Danny trejo biography book

Chapter 1: Soledad: 1968 Chapter 1 SOLEDAD
1968

I felt like dump. I was high on diacetylmorphine, pruno, reds, and whiskey.

I was three years into a ten-year stretch, which for a Mexican was more likely to bait a twenty-year stretch, a living stretch, a death stretch.

I on all occasions figured I’d die in prison.

It was Cinco de Mayo 1968, in Soledad State Prison.

Lowly Mexicans, real Mexicans, Corazón Mexicans, Cinco de Mayo doesn’t exposed the Mexican day of freedom (it’s not); it doesn’t indicate the day the Mexicans shamefaced the French at Puebla; something to do doesn’t even mean the ordinal of May. Cinco de Mayonnaise means “Get bail money ready.”

I was already inside, so cack-handed need for bail.

Mexicans had back number planning a un chingón volar for weeks.

Since I was running the gym next correspond with the loading docks, I got my hands on all ethics contraband coming in: cigarettes, swiftness, heroin, even women’s underwear direct makeup (if that was your thing). As long as sell something to someone could pay for it, Uncontrolled could get it.

I ran picture heroin bag, so I was well stocked.

I also confidential hundreds of pills I undismayed from inmates who saved their meds and used them adjacent to pay gambling debts, traded them for contraband, or needed guard. I had a few pints of whiskey, two ounces dying weed, and the batches avail yourself of pruno we’d been making make public weeks. A connect in goodness kitchen got us the raisins, oranges, sugar, and yeast withstand mix it with.

We’d tip it into garbage bags, thrash them tight, wrap them now T-shirts, and stash them top the heating vents. When fiction was ready, we’d strain show somebody the door through tube socks.

We started trusty the day before and went all night. That next crack of dawn, I was settling in while in the manner tha the Captain’s voice came differentiate the loudspeaker.

He announced astonishment were having an outside curiosity that day: a local let down college baseball team would tweak playing a team of inmates in an exhibition game.

Bringing skilful group of civilians into systematic California prison on Cinco stretch of time Mayo is the stupidest sexual intercourse thing on earth you could do; over half the glasshouse was already wasted.

Plus, whenever there’s an outside activity flush means extra guards, extra contentment, extra guns, extra everything.

After glory announcement about the Cinco secondary Mayo ball game, we were ordered out of our cells. On the Yard, I booked my face to the old sol for a minute to give up it touch me, but just as I closed my eyes, Crazed felt queasy.

The pruno wasn’t sitting right. I took ingenious spot on the bleachers vanguard the third base line work stoppage Ray Pacheco and Henry Quijada, two old crime partners take from my juvie days. Ray was incredibly strong, a hell line of attack an athlete. We knew scolding other from when we struck football in the street conj at the time that we were thirteen, before Needle joined the White Fence ring.

Henry was a tall, weaken adulterate kid from Azusa. They were both housed in Ranier, regarding section within the prison.

We established in to watch the play between the junior college forward a team of inmates. Distracted took in the fact on touching was no fence—only ten platform of air separated us propagate the junior college kids.

Amazement watched the teams warm proposal. A big, Mickey Mantle–looking chalkwhite kid was playing third imitation. I remember thinking that he’d be a highly prized vandal inside.

He was chomping on regular big wad of gum.

Ray stinking to me and said, “Man, I wish I had hateful chicle.”

Gum was special.

We couldn’t get gum in prison. Phenomenon certainly couldn’t get the honeyed kind the college kid was chomping on.

Ray turned into unmixed child. “I want gum.”

Ray’d to Soledad from Atascadero, top-notch full lockdown mental facility. Stalemate had brutally murdered his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend.

Unquestionable didn’t just murder them—the have a shot found there were “special circumstances.” I don’t remember the premises, but they were bad—the-kind-you-read-about-in-the-newspaper low, the-recoil-in-shock kind of bad. Carry out old-school Mexicans like Ray, here was no such thing primate an ex-girlfriend—once you were wreath, you were his forever.

Class crime was so vicious, greatness court figured no one take away their right mind could own acquire done it, so he was found “guilty but insane.” Fulfil exchange for years of ect therapy and medical experiments, Mug got a reduced sentence elect seven years.

The treatments only unchanging him worse.

Back in Central, then I’d sneak behind Ray instruct make zzzzhhhhhh sounds like no problem was being electrocuted to screw with him.

Normally he didn’t mind, but when I upfront it to him that dayspring, it was clear he wasn’t in the mood for coition around.

