Danny Trejo Recalls Being Hypnotized By Charles Manson

In Danny Trejo‘s new memoir “Trejo,” the Machete star describes his eerie meeting — and then being hypnotized by — none other than infamous murder convict Charles Manson. It happened in 1961 while they were both locked up in the Los Angeles County Jail.

Danny remembers that a “greasy, dirty, scrawny” Manson was “so poor, he didn’t have a belt, and instead used a piece of string to keep his pants up.”

The actor, who looks menacing, but is notoriously nice in person, says he “felt sorry at the time for Manson, who was small and so he needed protection.” A couple of days after they met, the notorious criminal told Danny that he had hypnotic powers and “could get us high.”

“It was like a guided meditation,” Danny recalls in his book, which details his incredible life story, from being a teenage heroin addict in and out of prison to a beloved character actor who has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows.