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104-528: The development abuts the Interstate 10 and is part of LAPD 's Hollenbeck Division. The Ramona Gardens project was designed by Housing Architects Associated, made up of Ralph Flewelling, George J. Adams, Lloyd Wright , Lewis Eugene Wilson, Walter S. Davis and Eugene Weston Jr. They had previously designed the Utah Street housing project under the name of Utah Street Architects Association and designed

208-595: A California Youth Authority facility, which is now an adult state prison in Tracy, California . The founding members formed the gang in order to protect Hispanic inmates from other prison gangs. One of the founders of La eMe is Luis "Huero Buff" Flores, who was an active member of the Barrio Hawaiian Gardens gang in Hawaiian Gardens, California . Gang warfare between Hispanic neighborhoods

312-656: A National Park Service unit in the US national Historic and Millennium trail programs. In 2005, Caltrans began posting signs on roads that overlap with the historic 1776 Juan Bautista de Anza trail route, so that California drivers can now follow the trail. The legislative definition of Route 10 includes a spur from I-5 (the Golden State Freeway ) west to US 101 (the Santa Ana Freeway ) near downtown Los Angeles. This section of roadway,

416-715: A groundbreaking ceremony on March 16, 1940 attended by Governor Culbert Olson . It was built on 32 acres (13 ha) with 610 apartment units in over 100 buildings. The planned cost was $ 2 million, 90% funded by the United States Housing Authority through the Housing Act of 1937 . It was built by the Herbert M. Baruch Corporation . Demonstration units opened in October 1940, with the first six families occupying apartments on 2 January 1941. It

520-525: A 1931 cutoff bypassed Mecca to the north.) LR 26 was extended west from San Bernardino to Los Angeles in 1931, running along an alignment south of the existing US 66/US 99. Neither of these was a signed route until around 1932, when US 60 was extended west from Arizona to Los Angeles, running along LR 64 to Indio, LR 26 (with US 99) to Beaumont , pre-1964 LR 19 to Pomona , and LR 26 to Los Angeles. (The original alignment of LR 26 ran roughly where SR 60 now

624-408: A concealed handgun permit, which was denied. While serving a life sentence for murder at Pelican Bay State Prison , Joe "Pegleg" Morgan , filed a $ 500,000 lawsuit against Olmos, Universal Studios, and other producers of the film. Morgan claimed that one of the principal characters in the film was based on him without obtaining his permission. The 1993 film Blood In Blood Out is loosely based on

728-594: A couple of days later that "sanitizer accumulated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic was stored under the overpass and helped fuel the flames". Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in response to the fire; the freeway was reopened after eight days, far ahead of the original five-week estimate. The I-10 is part of the auto tour route of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail ,

832-823: A fight broke out between members of the Mexican Mafia and MS-13 at United States Penitentiary, Beaumont , Texas, causing two fatalities and leading to all U.S. federal prisons being placed on lockdown due to fears of retaliatory attacks. A joint investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into the Westside Wilmas gang in the Los Angeles Harbor Region commenced in October 2022 and culminated with

936-587: A formal dedication held in 1966. While the construction of the Century Freeway several miles to the south reduced traffic congestion to a considerable amount by creating an alternate route from downtown to Los Angeles International Airport , the Santa Monica Freeway is still one of the busiest freeways in the world. All three freeway-to-freeway interchanges along its length are notorious for their congestion and are routinely ranked among

1040-737: A four-level interchange with I-15 before traveling through Fontana , Rialto , and Colton . I-10 then intersects with I-215 , where the San Bernardino Freeway ends, before briefly entering San Bernardino city proper and traveling through Loma Linda and Redlands . In Redlands, I-10 intersects with the SR ;210 freeway (future I-210) and with SR 38 before entering Yucaipa and eventually Riverside County . In 2019, SBCTA planned to add two more interchanges in Fontana at Beech and Alder Avenues to reduce congestion at

1144-697: A member of the gang for policy violation must be committed by the gang member who sponsored him. La eMe has a blood-in, blood-out policy: murder or drawing of blood is a prerequisite for membership and anyone trying to get out will be killed. The rules of conduct are: The Mexican Mafia is the controlling organization for almost every Hispanic gang in Southern California, and some gangs located in Central and Northern California , with their vassal gangs being called Sureños . Members of almost all Hispanic gangs in Southern California are obliged under

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1248-503: A member to leave the Mexican Mafia was to be killed. Flores and Cadena also established a set of gang commandments. These included policies such as: a new member must be sponsored by an existing member, unanimous approval from all existing members to join (no longer policy), prioritizing the gang over one's family, denial of the existence of the Mexican Mafia to law enforcement or non-members, respect of other members, and forgiving street conflicts which existed before incarceration. Execution of

1352-801: A month, including all utilities." Two hundred members of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) toured the development in May 1941, including architect and AIA President Richmond Shreve . Jewish residents of Boyle Heights started the racially and economically integrated Heights Cooperative Nursery School for Ramona Gardens children in 1949. It was held at the Jewish Cultural Center nearby in City Terrace until Interstate 10 widening required it to be moved in about 1969. The nursery continued operating through at least 1974. It

