Wild Man - My large and fearless raving partner from my hometown. He looked out for me after we were arrested, and is one of the main characters in my jail memoir. His first day at Buckeye prison, he knocked out the head of the whites in his dorm, so the Aryan Brotherhood put him in charge, and authorised him to brew hooch.
“So how did your first batch of hooch almost cause a race riot?” I asked.
In Arizona, the four main racial categories are blacks, whites, Chicanos and paisas. The Chicanos are descended from Mexico, but born in America. The paisas are Mexicans born in Mexico. For a more in-depth account of the history of these gangs, including the ongoing war between the paisas and Chicanos, click here to read Warrior’s blog.
The white youngster stood up, and looks at me ’cause I’m the head of the whites.
The youngster goes to handle his business in the bathroom.
“Adam’s about my size. Works out a lot. Has WHITE PRIDE on his chest in German. Doing time for hate crimes. Casper’s small, but stocky. Works out a lot. Has BROWN PRIDE on his belly. Casper jumped up, and hit Adam where he was sat on my bed. Adam fell back, and hit his head on the metal bunk. They were fighting in my house, so I got out of the way. I grabbed my TV, so it didn’t get knocked off the shelf.
Meanwhile, the two youngsters have finished fighting in the bathroom. They’re leaving, so Casper and Adam go to the bathroom to fight. But the Chicano youngster who’s leaving walks towards them as if he’s gonna do something, so I grab him, and throw him up against a wall. The white youngsters see this, and automatically want to fight. They’re taught to protect their head. That’s how they earn their ink. If there’s a confrontation like this, the ones who show heart will get tattoos. The Chicano youngsters are getting ready as well, so it looks like a riot is going to go off.
“No matter where you are or what you’re doing, if the head of a race shouts ‘Boot up!’ then the work boots go on ’cause they’ve got a rubber grip, and the sneakers are too slippy for fighting. They get their stash of shanks out, and it’s out-and-out war. They strap National Geographic magazines on their stomach and arms for body armour.
The blacks are tripping now. They’re grouped up in a corner.
Then all the youngsters who’ve booted up, whites and Chicanos, start getting ready to go and smash the blacks.
In Wild Man's next blog, he has to answer to the Aryan Brotherhood for the missing hooch.
Click here for Wild Man's previous blog.
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Good blogging again by the Wild Man - although the internet is like being sobar to him...a little alien !
it's interesting that latinos are divided in Arizona. is that due to the more concentrated population there? who are the Woods? and if they earn the ink is it compulsory? are they getting other work done or is it for the most part there just earned ink?
Hey Jon, do you have any more details about your forthcoming book? I'd really love to buy a copy. Your memoirs are unique and you somehow mix pathos and humour, which is rare indeed.
All I know presently from my literary agent is that we expect my jail memoir to be available in September at the earliest. I'll post any new info as I receive it.
I'm an avid reader and very interested in reading your book. Do You think it will be published in Australia?
Yes, I think it will be published in Australia. But I think the US and UK markets will have it first.
Ha ha! Thanks for being interesting!
The only violent act I have committed involved a pen.
I was out the door and in my car in a flash. when I came home a few hours later he was asleep on the couch and never mentioned a thing about it the next day!