Gangland (2007) s03e04 Episode Script
Blood in the Streets
male narrator: A gang that Terrorized an entire city, Born in prisons and unleashed on The streets.
everywhere we would go, we Would justpeople just, like, Were terrified.
narrator: Los solidos: "the Solid ones.
" when you're solid, it's a Bond for life.
narrator: Theirgenda: Total domination by any means Necessary.
They fear no one.
the police department was Just overwhelmed.
narrator: Welcome to Hartford, the unlikely place Where los solidos rule.
violence is part of their Lifestyle.
It's part of their overhead.
It's what they do.
people willing to kill and Die for the colors 24 hours a Day, 7 days a week.
narrator: Hartford, Connecticut: In a state with the highest per Capita income, its capital is One of its poorest cities.
Hartford has about 120,000 Residents.
Of those, hundreds claim los Solidos: "solid ones.
" solid forever, Forever solid.
narrator: Their huge illegal Empire rakes in volumes of cash To keep the gang running.
Their biggest moneymakers: Narcotics.
everything: Marijuana, Heroin, cocaine, wet.
narrator: Los solidos' list Of crimes range from car thefts To prostitution and shakedowns.
They are also notorious for Their ruthlessness.
people respected us, feared Us.
If you messed with us, We are going to take it to You all.
narrator: Herman, aka "big Bird," was a solidos enforcer.
His role was to ensure The gang members followed the Rules.
I stood in my area, post People up Let them know where to hang in Case, you know, the rival gangs, The police come.
narrator: Herman joined the Solidos as a teenager.
The violence was a release from An otherwise tortured existence.
because my father wasn't There for me, so I had much Anger, and, you know I used to love to fight.
narrator: Though herman Was attracted to violence, His size and love of Nature earned him an unlikely Street name, big bird.
people, like, picked on me, Because I was big, And, you know, I was a person That liked to go to the woods And hear the animals, look at The trees, look at the birds, Like, "wow, this is incredible.
" narrator: The similarities to The popular childhood character Ended there.
I didn't start things, But I'll finish them.
narrator: Joining the Solidos is a rite of passage For many hispanic males within The city's barrio.
narrator: Many like "jordan," Who asked to have his Identity concealed, Are drawn by the Lure of easy money.
Jordan was recruited when he Was 14 years old.
He made as much as $1,000 A day selling drugs Before he was old enough to Have a driver's license.
narrator: Others joined los Solidos for more personal Reasons.
Iran nazario grew up in the Sand, a housing project on Hartford's north side known for Its poverty and violence.
His mother was a gangbanger And into drugs, both using and Dealing.
I've seen my mom fight men.
She would stab you in a Heartbeat.
You know, if she had a gun, She'd shoot you in a heartbeat.
narrator: He claims his Father was even more Frightening.
and he stabbed my stepmother A couple of times In front of all of us, And I remember him punching Me in the chest.
You know, when he got angry, It was terrifying.
narrator: Iran and his Brother, efrain, were often Forced to live in parks or on The streets.
and we used to jump off Garbage cans to have fun, Jumping off and flipping, and There would probably be a Mattress there or a mat, and We'd flip off the garbage cans On top of it.
narrator: Iran picked up his Nickname, "smurf," because he Always wore blue to match his Jeans, the only pair of pants He owned.
At nine, he joined his first Gang, a small set called the "gqs".
By 13, he dropped out of School and began a relationship With a 24-year-old woman.
Soon, he moved in with her.
she kind of helped me find That comfort level.
She wanted me to work, So I got a job Working construction picking Up bricks.
narrator: He also started Picking up arrests, mostly For assaults on his girlfriend.
and when a woman didn't Listen to you, you beat her up.
That's what my dad did, you Know, so that's what I did.
narrator: Iran moved in and Out of detention homes for Several years.
When he was 17, he caught his Girlfriend with another Man and landed in manson Youth correctional institute For assault.
I threw him out a third-story Window, and I stabbed her four Times, and I went to jail For that.
narrator: Now, he was in the Big leagues.
you've never seen these kind Of guys.
It's just a whole different Atmosphere.
You know what I'm saying? You're terrified.
narrator: On his first day, Another inmate challenged him.
I fought him until the guards Came and helped me out, because He was gonna eventuallyhe Was too big for me, so Eventually, he was gonnahe was Gonna hurt me.
narrator: Smurf did his time, 21/2 years.
He found big changes when He got back to the streets.
Gangbangers that were former Enemies were suddenly hanging Out with each other.
these guys were at each other All these years, and they're all Together.
What's going on? narrator: The word on the Street was that a new gang was Forming.
you knew something Was changing; something was Happening, so everybody was Getting together.
It was getting big fast.
narrator: It all became clear When smurf landed back in Prison, this time for assault.
There, he was initiated into The new gang: Los solidos.
He gained a new family, and the Solids gained a brilliant new Face.
they knew that I was the kind Of person that knew the Neighborhood, That I could benefit From having a family like them.
narrator: Back on the Streets, he would need his wits In 1993, when one of his closest Friends got himself in trouble With a rival gang.
August 31st, hartford: Smurf had spent the day at a Pool party and was trying to Reach his fellow solido, Pipe santana.
I was paging him, because I Wanted him to come over there.
There were a lot of people and Some good-looking girls, and I Knew that he would have a good Time.
narrator: Pipe was already Busy.
He was having an affair With the girlfriend of the Leader of the ruthless latin Kings, The undeniable rulers of Hartford's streets.
The kings didn't tolerate Disobedience and had already Warned pipe to back off, but he Wasn't hearing it.
they got into words over her And eventually got into a Fistfight.
I think pipe got the Better of the other guy.
narrator: The law of the Streets demanded revenge.
Two gang members trailed pipe As he bought a beer at the Neighborhood liquor store.
His brother, juaneca, also a Solido since 1991, describes What happened next.
My brother was about this Area here sitting on a milk Crate right about here Somewhere, and the two guys Confronted him coming out from That street right there, Seymour street, came this way, And they were talking, like, Ght about here somewhere, and As they were talking like This narrator: Pipe did Not see the third latin king.
the other guy came from the Side of a building, crept up, And from close range shot him In the back.
narrator: The latin kings Showed no mercy.
the bullet turned him around, And then they took off running.
narrator: Pipe's brother was At home when a solido brought Him the news.
and I just kept telling him "no, are you crazy? No way, notnot my brother.
Are you crazy? Not peep, you know, Ain't no way.
It's impossible.
" I remember, I grabbed Mymy toy And I ran out of the house.
narrator: Juaneca ran to the Liquor store, where a crowd of Solidos was gathering.
pipe was gasping for air, and We were waiting for the Ambulance, you know, "where the Ambulance? Where the "f" the ambulance at?" narrator: Smurf, one of los Solidos highest-ranking Leaders, also got word of pipe's Shooting.
He knew what was about To go down.
once I heard the news, I knew That it was war.
narrator: The incident Between the two gangs exploded Into a full-scale gang war that Would take hartford by storm.
yeah, there was retaliation Not even a 1/2 an hour after That happened.
You know, I mean, All you heard was gunshots EverywhereEverywhere, Everywhere, everywhere.
narrator: Hartford, the Capital city of the constitution State.
Street gangs are nothing New here, but since the 1980s, They have become widespread, Organized, and dangerous.
this area that we're going Down right now is, again, still Controlled by los solidos.
