Disturbing true story of narco Griselda who murdered husbands and '2,000 more'
Netflix's thrilling crime drama Griselda seems too wild and shocking to be real - but the 'godmother' of Miami's drug empire really existed.
Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco ran one of the most profitable cartels in history and made more than $80million (£62million) a month by smuggling cocaine into America. The ruthless narco leveraged her invisibility as a woman and housewife to command the streets of Miami.
The hit series is a fictionalised version of her real life, starring actress Sofia Vergara, and depicts the romances and crimes of the ruthless narcotics boss, who was linked to hundreds of murders, including the death of her own husbands. Here, the Mirror takes a look at the chilling true story.
Griselda was an infamous drug lord and transported cocaine from Colombia to Miami (Zuma Press / eyevine)
The 'Black Widow' grew up in poverty and reportedly killed all three of her husbands (WIKI)Young life of crime
Griselda's life of crime started at a very young age. She was born in Santa Marta, Colombia, and grew up in poverty, forced to pickpocket to get by. Her criminal history escalated when she reportedly helped kidnap a boy when she was just 11 years old. Griselda is said to have taken it upon herself to shoot the boy dead after his parents refused to pay the ransom. It's believed she also went into prostitution to make money.
Killing husbands
In her teens, Griselda lived with an alleged pimp and document forger, Carlos Trugillo, who she went on to marry. The couple had three sons together and later divorced, reportedly over their burgeoning criminal empire. She's said to have ordered his murder following the split.
Man in 30s dies after being stabbed in park sparking police probe
Griselda found love again with drug trafficker Alberto Bravo, who introduced her to the cocaine industry. The couple used New York as their base to smuggle drugs into the US. However, things went downhill when Griselda found herself facing drug charges in 1975.
She started to suspect her husband of stealing money from her and the pair ended up caught in a shooting which resulted in his death. In 1978, she married her third husband, Dario Sepúlveda, and had her fourth child, son Michael Corleone Blanco. He is the only surviving child. She is believed to have ordered Dario's death after he took Michael away from her.
Making millions
After fleeing to Columbia to escape drug charges, Griselda returned to America in the late 1970s and settled in Miami. She continued to smuggle drugs and was given the nickname the 'cocaine godmother'. Griselda wasn't afraid to take out the competition and was involved in the deaths of at least 200 people.
This helped her to become one of the wealthiest drug traffickers in the world. She brought in more than $80million (£62million) each month and smuggled more than three tonnes of cocaine into America every year. Griselda wasn't afraid to show off her wealth and indulged in luxury homes and huge parties.
Griselda's youngest son Michael Corleone Blanco (pictured) is her only surviving child (Greg Woodfield)
Griselda was killed outside of a Colombian butcher shop in 2012 at the age of 69 (Orange County Sheriff's Office)2,000 deaths
Griselda eliminated her competition by whatever means necessary. The Drug Enforcement Administration spoke about her case in 1993 and said: "Griselda loved killings. Bodies lined the streets of Miami as a result of her feuds. She gathered around her a group of henchmen known as the Pistoleros.
"Initiation into the group was earned by killing someone and cutting off a body part as proof of the deed. She not only killed rivals and wayward lovers, but used murder as a means of cancelling debts she didn't want to pay. A particularly bloody massacre that took place in July 1979 in a Miami shopping centre became known as the Dadeland Massacre."
She's believed to have been responsible for more than 200 deaths which were usually carried out in broad daylight. However, some experts estimate she could have a body count of 2,000. Former Miami homicide detective Nelson Abreu said Griselda was worse than any of the men involved in the drug trade. He said: "People were so afraid of her that her reputation preceded her wherever she went."
Assassination
Things took a turn for the worse when Griselda was found guilty of drug charges in 1985 and sent to prison with a sentence of 15 years. But this didn't stop her from continuing to run her drug empire from behind bars. In 1994, one of Griselda's former hitmen, Jorge Ayala, agreed to testify against her and she was charged with three murders. She pleaded guilty in 1998 in a bid to reduce her sentence.
Griselda spent 10 years in prison and was deported to Colombia following her release. However, her criminal past eventually caught up with her and she was killed outside of a butcher shop in 2012 at the age of 69.
- Griselda is currently streaming on Netflix.
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