1456-704: A network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the FHWA. I-10 is eligible to be included in the State Scenic Highway System , but it is not officially designated as a scenic highway by Caltrans. The Santa Monica Freeway is I-10 from SR 1 to I-5, as named by the State Highway Commission on April 25, 1957. The section between the Harbor (I-110) and San Diego (I-405) freeways

1560-463: A pair of shoes from a Nuestra Familia sympathizer. Nineteen inmates were stabbed and one La eMe associate ended up dead. The battle became known as the "Shoe War" and it established Nuestra Familia as the major La eMe rival. The Mexican Mafia gained significant power and control over illegal activities in the California prison system by using violence. The gang also extended its influence outside

1664-422: A place to finish high school, since Lincoln High School is in rival gang territory. In 1967, a 17-year-old "Mexican boy", a suspect to an arson that occurred minutes before, was shot and killed by police. The police showed in large numbers to mediate the tension. The Los Angeles Sentinel said the scene was "an ominous, uneasy silence, like a placid lid resting atop a seething volcano." Further saying that help

1768-502: A police officer. Police were assigned on daily foot patrols and would often bring their first arrest to the station within 30 minutes of their shift. A tenants' association was formed, as well as a group called Mothers Against PCP and the federally funded Narcotics Prevention Project. The housing project is especially known for a pattern of tension between residents, gang members, and police, as well as significant racial tension. The street gang Big Hazard ("Hazard Grande"), associated with

1872-474: A protection "tax" to the Mexican Mafia are often murdered or threatened with murder. High-ranking members of the Mexican Mafia who are locked in private cells for 23 hours of each day are still able to communicate with their associates, through methods which range from tapping in code on prison plumbing pipes to smuggled letters. The primary goal of the Mexican Mafia is to control all drug trafficking in all areas that they have been established. In early 2012 there

1976-517: A racially motivated incident. In 1991, police shot and killed an unarmed gang member, leading to an FBI investigation and grand jury probe of the police department for it and three other police killings. A firefight between gang members and police in 1996 ended with one gang member dead, a police officer wounded, and an angry crowd. Gang members shot at patrol vehicles in 2006. In 2007, a gang member died while in LAPD custody. The 2007 incident erupted in

2080-499: A rapid change between Mediterranean and desert ecology) and entering Palm Springs . The next 35 miles (56 km) of the freeway, between SR 111 and Dillon Road, was named the Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway in 2002. Although I-10 intersects with the northern terminus of SR 111, the major artery to Palm Springs, it mostly bypasses the city, then connects to SR 62 , a major east–west route through

2184-409: A reputation among the inmates of San Quentin. The Mexican Mafia's quest for complete control alienated many other Mexican-American inmates who were fed up with Mexican Mafia stabbing, killing, and stealing their watches, rings, cigarettes and anything else of value. Some of them secretly founded a new prison gang called Nuestra Familia (NF) or "Our Family." It was first established in the mid-1960s at

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2288-585: A riot involving 50 gang members and 100 police equipped in riot control gear. On May 15, 2014, a number of apartments in Ramona Gardens were firebombed with Molotov cocktails . There were no injuries. Most of the victims were African American. 34°03′29″N 118°11′38″W  /  34.05797°N 118.193804°W  / 34.05797; -118.193804 Interstate 10 in California Interstate ;10 ( I-10 )

2392-626: A third victim, Manuel Torres, survived the attack. The victims were members of the Mariana Marivilla gang. Around two weeks later, on October 31, 1984, Ray and Marlene Wells were also shot execution-style in their home in Baldwin Park . Sandoval killed Ray Wells because he believed the man had told police of the whereabouts of the car he used in the Belvedere Park murders; Marlene Wells was then killed because she had witnessed

2496-688: A turnoff that leads to Desert Center Airport and connects to SR 62. Three miles (4.8 km) south of I-10 at the Wiley's Well exit, between Desert Center and Blythe, are the Chuckawalla Valley and Ironwood state prisons. Near the Arizona state line, I-10 meets the terminus of SR 78 . In the city of Blythe, I-10 runs concurrently with US 95 as both routes cross the Colorado River into Arizona . The speed limit on

2600-913: A westbound exit off the spur at Mission Road immediately before merging with US 101 northbound, and the eastbound exit for State Street and Soto Street before it merges onto I-10 eastbound—this one is numbered (as exit 19). There is no direct access from the I-10 spur to I-5. Exit list The entire route is in Los Angeles , Los Angeles County . There are three auxiliary Interstate Highways associated with I-10 in California: One business loop of I-10 exists in California, running through Blythe in Riverside County . Mexican Mafia The Mexican Mafia (Spanish: Mafia Mexicana ), also known as La eMe (Spanish for "the M"),

2704-554: Is cosigned along this segment, despite the legal definition. The short unsigned section of Route 10 between Route 5 and Route 101, which was formerly defined as Route 110 (signed as I-110) until 1968, carries overhead signage for I-10 eastbound and for US 101 westbound. I-10 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System and is part of the National Highway System ,

2808-593: Is a predominantly Mexican American prison gang and criminal organization in the United States. Despite its name, the Mexican Mafia has no origins in Mexico and is entirely a U.S. organization. Law enforcement officials report that the Mexican Mafia is the deadliest and most powerful gang within the California prison system . Government officials state that there are currently 350–500 official members of

2912-559: Is a transcontinental Interstate Highway in the United States, stretching from Santa Monica, California , to Jacksonville, Florida . The segment of I-10 in California, also known as the Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway , runs east from Santa Monica through Los Angeles , San Bernardino , and Palm Springs before crossing into the state of Arizona . In the Greater Los Angeles area, it is known as

3016-893: Is also signed as the Rosa Parks Freeway, after the African-American civil rights activist . The I-10 freeway is signed as the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway in Santa Monica. The removal of this designation, however, may result in the eventual removal of this signage. The Santa Monica Freeway is the westernmost segment of I-10, beginning at the east end of the McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica and ending southeast of Downtown Los Angeles at

3120-533: Is north of the later alignment of I-10. The piece of this between San Bernardino and Indio was defined in 1915 as Legislative Route 26 ( LR 26 ). (It continued south from Indio via El Centro to Heber . A 1931 extension took it south to Calexico on present SR 111 .) The route from Indio via Mecca to the Arizona state line near Blythe was defined in 1919 as pre-1964 LR 64. (Later extensions took LR 64 west along present SR 74 ;

3224-408: Is often death. According to the gang's constitution, members may also be punished or murdered if they commit any of four major infractions. These include becoming an informant , acts of homosexuality , acts of cowardice, and showing disrespect against fellow gang members. According to gang policy, a member of the Mexican Mafia may not be murdered without prior approval by a vote of three members, yet

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3328-451: Is west of Pomona, but an alignment close to present I-10 opened around 1934). Thus, in 1931, what is now I-10 east of Los Angeles had been defined as LR 26 from Los Angeles to Indio and LR 64 from Indio to Arizona. It was signed as US 99 from San Bernardino to Indio, and US 60 came along around 1932 from Los Angeles to Pomona and from Beaumont to Arizona. US 70 was extended west from Arizona c.  1936 along

3432-484: The Los Angeles Times named the area as the "center for drug traffic", remarking "users from as far away as San Diego drive to [Ramona Gardens] to buy drugs". PCP was heavily trafficked, but heroin and marijuana were also common. Both dealers and customers were often from outside of the projects but came to Ramona Gardens for the large and open marketplace, called a "24-hour drive-through drug market" by

3536-591: The Aliso Village project under the name Housing Group Architects. The landscaping was by the firm of Bashford and Barlow . The project was originally named Ramona Village, it was changed in November 1939 because it conflicted with the name of a private land development. At the time, Ramona Gardens was billed a " slum clearance and low-rent housing project". Construction began in February or March 1940, with

3640-693: The California Correctional Training Facility in Soledad . Some of the early members were from the Los Angeles area, but NF soon drew inmates primarily from rural communities in Northern California. The Mexican Mafia saw Nuestra Familia as inferior and "just a bunch of farmers", or farmeros . However, in 1968 at San Quentin, a full-scale riot broke out after a Mexican Mafia soldier, or soldado , stole

3744-575: The Colorado Desert . I-10 cuts through Cathedral City and passes just outside the northern city limits of Rancho Mirage , Palm Desert , and La Quinta before entering Indio . I-10 then has an interchange in Coachella with the northern end of the SR 86 expressway, which also leads to SR 111. Several miles east and roughly halfway between Indio and Blythe , in the community of Desert Center , I-10 intersects with SR 177 ,

3848-552: The East Los Angeles Interchange . I-10 begins its eastward journey in the city of Santa Monica after SR 1 turns east through the McClure Tunnel. Note that the McClure Tunnel is part of SR 1 in its entirety, and the western terminus of I-10 is to the east of the tunnel at 4th Street. SR 1 then exits onto Lincoln Boulevard and heads south while I-10 continues east. Soon after it enters

3952-647: The FBI , the Mexican Mafia had arranged for contract killings to be carried out by the Aryan Brotherhood , a white prison gang. The Mexican Mafia and the Aryan Brotherhood are mutual enemies of the Norteños and the African-American gangs Black Guerrilla Family and D.C. Blacks . Even though homosexuals are barred from entry into La eMe , they are engaged heavily in homosexual prostitution in

4056-843: The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), have different toll polices than the ones in San Bernardino County, operated by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) and using Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) as its processing partner. In both segments, tolls are collected using a congestion pricing system based on the real-time levels of traffic. All tolls are collected using an open road tolling system, and therefore there are no toll booths to receive cash. Each vehicle using

4160-663: The Mexican Mafia , is from Ramona Gardens. Gang and drug activity historically centered around The Square, an intersection and parking lot in the project. Gang-on-gang crime occurs in and near the park. Two teenagers were shot and stabbed to death while attending a baby shower in January 1974, less than a month after another gang-related shooting fatality. An Alternative Education and Work Center (AEWC) opened at Ramona Gardens in December 1989, giving Big Hazard gang members

4264-559: The Santa Monica and San Bernardino freeways , linked by a short concurrency on I-5 ( Golden State Freeway ) at the East Los Angeles Interchange . I-10 also has parts designated as the Rosa Parks and Sonny Bono Memorial freeways . Some parts were also formerly designated as the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway. However, the California State Legislature removed this designation following

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4368-680: The US Numbered Highways were assigned, the road across the desert east of Indio was unimproved , while the road from Indio west to San Bernardino (as well as various roads west to Los Angeles ) was paved. In late 1926, US 99 was designated along the section of road from San Bernardino to Indio, where it turned south along present SR 86 on the west side of the Salton Sea . West of San Bernardino, US 99 ran to Los Angeles, concurrent with US 66 (via Pasadena ) before turning north; this route to Los Angeles

4472-621: The White Fence gang, shot and killed grocer Jose Castellanos during a robbery in East Los Angeles . On May 13, 1958, while standing trial for Castellanos' murder at the Hall of Justice , Valenzuela and Acosta managed to stab Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) sergeant Ned Lovretovich with sharpened spoons after Lovretovich had given testimony against the pair. Valenzuela and Acosta were convicted of first-degree murder in

4576-531: The Arizona state line at the Colorado River via the vicinity of Monterey Park , Pomona , Colton , Indio , and Chiriaco Summit and via Blythe . Because I-10 west of I-5 cannot access US 101, and I-10 east of I-5 cannot access US 101 southbound, signage instead directs motorists to the continuation of I-10 via I-5 between the East Los Angeles Interchange and the Santa Monica Freeway. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)'s Interstate Highway route logs, along with most maps, also indicate that I-10

4680-570: The Ayala brothers as the killers. Ronaldo Ayala was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, robbery, and attempted robbery, on October 12, 1988, and sentenced to be executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison, on February 9, 1989. Hector Ayala, who stood trial separately, was convicted on the same charges, on August 1, 1989 and also sentenced to death, on November 17, 1989. The third defendant, Joseph Moreno,

4784-695: The California Mexican Mafia which had been in existence for several years. Several Hispanics who came into the Arizona Prison System brought the concept and philosophy of the California Mexican Mafia. In 1978 the Mexican Mafia split into two organizations. One kept the original philosophy and structure and currently refer to themselves as the Original Mexican Mafia, "Califas Faction", "EME". The other, which came into prominence in 1984 and refer to themselves as

4888-569: The California State Secretary of Health and Welfare Services, Delia was murdered. Her collection of evidence on Italian and Mexican Mafia infiltration of the Get Going program was never recovered. On October 14, 1984, Alfred Arthur "Chato" Sandoval, a high ranking eMe member and Arizona Maravilla gangster, shot and killed Gilbert Martinez and Anthony Aceves during a gang-related fight in Belvedere Park, East Los Angeles ;

4992-435: The HOT lanes is required to carry a FasTrak Flex transponder, with its switch set to indicate the number of the vehicle's occupants (one, two, three, or more), regardless of whether they qualify for free. Solo drivers may also use the FasTrak standard tag without the switch. For both segments, carpools with three or more occupants are not charged. For two-person carpools using the Los Angeles County segment, they are charged

5096-413: The I-710 interchange, these lanes merge back to the median of I-10. Eastbound busses exit the HOT lanes at El Monte Station west of I-605. The segment of HOT lanes in San Bernardino County opened in 2024, and runs between the Los Angeles county line and Etiwanda Avenue at the Ontario – Fontana city limit. The HOT lanes in Los Angeles County, part of the Metro ExpressLanes project administered by

5200-418: The Kellogg Hill into San Dimas , where I-10 intersects with SR 57 (formerly part of I-210 ) and SR 71 at the Kellogg Interchange . I-10 then heads east through Pomona and Claremont , leaving Los Angeles County to enter San Bernardino County . In San Bernardino County, I-10 travels through Montclair , Upland , and Ontario , providing access to Ontario International Airport . I-10 then has

5304-407: The Mexican Mafia with thousands of hitmen and associates within prison and an estimate of more than 50,000 loyal foot soldiers who also carry out its illegal activities on the streets in the hopes of becoming full members. The Mexican Mafia has immense influence and control over every Hispanic street gang in Southern California, including the notoriously brutal MS-13 and 18th Street Gang , since in

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5408-454: The Mexican Mafia, charged under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act with crimes which included extortion, murder, and kidnapping. One of the arrested members, Benjamin "Topo" Peters (Arizona Maravilla), was allegedly the Mexican Mafia's highest-ranking member at the time, and was engaged in a power struggle with fellow member Ruben "Tupi" Hernandez ( Onterio Varrio Sur – Ontario, California ). Another indicted member

5512-413: The New Mexican Mafia. Many assaults and murders of members of both groups have occurred as a result of each organization claiming the title of "Mexican Mafia" within the Arizona prison system. They have created their own rules and regulations and have established an organizational structure. Each member is allowed to vote on issues regarding membership and leadership. The leader, approved by the members, has