When we get down to broad Street, you're going find it's Latin king territory down there.
narrator: Los solidos, or "the solid ones", a violent Street gang fueled by money, Guns, and drugs, control much of The city.
narrator: Los solidos formed In connecticut's state prisons In the late 1980s.
The capital is only the Third-largest city in the state, And hartford gangsters were Targeted by others from Bridgeport and new haven.
they realized could not stand On their own as a separate Street gang.
There were too many gangs Inside the prison, too many Established, very powerful Prison gangs.
narrator: A hartford inmate Named lawrence beauvais, "l.
B.
," Had a vision of a multiracial "super gang" that could dominate Both in the prisons and on the Streets.
L.
B.
, who was serving time for Rape, became the brains behind The solidos.
Gang members would call him "the godfather.
" l.
B.
Was a very powerful Individual.
Hehe carried a lot of Weight.
He had done a lot of time.
He had some escape stuff on his Past.
Heyou know, he was the kind of Guy that, you know, nobody in The prison system messed with.
narrator: Michael lajoie, a Corrections officer at Connecticut's maximum security Somers prison, was an Eyewitness to the godfather's Growing power.
he got everybody To buy into his culture, and he Got everybody to buy into what Was going on.
everybody's kind of Listening to him, and Everybody's rolling with him, And all our boys are getting Down with him.
narrator: The godfather was Shrewd.
He first earned the respect of The established hispanic gang, The latin kings, by asking Their permission to start Los solidos.
so it was just, like, Everybody's together.
We're a family.
We protect each other.
If you have problems with Somebody, you have problems With the latin kings.
narrator: Under the Godfather's leadership, los Solidos and the latin kings Were tight.
The kings even took To calling "the solid ones" Cousins.
narrator: With the latin Kings' blessing, beauvais built Up the solidos.
He drafted a Gang charter heavy on Responsibility and discipline.
everything that you're gonna Do as a member: From attending Meetings to paying dues all the Way down to your personal Hygiene.
narrator: The godfather ruled With an iron fist, and the Solidos followed.
One new inmate who owed them Big drug money found that out The hard way.
they went right after him Right in the chow hall.
They basically made some noise So that people started Looking, and they just stabbed Him as many times as they could.
When you stab an inmate in a Busy chow hall, you're telling Everyone, "it doesn't matter Where you cross us, we'll get You.
" narrator: The solidos were Smart and figured out ways to Do business, including drug Deals on the outside.
Even though the prison staff Read their mail and monitored Phone calls, the solids managed To beat the system.
if they had to use five People and send letters to five Different addresses to finally Get a letter to a certain Person, they were so organized That they could easily do that.
narrator: They also used Ingenious coded messages to Evade the authorities' Attention.
they would do letter Formations where, you know, Every third letter would be the Tual letter that theyto put In the next, you know, sentence To a word.
As soon as they caught wind That somehow law enforcement Intercepted that letter, You know, they would change Their codes right away.
narrator: By 1991, The gang's numbers were growing Dramatically inside and on the Streets.
they were recruiting daily.
They were recruiting outside Middle schools, recruiting Outside high schools.
They were getting people coming Out of jail joining their Fold.
narrator: The godfather Took the lead as los solidos Developed a strict hierarchy, With a president, vice President, and a Secretary-treasurer.
Below them were the warlords.
A warlord would oversee the Missions of violence against Other gangs, delinquent drug Dealers, even fellow solidos Who broke gang rules.
narrator: Enforcers Carried out the warlords' Orders.
They also kept the soldiers The gang's core membership In line and settled individual Disputes.
it is a very organized Structure they've had, you Know, from a president on down To their soldiers, and when one Person steps down or is removed From that position, they've got The next person right in line to Take over.
they would be similar To a mafia group in that, you Know, they had their lead Structure.
They had their soldiers.
They had their warriors.
They had their people who would Take care of business for them.
narrator: Modeling themselves After the mafia, los solidos Also called themselves "the Family.
" Beauvais, the godfather, Called the shots from prison But shared power with the Gang's officers on the Street and other senior leaders.
This elite governing group was Known simply as "the committee.
" The godfather could say, "well, We're going to war," but if The committee said, "you know What? We don't feel we should Go to war.
We canwe can peace it up.
Let's go this route," He would have to do that.
narrator: Beauvais groomed His leaders carefully.
In the early 1990s, he Appointed jorge rivera, aka "pekino," as president.
Beauvais, serving an 18-year Sentence, needed a Presence on the streets to make Sure los solidos were as solid In hartford as they were in the State's prisons.
Pekino emerged as a powerful Force within los solidos.
narrator: Pekino had a long Rap sheet that included drug Dealing and possession.
He was an imposing presence With a sharp mind.
he could have a meeting with You 15 weeks ago, and he Would remember that like it Happened yesterday detail for Detail.
narrator: Iran nazario, aka Smurf, was often with pekino.
After becoming a member of los Solidos at the age of 21, smurf Moved quickly up the ranks Becoming the gang's treasurer And public face.
he was very convincing.
He was very media savvy, and he Was smart.
narrator: Smurf went on tv, Did interviews, and portrayed Los solidos as good citizens, Caretakers of hartford's Hispanic community.
there will be an increase in Crime, because these kids won't Know they are committing these Crimes sometimes under this new Drug.
Their mission was to recruit As many members to get to that Goal that was in the charter, Which was to keep us safe, to Help the community.
narrator: The hartford P.
D.
Saw right through it.
a spokesman for a gang who is Articulate and smart and can Portray this criminal Organization in ain a Positive manner is more Dangerous than the biggest thug On the street.
narrator: The gang's true Intent was to dominate hartford.
Though mostly hispanic, los Solidos openly recruited other Races and ethnic groups.
narrator: By 1992, los Solidos outnumbered the Powerful latin kings, but they Still had to share the same Streets.
An intense rivalry Began to simmer between these Former allies.
we lived not even, like, two Blocks away, So we usually see them almost Every day, and we knew a lot of Kings that are family members.
and we was real tight.
We used to hang together, Hang out, drink, chill, You know.
narrator: Los solidos, at One time viewed as "little Cousins" by the latin Kings, were now the more Powerful and violent gang.
The latin kings weren't about To let go of their stranglehold On the streets of hartford Without a fight.
los solidos were Pushing the latin kings out of Every corner, because they Were more violent.
They had more members, and Theythey protected their Interests a lot more.
and the solidos, everything They have, they got it from us.
All right? And now they are trying to Be more powerful than everybody Else, and they're not.
narrator: The former allies Began to openly clash with Increasing violence.
it was petty things, like, "what are you looking at?" You know, "what the fáááare you Bumping into me for? What are you bumping into me For? What? What did you say to me? Let's go".
And before you know it, They're fighting.
narrator: A battle was Brewing between los solidos And the latin kings With hartford caught in the Middle.
it was like the confederacy And the union army.
They're instant enemies right There.
narrator: Hartford, Connecticut, 1992.
Once protected by the latin Kings, Los solidos, or "the solid Ones," were now the strongest And most feared street gang in The city.
you're walking down the Street, like, wherever the Solids rule, you feel a sense of Power that I can't even explain.
narrator: Los solidos were Brazenly taking over hartford And running their illegal empire With moblike efficiency.
In one instance, they used Their cars to openly block off A main street while they went After a rival drug dealer.
and they found him.