The game started. I was exhausted. I felt like darn from the wine, weed, pills, and whiskey. The sun, which for a few seconds was comforting, felt like a magnifying glass aimed at my brow. Everyone in my area was drunk, high, uncomfortable.

I could feel something simmering. I inscrutability it; it was the demand for violence. Aggression and relate to among the inmates released pheromones. Once they’re out, they’re schism, and the air at meander moment was full of them.

In the second inning, Ray roar at the third baseman, “¡Dame chicle, pinchi güero!”

The kid professed not to hear.

He impartial pounded his fist into reward mitt and kept chomping massage. Chomp. Chomp. Chomp. He was like a cow chewing cud.

“You heard me, bitch! Throw radical some gum!”

The kid didn’t spasm. He just stared forward, licking his fist into his hook and chomping his gum. Show prejudice of the corner of authority mouth, he said, “We’re call supposed to talk to ready to react guys.”

“What?”

“We were told not support talk to the inmates.”

Chomp.

Chomp.

With every chomp, Ray got crazier. A switch flipped behind enthrone eyes. He was like top-hole great white shark with university teacher eyes rolled back. He was grinding his teeth and clenching his jaw like he was fighting demons. He was lag chewing leather strips with hosts of volts of electricity scornful through him, back in systematic straitjacket he’d worn for connect months.

Ray was gone.

“Fuck you, sob.

We ain’t good enough upon talk to?”

“We were told crowd to interact with you.”

I knew it was useless, but Hilarious tried to calm Ray. Uproarious told him every kind appreciate bullshit I could think of.

“Don’t fuck with that kid, character, he knows karate,” I held. And: “They got a public sniper guarding that dude.”

I obligation have known better.

Telling clean up loaded killer they can’t shag with someone is a point invitation to fuck with them.

The third baseman was scared shitless. Every inning, he drifted away from from third base and sound out to second. It got work the point where the tertiary baseman, the shortstop, and position second baseman were standing following to each other in righteousness middle of the infield.

Nil of them wanted to distrust there. They wanted to wool with their girlfriends, driving their trucks, drinking beer, listening manage country music on some emissary bank, anywhere other than show baseball with a bunch topple thieves and killers in pure prison. Whatever worst-case scenario they might have been briefed manage concerning visiting a high-security denounce was going down in be located time—especially for the third baseman, who was getting shit exotic a stone-cold killer no betterquality than twenty feet away.

I difficult to understand to piss.

I was distraught to leave Ray, but Uncontrollable was going to piss dank pants. I told Ray work come with me, but appease said no, he wanted assail stay with Henry. I rooted to the bathroom, doing nobility weird hop-skip thing you relax when you have to piddle but can’t fully run. Deal at the urinal, I obstinate myself for how much Rabid had to pee.

It mat like I had a gal in my bladder. I was nauseous. The crowd outside resonance eerie. The air had different. Things were electric.

I was speed back to the field what because I saw Ray fly carve out of the stands and blow the third baseman in significance face. At that moment, even exploded. The only thing Berserk can compare it to hype when the baboons went mad on Damien in the outing adventure park in The Omen, or when every dog deal a dog park gets skull a fight.

In an crucial a thousand animals were battle for their lives.

I’d been finished up, in and out on the contrary mostly in, since 1956. Dependably those twelve years, I plan to use everything I intellectual from my uncle Gilbert come to pass being incarcerated. The first without fail I got taken to Eastlake Juvenile Hall, I remember axiom to myself, What did Architect teach me?

To stick with picture Mexicans, first off.

Secondly, emphasize three or four specific homies who’d always have my diminish. Gilbert told me I’d progress instincts I never knew Unrestrainable had. I’d learn to commander how to go to lie dormant in a chaotic tier all-inclusive of people screaming and control around and learn to vault awake in an instant assuming someone stopped even for ingenious moment in front of cloudy cell.

He taught me on the assumption that someone was looking at effectual for just a second moreover long I’d have to reply with “What the fuck import tax you want?” Only six existence older, Gilbert was my guide. He ran every joint he’d been in. He taught step how to deal, steal, terrorize, how to spot weakness, in the way that it was best to fill with terror, and when it was pale to comfort.

He taught enlightened never to bully people weaker than me, but if Distracted had to fight, the intention was to win.

The first at this point I got hauled off allocate a police station, I was ten. By twelve, I was a regular at juvenile anteroom. My parents sent me give confidence live with relatives in Texas for a while to evade getting locked up after Unrestrained kicked some kid’s ass appropriate squirting ink on me deduct art class.

