Organized Crime

Richard Curtis Morris Jr. Guilty of Hit on Strip Club Owner During "Mickey Mouse Mafia" Days

The Weekly now has an eighth example of Orange County strip club-related mayhem.But it happened way back in 1987.The addition to our "From the Vaults" list comes courtesy of a 59-year-old man being convicted Tuesday of slaying the owner of the Mustang Topless Theater and raping his girlfriend in the ... More >>

A Question of Identity

Which accused LA crime figure is a friend of a friend of ex-Los Angeles DA Steve Cooley?

Joseph Baez is Third to be Found Guilty in OC's First Murder of 2010; One Defendant to Go

When gang banger Joseph Baez's special circumstances murder trial began last month, he was looking at the possibility of life in state prison without the possibility of parole if convicted in Orange County's first murder of 2010. Thursday, a jury found him guilty instead of second degree murder and ... More >>

Joseph Baez Faces Trial in Fatal Shooting of OC's First Murder Victim of 2010

A murder trial begins in Santa Ana this morning for the alleged partner in crime of a previously convicted fellow Orange resident who, while navigating the court process from Orange County Jail, was charged with carrying out Mexican Mafia orders. Joseph Baez, 28, faces a special circumstances murder ... More >>

Santa Ana Hoodlum Admits Mexican Mafia Membership & Role in Heroin Distribution

A 34-year-old hoodlum nicknamed "Fat Ass" is admitting he is a member of the OC Mexican Mafia and conspired to thwart the Santa Ana Police Department while participating in the expected 2009 sale of more than 100 grams of heroin in Orange County.Kinney Stephen Uribe* signed a guilty plea in mid ... More >>

Hispanic Prison Gang "Taxed" Street Thugs and Drug Dealers, Reads Indictment of 11

Read my lips: no new taxes . . . imposed by Hispanic prison gangs on street thugs and drug dealers. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Anaheim Police Department and the Orange County District Attorney's office (OCDA) endorse that message, as their joint investigation netted seven men and ... More >>

What's The Price For Cocaine, Women, Guns and Expensive Cars?

Little Saigon construction worker Khoa Dang Pham enjoyed hanging around his drug dealing buddies and he didn't think about the potential consequences because the cocaine, women, guns and expensive vehicles proved too tantalizing. Pham's legitimate employer, girlfriend, little sister and cousin all s ... More >>

Forming Kaos Gangsters Win Lengthy Prison Trips in Mexican Mafia Conspiracies

A federal judge in Orange County has sentenced two members of Forming Kaos (FK), the Costa Mesa-based criminal street gang, to lengthy prison trips for participating in conspiracies that benefited the notorious Mexican Mafia.Douglas Joseph Jackovich and Kirk Ray Butterfas, both 30 years old, won't s ... More >>

The Sting

Regency South Coast Village

Murderous, International Cocaine Dealer in Mexican Mafia Gets Punished in OC

For a decade after his 1999 federal grand jury racketeering indictment, Los Angeles-based gangster Rolando Ontiveros (AKA "Rolo") escaped justice for his prolific, murderous career as an international cocaine dealer in the Mexican Mafia. Law enforcement intelligence placed Ontiveros in Mexico and li ... More >>

Costa Mesa Gangster With Forming Kaos Admits Guilt in Mexican Mafia Operation

A massive law enforcement investigation into Forming Kaos (FK), a Costa Mesa-based criminal street gang tied to the Mexican Mafia, has won a guilty plea from Douglas Joseph Jackovich, AKA "Temper" and "DJ," according to federal court records in Orange County.Hoping for leniency when he is sentenced ... More >>

Robert Luis Reil Gets 50 More Years to Engage in Mexican Mafia Mayhem Behind Bars

The good news for those clinging to truth, justice and the American way (brought to you by Mennen) is Robert Luis Reil was sentenced Friday to 50 years to life in state prison for his participation in the first Orange County murder of 2010. The bad news for those residing in the correctional facilit ... More >>

Kenj Gallo, Profiled in OC Weekly, Subject of Upcoming Fox Gangster Series?

Photograph by John Gilhooley​You may remember Kenji Gallo, co-author with Matthew Randazzo V of the 2009 book Breakshot: A Life in the 21st Century American Mafia, from my Sept. 2009 cover story in OC Weekly,"Blown Away." That particular story dealt with a slew of mafia murders in Orange County du ... More >>

[UPDATED with 17 More Swept Up:] 26 Charged with Carrying Out Mexican Mafia Orders in OC Jail

​UPDATE, JULY 14, 5:01 P.M.: Besides the 26 Mexican Mafia members the District Attorney's office is prosecuting as a result of the Orange County Jail crimes uncovered through "Operation Black Flag," 17 Costa Mesa gang members were swept up by federal indictments related to the investigation.The in ... More >>

Ten Shocking Revelations from Kenny Rogers' Memoirs

​ Country music star, TV movie mainstay and lifelong beard farmer Kenny Rogers announced that he's releasing his memoirs this fall. Having scored an advanced copy of "The Gambler" singer's book, we present ten of its most shocking revelations. 10. He's never had plastic surgery Most of us ... More >>

