The Netflix biopic, Griselda, follows the story of the Queenpin and Godmother of Cocaine, Griselda Blanco. But before she became the Queen of Cocaine and the Black Widow, let's take a look back at her early life. What was the first crime Griselda Blanco committed?
Before anything, this article contains allegations that have not been proven factual or dismissed through the years. While we may never know the real truth behind these things, we take a look at what made Blanco so notorious when she was alive.
What Was the First Crime Griselda Blanco Committed?
Born in Colombia, Griselda Blanco Restrepo was born to a reported alcoholic sex worker. Sources say that Griselda was either born in Cartagena or Santa Marta.
When she was only three years old, they moved to Medellín, where she was allegedly abused by the clients of her mother.
The first crime Griselda Blanco committed happened when she was only 11 years old, while she is said to have helped kidnap a 10-year-old boy. The allegations say that Griselda shot the child when his family refused to pay the ransom.
After that, she became a sex worker and a pickpocket at 14 years old. When she married a small-time gangster, the two got involved in smuggling illegal immigrants.
Her first husband, Darío Pestañas Trujillo mysteriously died. Some reports claimed Griselda was behind his death.
It wasn't until she was 20 that she ventured into the cocaine industry. Alberto Bravo, second husband, introduced her to the drug and the cartel.
How Many People Did Griselda Blanco Kill?
When Griselda was finally caught in 1985, she was convicted on drug-related charges. The authorities knew nothing about the alleged murders she either ordered or took charge of.
Griselda's hitman, Jorge "Rivi" Ayala, made a deal with the cops to talk about the murders he committed on behalf of The Godmother. Rivi claimed that Griselda "liked to be at war" and that she enjoyed the carnage.
Charles Cosby, a Cocaine dealer at that time who consulted business advice from the Queenpin, claimed that Griselda said "Rivi has enough dirt on me to bury me 10 times."
Although the exact number could never be revealed, DEA agent Bob Palombo told The Independent that she was linked with between 40 to 250 murders.
She has also been alleged to have killed at least two of her husbands, which earned her the nickname The Black Widow or La Viuda Negra.
The assistant US attorney, Stephen Schlessinger, who prosecuted Griselda also told the Miami Herald that she “would kill anybody who displeased her, because of a debt, because they screwed up on a shipment or she didn’t like the way they looked at her.”
Griselda even had a band of hitmen, called the "Pistoleros," who had to pass initiation by killing one of her targets and slicing off a body part as proof.
She has also been said to have innovated the idea of a motorcycle drive-by shooting, which, ironically, was how Griselda was killed in 2012.
To this day, no one has been pinned responsible for her death.
Find out more about Griselda Blanco in the biopic, Griselda, which is now available to stream on Netflix.
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