How did "they" sort out the crime wave of the early 1980's? (Miami: movies, military)

[Nolefan34]

From my understanding, the drug related violence was at its worst from 1979-1984 beginning with the Mariel Boatlift. The Cuban Marielitos clashed with the Colombians who were already established making a fortune off of cocaine trafficking. This resulted in violent drug wars between the two factions. How did they put an end to it? The Feds, DEA, and Military rounded up many of the kingpins and shipped them off to Angola Prison in Mississippi where many of them are serving life sentences.

Drug wars largely ended by the mid 80's. But overall violence actually increased. Other groups, especially blacks, filled in the void left by the imprisoned or murdered Colombians and Cubans. Drug trafficking became more localized instead of having Colombian cartels controlling everything from overseas. Overall violence in Miami probably peaked around 1992 or so, then it gradually declined. Today it is not as violent as back then. Miami used to be the most violent city in America. Today, other cities like Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans, Cleveland, Baltimore, Memphis, and Atlanta have taken that mantle.

[polo89]

Originally Posted by Nolefan34

From my understanding, the drug related violence was at its worst from 1979-1984 beginning with the Mariel Boatlift. The Cuban Marielitos clashed with the Colombians who were already established making a fortune off of cocaine trafficking. This resulted in violent drug wars between the two factions. How did they put an end to it? The Feds, DEA, and Military rounded up many of the kingpins and shipped them off to Angola Prison in Mississippi where many of them are serving life sentences.

Drug wars largely ended by the mid 80's. But overall violence actually increased. Other groups, especially blacks, filled in the void left by the imprisoned or murdered Colombians and Cubans. Drug trafficking became more localized instead of having Colombian cartels controlling everything from overseas. Overall violence in Miami probably peaked around 1992 or so, then it gradually declined. Today it is not as violent as back then. Miami used to be the most violent city in America. Today, other cities like Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans, Cleveland, Baltimore, Memphis, and Atlanta have taken that mantle.

Exactly, depending on where you lived, the late-80's all the way to the mid-90's were actually worse. All the Colombians/Cubans that were creating a ruckus in Coral Gables, Coral Way, Miami Beach, etc, were all dead or in prison, and in turn, violence in those areas went down dramatically. Which pretty much meant localized drug gangs in Liberty City, Overtown, Little Haiti, Miami Gardens, etc, took over, and violence in those areas certainly increased to new levels.

I remember watching a documentary on one of the black gangs in Liberty City, called Cloud 9 or something, they showed one clip in which Miami PD had to investigate 4 retaliatory homicides by the same two gangs within a couple of hours of each other around 3:00AM on New Years Day in the same neighborhoods(Liberty City/Overtown). They said one rival was so eager to kill his enemy, that he didn't even roll down his window before shooting. And this was in 1998.

But like you said, by 1992 the murders weren't just between Colombians and Marielito drug dealers in some rich, affluent, tony, upscale neighborhood or club anymore. The violence was more widespread, and it even peaked again sometime in the early 90's(I read on some homicide data site that Dade County had 502 homicides some year between 89 and 94).

[Northside904]

Originally Posted by polo89

Exactly, depending on where you lived, the late-80's all the way to the mid-90's were actually worse. All the Colombians/Cubans that were creating a ruckus in Coral Gables, Coral Way, Miami Beach, etc, were all dead or in prison, and in turn, violence in those areas went down dramatically. Which pretty much meant localized drug gangs in Liberty City, Overtown, Little Haiti, Miami Gardens, etc, took over, and violence in those areas certainly increased to new levels.

I remember watching a documentary on one of the black gangs in Liberty City, called Cloud 9 or something, they showed one clip in which Miami PD had to investigate 4 retaliatory homicides by the same two gangs within a couple of hours of each other around 3:00AM on New Years Day in the same neighborhoods(Liberty City/Overtown). They said one rival was so eager to kill his enemy, that he didn't even roll down his window before shooting. And this was in 1998.

But like you said, by 1992 the murders weren't just between Colombians and Marielito drug dealers in some rich, affluent, tony, upscale neighborhood or club anymore. The violence was more widespread, and it even peaked again sometime in the early 90's(I read on some homicide data site that Dade County had 502 homicides some year between 89 and 94).

Cloud 9 was a splinter group of the main crew John Doe. Cloud 9 came to fruition when Anthony Fail (ex John Doe member) wanted to reclaim drug sales revenue and the other members weren't having it, so Fail systematically picked off his rivals one by one. Dope boys were dropping left and right to the point where Liberty City was a ghost town. John Doe also had a stronghold on Overtown. Once Corey Smith, the leader of the John Does was taken off the streets, Fail saw the void as an opportunity to step into leadership. On top of that, the John Does were also going to war with Boobie Boys (Carol City).

[garbdhifi]

Polo89 I see your up on your street history from that era obviously your from the real MIA, the one that dosent get spoken about outside of those who know what time it really is. I'm from the the bottom lived in many different areas and knew a few cats personally it was sad to see because we lost alot of really good brothers to the streets, brothers who trully could have been running multi million dollar companies ligitemately. Peace my brother stay up.

[Torquemation]

Originally Posted by tallrick

It really is amazing that my parent's home was never broken into from 1960 to the present day. That neighborhood had a lot of drug related people in it. There was even an explosion where a Mercedes was bombed to kill its owner. Growing up in a middle class suburb I thought nothing of Mercedes, or Porsche. They were everywhere it seemed. It was in my college days (late 80's) that it all seemed to fade away. Hurricane Andrew seemed to erase the memories of the era for me. However, after watching cocaine cowboys I seem to remember more and more. All my friends who grew up in Miami knew at least one person involved in the drug trade.

Just like my neighborhood at that time, I found four corpses of black men in Galloway (I heard the shots and I called the cops) and my neighbor in Kendall was drug enforcement agency and I saw him being shot in Kendall, near The Falls.

Apart from the occasional shootings that we were used too, nothing altered reality at all. As a compensation, we had parties in the Grove and the Bounty, lots of private parties with lots of everything and happy people everywhere.

As to Marielitos, nobody trusted Marielitos after they hijacked a Sears truck in Coral Way.

At that time, you had Cubans, Americans and Jews, no machupichus or mayan warriors.

[straight shooter]

Originally Posted by Torquemation

At that time, you had Cubans, Americans and Jews, no machupichus or mayan warriors.

Torquemation, that is just wrong.

[Torquemation]

Originally Posted by straight shooter

Torquemation, that is just wrong.

Why wrong? I lived in Miami in those years and there were no Machipichus and Mayan Warriors, no chimichurris either.

[polo89]

Originally Posted by Manolón

Allow me to correct the vision implanted by Hollywood on newer generations (Scarface).
When the Mariel boatlift took place, Colombian cartels in Miami were fully consolidated.
Marielitos never played a significant part in the scheme of things, except perhaps as coffee boys to buy a "colada" at Cheo's cafeteria. Marielitos were viewed as not dependable.
Marielitos did got go beyond stealing Sears tow trucks, break ins or local pushers.
Cubans, on the other hand, never played a significant part because Colombian cartels considered that they were not dependable. During the 70's, Colombian cartels had several bad experiences with Cubans and finally they were left out.
Cubans played a considerable part as money launderers (they proved to be very good).
I'm not talking here about "marimberos", there were many Cubans and Americans in that crowd.
Blacks were entirely out of the equation, at least during the cartel period.
And again, during those "terrible" years, life in Miami was extremely pleasant if you were not into that activity. Cartel wars did not affect normal people AT ALL.
The Mariel Boatlift and the Blacks Riots were the real worries at that time, 1980.
The Black Riots provoked more than 20 deaths and extensive damage to property, and weren't for the intervention of the National Guard, it might have degenerated into a civil war.

Looking back at this thread. I think we were a being a little TOO lenient on the Marielitos, and Colombians and their role in Miami's high murder rate throughout the 1980's. Yeah, there were Black riots, but most of those riots were based on certain socioeconomic and shoddy policing by Dade police(Metro Dade was extremely corrupt back then). The Colombians and Marielitos were blasting each other in broad daylight in public spaces. While Black violence did peak in the 90's, a great portion of 77-87 was majority drug violence coming from Latino criminal enterprises.

[pslhomie]

Basically everyone was either killed, put in jail or were deported. The queen of it all was jailed, deported and killed.

[tinytrump]

a lot of them killed each other but I think the drug czars started busting it all up PLUS they threw a lot of dirty money at it . BIG money was revamping Miami Beach and other areas to stop the slums. I returned in 1989 SB was a mess- now can't get a 200 sq st efficiency for less that a Mil- drug money built Miami. and BIG money still dealing- they got rid of many of the middle men and small punks. not that it stayed that way