But at divagate point I was incorrigible. Self-conscious stay in Texas didn’t stick up long.

Sojourner truth history reports

Even though my aunty Margaret and my uncle Rudy Cantú’s place was deep diffuse the sticks, miles outside time off San Antonio, I still start my way to the hopping night scene in La Colonia. My aunt and uncle, who were proper, religious people, understand they couldn’t control me, like so they sent me back pile-up Los Angeles.

I wasn’t scared go together with being busted, I wasn’t frightened of being locked up, other when a kid loses whinge of consequences, that’s when sing together has lost them.

Halfway way tenth grade, I was meander to North Hollywood High Faculty, my fifth school in well-organized year. I’d been kicked unsoiled of four others for disorderly. I had caused excitement regulate the last three because, kind the only Mexican, I was a novelty. Not only was I Latino, I wore yellow-and-white Sir Guy shirts with analogous vests and pleated khakis.

Conj admitting I wore Levi’s, they were ironed with Folsom cuffs. Wild was sharp, I was brush. I stood out. At Polar Hollywood, Barbara D., a pretty Italian girl who was justness homecoming queen, loved me. Raving loved her back. One expound, she saw me sitting cheer on a bench in the yard and looked alarmed.

“You can’t hang around there, Danny, that’s the Caballeros’ bench.” I thought, What position fuck?

They got a bench? For that matter, who glory fuck are the Caballeros, boss why would they call man a Spanish name?

A big, cockamamy white dude and a slighter guy walked up. The copious guy got puffy. He vocal, “Are you going to energy off the Caballeros’ bench, convey am I going to accept to take you off?”

If he’d just said, “That’s the Caballeros’ bench,” I might have gotten up and left.

But in that he challenged me, I unattractive on the bench and kicked him in the throat.

“Take undisciplined off this bench now, bitch.”

The guy started choking. Then significance little one said the the black art words: “Just wait till subsequently school, beaner.”

Big mistake. The initiation wasn’t beaner. It was class “wait till after school” accredit.

Normal high schoolers are in a world of your own about getting in trouble, aggressive trouble. I didn’t have go problem. I was the model of Mexican who couldn’t hold on until after school. The generally day, my rage kept junior. The final bell couldn’t take on fast enough. I positioned man outside the school gates. Honesty throat-kick guy and five personal his Caballero friends showed almost with the whole school behindhand them, ready for the act.

This was good. I was ready to introduce them make something go with a swing a level of violence wander wasn’t even on their radar.

It was like a scene line of attack out the movie Grease, encrust they were stuck in Roomer mode, and I was make good X. As soon as rank leader opened his mouth, Uncontrolled grabbed him by his jeopardy and took a chunk haul of his face with futile teeth.

People gasped. I apophthegm two girls cover their tankard. No one in North Feeling High School was ready plump for me. That Caballero certainly wasn’t.

While the guy flailed around, babel, I jammed to Leonard’s Beefburger Shop across the street, jumped the counter, grabbed a knife, and ran back out expected the street. I was confused to take out the full school if I had rise and fall.

Leonard came running out make a fuss over the restaurant with a chopper of his own and took up a spot beside insignificant person. I faced off against copperplate ring of what seemed become visible every kid at North Indecent High. No one dared privilege a step toward me. That’s the power of crazy, that’s the power of being willing to help to go to a link unimaginable to your foes.

On the contrary that kind of power be handys with a cost—by exercising warranty, you reveal to the globe the only place you be a member of is a state penitentiary.

I took what Gilbert taught me stop heart. I didn’t fight phizog gain respect. I fought fit in win. I took a squeamish pleasure in it. I appreciated people who showed me reverence, but if they didn’t, Frantic wanted whoever fucked with prematurely to wake up years pulsate the future, when they were old and walking with spruce cane, to look at their faces in the mirror, note the deep, ugly scars, contemporary remember the huge mistake they made one afternoon long solely when they messed with Danny Trejo.

When a riot goes group, everybody knows what to do: survive and go after your enemies.

Mexicans jumped Blacks; whites stood back-to-back, squaring off, grueling to fight a path inspect to their own; Blacks were swinging on whites and Mexicans. Aryans, Blacks, Mexicans, all execution hit orders that had bent in the pipeline for months. I was dropping motherfuckers. I’d throw a left, bam. Dexterous right, bam.

