Griselda Blanco is one of the most prolific drug dealers in history. Despite her gender and petite size (she was only 4.9 feet), how did she manage to rule in a male-dominated industry? Thanks to the Marielitos of Griselda Blanco, of course.
What is a Marielito?
The term Marielito was given to Cuban immigrants who departed the nation from the Port of Mariel in 1980. According to history, 135,000 people boarded the Mariel boatlift bound for the United States as they dreamed of a better life.
This wasn't the first time Cubans emigrated to the United States. There had already been several waves of Cubans who made their way to the country.
Unfortunately, out of the volume of refugees, some were criminals or "undesirables," as described in a 1985 Sun Sentinel article.
Demetrio Perez, Miami's city commissioner continued to welcome them. "...That even among those Marielitos who had criminal records, there were thousands whose offenses were so minor that they would not be considered criminals here and thousands of others whose ‘criminal record’ was based on their opposition to the Communist regime."
This has caused an issue, however, as President Carter made accusations that the immigrants being sent to the US were mostly criminals.
They were allegedly part of various crime groups involved in contract killing, drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, robbery, and many more.
RELATED: Who Is Jorge Rivi Ayala in Griselda on Netflix? Meet Argentinian Actor Martín Rodríguez
Who are Los Marielitos, Griselda Blanco's Helpers?
Because of her petite size, Griselda Blanco knew she could not intimidate her enemies, especially when she was still building a name for herself. This led her to approach the Marielitos and recruit them to work for her.
Griselda director, Andrés Baiz said that she was "an outsider and recruits all these other outsiders around her."
The Queenpin was said to have known what she was doing and allowed these men to trust her. This way, she could also earn their trust.
"These characters are all misfits, they don't belong to the normal standards of society. Griselda knows this and makes them feel like they are part of her family."
The Marielitos of Griselda Blanco later adapted themselves to a new nickname, the Pistoleros. These were Blanco's army of hitmen, who mastered the art of drive-by motorcycle assassinations.
To become a Pistolero, however, you had to pass a simple test: kill a target and remove a body part as proof.
Ironically, her method of drive-by motorcycle assassination was also how Griselda Blanco was killed in 2012.
Follow our Facebook page for more news coverage and other explainer articles.
RELATED: What Was Griselda Blanco's First Crime? Queenpin's Younger Years Were Very Troubled
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!