5616-400: The San Bernardino County line is under environmental review, the section from Etiwanda Avenue to Pepper Avenue in Colton is planned to break ground in 2025, and the segment to Ford Street in Redlands is still in the planning stage. What is now I-10 east of Los Angeles was generally part of the Atlantic and Pacific Highway , one of many transcontinental national auto trails . By 1926, when

5720-408: The San Bernardino Freeway. The freeway is 14 lanes wide (two local and five express lanes in each direction) from the Harbor Freeway ( I-110 ) interchange to the Arlington Avenue offramp. Most of these lanes are full at peak travel times (even on Saturdays). The remainder of the freeway varies between eight and 10 lanes in width. The whole freeway opened in 1965 with four to six lanes, with

5824-408: The Santa Monica Freeway going over La Cienega Boulevard collapsed after the Northridge earthquake on January 17, 1994, and were rebuilt using new seismic-resistant bridge designs. The El Monte Busway was converted to HOT lanes in 2013 as part of the Metro ExpressLanes project. On July 19, 2015, a bridge carrying the eastbound lanes of I-10 near Desert Center collapsed from floodwater from

5928-414: The Sierra and Cherry avenue exits. In Riverside County, I-10 goes through Calimesa before entering Beaumont and merging with the eastern end of SR 60 (itself formerly the California segment of US 60 ). In Banning , I-10 has a diamond intersection with SR 243 before passing through San Gorgonio Pass between the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains (where the vegetation makes

6032-527: The accident investigation). The Santa Monica Freeway is considered the border between Downtown and South Los Angeles. Part of the freeway also skims the Byzantine-Latino Quarter . I-10 heads east from the East Los Angeles Interchange to I-710 in Monterey Park . It then continues through the San Gabriel Valley suburbs of Alhambra , Rosemead , San Gabriel , El Monte , and Baldwin Park before intersecting with I-605 . It then travels through West Covina , briefly enters Covina , and then travels up

6136-428: The administration building. In 1982, motivated by President Ronald Reagan , residents repainted every building in the complex in five months. They used tools and paint from the Housing Authority and sponsored by the East Los Angeles Community Development Project. The Big Hazard gang brought in rivals from Avenidas , Dogtown, and Garrity's to work on the project. Acknowledging the fresh paint and graffiti-free buildings,

6240-490: The area and forced drug dealers to pay taxes in tribute to La eMe or face the consequences. The local gangs were smuggling narcotics into the Vista Detention Center in order to sell them for the Mexican Mafia. On North County streets, La eMe ordered Surenos to obtain taxes from the local drug dealers . Members of the Azusa 13 gang, associated with the Mexican Mafia, were indicted in 2011 for harassing and intimidating black people in Southern California. On January 31, 2022,

6344-412: The arrests of 12 Mexican Mafia members and the seizure of 23 firearms, 57.7 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 23,000 fentanyl pills, 5.2 pounds of powdered fentanyl and 2.2 pounds of cocaine as search warrants were executed in the South Bay and as far as Bakersfield , on May 17, 2023. The Mexican Mafia received mainstream notoriety after being featured in the 1992 movie American Me . The film

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6448-495: The brothers Hector and Ronaldo Ayala, along with a third man, bound and then killed three others — Ernesto "Chacho" Mendez Dominguez, Marco Zamora-Villa, and Jose Luis "Cucuy" Rositas — by shooting them execution-style at the A & Z Auto Repair shop in the Logan Heights neighborhood of Southeast San Diego after demanding $ 10,000 from the men, who were allegedly involved in the heroin trade, on April 26, 1985. A fourth shooting victim, Pedro "Pete" Castillo, survived and identified

6552-461: The city of Los Angeles, I-10 has a four-level interchange with I-405. I-10 then continues through Sawtelle , Rancho Park , Cheviot Hills , Beverlywood , and Crestview in West Los Angeles ; Lafayette Square and Wellington Square in Mid City ; and Arlington Heights , West Adams , and Jefferson Park into Downtown Los Angeles. On the western edge of downtown at the Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Memorial Interchange , I-10 has an interchange with I-110 to

6656-466: The death of Castellanos and sentenced to life in state prison. They also pled guilty to assault with intent to commit murder and injury to a county employee for the stabbing of Lovretovich and were given sentences to run concurrently with their life terms. The first murder of a prison guard by La eMe was carried out by Doroteo "Sleepy" Betancourt and Frank "Moose" Bazure at San Quentin State Prison in June 1958. The first murder outside of prison that

6760-465: The entire Riverside County segment of I-10 is 70 mph (110 km/h). I-10 westbound is usually signed as toward San Bernardino and/or Los Angeles in the Colorado Desert . Eastbound, in the San Gorgonio Pass, the signage indicates "Indio, Other Desert Cities" and indicates "Blythe" after Indio; the first sign for Phoenix does not occur until Indio. There are two sections of high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes along I-10, one in Los Angeles County and

