Griselda Blanco, a formidable criminal mastermind, instilled fear throughout the 1970s and 80s Miami.
Recently, the infamous drug lord has undergone a Hollywood transformation, with Sofía Vergara of Modern Family fame teaming up with the creators of the crime drama Narcos to portray the leader of the criminal underworld.
The six-part Netflix series Griselda unfolds with intense shoot-outs, portraying the notorious criminal as a relatable yet ambitious and ruthless woman.
However, the authentic narrative of the woman nicknamed the “Cocaine Godmother” and linked to the deaths of her three husbands is considerably more complex.
As the mid-1980s approached, Blanco’s criminal empire began to crumble, and her reign of terror abruptly concluded with her arrest in Irvine, California.
On February 17, 1985, Blanco was apprehended in her residence by DEA agents, facing charges of manufacturing, importing, and distributing cocaine. Subsequently, Blanco spent two decades behind bars, marking the end of her tumultuous and notorious criminal career.
How did Griselda Blanco die?
In September 2012, Griselda Blanco met a violent end in Medellín, Colombia. As Blanco visited a butcher shop in her hometown, two armed riders approached her, and one shot her twice in the head.
The Guardian reported that Blanco’s execution mirrored the ruthless style for which she had become infamous – ambushed on the street by a gunman on a motorcycle.
Blanco was credited with pioneering the motorcycle ride-by-killing technique during her dominance over the developing cocaine trade in southern Florida in the late 70s and early 80s.
The article noted, “The manner of Griselda Blanco’s death on Monday reflected the brutality for which she became notorious — gunned down in the street by a killer on a motorcycle.”
Family members asserted that Griselda Blanco had severed her connections to organized crime after returning to her home country. Although police were investigating the motive behind her killing, it was speculated that revenge from one of her numerous enemies was a likely cause. No arrests were made following Blanco’s fatal shooting at the age of 69.
Where was Griselda Blanco buried?
Griselda Blanco was buried in the Jardines de Montesacro cemetery, according to the Spanish newspaper El País. Interestingly, this cemetery also serves as the final resting place for another notorious Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar.
Two buses carrying neighborhood kids from Antioquia, the suburb where Griselda Blanco once worked as a drug dealer, attended her funeral. In this community, Blanco had gained a reputation as a husband killer, but she also had a contrasting side where she distributed gifts to needy children during Christmas.
The presence of local children at her funeral reflected a complex and multifaceted view of Blanco’s legacy within her community.
a great women