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Griselda Blanco, The Return Of The Black Widow

"Searching for the Godmother" article in Maxim magazine details one of the most brutal people ever to walk this earth, and she was a Colombian woman named Griselda Blanco.

Griselda, born in one of the many poor shantowns in Colombia, reported to have killed a young boy who was kidnapped for ransom in Medellin when she was only 13 years old, also named one of her sons "Michael Corleone" and her favorite German Shepard "Hitler."

She is also reported to have killed three of her husbands hence the "Black Widow" moniker along with La Madrina and The Godmother, she was one mean woman. She brought her sons into the family business only to see three of them get assasinated in Medellin after getting deported from the US.

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Griselda was eventually imprisoned after being named in an indictment in the US. After her most trusted sicario flipped sides, knowing he had enough information to put her away for life, she was desperate and acted out by importing four sicarios from Medellin to kidnap John-John and hold him for ransom, hoping she could make a deal with the JFK family for her release from prison. Griselda was known for her absolute ruthlessness and sociopathic behavior, something that is usually associated with men. She makes Pablo Escobar look like a saint. It has been reported that she is responsible for the death of hundreds of people who got in her way.

Mystery still surrounds her disapperance from the cocaine business after she was deported from the US back to Colombia. It was thought she was murdered by any one of a long list of people who wanted to pay back a dept for the murder of associates, but now comes a new documetary from the same people who made "Cocaine Cowboys."

Alive or Dead..... she may well be alive in Colombia.

"Hustlin' With The Godmother" is the name of the documentary, which has yet to be released, which tells the story of one crazy woman named Griselda Blanco.

Other reports of a HBO series based on "Cocaine Cowboys" is in the works. And if that's not enough, one of Griselda's former business partners is said to have a book out, with interest from several parties on producing a feature film about the life and times with the Godmother. Besides, the two Pablo Escobar movies in the works, there seems to be a few other projects in development regarding Cocaine, Drug Cartels, and Contract Killers in Colombia.

Now, I'm all for a "Killing Pablo" movie by Joe Carnahan, but I think if all these projects are made including the HBO series and the projects under development for the big screen, that it would bring back all the negative images Colombia has tried so hard to get past in recent years, which I believe will place Colombia back to square one as a violent country with a history of violence, in the view of many foreigners.

Griselda Blanco, one mean bitch, coming soon to a theatre near you.

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[ June 6, 2004 news report.... ]

Cocaine queen's deportation spells her freedom, risk

Griselda Blanco, the 'Godmother of Cocaine' blamed for drug-related violence in South Florida in the 1980s, is being deported to Colombia after nearly 20 years behind bars.

In her heyday in the 1970s and '80s, Griselda Blanco was known among fellow Colombian drug smugglers not only as the ''Godmother of Cocaine,'' but as a psychopath who gleefully settled debts with the pull of a trigger.

''If she owed you money she'd kill ya, and if you owed her money she'd kill ya,'' said Nelson Andreu, a retired Miami police homicide detective who helped nail Blanco for ordering three Miami murders.

Blanco's enemies list grew quickly, and one account says that after ripping off associates in Medellín, she tried to fool vengeful hit men by mailing a coffin back to Colombia from Miami that was said to contain her body.

Such sleight of hand might have saved Blanco's life then, but what can she rely on now? At 61, having spent most of the past 20 years in U.S. prisons, Blanco is set to be deported back to Colombia as early as today, immigration authorities said.

Colombia's pioneering cocaine traffickers were the world's most dangerous criminals of their time, but even among that lot Blanco was a standout: a woman, a reputed hands-on killer and a mother who brought her sons into the wildly successful trade.

Yet three of her four sons went back to Colombia after serving U.S. prison sentences and got assassinated, Andreu said.

So what fate might be in store for Blanco?

''If I was getting deported to the country where my sons were whacked, I wouldn't feel too comfortable,'' said Bob Palombo, a now-retired federal drug agent who arrested Blanco. ``It was a family affair; she's the one who fostered the behavior all those years, and she was probably hated even more than them.''

Said agent Joe Kilmer of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Miami office: ``She could be in the cocaine business by Tuesday, she could be dead by Tuesday. When you live by the sword, you die by the sword. She's one of the most ruthless people we ever encountered in South Florida.''

Florida corrections officers turned Blanco over to federal immigration authorities Wednesday. Her custody release date is today, but officials would not say what day she would travel, citing standard security procedures.

HER CRIMINAL PAST

Police characterized Blanco as the ''epitome of the cocaine cowboys'' in 1995 when she was indicted for the three Miami slayings, all from 1982. They included the shooting of a 2-year-old boy killed in a car-to-car assassination attempt.

At the time, police estimated she was involved in at least 40 homicides between Miami and New York. She is credited with inventing the ''motorcycle assassin,'' who rode by victims and sprayed them with machine-gun bullets.

At its peak, Blanco's organization shipped as much as 3,400 pounds of cocaine a month by ship and plane.

Blanco was reportedly a big fan of the movie The Godfather, which depicted a lifestyle of organized crime, brutality and family loyalty. She named her fourth son Michael Corleone, apparently after the character played by Al Pacino in the film.

Blanco's weaknesses included shopping and beauty salons. Police linked her to a 1979 submachine gun attack at Dadeland Mall that immortalized the ''cocaine cowboy'' phrase.

Palombo, the retired DEA agent, spent days in 1984 tracking a group of Colombian hit men through Broward County malls as they tried to catch her unawares.

When agents finally arrested the men at the Galleria Mall and searched their attaché cases, they found a MAC-10 semiautomatic assault rifle with a silencer and high-powered 9mm weapons, Palombo said.

Despite her vanity, the long years behind bars have not been kind to Blanco. Florida corrections records list her at five feet two inches and weighing 196 pounds.

Most astonishing is her gray hair, cut extremely short.

Blanco has been in custody since Palombo arrested her on Feb. 17, 1985, in a cocaine trafficking case out of New York. A conviction in that case, and a guilty plea in a Miami-based trafficking case, kept her in federal prison until the end of 1998.

RUTHLESS KILLINGS

She was transferred to the Florida prison system after pleading no contest in Miami in October 1998 to three counts of second-degree murder.

Two involved arranging the killings of drug dealers Alfredo and Grizel Lorenzo in their South Miami house, as their three children watched television in another room.

She also pleaded no contest to the fatal shooting of 2-year-old Johnny Castro. The murder target was his father, Jesus ''Chucho'' Castro, a former enforcer for Blanco's organization, but machine-gun fire struck the toddler twice in the head as he rode in a car with his dad.

Jorge Ayala, one of the hit men who performed the murders and later turned government witness, said in a sworn statement Blanco wanted Castro killed because he kicked her son in the buttocks.

''At first she was real mad 'cause we missed the father,'' Ayala said. ``But when she heard we had gotten the son by accident, she said she was glad, that they were even.''

Palombo said that once prosecutors indicted Blanco for the Miami murders, ''We thought for sure she'd be visiting Old Sparky,'' the nickname for Florida's electric chair.

But a scandal at the Miami-Dade state attorney's office scuttled the case. Blanco wound up getting three concurrent 20-year sentences, of which she had to serve only about one-third because of guidelines in effect at the time of the murders.

Special prosecutors from Orlando took over the case and struck the plea deal after it was revealed that Ayala -- the professional hit man -- had engaged in phone sex with prosecutors' secretaries and sent money and gifts. After an investigation, three secretaries were fired and a veteran prosecutor resigned.

AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Nathan Diamond, Blanco's defense attorney, declined to say where she planned to go or what she would do after returning to Colombia.

''There are no charges pending against her there, so certainly she would be free to live her life in Colombia,'' he said. He said she had communicated with relatives.

The Colombian embassy in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. embassy in Bogotá both declined comment on Blanco's release.

Palombo, now a consultant to the DEA, said agents never verified Blanco's purported immense wealth, though her sons talked about structuring money-laundering accounts in Panama. Also, the DEA transferred more than $1 million into her offshore accounts during an undercover investigation that was never recovered.

''But after 20 years, how much of that is still around and wasn't chewed up by legal fees or consumed by her sons after their release, I don't know,'' he said.

''Even if she has a ton of money, in a place like Colombia with a price on your head, you can run but you can't hide,'' he said.

Said the DEA's Kilmer: ``What she's got going for her is she never cooperated. What she doesn't have going for her is she gave orders that got a lot of people killed. It's going to depend on how long people's memories last.'
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SHE MAY STILL BE ALIVE!

By Medellin Traveler on Jun 28, 2008, 10:09 in Friendly Talkzone.

mimimimimi says on Jun 28, 2008, 10:37:

wtf? hahaha what is this ? wow never heard of this ...

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papiChulo says on Jun 28, 2008, 10:53:

I read that she was so ugly that she would get sicarios to shag her at gunpoint... jajajajajaja.

you'll never go before your time

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dwmte7 says on Jun 28, 2008, 13:04:

boy, this gal's a sweet heart. don't want any run-ins with her.....

dwmte

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Medellin Traveler says on Jun 28, 2008, 13:10:

dwmte7,

I agree. It's "si Don Madrina, a tu orden," if I ever run into the Black Widow on my travels to Colombia.

The "Hustlin' With The Godmother" documentary should be interesting. I can't wait to see it.

Pablo Escobar was nothing but a two-bit hustler when she was in control of narco trafficking in Miami, California, and New York.

"Huevos Rancheros en Medellin, No Quiero Taco Bell." - www.medellintraveler.com

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tejasmarcos says on Jun 28, 2008, 13:42:

i remember reading about her. she re-defined violence in south florida to a level that had never been seen before.

trying to walk a straight line on sour mash and cheap wine...

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toneloc24 says on Jun 28, 2008, 14:48:

"Pablo Escobar was nothing but a two-bit hustler when she was in control of narco trafficking in Miami, California, and New York."

Not true at all. Where do you think she got the drugs from in Miami, California, and NYC? Escobar and the Ochoas. Her connections were all Medellin, where she was from.

In fact, she killed an Ochoa niece in California, to cover up for not paying the Ochoa fam their money. Pablo was far from a "two-bit hustler" in the late 70s through the early 90s. That's the timeline you're dealing with.

This was one ruthless bitch all around. She actually ordered a hit on a dude in Miami, then laughed when her hit order resulted in the murder of a 3 yr old. "The kid shouldn't have been there. Oh well."

"Don't tase me, bro!!!!"

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billyb says on Jun 28, 2008, 15:10:

Showtime is currently showing that doc "Cocaine Cowboys", not on HBO. BTW, was she related to Benny Blanco from the Bronx? Her doc should be hella interesting.

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toneloc24 says on Jun 28, 2008, 15:30:

Unlike Benny Blanco from the Bronx (hahahaha!!!), she was real. One of the main reasons why many of the Miami area folks who were there in the 80s, still have a bad perception of Colombians. She killed without conscience.

Cocaine Cowboys is a helluva movie to see. I'm not too sure about this new one. Looks pretty bootleg.

"Don't tase me, bro!!!!"

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Medellin Traveler says on Jun 28, 2008, 15:59:

Toneloc24,

Griselda Blanco spent nearly 20 years in prison in the United States, where she served her time like a man, released on June 6, 2004 where she was immediately deported back to Colombia. Incarcerated at 41 years of age, she was in the business long before she went to prison in 1984, she was in power before Pablo Escobar ruled the Medellin Cartel.

The patriarch Fabio Ochoa Restrepo was a powerful and wealthy Colombian before the Medellin Cartel came to the scene. I do not doubt Griselda was working with Don Ochoa, eventually dealing with Pablo Escobar. Escobar may not have been a "two-bit hustler" but she was not about to take orders from him.

Also, found the Maxim article... http://www.charlescosby.com/rapsheet/pdf/Maxim.pdf

"Huevos Rancheros en Medellin, No Quiero Taco Bell." - www.medellintraveler.com

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toneloc24 says on Jun 28, 2008, 18:37:

My last bit on this, as I don't really care for this discussion other than a bit of clarity.

From a common sensical standpoint, Pablo was dealing in cocaine since 1975. Griselda Blanco went to jail in 1985.

By the way, here's a bit more fact for you. Since you brought up Fabio Ochoa Restrepo, here's a contradiction to your thinking. Griselda answered to Pablo, through his underlings, the Ochoa brothers.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2002/apr/29/guardianobituaries.colombia

Fabio Ochoa Restrepo

He would much rather have been remembered for his champion, thoroughbred horses, but will go down in history as patriarch of one of the 20th century's most notorious criminal gangs.

* Phil Gunson
* The Guardian,
* Monday April 29, 2002
* Article history

He would much rather have been remembered for his champion, thoroughbred horses, but Fabio Ochoa Restrepo, who has died aged 77 of kidney failure, will go down in history as the patriarch of the Ochoa clan within one of the 20th century's most notorious criminal gangs - Colombia's Medellín drugs cartel. Three of his sons became leading members of the organisation.

His two marriages produced a dozen sons and daughters, most of whom appear to have steered clear of crime, but Jorge Luis, Juan David and Fabio Jr (known as "Fabito"), opted, as their father later put it, for "the wrong paths".

Jorge Luis was allegedly involved in smuggling before he came into contact, in the mid-1970s, with the notorious Pablo Escobar, a man of humble origins whose cocaine trading put him (as well as Jorge Luis) on Fortune mag-azine's list of the world's 20 wealthiest men by 1987.

But dealing in contraband whisky and domestic appliances was child's play compared to what Escobar had in mind for Jorge Luis to apply his experience to - illegally exporting Colombian cocaine.

Fabio Ochoa, meanwhile, was a prosperous businessman, a member of the best clubs in Medellín, and a man who grew up with horses. He could not recall a time when he was not obsessed with the elegant Paso Fino breed, a Colombian speciality whose origins go back almost a century to the time of his grandfather. On his famous Del Ocho ranch, and on other properties in the mountains around Medellín, Ochoa kept around 1,000 thoroughbreds. He was never accused of any personal involvement in the drugs trade.

The Medellín cartel leaders were soon rich enough to attract the attentions of guerrilla kidnappers and, in 1981, Ochoa's daughter, Martha Nieves Ochoa, was seized by the M-19 group. It was one of the worst decisions the guerrillas ever made. The traffickers responded by creating MAS - the initials stood for "Death to Kidnappers" - and, after Martha Nieves was released unharmed in February 1982, the organisa tion went on a killing spree that left 100 dead in less than three months. Today's right-wing paramilitaries sprang partly from this experience, and the killing has gone on ever since, taking in trade unionists, peasant organisers and political dissidents.

The Medellín cartel leadership finally began to pay the price of its own notoriety. In 1991, Fabito did a deal with the government; Jorge Luis and Juan David opted for the same strategy, which led to relatively light sentences. Released in 1996 and 1997, the brothers apparently went straight, but, in October 1999, Fabito was picked up in an anti-narcotics sweep. Despite a protracted legal battle, he was extradited to Florida last September to await trial.

Fabio Ochoa swore his youngest son was innocent of these latest charges. But the extradition hastened the death of this hugely overweight man, who had suffered ill-health for years.

· Fabio Ochoa Restrepo, horse-breeder and businessman, born 1924; died February 18 2002

"Don't tase me, bro!!!!"

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Sam Salmon says on Jun 28, 2008, 22:10:

So what happened to her?

' a la orden!'

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dwmte7 says on Jun 29, 2008, 04:44:

when they arrested 'fabito' and were examining the loot seized from his home, they found a bag with more than 100 rolex watches.....real ones. is that conspicuous consumption?

dwmte

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Medellin Traveler says on Jun 29, 2008, 05:51:

Sam Salmon,

I would think that is one of the questions the documentary "Hustlin' With The Godmother" will try to answer. In the Maxim article linked above, there is mention of a recent photo of Griselda Blanco in Bogota taken from a camera phone. The people behind the documentary say that it may well be the Black Widow in the photo.

She did twenty years in prison without ratting anyone out. In those twenty years, people forget about the past, and everyone respects someone who does their time without taken anyone else down with them. Maybe her enemies gave her a pass, "put her on the shelf," like they do in the mafia when you fuck up but they don't want to kill you because you kept your mouth shut.

"Huevos Rancheros en Medellin, No Quiero Taco Bell." - www.medellintraveler.com

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lpdiver says on Jun 29, 2008, 06:08:

I would think it is more likely that her enemies fear her than have given her a "pass". I know I would.

ts

"cook some rice!"

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Simon says on Jun 29, 2008, 18:41:

"One of the main reasons why many of the Miami area folks who were there in the 80s, still have a bad perception of Colombians."

What the hell are you talking about? Colombians are the second largest hispanic community in Miami and pretty well respected among the other communities.

HERE'S SIMON!!!!

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MaFe says on Jun 29, 2008, 19:27:

Rubito and Simon are right!

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire. "-Aristotle

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rhydewithdis says on Aug 22, 2008, 16:43:

Anyone see "Hustlin' With The Godmother" yet? Pretty good flick.

They show a picture at the end of the movie of Griselda taken in May 2007 in Bogota's airport. She has been living in Bogota since 2004. Anyone know where?

Another question -- they referred to "Barrio Pablo Escobar" in Medellin at one point in the movie. Supposedly it is a tract of 2500 homes he built in a poor area. Anyone know where exactly in Medellin that is? I never heard of it before this movie.

They said I couldn't play football I was too small / They say I couldn't play basketball I wasn't tall / They say I couldn't play baseball at all / And now everyday of my life I ball.

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papiChulo says on Aug 22, 2008, 21:52:

rhydewithdis..."Barrio Pablo Escobar" it might be around Envigado or Itagui not sure tho.

you'll never go before your time

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john maltasanti says on Sep 2, 2008, 14:24:

This is in reponse to what toneloc24 said about pablo escobar being la madrina's (Griselda Blanco) main hook up. Actually the ochoas was her main hook up and after she killed martha ochoa thats when her business went down the drain. They say she killed martha because blanco owed ochoa for like a couple hundred kilos of cocaine and martha came to collect and when she got there were ever it was martha knew something was wrong and begged for her life but la madrina had her mind made up already that if she killed martha she could just say she gave the money to martha. comes to find out they found marthas body on the side of he road, this made alot of problems for alot of people. one being rafa. even though blanco was the main lady rafa was kind of the go between guy for blanco and ochoa and all the other cocaine producers in columbia.

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john maltasanti says on Sep 2, 2008, 14:37:

I have my opinions on what really happend between michael(blancos youngest son) and chucho. They say that michael tried to stay at chuchos house but chucho would not let him and told him to tell his mom to kiss chuchos at $$ and kicked michaels ass and sent him home. I think that michael could have made some of the stuff up that he told his mom chucho said. Think about it chucho was her main enforcer for the first part of her reign of terror on the city so he knew her best out of just about anyone so i think he knew what would happen if he put his hands on michael or talked bad about blanco. i hink tha chucho told him to go home and that made michael mad so he went home messed up on coke and who knows what else and startin tellin his mom stuff and sort of over did it and before blanco had the chance to ask chucho about it she automatically belived michael and put a hit out on chucho. Just like John Roberts said on the movie cocaine cowboys weather u were doing anything wrong or not griselda blanco could have a problem with u and before u even knew why she was pissed at you, you could be stuffed in the trunk of a car by rivi and chopped up and dumped on the side of the road

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