement officers around the country, even threatening to displace La Cosa Nostra (LCN) families as kingpins of U.S. crime, according to FBI officials. The complicated history of Whiteness in U.S. history has been explored in the scholarship on Mexican American history but is virtually non-existent in mass incarceration scholarship. Even while considering the institutions perception of the strength of prison gangs, they still largely lacked broad exploration in historical scholarship. The Sandoval and Arredondo incident illustrated the complexity that went into relations between Mexican American guards and inmates. Testifying for murder defendant and former Ellis I guard Luis Sandoval, a string of prison employees said the doors were left open despite a policy requiring that they be locked at all times (McKay, 1991). The group became known as the 116th Street Mob (or Morello gang ), with their increasing power the Morello's sought to control the Lower Manhattan's Little Italy. When prison gang violence arose, the state was quick to blame the reforms as the cause of the violence. Associations principally began because of his shared ethnic background with many of the inmates, where their ethnic kinship was highlighted and then thusly exploited by the inmates. App., 2008), In March 2002, Raza Unida members stab a Texas Syndicate member to death at the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas. In July 2007, Texas Syndicate members murder Marcelino "Mars" Rodriguez Torres in Mc Allen, Texas after the gang suspects Rodriguez is a police informant. Sandoval was charged with criminal homicide under state law that provides penalties for persons who aid in a killing but do not actually participate in the act (Buentello, 1987). They are said to be present in every big city in Britain as well as many smaller ones including Telford and Lancaster , after having fought off rival criminals in turf wars. This process was an exploitative tactic that many prisoners faced and continue to face in prisons. It had huge implications, not just for people in Northern Ireland but also for Anglo-Irish affairs, which were reaching one of the most difficult points. This would also provide an insight into the reach of prison gangs like the Texas Syndicate towards prison guards. Later in the game, Albanian gangs appear working as muscle for other organizations, such as the Cosa Nostra or the Bratva . While violence was a problem for both guards and inmates, there were also non-violent measures explored by prison gangs. Unbeknownst to Sandoval, he was entering as a prison guard during a transitional period from 1979-1986 for the TDC dubbed a Broken System, as many court cases had upended the autonomous power of the prison administration during this period. Sandoval experienced the escalated violence in the summer of 1985 first hand as he initiated his career as a correctional officer. And while Sandoval was acquitted, his criminal proceeding unleashed denunciation. He could not return to employment at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. These homicides were in part, primarily caused by the war between the Texas Syndicate and the newly formed Texas Mexican Mafia who sought to gain the reins of power as the building tender system was being demolished. A false sense of belief existed for an inmate who joined with his racial or ethnic group and that protection occurred through their ethnic solidarity. Mexican Americans were informed by their ethnic identity, but also by state identity as prison gangs formed. David Weeks, a special prison prosecutor stated, more than 90 percent of inmate homicides are gang-ordered and more than one-half of the assaults are the result of gang warfare (Klimko, 1987). The rising racial tensions finally bubbled over into bloodshed in the nearby town of Marion on February 18, 1965, when state troopers clubbed protestors and fatally shot 26-year-old Jimmie Lee. Conclusion The day would be labeled Bloody Sunday. Due to the fact that the Mafia families are based on the blood ties, which is a factor that restricts the number of the clan members, the bonds between them are very strong, which makes getting close to and infiltrating into them almost impossible. First prison gang remains a force to fearThousands of Texas Syndicate members behind bars, but murder, mayhem continue. Location: Texas . Authorities said Sandoval unlocked a door to a hallway between a chapel and recreation yard at the Ellis I Unit and then left his post so gang members could attack Arredondo (Fair, 1991). Dubbed the king of the New York drug underworld, Ismail Lika issued a contract on Rudy Giuliani 's prosecutors in 1985. (Associated Press), On Jan 29, 2009, high ranking Texas Syndicate member Ricardo Ortiz is executed by the state of Texas for his role in a 1997 murder. They had entered in the territory of Lucchese crime family in Astoria, Queens , New York, and are said to have even beaten up two made men in the Lucchese family. While Italian gangsters may be three or four generations removed from the old country, the Albanians grew up under brutal communist regimes, engaging in protracted blood feuds with rival clans, and subscribing to a strict code of silence that makes the Italian credo of omert seem playful. Bloody Sunday Brian Lawless/PA By Mike McBride & David Wilson BBC News NI Relatives of those killed on Bloody Sunday have been remembering their loved ones on the 50th anniversary. The Texas Syndicate's golden rule is as simple as it is merciless: Betray us and you're dead.. He largely failed in attempts to procure streams of revenue, namely from drug trafficking for the Texas Syndicate. He also met his future wife Veronica in the tenements across the street from Texas A&I University which became Texas A&M UniversityKingsville, where Sandoval attended college for three years (Draper, 1991). While Sandoval was found not guilty and was vindicated, it came at a cost. This story illustrates the harsh reality of prison gang violence, but also the non-violent ways prison gangs influenced guards. Torres was a Texas Syndicate informant who provided information crucial to a federal case against fellow gang members. (Gang Intelligence 101), In 1986, Texas Syndicate member Rogelio Hernandez murders Officer Jose Herrera during an attempted escape from the Webb County Jail. Letters may have contained coded messages concerning drug trafficking or other illicit activity. The Texas Syndicate's activities include drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, protection, gambling, and contract murder. It however, only played a brief part of the court proceedings of Sandovals murder trial. Similarly, Biden is hoping the Jan. 6 sacking of the U.S. Capitol . The unconstitutional findings exposed by the court ruling uncovered issues within the Texas prison system such as overcrowding, inadequate security (collapsed the building tenders), inadequate healthcare, unsafe working conditions, and severe punishment policies. In 1991, for example, a prison guard who worked at the Ellis I unit where Sandoval had once worked was indicted with drug muling. In fact, from roughly 1986 to 1991, the special prison prosecution unit charged at least sixty Texas prison guards with felony offenses (Draper, 1991). He alleged that internal affairs investigators had beaten him when he was arrested on the murder charge (McKay, 1991). The downfall of the building tenders was brought on by the success of the legal court case Ruiz v. Estelle. These prison gang related homicides from the war between the Texas Syndicate and the Texas Mexican Mafia were not only happening in the Ellis I unit, it stretched beyond and consumed the entirety of Texas prison units. Mexican Americans prison gangs are the focus of this study as they have been the most disruptive and most influential in impacting Texas prison institutions and administrations. He also placed phone calls for them to the outside world and relayed harmless, though highly likely coded, messages for their illicit activity. At this point Sandoval, along with other guards, or staff members became the duck and were now leveraged against by the inmates as the victims or co-conspirators dug themselves deeper into the clutches of the inmates bidding as a representative of a prison gang. (Gang Intelligence 101), On Dec. 21, 2006, Texas Syndicate members are arrested for the contract killing of Julio A. Serrano. Moreover, the Albanian mafia families are organized in 3-4 or more levels, which enable them to preserve the organizational action capability even in case some of its members or groups are captured. The first generation Albanians have a tendency to be more violent than American-born syndicates, claims Hall. They have been reported in the Federal Correctional Institute at Oakdale, Louisiana, and in San Quentin, California, with frequency. Hernandez, who was serving a life sentence plus eight years for Travis County convictions of attempted capital murder and illegal possession of a firearm, was the second-in-command of the Texas Syndicate prison gang. Albanian gangsters were also involved in the largest cash robbery in British crime history, the 53 million (about US$92.5 million at the time of the robbery) Securitas heist in 2006.