The organizations inside.
Four dominant prison gangs whose rivalries and alliances shaped the California correctional system — and the streets beyond its walls.
La EMe (Mexican Mafia)
Founded 1957
California's most powerful prison gang. Originated at Deuel Vocational Institution, now controls street-level drug operations across the Southwest.
Aryan Brotherhood
Founded 1967
A violent white supremacist organization forged at San Quentin. Built on absolute loyalty, extreme discipline, and a reach that extends far beyond prison walls.
Black Guerrilla Family
Founded 1966
Founded by George Jackson with revolutionary rhetoric. Blended political ideology with criminal enterprise behind California prison walls.
Nuestra Familia
Founded 1968
Northern California's answer to La EMe. A bitter rivalry that spilled blood across the state and reshaped the prison-gang landscape.