Darkness cannot drive out darkness;
Only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate;
Only love can do that.
-Martin Luther King Jr.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Call to the Wise
To Grandma,
I’m moving out. I’m tired of this. Probably going to move in with my cousin Joey who lives in Bridgeport. You know all this gang life and everything. I know how much you hated when mom married my dad, and now I know why. You were right, he could never take us out of the South Side. Sure, he got mom out of Englewood, but he brought all the problems from there with him! I like East Pilsen though, but Bridgeport isn’t so gang centered. I have a girlfriend now, her names Christina. Man grandma I might love her. But I can’t get into that with her like that just yet. I mean my gang brothers always have girls, but they never talk about love. How did you find love? I don’t know gran but something about Christina is amazing, I feel like the Almighty Bishops are so far away from me, as if I can actually live my life again. She always takes us out of East Pilsen, she hates it there. We go to Greektown a lot since her grandfather was from Athens, and just walking around reminds her of what it was like when he would take her out before he passed away. Christina wants to move to Greece, and I’m afraid she’ll leave when she’s eightteen, because I think by that time I will really love her. She tells me about the cousins she talks to in Greece and how every cousin has a spare room with her name above the door. She really wants to flee Chicago, I think the United States too, she’s political like that.
But being in the Almighty Bishops is hard grandma. I’m now a bagboy so they keep me away from all the serious stuff. That’s doing better than a lot of my other friends in the gang. My friend Zach is out “patrolling” the territory. He works the “Fight Hours” as we call them. I hate that I fell into dad’s footsteps. Mom never wanted me to join, but once David joined, you know, twins have to stick together. David is more into the gang than me, he reminds me a lot of how mom describes dad. Same walk, same confidence and charm with girls, but you can see the fear growing in his eyes. Part of me wonders if David ever thought he would get caught up in this life. Oh! Yea! You’re going to be a great-grandma because David’s girl Michelle is pregnant. I know but I’m happy for him. Michelle knows of the gang, but she thinks maybe she can still live a safe life. She too dreams of getting out of East Pilsen, she might take the baby to Rogers Park when she has it.
Mom’s doing well though. She takes Michelle out all the time, trying to be there for her new daughter-in-law. Mom you know still working, still single, but she’s happy. Maybe I should put her on eHarmony, but two gangster sons isn’t a good look on the resume. David and I are her only priorities. She does what she has to do, just like you did for her too Gran. Man I miss you. I’m going to take the Metra up to Waukegan in two weeks. Maybe I’ll bring Christina and you can talk her out of moving to Greece. Just kidding, maybe you can give me more words of wisdom on how to just get out of this situation. I hate it. I feel like it wasn’t even my choice, it was dad's before it was David’s. But I’ll make it somehow.
See you soon,
Michael
Today's New Tourist Sights
“The global phenomenon of of poverty tourism - or “poorism” - has become increasingly popular during the past few years. Tourists pay to be guided through the favelas of Brazil and the shantytowns of South Africa. The recently opened Los Angeles Gang Tour carries visitors through battle-scarred territories of urban violence and deprivation.”
-Leslie Jamison
The View From the Bottom
Alejandro Gutierrez walks along the dark streets of East Los Angeles carrying twenty grams of marijuana in one pocket, and a pocket knife in the other. A bag boy for the gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, he hides his tattoos on his way to meet a buyer, so that way he can prevent a stray bullet from a rival gang lodging into his head. He waits at the corner of Beverly and Wilcox when a big black Chevy Tahoe pulls up. Alejandro hops in the car, counts his money, hands over the drugs, gets out, and walks south on Wilcox.
As Alejandro walks he smells the spices coming from a taqueria, the sizzling carnitas and roasted poblano peppers make his mouth water. This reminds him of his mother and sister still living in Santa Tecla, El Salvador, the home he left when he was only thirteen. His sister today turned twelve, which means a lot back home. It means if she doesn't get out, a young girl like her, she’ll be a prime target for gangs there to force her into prostitution. When Alejandro made it to Los Angeles, and his cousin Luis was already a part of MS-13, Luis told him that by joining the gang, it would help protect his family back home. It was an easy decision for him to make, he couldn't bear the idea of his sister being another one of those gang girls.
He remembers the days when he was a young boy walking home from his school, and seeing graffiti across houses indicating when he was in Barrio 18 or MS-13 territory. He fled Santa Tecla to escape being forced into a gang, but when he arrived in Los Angeles, his future gang life was already decided. He wonders that if this would’ve been the same fate if he never left, actually being there for his sister, not having to be extra careful of getting caught so they don’t send him back, not feeling like the gang life was his only chance.
Alejandro continues down the street until he arrives at the apartment he stays at with his two cousins Luis and Roberto, both higher up officials in MS-13. He climbs to the second landing, walks into the apartment and a wall of marijuana smoke practically knocks him down. As he proceeds to his bedroom, the door is locked, so Luis must have one of the MS-13 girls in there with him. Instead, he walks into the kitchen, grabs a cigarette, lights it, and walks to the roof of the building. Alejandro tells everyone that it’s got the best view in East LA, and where Barrio 18 can’t get a nice shot on him. As he twists the cigarette in his mouth, and watches the birds fly above him, he dreams of being free again. Not having the memories of being abused and tormented on “La Bestia” as he rode here, not watching a young woman being raped in exchange to get her across the border, not having a rival gangsters blood on his hands, not having to always watch his back. But Alejandro has no choice, he is in this for life. The gang was the only thing he could turn to when he got here, and it’s the only thing he’s got now.
Protective Shield
“What a lot of people don’t realize about gangs, in my opinion, is that a gang is not there to attack you. Eighty percent of the people in a gang are there to stop anyone from attacking them. You join a gang for protection, not to go out and hit someone.”
-Michael Caine.
The Payout
Liberty Bank - San Antonio
Bank Statement of William Jamarillo
DATE
|
Description
|
REF.
|
Withdrawals
|
Deposits
|
Balance
|
2/10/15
|
Starting Balance
|
$7,000.00
| |||
2/12/15
|
Cash
|
$5,000.00
|
$2,000.00
| ||
2/13/15
|
Cash
|
9877
|
$8,000.00
|
$10,000.00
| |
2/22/15
|
Cash
|
9990
|
$350.00
|
$10,350.00
| |
3/1/15
|
Cash
|
1765
|
$500.00
|
$9,850.00
| |
3/6/15
|
Payroll- Deposit: Panera
|
4452
|
$437.51
|
$10,287.51
| |
3/16/15
|
Cash
|
$9,000.00
|
$19,287.51
| ||
3/19/15
|
Payroll- Deposit: Panera
|
5567
|
$399.97
|
$19,687.18
| |
3/28/15
|
Cash
|
8877
|
$4,000.00
|
$23,687.18
| |
4/2/15
|
Payroll- Deposit: Panera
|
9901
|
$276.01
|
$23,963.19
| |
4/16/15
|
Cash
|
7781
|
$8,000.00
|
$15,963.19
| |
4/17/15
|
Cash
|
$1,000.00
|
$14,963.19
| ||
4/19/15
|
Cash
|
$7,000.00
|
$21,963.19
| ||
4/20/15
|
Cash
|
9973
|
$12,500.00
|
$38,963.19
| |
4/21/15
|
Payroll- Deposit: Panera
|
2265
|
$198.12
|
$39,161.31
| |
4/29/15
|
Cash
|
7765
|
$3,000.00
|
$36,161.31
|
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