Mike Carona: No More Excuses

[Moxley Confidential] Federal Appeals Court upholds the ex-sheriff's conviction, and he's finally headed to prison

Cuban Modernism

MOLAA

Seized

Inside the brutal world of America's kidnapping capital

Killing for the Cartel

Police believe East LA high-school dropout Jose Saenz has killed a good friend and the mother of his daughter

Today's Don't Miss: "The Sicilian Girl"

​In the early 1990s, 17-year-old Rita Atria became one of the Costa Nostra's fiercest foes when she offered to testify against the Italian Mafia. She had kept detailed diaries of the criminal organization's inner workings as a vendetta after the brutal murders of her father and brother. Atria wen ... More >>

Roaring ‘20s Themed Murder Mystery Dinner

Back Bay Bistro

The Unsolved Murder of Joe Avila Is Only One of Many Loose Ends From OC's Coked-Out '80s

The Baroque World of Fernando Botero

Bowers Museum

Latin American Art History Class: “The Baroque World of Fernando Botero”

Bowers Museum

Frank Sinatra-The Good Years

Bowers Museum

Nobody's Perfect

Some Like It Hot

No on Measure R Contributor Has a Past

Garbage As mentioned here, Santa Ana recycling equipment maker Enterprise Co. has given $4,000 to the campaign against Irvine's Measure R, which asks residents to give a vote of approval to the Irvine City Council's planning of the Great Park on the old El Toro Marine Corps base. Enterprise Co., w ... More >>

[Moxley Confidential] Billy Joe Johnson Tries to Save Pal From Death Row. Plus, Adieu, Buffalo Jim

Robot Downey Jr.

Robots! They’re Just Like Us!

Tuesday's Headlines & Surprises: Costa Mesa Fascists Lose!

How Did Bren Recently Gain $5 Billion? Those of us who’ve watched the county operate know that Donald Bren’s Irvine Co. gets away with murder in Orange County. Several years ago, I reported that Bren had won public recognition from the Times and Register for donating land to the public at his N ... More >>

Tuesday's Headlines & Surprises: Poor Mike Carona

OC's Embarrassing Buford T. Justice: Law-enforcement helicopters and ground crews normally — blatantly — tail me. You should have seen them after I revealed that local cops had planted a handgun on a DUI suspect, after I wrote about a cop who ejaculated on a female motorist in Laguna Beach, and ... More >>

Kissing the Pinky Ring

Newport Beach barbecue honors racketeer heading to federal prison

Va Tech Murders Give OC Sheriff Pal Excuse

At the insistence of John Barnett, OC 's legendary defense lawyer, a San Bernardino County judge refused to allow opening statements Monday in the jury trial of Raymond K. Yi, a former OC reserve deputy who faces six felony charges for a 2005 gun-related temper tantrum on a golf course. Barnett, fa ... More >>

A Boot Stamping on Your Face

The Actor's Gang Presents 1984

Carona: Finally Looking Relaxed

Check out this excerpt from Mike Carona's campaign to get re-elected as OC Sheriff. First - the shot on the left. There's no way on earth or anywhere else that facial expression could ever be construed as a smile. So what's it supposed to be? A knowing grimace? A satisfied exhalation at two terms ... More >>

It's So Funny Because It Just Happened

So on our home page right as this is ejaculated out, there is one of those flashy Google ads that seemingly scans the page it's on for keywords and then searches its massive database for related advertising links. I don't know if Google pays a premium to have that amazing feature on our site, or if ... More >>

Following the Bouncing OCSD Gun Story

Did anyone catch the Malibu Ferrari Crash story in today's Times. Now, while there's no way the Orange County Sheriff's Department angle can possibly overshadow the meat of this story (rare Ferrari Enzo totaled on PCH, alleged lies to responding cops, a supposed Swedish con man, fake Homeland Securi ... More >>

The Reg's Exciting Internet Strategy

The internet (or internets, if you're George Bush) has helped change the way news gets reported. Take for example, R. Scott Moxley's story on Los Angeles County Sheriff's Commander and candidate for Orange County Sheriff Ralph Martin's call for Mike Carona's immediate resignation. On Thursday at a p ... More >>

'Dirty, Stupid or Both'

Never mind the photo: Sheriff Carona denies Mafia ties

Fuhgeddaboutit

Sheriff Caronas campaign claims amnesia on Vegas mob tie

Monster's Ball

Feds, Aryan Brotherhood come to paint the OC courthouse white

Conflicting Conflicts

With Jaramillo case, Rackauckas able to shift conflict of interest allegations away from himself for a change

Final Act

Harris shines in his last role

Watching the Detective

Inside the office of Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas

Missing Wives, Lousy Lies & Mob Ties

Exhaustive grand-jury investigation confirms DA corruption

Psychic Friends

Was John Schmitz nuts? Or did mobsters run Orange County?

The DAs Friend

Rackauckas troubles started with a struggling film company, an extortion threat and a plea for help

Who the Hells in Charge?

District attorney Tony Rackauckas says his organized-crime agents are out of control. His agents say hes hanging out with a mobster