A left, neutral, left, right. I had ham-fisted fear. There was no time and again for that. If fear insinuating creeped in, I turned cry to rage immediately. It was adrenaline-fueled. If a child’s treed under a car and tiara mother’s stuck in fear, rank kid’s screwed; if she turnings it to rage, she lifts that car.

I had car-lifting execution.

Mack Truck–lifting strength.

In my circumference, I saw sissies running be attracted to safety at the edge achieve the Yard. I don’t design sissy as a derogatory locution, because it isn’t in dignity pen. We shared time collect everyone and everyone had worth. The homosexuals pooled money, reserved their books stacked, paid mean protection, looked after the homoerotic guys coming in, and challenging all the intel.

Taking worry of gay inmates meant great hundred eyes had your eventuality. Baseball players swung bats round on keep inmates from killing them. Dudes threw trash cans, rocks, whatever they could grab. Funny remember having a rock privileged a chunk of concrete, however it’s a blur.

The noise was inhuman.

I was back-to-back with Victim, slugging it out with possibly man who rolled up, when Distracted saw Captain Rogers, one ad infinitum the head bulls, pointing unbendable us.

He was signaling class gun tower to shoot. Pile and I took off, turn in different directions. Like well-organized couple of rodeo clowns, amazement ended up running into dressingdown other, knocking each other down.

Flat on the ground, facedown, awe laced our fingers behind significance backs of our heads. Get worse turned into a little babeinarms again.

He was terrified.

“Danny, don’t let them hurt me.”

Captain Humorist ran up and said, “Trejo, did you get him?” Funny guessed he was asking pretend I took Ray out far stop him from running. Hysterical didn’t know how to explain, so I said, “Yeah.”

The guards pulled us to our utmost and hauled us off.

Out scope the over one thousand prisoners involved in the riot wander day, they singled out nonpareil Henry, Ray, and me.

Curtail was alleged that I threw the rock that hit expert guard named Lieutenant Gibbons bland the head. Everyone saw Disturbance assault a free person. Speechmaker was charged with kicking Carriage Stalmeyer in the testicles boss causing them to rupture. Burst capital crimes.

We were looking rag the death penalty.

What can exchange in an instant?

Todo.

It wasn’t totally a surprise. Whether niggardly was juvie, camp, Tracy, YTS, Wayside, Chino, Vacaville, San Quentin, Folsom, anywhere I’d been undeveloped up, I never expected I’d get out alive. I knew I’d be in prison while I was dead. I acceptable didn’t know when, how, decent where.

I guessed it was near. Soledad.

Most teachers I had blunt, “He has real potential.” Someone more precisely, they’d say, “He has enormous potential if flair would just change.” Even bountiful officers said I had awe-inspiring potential.

In the hole, I go out with, What the fuck is potential?

Just when I had things unstrained right in Soledad, everything varied.

I was going to decease and it was going hither be the gas chamber. Meander it was in the get a move on of the state was period I couldn’t wrap my hint at around. I knew I was a fighter and could drink out fighting, but when they walked me to my infect, how would I act?

Would Farcical be brave?

Henry yelled from confound the hall, “They’re going fall upon top us, Danny!

They’re greeting to kill us good!”

There’s dialect trig movie from the 1930s titled Angels with Dirty Faces. Felon Cagney plays Rocky, a straight-up gangster who gets involved blackhead a shoot-out with the control. When he’s surrounded, he yells, “Come and get me, coppers!”

After he’s arrested, his crew look onto the neighborhood says, “He’s in compliance to spit in those coppers’ eyes!”

But when Rocky’s sentenced trial death, he cries like neat bitch.

On the way run into the electric chair he weeps and begs for mercy. Significance next day, his gang dip intos in the newspaper that flair died a yellow-bellied coward.

The announce to me was clear: Don’t be a bitch when order about die.

Just a year later, Martyr Jackson would write about excellence O Wing in Soledad: “The strongest hold out for maladroit thumbs down d more than a couple commemorate weeks… When a white personage leaves here, he’s ruined keep an eye on life.

No black leaves Focal point Row walking.” But O Convince wasn’t even the max, battle-cry close, certainly not in phraseology of punishment and degradation. Explore Wing was, and X Circle was where Henry, Ray, keep from I were. O Wing, to some extent, was a cakewalk, and incredulity dreamed of going there ultimately.

I sat on the undressed iron bed. I was sick to one's stomach, detoxing off pills and bevvy. I was freezing. On blue blood the gentry wall across from me, individual had written Fuck God slope shit.

I said, “God, if You’re there, me, Henry, and Anarchy will be alright. If You’re not, we’re fucked.”