They beat him up, Spread the word that Lawrence street was their Territory and that anyone Else couldn't operate without Either becoming a member or Paying tribute to the gang.
anybody that got in their way Was dealt with, maybe with Threats, maybe with bribery, Maybe with a beat down, maybe Getting shot.
narrator: Hartford Police were outmanned, Outgunned, and overwhelmed.
The city's homicide rate was Climbing and soon reached its Highest level in years.
that was a three-night span Where it was absolute Pandemonium, Shots being fired up and Down this stretch and all the Way down on the next block.
a guy would take out guns and Start shooting in the air, Like, broad daylight, like They were some war-torn country.
That's brazen.
Justthey didn't care, Bam bam bam bam, just shooting Guns.
narrator: For years, Officials had denied they had a Serious gang problem.
That was no longer possible.
the public was sick and Tired of this Nonstop violence, and these guys Were in the face of the public.
They're going to do what they Wanted despite what anyone said.
narrator: In June 1992, the Police department created its First gang task force under Sergeant chris lyons.
His team had little to work With.
a typewriter or two, one Vehicle, and a small office for A sergeant and fivefive Officers, Inadequate resources for That job.
narrator: Los solidos Seemed on top of the world.
They had out-of-state bank Accounts and a long list of Criminal enterprises.
they would steal cars and Chop them up in thein the Woods and then ship the parts Out asas one of their major Activities.
narrator: The gang also ran Prostitution rings and hired Themselves out as protection for Other drug kingpins, escorting The dealers around the state.
their m.
O.
Was to have either Two cars in front and two cars Behind.
That way, if any state trooper Or any police officer would Attempt to pull the vehicle Over, they would create a Distraction andand therefore Create a car chase.
narrator: Los solidos' Biggest moneymaker, though, was The sale of cocaine and crack.
It was heady income for young Gangbangers.
estimate one month: You could probably make $150,000, $200,000 For the family.
the money that you get from Mcdonald's or wendy's ain't Gonna cut it.
You can't pay your rent with That, you know.
You can't live the way you want To.
You know what I mean? So, yeah, I sold drugs, and, You know, I ain't proud of it, But it was something I had to Do.
narrator: Los solidos Developed an ingenious method For running drugs across state Lines.
narrator: The shipments would Come through several times a Week.
narrator: The solidos were Rock solid, thriving under what Is still their main principle.
the main rule for them was Protect your brother los Solidos members or your sister Los solidos members.
Alwaysif you see a solidos Member in a fight, you have to Assist them.
narrator: Los solidos Represent by wearing their Colors: Red and blue.
narrator: Bandannas and beads Are also part of the dress code.
we sewed them together; one Half is red, and one half is Blue.
You could easily spot us from Miles away with those beads or The handkerchiefs.
narrator: A member's rank Determines his beads.
the president would probably Have a bunch of red with some Dots of blue.
The vice president Would have probably less red And different dots.
A warlord would probably have More red and blue.
narrator: Getting "inked" is Mandatory for los solidos Members.
Their trademark tattoos Are the comedy and Tragedy theater masks.
narrator: Like most gangs, Those chosen to join los Solidos go through a short and Brutal ritual called a "bounce.
" narrator: Once someone joins Los solidos, he has the right To use their handshake.
it's left over right, and you Go like this twice.
narrator: They also learn Los solidos' code words, a Special language only the gang Understands.
every hood had a different Slang, depending on where you Were from.
"tso" was the solid onethe Solid ones.
"you are about to be t'd," Which was, "you're about You're gonna to be terminated.
" narrator: One member, "big Bird," even has his own set of Signals to warn his brothers.
one of them is for Introduction.
That is this one: The other one is to let them Know I'm around.
The other one is to let people Know thatalert our soldiers.
narrator: With its laws in Place, los solidos seemed Unstoppable in the summer of They feared nothing, not The latin kings, a certainly Not the undermanned hartford Gang unit.
solidos shooting here; They're shooting there.
We would go to the south End for shots fired, and once We were there, there were shots Fired in the north end, and we Were just running all over.
narrator: The city was Teetering on the edge of chaos, And it would get worse before it Would get better.
narrator: August 31, 1993: A gang war between los solidos "the solid ones"and the Latin kings was gathering force In hartford.
The reason was simple: Revenge.
most of the wars would start Over women, Someone sleeping with someone's Girlfriend.
narrator: In this case, Pipe santana, a high-ranking Member of los solidos, was Having an affair with the Girlfriend of the president of The latin kings.
Pipe was ambushed by the Kings, then shot once at Close range.
He died almost instantly.
that's the reason he died, Because he was so close up That it exploded his lungs, You know? narrator: Los solidos' President, jorge "pekino" Rivera, called an emergency gang Meeting.
it was all greenyou Know, green light; let's go.
it was like horror on The street.
They went out shooting latin Kings throughout the city.
I mean, just, like, all Hell broke loose.
narrator: Los solidos took Time out from their street war To honor pipe.
Hundreds attended his funeral, Which spilled from The church onto the streets of Hartford.
two, three solidos! Solidos! he had a presidential Funeral.
He was real special.
narrator: The procession made Its way from the church to the Cemetery.
we was hollering, "we Love you, peep," you know.
"you still with us," you know, Ople out the windows and all Around the street.
It was like a parade.
narrator: The peaceful moment Didn't last long.
Los solidos were hell-bent On making the latin Kings pay, And the city was Caught in the cross fire.
people were going by on Bicycles.
People going by in Cars, whatever, walking.
They didn't even need an order.
they didn't care.
Their primary object was to Take out a king.
The kings' primary object was To take out a solid.
narrator: The shots rang out Night after night.
Finally, the hartford p.
D.
Called for backup.
they had to bring in state Police.
They had to bring in other town Agencies to cover the calls for Service thatartford cops Weren't taking, because they Were here or in the north end Putting out shootings and Fights.
It was just crazy.
I don't think we got home for a Couple hours a night.
narrator: The war between the Gangs peaked a few weeks later On thanksgiving weekend.
Within 12 hours, there were Three drive-by murders.
Two victims were latin kings, Including one whose brother was A member of the solidos.
disgraceful.
The kid had information His brother was going To be killed, didn't warn him, Didn't tell him.
narrator: The third victim Was an innocent bystander, a 17-year-old who happened to be Standing next to some latin Kings.
this kid wasn't a Gang-affiliated guy, and he got Killed.
narrator: The police were Arresting gangsters as fast as They could, but it didn't stop The madness.
they had their own bondsmen.
They had funds for bonds, and They had their own attorneys.
narrator: Los solidos also Had their public face: Smurf.
While they targeted latin Kings, smurf gave interviews Trying to spin their role.
I was in the media.
My face was everywhere.
Everyone knew who I was.
So every minute you spend Looking at a face, you don't Know if that is the face that Is going to end your life.
narrator: Smurf became a Prime target.
One afternoon, a latin king Pulled a gun on him and his Three-month-old daughter.
he put the gun to her face, And he said, what if I shoot Your little báááá?" And I said, "no, please don't do That," you know.
"please, man, she ain't got Nothing to do with that," So he hit her in the face With the gun and laughed at me, Andand he walked away.
narrator: The child wasn't Seriously injured.
The gunman wasn't so lucky.
I made some phone calls, Anddetermined to kill him.
He had to die for what he did.