6864-560: The federal indictment, Mexican Mafia members exert their influence in both federal and state prison systems through either violence or the threat of violence. Members and associates of the gang remain fiercely loyal to the criminal organization both in and outside of prison, particularly in Southern California cities such as Los Angeles and San Diego. The gang asserts its influence over Chicano gangs throughout Southern California by threatening violence against their members should they ever become incarcerated. Gangs and drug dealers who refuse to pay

6968-407: The gang in an attempt to create a highly feared organization which could control the black market activities of the Deuel prison facilities. La eMe member Ramon "Mundo" Mendoza claims that in the beginning the overall goal was to terrorize the prison system and enjoy prison comforts while doing time. It is said that the name "Mexican Mafia" was to show organization similar to the American Mafia but it

7072-417: The highest-ranking bosses of the entire organization, even with no "official" Mexican blood himself. His connections with cocaine and heroin suppliers in Mexico helped pave the foundation for the Mexican Mafia's narcotics distribution throughout California. During the 1970s, while under the control of Morgan's protégé Rodolfo Cadena , the Mexican Mafia often took control over various community groups. The gang

7176-401: The initial number of 610 housing units in just over 100 buildings, varying numbers of units have been given: 488 units in 1985, 497 with about 2000 predominantly Latino residents in 2007. The housing contains public murals that were created by the residents of Ramona Gardens between 1973 and 1977, with the assistance of the Mechiano Arts Center. At least one was painted by Willie Herron inside

7280-419: The lower yard of San Quentin and was met by a six-foot-five, 300-pound black inmate who kissed him. Cadena returned a short time later, walked up to the unsuspecting predator, and stabbed him to death with a jailhouse knife, or shiv . Despite there being more than a thousand inmates on the yard, no witnesses stepped forward. A string of other slayings soon followed as Mexican Mafia members sought to establish

7384-501: The murder of her husband. Sandoval was convicted on four counts of first-degree murder in Los Angeles County Superior Court and was sentenced to death for the murder of Marlene Wells, and to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murders of Martinez, Aceves and Ray Wells. On November 6, 2000, Sandoval had his death sentence for the murder of Marlene Wells overturned by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals but remained imprisoned for life without parole. Two Mexican Mafiosi,

7488-453: The murder of non-members requires no formal approval. During the early 1960s at San Quentin Prison , Luis "Huero Buff" Flores and Rudy "Cheyenne" Cadena established a blood oath for members of the Mexican Mafia. Prior to the establishment of the oath, members of the Mexican Mafia were allowed to return to their street gangs after incarceration. The new oath stipulated that the only way for

7592-428: The new enemies. Mexican Mafia symbols include images of a black hand. The gang's primary symbol, which is often used in tattoos by members, is the national symbol of Mexico (eagle and a snake) atop a flaming circle over crossed knives. Street gangs that are aligned with the Mexican Mafia often use the number 13 as a gang identifier, as the letter "M" is the 13th letter of the modern Latin-derived alphabet. According to

7696-661: The other in San Bernardino County. In Los Angeles County, the El Monte Busway is a grade-separated, shared-use HOT and express bus corridor running along the San Bernardino Freeway between Alameda Street near Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles and a point west of I-605 in El Monte . From Alameda Street to I-710 , the El Monte Busway runs parallel to the north side of the freeway. After

7800-669: The passage of a bill on August 31, 2022. I-10 is also known colloquially as "the 10" to Southern California residents (See also California English § Freeways ) . The entirety of Interstate 10 in California is defined in the California Streets and Highways Code as Route 10. The California Streets and Highways Code defines Route 10 (I-10) from: (a) Route 1 [ State Route 1 (SR 1)] in Santa Monica to Route 5 [I-5] near Seventh Street in Los Angeles. (b) Route 101 [ US Route 101 (US 101)] near Mission Road in Los Angeles to

7904-528: The posted toll during the peak hours between 5:00 am and 9:00 am, and between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm; no toll is charged during off-peak hours. There are longer term plans to have continuous HOT lanes between Alameda Street in Los Angeles and Ford Street in Redlands . This expansion is planned in four phases. As of 2024 , the proposed segment in Los Angeles County to bridge the gap between I-605 and

8008-562: The power to solely decide important issues. Law enforcement believes that La eMe presently is not presided over by a single leader. Many Mexican Mafia members have the authority to order murders and oversee various other criminal activities. They have almost a thousand associates that help carry out those orders and have the theoretical control of all Sureño gang members. Members are expected to engage in tests of their loyalty to La eMe , which may include theft or murder. The penalty for refusing orders or failing to complete an assigned task

8112-511: The prison system inmates are recruited into gangs based on race regardless of street gang affiliation. The U.S. Government considers the Mexican Mafia to be "among the most powerful, dangerous and feared criminal organizations in the world". The Mexican Mafia was formed in 1957 by thirteen Hispanic street gang members from different Los Angeles neighborhoods who were incarcerated at the Deuel Vocational Institution ,

