American Me (1992) is a crime drama produced and directed by Edward James Olmos chronicling the rise to power of the Mexican Mafia inside the California Penal System. It is undeniably one of the best gangsters on Prime Video right now and the film may have sparked nearly a dozen murders. The film reportedly enraged members of the real-life Mexican Mafia over the portrayals of Montoya Santana, played by Olmos, who is based on Rudy "Cheyenne" Cadena, a notorious La Eme mob boss, and Joe "Pegleg" Morgan, a real-life member of the Mexican Mafia and portrayed by William Forsythe. Olmos reportedly hired members of the Mexican Mafia as consultants to ensure an accurate portrayal of gang life, prompting the gang members to execute anyone who violated their code of silence.

What Is 'American Me' About?

American Me tells the story of three friends, Montoya Santana, J.D. and Mundo, childhood friends who form a gang in response to the violence perpetrated against Latino families by American servicemen during the Zoot Suit Riots of 1943. The three friends find themselves resorting to committing crimes and are sent to juvenile hall. There, Montoya is sexually assaulted. When he takes revenge on the man who raped him by murdering him, he is sentence is extended as a result. After he turns 18, he is sent to Folsom State Prison, where he will become the leader of the notorious prison gang, La Eme, years later.

Montoya is released in 1977, into a radically different world than he left. He finds it difficult to assimilate back into regular society and feels despondent over La Eme's status as the most feared criminal organization in his area; La Eme not only controls the drug trade but also commits wanton acts of murder. The three childhood friends reunite post-prison to battle it out with a local drug lord for control over the lucrative narcotics trade. The gang captures and rapes their rival's son, which leads to an all-out war. La Eme's rivals distribute pure heroin into their neighborhood, resulting in dozens of overdoses, prompting Montoya to see the error of his way. He ultimately ends up back in prison where his gang murders him for trying to leave.

The Mexican Mafia Hated 'American Me'

Olmos wanted the film to reflect the real life struggles of gang culture in Latinx communities and was inspired by a story he heard about Rudy Cadena. Olmos told The Baltimore Sun, "I heard this story of a member of the Mexican Mafia who had been stabbed 69 times in prison because he’d given up on the drug life. I knew I had to make that movie, in some way.” However, the rape scenes in the film upset members of the Mexican Mafia and, according to the New Yorker, such a stark depiction of same-sex rape stood against the gang's code of masculinity and machismo, which frowns upon same-sex relations, consensual or otherwise. Regarding the role of Machismo in gang life, Olmos explained, "Machismo isn’t necessarily a bad thing. That pride, that self-esteem, that belief in self, it can be very positive. But when it turns bad, boy, watch out. It can be a killer.” The cinematic portrayal of a real-life gang member being subjected to these assaults was more than the criminal organization could stand and some felt that they needed to be financially compensated.

Joe 'Pegleg' Morgan, the real-life gangster the character J. D was based on, reportedly tried to extort money from Olmos for the unauthorized portrayal, according to The Los Angeles Times. Olmos also reportedly received multiple death threats. Actor Danny Trejo, a former associate of the notorious gang, has also made claims in an interview with VLAD TV, that as many as ten people were murdered in connection with the making of the film, including three consultants on the movie who were active or former members of the gang.

Several Murders Were Connected To The Making of 'American Me'

The first murder connected to the making of American Me occurred 12 days after the film premiered. The first victim, Charles "Charlie Brown" Manriquez, a member of La Eme and consultant for the film, was killed in Ramona Gardens, a public housing project in L.A. Another consultant, Ana Lizarraga, commonly known as "The Gang Lady", was shot to death in her driveway by Jose Gilbert Gonzalez on May 13, 1992, eight months after the completion of the film according to the Los Angeles Times. She was shot execution style, in the back of the head, by two gunmen in ski masks. Gonzalez was caught a short while after the shooting and is serving a life sentence in prison, but the second shooter has never been found.

A federal indictment alleged that La Eme orchestrated the assignation, angry at Lizarraga's contributions to the film. Lizarraga, a former member of La Eme, had made efforts to change her life and became an anti-gang counselor and used the film as a type of cautionary tale to ward youngsters away from the temptations of gang life. Deputy Dist. Atty. Frank J. Johnson, who prosecuted Gonzalez, made acknowledgments to Lizarraga's role as a consultant in the production of American Me, “The Mexican Mafia angle is something we are looking into,” he said, adding that Lizarraga's killing was planned and was “no coincidence,” as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Despite the investigation, no clear link has ever been proven in a court of law. Manuel Luna, another consultant on the film, was killed a year after the movie's release. The nature of these reportedly connected killings re-emphasized the brutality of gang life Olmos wanted to underscore with his movie.

American Me is currently available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.