And then somebody else got Him.
Somebody else killed him, Ran up on him and, and he lost His life.
narrator: By 1994, the bedlam In hartford was national news.
The city finally asked the Federal government to step in.
The feds agreed.
The fbi, dea, and atf joined With city and state police to Go after los solidos using laws First passed to fight the mafia.
they pursued a rico case, Federal racketeering against The los solidos.
narrator: The task force Began building its rico case With warrants, wiretaps, and Surveillance.
They needed to prove that Los solidos were a criminal Organization that used illegal Behavior to achieve their goals.
The case took on new urgency on March 26, 1994.
Seven-year old marcelina Delgado and her family were in Their car when shots rang out.
narrator: Los solidos had Mistaken marcelina's father for A latin king and opened fire on His car.
He was wounded but Recovered.
One bullet hit marcelina in The head while she slept.
The little girl died Three days later.
narrator: Hartford and the Country were outraged.
I'm sick and tired of every Week: Pick up the newspaper And seeing that one of our young People is dead again for a Gang-related shooting.
that incident just completely Turned the table.
narrator: The feds ramped-up Their investigation.
The task force installed Wiretaps for los solidos' Leaders, including its President, "pekino" rivera.
and he was actually recorded On many calls talking about Everything from the kidnapping To narcotics dealing.
narrator: In October, 1994, The task force brought down the Hammer.
Over the next 14 months, They charged more than 50 Members of los solidos and Their known associates for a Laundry list of crimes, Including drugs and Racketeering.
murder, the kidnappings, The assaults; There were also robberies.
narrator: In may 1996, Gang president jorge "pekino" Rivera and five other Solidos went to trial on Racketeering charges.
Included in the indictment Were the 1993 thanksgiving Weekend killings And the 1994 murder of marcelina Delgado.
jorge rivera was aiding And abetting or directing others To do the murders.
narrator: The court sentenced Rivera to 13 consecutive Life terms.
In 1997, smurf, the gang's Spokesman and treasurer, was Charged with accessory for Providing money to a suspect in A killing.
After a mistrial, he pled Guilty to two counts of Concealing a felony.
Smurf was sentenced to 18 Months.
and that's what jail was to Me.
It was like a trap for Yourself.
You know, you have no Choice but to kind of explode With anger and rage.
narrator: By 1997, the feds Had sent more than 50 members Of los solidos to jail.
For the first time, the fate of The solids hung in the balance.
narrator: It has been more Than a decade since the feds Gutted the leadership of Los solidos in hartford, Connecticut.
The godfather, larry beauvais, And ex-gang president Pekino rivera are in Prison, where they will remain For many years.
Even so, the Gang is making a comeback, Trying to rebuild its empire.
the solidos are gonna be Around.
There's always gonna be Problems, because they're always Gonna be into illegal stuff, And it'sand they adapt to time Very well, you know.
They're very smart.
and the police departments Can never rest on their laurels And think that they did a good Job and these guys are never Coming back.
Street gangs do not go away.
narrator: Many of the Gangsters locked up by the 1990s Rico convictions are being Paroled and hitting the streets.
they are going right back to Where they were, right back to Where they were comfortable, Probably unrepentant.
Plus, they are older, Less employable than ever.
Are they really going to Go straight? I doubt it.
and every time they went to Jail, they learned how to be Better gang members, because They learned from our Investigations how to avoid us.
narrator: The illegal drug Trade is bigger and more Profitable than ever.
these gangs have gone into Selling ghb, ecstasy, amyl Nitrate, maybe, a lot Of club drugs, viagra Unbelievable.
narrator: The cops believe Another war between los Solidos and the latin kings Is not far off.
I don't think It's anything that's gone away Over the last, you know, 10-15 Years.
Right now, at this time, we're Back into that beginning cycle, Where we saw the wars back in The early days.
The sign that we're looking at Back here, the war sign, is the Solidos declaring war on the Latin kings.
It's kind of one of those things Where when they drive by it, They see it; they understand What it means.
They know that now it's time.
It's open season on the latin Kings based on all the Retaliation and all the Incidents that have happened.
narrator: Authorities know This means new challenges for Them.
police have to change.
They have to change and Learn different tactics to get Them.
The old stuff we used to do may Not work for the Experienced gang member.
They won't be as out in the Open or in your face.
They'll be doing all the stuff They did before.
They'll just try to be quieter, But they'll want to reassert Theirtheir independence On the street and Be the prominent gang in Hartford again.
narrator: Not everyone is up For another round.
Some los solidos members, like Pipe's broer, juaneca, say They're through with gang life.
my daughter was born, and I Had a something to live for, my Brother's kids, and I could have Got killed, and somehow, Someway, I didn't end up getting Killed.
narrator: Big bird has also Left the gang.
He says he was Tired of people getting killed Over a war nobody was winning.
we have got to stop this.
We have to go the right way.
We have got to educate These brothers and sisters So we can have a trade or Something like that to Fall back.
narrator: After his 1997 Conviction, smurf spent 18 months behind bars.
There, he vowed to change his Life.
I had done enough, you know.
I hadbut seeing what I saw in Jail, seeing people getting Stabbed, in my heart, That's not how I wanted to be.
narrator: Every day, he is Reminded of his past.
what this is, is, it's a Memorial area for victims of Violence in the city.
It's, like, here, it says, "one Way you die like a soldier, but It is kind of like dying like a Punk, because you are Representing all the wrong Things when you die in the Street.
" narrator: There is also a Stone their for fallen brother, Pipe santana.
this stone tells you, Like, what he said he Would do, and this is exactly What he did, and he died because Of thisthisthis stuff.
It says, "if anybody ever comes To me with a gun, I'm just Gonna shut up and walk away.
" He knew that.
He knew he didn't want it Anymore, But that ended up costing him His life.
narrator: Smurf is back on The streets now and uses his Smooth talking to counsel At-risk youth.
primarily violence prevention And gang prevention, giving Kids an opportunity to go from Where they are at to something Positive.
narrator: Smurf left los Solidos with the gang's Blessing, but he still feels the Pull of his old life.
I am not free from gang From the gang life.
When you're down with Something like that, It's always there.
It is almostit's impossible To get away from it.
narrator: That life found Smurf again.
He and his older brother Efrain, his best friend since Childhood, had been in Los solidos together.
In January 2008, efrain was Shot dead on the street.
my brother was here for a Party.
While he was there, a Gentleman arrived there who had Problems with one of my Brother's friends, and one thing Lead to the other, and they Got into a fight right out here.
The fight escalated into Something else.
The guys left.
As he was walking, He was talking to His friend about where he Wanted to go, and the person Drove up.
They were talking While the guy was in the car, Because they knew each other.
They were both solids, you Know, both in the Sameboth in the same gang.
You know, I mean He pulled out he gun.
He came up close to him.
My brother put his hands up.
He told him not to shoot, And the guy shot him.
He went to the hospital, and He losthe lostI lost him.
I lost him.
You're talking about The single most important man in My life.
narrator: The suspect in Efrain's death is a los solidos Member convicted in the murder Of little seven-year-old Marcelina delgado.
He recently finished A 12-year prison sentence For that crime.
that taught memy brother's Deathis that no matter what You do, you are never safe.
narrator: That's as true Today as it's ever been.
With another gang war all but Certain, los solidos seemed Ready to repeat the gang's Deadly cycle.
people are going to Die, and there is no need for it.
