Today in History - March 13: Ten people purportedly killed over Hollywood movie
So outraged were the Mexican Mafia over the release of a Hollywood film on March 13, 1992, they committed a series of murders in retaliation.
American Me told a fictionalised story of the founding of the Mexican Mafia in Californian prisons in the 1950s.
The film was directed by and starred Edward James Olmos, who sought to tell the story of the notorious gang.
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American Me was linked to multiple murders. Universal Pictures
But one scene infuriated the real-life gang.
The scene depicted the main character being raped while in juvenile detention by another man.
Even though the character was fictional, the gang was incensed by the depiction of a member of the gang participating in homosexual activity, even if it was nonconsensual.
Twelve days after the premiere, one of the movie's consultants had been killed.
Charles "Charlie Brown" Manriquez was shot six times in a Los Angeles housing project.
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Edward James Olmos in American Me. Universal Pictures
Then in May, another consultant, Ana Lizarraga, was ambushed and killed in the driveway of her home.
A federal indictment linked her murder to her contribution to the film.
Actor Danny Trejo said 10 people were killed in connection to the movie.
"There were four out here, and six in prison," he said in 2019.
"You've just got to be real careful about telling the truth."
Trejo was not in the movie, but knew many of the Mexican Mafia key figures from their time in prison together.
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Olmos himself feared for his life amid rumours a contract had been placed on his head.
Decades later, he is still alive.
Upon its release, American Me was a moderate critical success but a commercial flop.
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