8216-562: The prison system when members who were released from custody began taking control of narcotics distribution in parts of Southern California , primarily by " taxing " drug dealers. La eMe should not be confused with the New Mexican Mafia . Around 1974, a group of Hispanic inmates at Arizona State Prison, Florence , formed a prison gang known as the Mexican Mafia. Arizona Department of Corrections officials at that time obtained information that this group patterned themselves after

8320-536: The prison system. Many of the street level homicides in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles committed by the Avenues gang were done on orders issued by the Mexican Mafia. The Mexican Mafia is involved in a variety of criminal activities both inside and outside the prison system, but its main source of income is extorting drug distributors outside prison and distributing various narcotics within and outside

8424-596: The prison system. In 1992, an example of La eMe' s influence and power over Sureños was made clear to law enforcement. Joe "Pegleg" Morgan , a prominent Mexican Mafia leader, ordered that no more drive-by shootings and violence were to take place by Sureños. Between April, when the edict was announced, and September 1992 there were no drive-by shootings in East Los Angeles , an area that was notorious for violence and drive-bys. In 1957, Gregory Huerta Valenzuela and Augustin Acosta, two Mexican Mafia associates and members of

8528-503: The remnants of Hurricane Dolores , trapping a vehicle. Shortly after midnight of November 11, 2023, a mile-long (1.6 km) segment of the freeway in Downtown Los Angeles between Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue suffered significant damage due to a fire at a pallet yard underneath the freeway. The fire melted the freeway's guardrails and damaged the supporting concrete columns. The Los Angeles Times reported

8632-498: The south and SR 110 to the north. I-10 then travels along the southern edge of downtown to the East Los Angeles Interchange. At the East Los Angeles Interchange, SR 60 diverges east toward Riverside and Pomona . I-10 then turns north, running concurrently with I-5 for approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km). Then, I-10 heads east and merges with the traffic from the spur to US 101 onto

8736-519: The threat of death to carry out any and all orders from made Mexican Mafia members. The Mexican Mafia also holds a loose alliance with the Aryan Brotherhood , mainly due to their common rivals within the prison system. The primary rivals of the Mexican Mafia are Nuestra Familia . The Mexican Mafia is also a rival of the Black Guerrilla Family prison gang, which holds a loose alliance with La Nuestra Familia. Bloods and Crips are

8840-515: The top 10 most congested spots in the US. Due to the high traffic volume, car accidents are so common that Caltrans has constructed special accident investigation sites separated from the freeway by fences. These enable the California Highway Patrol to quickly clear accidents from the through traffic lanes, and the fences reduce congestion by preventing rubbernecking (in which vehicles slow down so their occupants can watch

8944-716: The westernmost part of the San Bernardino Freeway , was in fact part of the original San Bernardino Freeway, carrying US 60 / US 70 / US 99 long before the Golden State Freeway opened. It was added to the Interstate Highway System by 1958 as I-110, but in 1968 it was removed from the system, becoming a Route 10 spur. This road is signed only for the roads it feeds into: US 101 northbound and I-10 eastbound. It has only two interchanges between its ends:

9048-433: The whole route to Los Angeles, and, between 1933 and 1942, US 99 moved from US 66 to present I-10 between San Bernardino and Los Angeles, forming a three-way concurrency between Pomona and Los Angeles. Old alignments and names include Valley Boulevard , Ramona Boulevard, and Garvey Avenue . I-10 holds the distinction of being the first freeway in Los Angeles. A four-mile (6.4 km) section of today's freeway

9152-584: Was pre-1964 LR 173 , defined in 1933 from Santa Monica to Downtown Los Angeles. It was signed as SR 26 by 1942, running primarily Olympic Boulevard . It was later replaced by the Santa Monica Freeway and added to the Interstate Highway System on September 15, 1955. It too was assigned the I-10 number on August 14, 1957. It was completed c.  1964 and became I-10 in the 1964 renumbering. Portions of

9256-520: Was a federal indictment of 119 San Diego County gang members, including a Mexican Mafia boss that was arrested in a raid of his San Marcos home, which portrays a sprawling, well-organized criminal network that ran drug dealing on the streets of North County and even extended inside the Vista jail. Rudy "Crazy" Espudo (Esco Varrio Diablos – Escondido, California ) was in control of the Hispanic gangs in

9360-489: Was able to filter money from alcohol and drug prevention programs to finance their criminal activities. The Mexican Mafia and the Italian-American Los Angeles crime family collaborated in skimming money from Get Going, a taxpayer-funded drug treatment program. By 1977, Get Going founder Ellen Delia was determined to expose the infiltration of her beloved program. Shortly before an appointment with

9464-433: Was accused of having plotted the death of an anti-gang activist who served as a consultant for the film American Me . The indictments marked a two-year investigation by federal, local, and state law enforcement officials. Mike "Acha" Ison, a Mexican Mafia leader described by San Francisco Chronicle writer Julian Guthrie as "a small man with a giant reputation who had survived 30 years in California's toughest prisons",

9568-506: Was acquitted of all charges. On July 16, 1991, Mexican Mafia members Benjamin "Topo" Peters and Rene "Boxer" Enriquez stabbed another eMe member, Salvador "Mon" Buenrostro, at the Los Angeles County Jail . Buenrostro, who survived the attack despite being stabbed 26 times, was targeted because he had sided against Joe "Pegleg" Morgan in internal gang affairs. Mexican Mafia member Charles "Charlie Brown" Manriquez

9672-455: Was allegedly displeased with the portrayal of the murder of Rodolfo Cadena (who was the basis for Olmos' character Santana) as being committed by his fellow gang members. Mexican Mafia members were also allegedly offended by the portrayal of a homosexual rape committed by Puppet, a Mexican Mafia character in the film who in the latter part of the movie murders his own brother, Li'l Puppet, for disrespecting La eMe . Olmos subsequently applied for

9776-473: Was assigned the I-10 number on August 14, 1957, and the short piece west of I-5 was approved as I-110 on November 10, 1958. By then, most if not all of the San Bernardino Freeway had been completed, and I-10 was signed along the existing freeway along with US 70, US 99, and part of US 60. US 70 and US 99 were removed in the 1964 renumbering , while US 60 was removed in 1972, leaving only I-10. The part west of Downtown Los Angeles

9880-471: Was beaten to death by three or four people armed with pool cues after he was involved in a bar fight at Grady's Bar in the Mission District of San Francisco , on March 25, 2001. In 2006, a 36-count federal indictment was brought against members of the Mexican Mafia. The arrests were made for alleged acts of violence, drug dealing, and extortion against smaller Latino street gangs. According to

9984-567: Was being provided to the blacks by the Symbionese Liberation Army , and that the sides "were at war", with only the "strong presence of police officers who live in daily and nightly fear of snipers." Nine days later, the officer was cleared by the coroner's jury as a justifiable shooting. In 1974, four teenagers shot and killed a Thai ice cream vendor in what was called a " thrill killing " while children were waiting for ice cream. In 1991, two black families were firebombed in

10088-446: Was built between 1933 and 1935 at a cost of $ 877,000 (equivalent to $ 15.3 million in 2023 ). The "Ramona Boulevard" highway linked downtown Los Angeles to the communities of the southern San Gabriel Valley. The roadway, which opened on April 20, 1935, was dubbed the "Air Line route" and was seen as a major achievement in traffic design. The route east from Los Angeles was added to the Interstate Highway System on August 7, 1957. It

10192-427: Was co-produced, directed and starred in by actor Edward James Olmos , who allegedly received death threats by members of the Mexican Mafia for what they considered an unflattering depiction of the gang. Two consultants for the film were murdered shortly after the film's release, though it is unclear whether the murders were tied to the Mexican Mafia or to recent layoffs that had provoked death threats. The Mexican Mafia

10296-436: Was dedicated on 22 February 1941 with both Governor Olson and Mayor Fletcher Bowron in attendance. At that time, 252 of 610 units were occupied, with the remainder expected to be complete within two months. The Christian Science Monitor praised the "home conveniences that many of [the residents] never before enjoyed—electric refrigerators, new gas ranges, gas water heaters, and wall furnaces—at rentals ranging from $ 11 to $ 18

10400-621: Was later changed so as not to be confused with it. Furthermore, the black hand symbol was a reference to the Black Hand of the early 20th century. By 1961, violence got so bad at the Deuel Vocational Institution that administrators transferred a number of the charter La eMe members to San Quentin Penitentiary in the hopes of discouraging their violent behavior. This tactic failed. Cheyenne Cadena arrived on

10504-471: Was ordered by La eMe occurred in 1971 when Mexican Mafia member Alfonso "Pachie" Alvarez was found shot twice in the head in a secluded area of Monterey Park . His offense: collecting taxes on narcotics dealers without kicking up the profits to eMe leaders behind bars, known in the gang as "Big Homies" or Emero s. The person responsible for the murder was Joe "Pegleg" Morgan —the notorious white godfather of La eMe who had ascended by then to become one of

10608-639: Was targeted for death by the gang when he was accused of cowardice after failing to carry out a prearranged stabbing on another inmate at the Chino State Prison in 1991. Manriquez was fatally shot to death by La eMe hitman David "Smilon" Gallardo in the Ramona Gardens housing project in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, on March 25, 1992. In 1998, United States federal authorities indicted 22 members and associates of

10712-525: Was the norm during the 1950s and 60s, so the fact that Luis Flores was able to get established enemies to set aside their rivalry upon entry into the prison system was something that was not thought possible. This requirement exists to the present day. Hispanic street gangs like White Fence , The Avenues , Clanton 14, Hawaiian Gardens, Varrio Nuevo Estrada , and Primera Flats, were already into their second decade and firmly established as self-sustaining entities. Luis Flores initially recruited violent members to

10816-534: Was used as a training school by education students at California State University, Los Angeles and by the Head Start Program . In 1988, 10 mobile homes or trailers were brought into Ramona Gardens and parked on playfields. They were used as transitional housing for the city's large homeless population. Residents agreed to participate after receiving promises they would be given to families, not "the stereotypical single men who live on Skid Row." After

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