American Me Mexican Mafia Retaliation

In 1992, the crime drama film American Me hit theaters, portraying a fictionalized Mexican Mafia boss who experiences a homosexual rape in juvenile hall and later dies at the hands of his own gang. Segments of the real Mexican Mafia saw the film as disrespectful and offensive to their machismo, especially the depiction of homosexuality and internal betrayal.

In the months after the movie's release, at least three people who had served as consultants on the film, including former gang member Charles "Charlie Brown" Manriquez and anti-gang counselor Ana Lizarraga, were gunned down in separate attacks in East Los Angeles.

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