We can do better than that.
everywhere we would go, we Would justpeople just, like, Were terrified.
narrator: Los solidos: "the Solid ones.
" when you're solid, it's a Bond for life.
narrator: Theirgenda: Total domination by any means Necessary.
They fear no one.
the police department was Just overwhelmed.
narrator: Welcome to Hartford, the unlikely place Where los solidos rule.
violence is part of their Lifestyle.
It's part of their overhead.
It's what they do.
people willing to kill and Die for the colors 24 hours a Day, 7 days a week.
narrator: Hartford, Connecticut: In a state with the highest per Capita income, its capital is One of its poorest cities.
Hartford has about 120,000 Residents.
Of those, hundreds claim los Solidos: "solid ones.
" solid forever, Forever solid.
narrator: Their huge illegal Empire rakes in volumes of cash To keep the gang running.
Their biggest moneymakers: Narcotics.
everything: Marijuana, Heroin, cocaine, wet.
narrator: Los solidos' list Of crimes range from car thefts To prostitution and shakedowns.
They are also notorious for Their ruthlessness.
people respected us, feared Us.
If you messed with us, We are going to take it to You all.
narrator: Herman, aka "big Bird," was a solidos enforcer.
His role was to ensure The gang members followed the Rules.
I stood in my area, post People up Let them know where to hang in Case, you know, the rival gangs, The police come.
narrator: Herman joined the Solidos as a teenager.
The violence was a release from An otherwise tortured existence.
because my father wasn't There for me, so I had much Anger, and, you know I used to love to fight.
narrator: Though herman Was attracted to violence, His size and love of Nature earned him an unlikely Street name, big bird.
people, like, picked on me, Because I was big, And, you know, I was a person That liked to go to the woods And hear the animals, look at The trees, look at the birds, Like, "wow, this is incredible.
" narrator: The similarities to The popular childhood character Ended there.
I didn't start things, But I'll finish them.
narrator: Joining the Solidos is a rite of passage For many hispanic males within The city's barrio.
narrator: Many like "jordan," Who asked to have his Identity concealed, Are drawn by the Lure of easy money.
Jordan was recruited when he Was 14 years old.
He made as much as $1,000 A day selling drugs Before he was old enough to Have a driver's license.
narrator: Others joined los Solidos for more personal Reasons.
Iran nazario grew up in the Sand, a housing project on Hartford's north side known for Its poverty and violence.
His mother was a gangbanger And into drugs, both using and Dealing.
I've seen my mom fight men.
She would stab you in a Heartbeat.
You know, if she had a gun, She'd shoot you in a heartbeat.
narrator: He claims his Father was even more Frightening.
and he stabbed my stepmother A couple of times In front of all of us, And I remember him punching Me in the chest.
You know, when he got angry, It was terrifying.
narrator: Iran and his Brother, efrain, were often Forced to live in parks or on The streets.
and we used to jump off Garbage cans to have fun, Jumping off and flipping, and There would probably be a Mattress there or a mat, and We'd flip off the garbage cans On top of it.
narrator: Iran picked up his Nickname, "smurf," because he Always wore blue to match his Jeans, the only pair of pants He owned.
At nine, he joined his first Gang, a small set called the "gqs".
By 13, he dropped out of School and began a relationship With a 24-year-old woman.
Soon, he moved in with her.
she kind of helped me find That comfort level.
She wanted me to work, So I got a job Working construction picking Up bricks.
narrator: He also started Picking up arrests, mostly For assaults on his girlfriend.
and when a woman didn't Listen to you, you beat her up.
That's what my dad did, you Know, so that's what I did.
narrator: Iran moved in and Out of detention homes for Several years.
When he was 17, he caught his Girlfriend with another Man and landed in manson Youth correctional institute For assault.
I threw him out a third-story Window, and I stabbed her four Times, and I went to jail For that.
narrator: Now, he was in the Big leagues.
you've never seen these kind Of guys.
It's just a whole different Atmosphere.
You know what I'm saying? You're terrified.
narrator: On his first day, Another inmate challenged him.
I fought him until the guards Came and helped me out, because He was gonna eventuallyhe Was too big for me, so Eventually, he was gonnahe was Gonna hurt me.
narrator: Smurf did his time, 21/2 years.
He found big changes when He got back to the streets.
Gangbangers that were former Enemies were suddenly hanging Out with each other.
these guys were at each other All these years, and they're all Together.
What's going on? narrator: The word on the Street was that a new gang was Forming.
you knew something Was changing; something was Happening, so everybody was Getting together.
It was getting big fast.
narrator: It all became clear When smurf landed back in Prison, this time for assault.
There, he was initiated into The new gang: Los solidos.
He gained a new family, and the Solids gained a brilliant new Face.
they knew that I was the kind Of person that knew the Neighborhood, That I could benefit From having a family like them.
narrator: Back on the Streets, he would need his wits In 1993, when one of his closest Friends got himself in trouble With a rival gang.
August 31st, hartford: Smurf had spent the day at a Pool party and was trying to Reach his fellow solido, Pipe santana.
I was paging him, because I Wanted him to come over there.
There were a lot of people and Some good-looking girls, and I Knew that he would have a good Time.
narrator: Pipe was already Busy.
He was having an affair With the girlfriend of the Leader of the ruthless latin Kings, The undeniable rulers of Hartford's streets.
The kings didn't tolerate Disobedience and had already Warned pipe to back off, but he Wasn't hearing it.
they got into words over her And eventually got into a Fistfight.
I think pipe got the Better of the other guy.
narrator: The law of the Streets demanded revenge.
Two gang members trailed pipe As he bought a beer at the Neighborhood liquor store.
His brother, juaneca, also a Solido since 1991, describes What happened next.
My brother was about this Area here sitting on a milk Crate right about here Somewhere, and the two guys Confronted him coming out from That street right there, Seymour street, came this way, And they were talking, like, Ght about here somewhere, and As they were talking like This narrator: Pipe did Not see the third latin king.
the other guy came from the Side of a building, crept up, And from close range shot him In the back.
narrator: The latin kings Showed no mercy.
the bullet turned him around, And then they took off running.
narrator: Pipe's brother was At home when a solido brought Him the news.
and I just kept telling him "no, are you crazy? No way, notnot my brother.
Are you crazy? Not peep, you know, Ain't no way.
It's impossible.
" I remember, I grabbed Mymy toy And I ran out of the house.
narrator: Juaneca ran to the Liquor store, where a crowd of Solidos was gathering.
pipe was gasping for air, and We were waiting for the Ambulance, you know, "where the Ambulance? Where the "f" the ambulance at?" narrator: Smurf, one of los Solidos highest-ranking Leaders, also got word of pipe's Shooting.
He knew what was about To go down.
once I heard the news, I knew That it was war.
narrator: The incident Between the two gangs exploded Into a full-scale gang war that Would take hartford by storm.
yeah, there was retaliation Not even a 1/2 an hour after That happened.
You know, I mean, All you heard was gunshots EverywhereEverywhere, Everywhere, everywhere.
narrator: Hartford, the Capital city of the constitution State.
Street gangs are nothing New here, but since the 1980s, They have become widespread, Organized, and dangerous.
this area that we're going Down right now is, again, still Controlled by los solidos.
