The Mexican Mafia- A Career Lifer’s Perspective
WATCH VIDEO BELOW I’m a Mexican American who grew up in Northeast Los Angeles, California in the 90’s. I remember when the Mexican Mafia was running things. They were the ones who decided who got […]
The Real Life “Mi Vida Loca” – PlayBoy’s From Echo Park
BooBoo was living with her homegirls Nena and Chunky in a seedy one-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles. They took turns sleeping on a single mattress on the floor, when they weren’t running the streets. BooBoo […]
How Deep House music in the 90s helped us escape reality
How music in the 90s helped us have fun and escape reality from all the madness that was happening on the streets of Los Angeles. This was a time where Rodney King had just gotten […]
Tierra Amarilla Land Grant & Courthouse Raid – 1967
“They stole our land and gave us powdered milk!” —Reies Lopez Tijerina People who were instrumental in the development and growth of the Mexican American culture don’t get much recognition, if ever, any at all. In […]
The Mother of The Avenues
In Part one (1) of this video, we take a first look at the life of Maria “Chata” Leon and her army of sons who went to war on behalf of the Drew Street Avenues […]
A 1992 Story About Brenton Wood and his Love for Latinos
In the 90’s Latinos loved other Latino bands, but during the great depression, Latinos needed a way to connect with American culture. They realized they had more in common with Blacks than whites. For the […]
The Original Soundtrack to L.A.’s Nightlife
It was the early 1990s, and the teen girls of the era were searching for a way to express their burgeoning sexuality. For many, this came in the form of loud music and dancing at […]
East L.A. Teen Gang Culture in the 90’s
The NELA TV editorial archive is an ever-evolving resource detailing the cultures, movements and ideas that defined contemporary stylistic discourse. From unique takes on today’s leading pop-culture topics, to off-kilter stories that might have slipped […]
The Dark Secret of Joe Morgan of La Eme
Joe Morgan (10 April 1929 – 9 November 1993) is most notable for being “the Godfather” of the Mexican Mafia. Despite his Croatian roots he eventually became a highly influential member of the prison gang and […]
Northeast Los Angeles Oldest Gang Report in 1976
This report from 1978 discusses a meeting of gangs in Northeast Los Angeles, where Echo Park, Toonerville and more came together to discuss options. This was an important event because it brought together different gangs […]
