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Griselda Blanco: The True Story of the ‘Cocaine Godmother’
“Griselda” is set to premiere on Netflix January 25th, 2024. This Netflix miniseries starring Sofia Vergara will explore the intriguing life and story of Griselda Blanco, one of the world’s most notorious drug traffickers, better known as The Black Widow or ‘La Madrina’ de la cocaina. This female figure from the underworld was a precursor to several horrors that marked the darkest stages in Colombia and North America during the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Photo Credit: Instagram @blancofamilyfincas
Who was Griselda Blanco?
Griselda Blanco Restrepo, born on February 15th, 1943, in Cartagena, Colombia, was a pioneer in the drug trade, becoming a key figure in the expansion of cocaine trafficking to the United States. Known as “La Madrina” or “The Godmother,” she was responsible for organizing shipments of cocaine that supplied markets in New York, Miami, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. In the overwhelmingly male-dominated drug industry, Griselda Blanco stood out as a force to be reckoned with, and her story is now the subject of a Netflix drama series starring Sofia Vergara.
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Who Are Griselda Blanco’s Sons?
Griselda Blanco had her first three sons, Dixon, Uber, and Osvaldo, with her first husband Carlos Trujillo, a heavy drinker and small-time document forger. They lived together for about 10 years until he died of cirrhosis, but Griselda has been singled out as the architect of his death. That’s when she starts to be known as ‘The Black Widow’. Later, her oldest sons became part of her drug cartel as well.
Blanco’s third and last husband was Darío Sepúlveda, father of her fourth son Michael Corleone, named after Griselda’s favorite movie, The Godfather.
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How Many People Did Griselda Blanco Kill?
Griselda Blanco was responsible for numerous murders throughout her career, including the deaths of strippers, rivals, and spouses. She was known for the violent methods she employed to eliminate people, including the use of motorcycle hitmen and shooting at point-blank range.
At the age of 11, she kidnapped a child from the most prominent neighborhoods of Medellín and then murdered the boy since the requested reward was not given to her. This was just the start of her history of homicides, which would continue for the rest of her life.
In 1975, in the parking lot of a renowned nightclub, Blanco murdered her second husband, Alberto Bravo. Her third husband suffered the same fate as Bravo and presumably Trujillo. When he tried to kidnap little 4-year-old Michael to give him a “better future,” he was intercepted in Antioquia by hitmen disguised as police officers and shot down.
While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact number of people she killed, it is estimated that she was involved in the death of more than 250 individuals.
How Much Money Did She Have and How Did She Get It?
Griselda Blanco amassed a significant fortune through her involvement in the drug trade, with an estimated net worth of billions of dollars. She made her fortune by organizing drug shipments and expanding her business in the United States.
In the wake of her death, Colombian federal law enforcement seized four properties that amounted to around $118.7 million. Though her wealth appeared to have declined in her later years, El País reports that her casket bears golden Arabesque designs. According to The Guardian, Blanco was making tens of millions of dollars monthly through drug shipments that exceeded 1,500 kilograms.
How and When Did Griselda Blanco Die?
After serving 20 years in prison, Griselda Blanco was killed on February 10th, 2012, in Medellín, Colombia. She was 69 years old at the time of her death. She was shot twice in the head outside a butcher’s shop by motorized hitmen. To date, the culprits have never been identified.
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