THE FILM THAT ANGERED THE MEXICAN MAFIA AND LED TO BRUTAL MURDERS
By LUKE HOLDEN
History - Science
“American Me,” the 1992 directorial debut of Edward James Olmos, explored the violent world of Mexican street gangs, but many would disapprove of the events that were presented in the movie. When Mexican mafia leader Joe Morgan learned about the project and its factual errors, the consequences turned out to be fatal.
Morgan communicated his disapproval by reaching out to former-prison-friend-turned-Hollywood-star Danny Trejo — who was to star in the film — warning him of the consequences of blatantly misrepresenting the crime syndicate. In his memoir, Trejo wrote, “Ten pages in, I knew there were going to be problems.”
Trejo knew that the movie contained scenarios and behaviors that didn’t match the characteristics of La Eme — a mafia sector that the movie loosely depicted. He pleaded with Morgan to avoid retaliating and warned Olmos about the mafia threats, but the actor-turned-director was deeply invested in preserving the script.
Allegedly, 10 people died via mafia assassinations — including Charles Manriquez, Ana Lizarraga, and Manuel Luna, who were shot dead for providing consultation to the film’s production team. The killings were prompted mainly by the scene depicting Montoya Santana (Olmos) — based on real-life Mafia head Rodolfo Cadena — being sexually assaulted in prison, which never actually happened.