Manuel Medrano, a former member of the Arizona Mexican Mafia, or La Eme, shares his insights with Business Insider on the gang’s structure, hierarchy, ties to cartels, tattoos, language, and rivalries with the Border Brothers. After leaving the gang life behind, Medrano now runs Phase Two of Life, a charity in Arizona and hosts a YouTube channel called Chronicles where he speaks with former gang members.
La Eme began in 1957 in the California prison system and has since splintered into factions such as the New Mexican Mafia and others. Many prison gangs across the US adopt the name Mexican Mafia, including Mexikanemi or Texas Mexican Mafia. To learn more about this topic visit phasetwooflife.org or check out Chronicles on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/CHRONICLES1.