When we get down to broad Street, you're going find it's Latin king territory down there.
narrator: Los solidos, or "the solid ones", a violent Street gang fueled by money, Guns, and drugs, control much of The city.
narrator: Los solidos formed In connecticut's state prisons In the late 1980s.
The capital is only the Third-largest city in the state, And hartford gangsters were Targeted by others from Bridgeport and new haven.
they realized could not stand On their own as a separate Street gang.
There were too many gangs Inside the prison, too many Established, very powerful Prison gangs.
narrator: A hartford inmate Named lawrence beauvais, "l.
B.
," Had a vision of a multiracial "super gang" that could dominate Both in the prisons and on the Streets.
L.
B.
, who was serving time for Rape, became the brains behind The solidos.
Gang members would call him "the godfather.
" l.
B.
Was a very powerful Individual.
Hehe carried a lot of Weight.
He had done a lot of time.
He had some escape stuff on his Past.
Heyou know, he was the kind of Guy that, you know, nobody in The prison system messed with.
narrator: Michael lajoie, a Corrections officer at Connecticut's maximum security Somers prison, was an Eyewitness to the godfather's Growing power.
he got everybody To buy into his culture, and he Got everybody to buy into what Was going on.
everybody's kind of Listening to him, and Everybody's rolling with him, And all our boys are getting Down with him.
narrator: The godfather was Shrewd.
He first earned the respect of The established hispanic gang, The latin kings, by asking Their permission to start Los solidos.
so it was just, like, Everybody's together.
We're a family.
We protect each other.
If you have problems with Somebody, you have problems With the latin kings.
narrator: Under the Godfather's leadership, los Solidos and the latin kings Were tight.
The kings even took To calling "the solid ones" Cousins.
narrator: With the latin Kings' blessing, beauvais built Up the solidos.
He drafted a Gang charter heavy on Responsibility and discipline.
everything that you're gonna Do as a member: From attending Meetings to paying dues all the Way down to your personal Hygiene.
narrator: The godfather ruled With an iron fist, and the Solidos followed.
One new inmate who owed them Big drug money found that out The hard way.
they went right after him Right in the chow hall.
They basically made some noise So that people started Looking, and they just stabbed Him as many times as they could.
When you stab an inmate in a Busy chow hall, you're telling Everyone, "it doesn't matter Where you cross us, we'll get You.
" narrator: The solidos were Smart and figured out ways to Do business, including drug Deals on the outside.
Even though the prison staff Read their mail and monitored Phone calls, the solids managed To beat the system.
if they had to use five People and send letters to five Different addresses to finally Get a letter to a certain Person, they were so organized That they could easily do that.
narrator: They also used Ingenious coded messages to Evade the authorities' Attention.
they would do letter Formations where, you know, Every third letter would be the Tual letter that theyto put In the next, you know, sentence To a word.
As soon as they caught wind That somehow law enforcement Intercepted that letter, You know, they would change Their codes right away.
narrator: By 1991, The gang's numbers were growing Dramatically inside and on the Streets.
they were recruiting daily.
They were recruiting outside Middle schools, recruiting Outside high schools.
They were getting people coming Out of jail joining their Fold.
narrator: The godfather Took the lead as los solidos Developed a strict hierarchy, With a president, vice President, and a Secretary-treasurer.
Below them were the warlords.
A warlord would oversee the Missions of violence against Other gangs, delinquent drug Dealers, even fellow solidos Who broke gang rules.
narrator: Enforcers Carried out the warlords' Orders.
They also kept the soldiers The gang's core membership In line and settled individual Disputes.
it is a very organized Structure they've had, you Know, from a president on down To their soldiers, and when one Person steps down or is removed From that position, they've got The next person right in line to Take over.
they would be similar To a mafia group in that, you Know, they had their lead Structure.
They had their soldiers.
They had their warriors.
They had their people who would Take care of business for them.
narrator: Modeling themselves After the mafia, los solidos Also called themselves "the Family.
" Beauvais, the godfather, Called the shots from prison But shared power with the Gang's officers on the Street and other senior leaders.
This elite governing group was Known simply as "the committee.
" The godfather could say, "well, We're going to war," but if The committee said, "you know What? We don't feel we should Go to war.
We canwe can peace it up.
Let's go this route," He would have to do that.
narrator: Beauvais groomed His leaders carefully.
In the early 1990s, he Appointed jorge rivera, aka "pekino," as president.
Beauvais, serving an 18-year Sentence, needed a Presence on the streets to make Sure los solidos were as solid In hartford as they were in the State's prisons.
Pekino emerged as a powerful Force within los solidos.
narrator: Pekino had a long Rap sheet that included drug Dealing and possession.
He was an imposing presence With a sharp mind.
he could have a meeting with You 15 weeks ago, and he Would remember that like it Happened yesterday detail for Detail.
narrator: Iran nazario, aka Smurf, was often with pekino.
After becoming a member of los Solidos at the age of 21, smurf Moved quickly up the ranks Becoming the gang's treasurer And public face.
he was very convincing.
He was very media savvy, and he Was smart.
narrator: Smurf went on tv, Did interviews, and portrayed Los solidos as good citizens, Caretakers of hartford's Hispanic community.
there will be an increase in Crime, because these kids won't Know they are committing these Crimes sometimes under this new Drug.
Their mission was to recruit As many members to get to that Goal that was in the charter, Which was to keep us safe, to Help the community.
narrator: The hartford P.
D.
Saw right through it.
a spokesman for a gang who is Articulate and smart and can Portray this criminal Organization in ain a Positive manner is more Dangerous than the biggest thug On the street.
narrator: The gang's true Intent was to dominate hartford.
Though mostly hispanic, los Solidos openly recruited other Races and ethnic groups.
narrator: By 1992, los Solidos outnumbered the Powerful latin kings, but they Still had to share the same Streets.
An intense rivalry Began to simmer between these Former allies.
we lived not even, like, two Blocks away, So we usually see them almost Every day, and we knew a lot of Kings that are family members.
and we was real tight.
We used to hang together, Hang out, drink, chill, You know.
narrator: Los solidos, at One time viewed as "little Cousins" by the latin Kings, were now the more Powerful and violent gang.
The latin kings weren't about To let go of their stranglehold On the streets of hartford Without a fight.
los solidos were Pushing the latin kings out of Every corner, because they Were more violent.
They had more members, and Theythey protected their Interests a lot more.
and the solidos, everything They have, they got it from us.
All right? And now they are trying to Be more powerful than everybody Else, and they're not.
narrator: The former allies Began to openly clash with Increasing violence.
it was petty things, like, "what are you looking at?" You know, "what the fáááare you Bumping into me for? What are you bumping into me For? What? What did you say to me? Let's go".
And before you know it, They're fighting.
narrator: A battle was Brewing between los solidos And the latin kings With hartford caught in the Middle.
it was like the confederacy And the union army.
They're instant enemies right There.
narrator: Hartford, Connecticut, 1992.
Once protected by the latin Kings, Los solidos, or "the solid Ones," were now the strongest And most feared street gang in The city.
you're walking down the Street, like, wherever the Solids rule, you feel a sense of Power that I can't even explain.
narrator: Los solidos were Brazenly taking over hartford And running their illegal empire With moblike efficiency.
In one instance, they used Their cars to openly block off A main street while they went After a rival drug dealer.
and they found him.
They beat him up, Spread the word that Lawrence street was their Territory and that anyone Else couldn't operate without Either becoming a member or Paying tribute to the gang.
anybody that got in their way Was dealt with, maybe with Threats, maybe with bribery, Maybe with a beat down, maybe Getting shot.
narrator: Hartford Police were outmanned, Outgunned, and overwhelmed.
The city's homicide rate was Climbing and soon reached its Highest level in years.
that was a three-night span Where it was absolute Pandemonium, Shots being fired up and Down this stretch and all the Way down on the next block.
a guy would take out guns and Start shooting in the air, Like, broad daylight, like They were some war-torn country.
That's brazen.
Justthey didn't care, Bam bam bam bam, just shooting Guns.
narrator: For years, Officials had denied they had a Serious gang problem.
That was no longer possible.
the public was sick and Tired of this Nonstop violence, and these guys Were in the face of the public.
They're going to do what they Wanted despite what anyone said.
narrator: In June 1992, the Police department created its First gang task force under Sergeant chris lyons.
His team had little to work With.
a typewriter or two, one Vehicle, and a small office for A sergeant and fivefive Officers, Inadequate resources for That job.
narrator: Los solidos Seemed on top of the world.
They had out-of-state bank Accounts and a long list of Criminal enterprises.
they would steal cars and Chop them up in thein the Woods and then ship the parts Out asas one of their major Activities.
narrator: The gang also ran Prostitution rings and hired Themselves out as protection for Other drug kingpins, escorting The dealers around the state.
their m.
O.
Was to have either Two cars in front and two cars Behind.
That way, if any state trooper Or any police officer would Attempt to pull the vehicle Over, they would create a Distraction andand therefore Create a car chase.
narrator: Los solidos' Biggest moneymaker, though, was The sale of cocaine and crack.
It was heady income for young Gangbangers.
estimate one month: You could probably make $150,000, $200,000 For the family.
the money that you get from Mcdonald's or wendy's ain't Gonna cut it.
You can't pay your rent with That, you know.
You can't live the way you want To.
You know what I mean? So, yeah, I sold drugs, and, You know, I ain't proud of it, But it was something I had to Do.
narrator: Los solidos Developed an ingenious method For running drugs across state Lines.
narrator: The shipments would Come through several times a Week.
narrator: The solidos were Rock solid, thriving under what Is still their main principle.
the main rule for them was Protect your brother los Solidos members or your sister Los solidos members.
Alwaysif you see a solidos Member in a fight, you have to Assist them.
narrator: Los solidos Represent by wearing their Colors: Red and blue.
narrator: Bandannas and beads Are also part of the dress code.
we sewed them together; one Half is red, and one half is Blue.
You could easily spot us from Miles away with those beads or The handkerchiefs.
narrator: A member's rank Determines his beads.
the president would probably Have a bunch of red with some Dots of blue.
The vice president Would have probably less red And different dots.
A warlord would probably have More red and blue.
narrator: Getting "inked" is Mandatory for los solidos Members.
Their trademark tattoos Are the comedy and Tragedy theater masks.
narrator: Like most gangs, Those chosen to join los Solidos go through a short and Brutal ritual called a "bounce.
" narrator: Once someone joins Los solidos, he has the right To use their handshake.
it's left over right, and you Go like this twice.
narrator: They also learn Los solidos' code words, a Special language only the gang Understands.
every hood had a different Slang, depending on where you Were from.
"tso" was the solid onethe Solid ones.
"you are about to be t'd," Which was, "you're about You're gonna to be terminated.
" narrator: One member, "big Bird," even has his own set of Signals to warn his brothers.
one of them is for Introduction.
That is this one: The other one is to let them Know I'm around.
The other one is to let people Know thatalert our soldiers.
narrator: With its laws in Place, los solidos seemed Unstoppable in the summer of They feared nothing, not The latin kings, a certainly Not the undermanned hartford Gang unit.
solidos shooting here; They're shooting there.
We would go to the south End for shots fired, and once We were there, there were shots Fired in the north end, and we Were just running all over.
narrator: The city was Teetering on the edge of chaos, And it would get worse before it Would get better.
narrator: August 31, 1993: A gang war between los solidos "the solid ones"and the Latin kings was gathering force In hartford.
The reason was simple: Revenge.
most of the wars would start Over women, Someone sleeping with someone's Girlfriend.
narrator: In this case, Pipe santana, a high-ranking Member of los solidos, was Having an affair with the Girlfriend of the president of The latin kings.
Pipe was ambushed by the Kings, then shot once at Close range.
He died almost instantly.
that's the reason he died, Because he was so close up That it exploded his lungs, You know? narrator: Los solidos' President, jorge "pekino" Rivera, called an emergency gang Meeting.
it was all greenyou Know, green light; let's go.
it was like horror on The street.
They went out shooting latin Kings throughout the city.
I mean, just, like, all Hell broke loose.
narrator: Los solidos took Time out from their street war To honor pipe.
Hundreds attended his funeral, Which spilled from The church onto the streets of Hartford.
two, three solidos! Solidos! he had a presidential Funeral.
He was real special.
narrator: The procession made Its way from the church to the Cemetery.
we was hollering, "we Love you, peep," you know.
"you still with us," you know, Ople out the windows and all Around the street.
It was like a parade.
narrator: The peaceful moment Didn't last long.
Los solidos were hell-bent On making the latin Kings pay, And the city was Caught in the cross fire.
people were going by on Bicycles.
People going by in Cars, whatever, walking.
They didn't even need an order.
they didn't care.
Their primary object was to Take out a king.
The kings' primary object was To take out a solid.
narrator: The shots rang out Night after night.
Finally, the hartford p.
D.
Called for backup.
they had to bring in state Police.
They had to bring in other town Agencies to cover the calls for Service thatartford cops Weren't taking, because they Were here or in the north end Putting out shootings and Fights.
It was just crazy.
I don't think we got home for a Couple hours a night.
narrator: The war between the Gangs peaked a few weeks later On thanksgiving weekend.
Within 12 hours, there were Three drive-by murders.
Two victims were latin kings, Including one whose brother was A member of the solidos.
disgraceful.
The kid had information His brother was going To be killed, didn't warn him, Didn't tell him.
narrator: The third victim Was an innocent bystander, a 17-year-old who happened to be Standing next to some latin Kings.
this kid wasn't a Gang-affiliated guy, and he got Killed.
narrator: The police were Arresting gangsters as fast as They could, but it didn't stop The madness.
they had their own bondsmen.
They had funds for bonds, and They had their own attorneys.
narrator: Los solidos also Had their public face: Smurf.
While they targeted latin Kings, smurf gave interviews Trying to spin their role.
I was in the media.
My face was everywhere.
Everyone knew who I was.
So every minute you spend Looking at a face, you don't Know if that is the face that Is going to end your life.
narrator: Smurf became a Prime target.
One afternoon, a latin king Pulled a gun on him and his Three-month-old daughter.
he put the gun to her face, And he said, what if I shoot Your little báááá?" And I said, "no, please don't do That," you know.
"please, man, she ain't got Nothing to do with that," So he hit her in the face With the gun and laughed at me, Andand he walked away.
narrator: The child wasn't Seriously injured.
The gunman wasn't so lucky.
I made some phone calls, Anddetermined to kill him.
He had to die for what he did.
And then somebody else got Him.
Somebody else killed him, Ran up on him and, and he lost His life.
narrator: By 1994, the bedlam In hartford was national news.
The city finally asked the Federal government to step in.
The feds agreed.
The fbi, dea, and atf joined With city and state police to Go after los solidos using laws First passed to fight the mafia.
they pursued a rico case, Federal racketeering against The los solidos.
narrator: The task force Began building its rico case With warrants, wiretaps, and Surveillance.
They needed to prove that Los solidos were a criminal Organization that used illegal Behavior to achieve their goals.
The case took on new urgency on March 26, 1994.
Seven-year old marcelina Delgado and her family were in Their car when shots rang out.
narrator: Los solidos had Mistaken marcelina's father for A latin king and opened fire on His car.
He was wounded but Recovered.
One bullet hit marcelina in The head while she slept.
The little girl died Three days later.
narrator: Hartford and the Country were outraged.
I'm sick and tired of every Week: Pick up the newspaper And seeing that one of our young People is dead again for a Gang-related shooting.
that incident just completely Turned the table.
narrator: The feds ramped-up Their investigation.
The task force installed Wiretaps for los solidos' Leaders, including its President, "pekino" rivera.
and he was actually recorded On many calls talking about Everything from the kidnapping To narcotics dealing.
narrator: In October, 1994, The task force brought down the Hammer.
Over the next 14 months, They charged more than 50 Members of los solidos and Their known associates for a Laundry list of crimes, Including drugs and Racketeering.
murder, the kidnappings, The assaults; There were also robberies.
narrator: In may 1996, Gang president jorge "pekino" Rivera and five other Solidos went to trial on Racketeering charges.
Included in the indictment Were the 1993 thanksgiving Weekend killings And the 1994 murder of marcelina Delgado.
jorge rivera was aiding And abetting or directing others To do the murders.
narrator: The court sentenced Rivera to 13 consecutive Life terms.
In 1997, smurf, the gang's Spokesman and treasurer, was Charged with accessory for Providing money to a suspect in A killing.
After a mistrial, he pled Guilty to two counts of Concealing a felony.
Smurf was sentenced to 18 Months.
and that's what jail was to Me.
It was like a trap for Yourself.
You know, you have no Choice but to kind of explode With anger and rage.
narrator: By 1997, the feds Had sent more than 50 members Of los solidos to jail.
For the first time, the fate of The solids hung in the balance.
narrator: It has been more Than a decade since the feds Gutted the leadership of Los solidos in hartford, Connecticut.
The godfather, larry beauvais, And ex-gang president Pekino rivera are in Prison, where they will remain For many years.
Even so, the Gang is making a comeback, Trying to rebuild its empire.
the solidos are gonna be Around.
There's always gonna be Problems, because they're always Gonna be into illegal stuff, And it'sand they adapt to time Very well, you know.
They're very smart.
and the police departments Can never rest on their laurels And think that they did a good Job and these guys are never Coming back.
Street gangs do not go away.
narrator: Many of the Gangsters locked up by the 1990s Rico convictions are being Paroled and hitting the streets.
they are going right back to Where they were, right back to Where they were comfortable, Probably unrepentant.
Plus, they are older, Less employable than ever.
Are they really going to Go straight? I doubt it.
and every time they went to Jail, they learned how to be Better gang members, because They learned from our Investigations how to avoid us.
narrator: The illegal drug Trade is bigger and more Profitable than ever.
these gangs have gone into Selling ghb, ecstasy, amyl Nitrate, maybe, a lot Of club drugs, viagra Unbelievable.
narrator: The cops believe Another war between los Solidos and the latin kings Is not far off.
I don't think It's anything that's gone away Over the last, you know, 10-15 Years.
Right now, at this time, we're Back into that beginning cycle, Where we saw the wars back in The early days.
The sign that we're looking at Back here, the war sign, is the Solidos declaring war on the Latin kings.
It's kind of one of those things Where when they drive by it, They see it; they understand What it means.
They know that now it's time.
It's open season on the latin Kings based on all the Retaliation and all the Incidents that have happened.
narrator: Authorities know This means new challenges for Them.
police have to change.
They have to change and Learn different tactics to get Them.
The old stuff we used to do may Not work for the Experienced gang member.
They won't be as out in the Open or in your face.
They'll be doing all the stuff They did before.
They'll just try to be quieter, But they'll want to reassert Theirtheir independence On the street and Be the prominent gang in Hartford again.
narrator: Not everyone is up For another round.
Some los solidos members, like Pipe's broer, juaneca, say They're through with gang life.
my daughter was born, and I Had a something to live for, my Brother's kids, and I could have Got killed, and somehow, Someway, I didn't end up getting Killed.
narrator: Big bird has also Left the gang.
He says he was Tired of people getting killed Over a war nobody was winning.
we have got to stop this.
We have to go the right way.
We have got to educate These brothers and sisters So we can have a trade or Something like that to Fall back.
narrator: After his 1997 Conviction, smurf spent 18 months behind bars.
There, he vowed to change his Life.
I had done enough, you know.
I hadbut seeing what I saw in Jail, seeing people getting Stabbed, in my heart, That's not how I wanted to be.
narrator: Every day, he is Reminded of his past.
what this is, is, it's a Memorial area for victims of Violence in the city.
It's, like, here, it says, "one Way you die like a soldier, but It is kind of like dying like a Punk, because you are Representing all the wrong Things when you die in the Street.
" narrator: There is also a Stone their for fallen brother, Pipe santana.
this stone tells you, Like, what he said he Would do, and this is exactly What he did, and he died because Of thisthisthis stuff.
It says, "if anybody ever comes To me with a gun, I'm just Gonna shut up and walk away.
" He knew that.
He knew he didn't want it Anymore, But that ended up costing him His life.
narrator: Smurf is back on The streets now and uses his Smooth talking to counsel At-risk youth.
primarily violence prevention And gang prevention, giving Kids an opportunity to go from Where they are at to something Positive.
narrator: Smurf left los Solidos with the gang's Blessing, but he still feels the Pull of his old life.
I am not free from gang From the gang life.
When you're down with Something like that, It's always there.
It is almostit's impossible To get away from it.
narrator: That life found Smurf again.
He and his older brother Efrain, his best friend since Childhood, had been in Los solidos together.
In January 2008, efrain was Shot dead on the street.
my brother was here for a Party.
While he was there, a Gentleman arrived there who had Problems with one of my Brother's friends, and one thing Lead to the other, and they Got into a fight right out here.
The fight escalated into Something else.
The guys left.
As he was walking, He was talking to His friend about where he Wanted to go, and the person Drove up.
They were talking While the guy was in the car, Because they knew each other.
They were both solids, you Know, both in the Sameboth in the same gang.
You know, I mean He pulled out he gun.
He came up close to him.
My brother put his hands up.
He told him not to shoot, And the guy shot him.
He went to the hospital, and He losthe lostI lost him.
I lost him.
You're talking about The single most important man in My life.
narrator: The suspect in Efrain's death is a los solidos Member convicted in the murder Of little seven-year-old Marcelina delgado.
He recently finished A 12-year prison sentence For that crime.
that taught memy brother's Deathis that no matter what You do, you are never safe.
narrator: That's as true Today as it's ever been.
With another gang war all but Certain, los solidos seemed Ready to repeat the gang's Deadly cycle.
people are going to Die, and there is no need for it.
We can do better than that.