Who Is Griselda Blanco? Husband, Sons, Daughter, Age, Net Worth, Family, Death and more
Griselda Blanco was one of the most powerful and ruthless drug traffickers in history. She was the mastermind behind a vast cocaine empire that spanned from Colombia to the United States, and she was responsible for countless murders, kidnappings, and violent crimes. She was also a mother, a wife, and a survivor of a brutal childhood. This is her story.
Early Life, Birthday, Parents and First Marriage
Griselda Blanco was born on February 15, 1943 (age: 69 years, when died), in Cartagena, Colombia, a coastal city known for its colonial architecture and Caribbean beaches. She was baptized in a nearby town called Santa Marta, where some sources claim she was actually born
She grew up in poverty, surrounded by violence and crime. Her mother, Ana Lucía Restrepo, was a single parent who worked as a maid and a seamstress. Her father, Fernando Blanco, was a married man who abandoned them when Griselda was a baby
She had a difficult relationship with her mother, who often abused her physically and emotionally. She also suffered sexual abuse from her mother’s boyfriend, who moved in with them when Griselda was eight years old. To escape the abuse, she ran away from home at the age of 14 and joined a street gang in Medellín, the second-largest city in Colombia
There, she met her first husband, Carlos Trujillo, a small-time criminal who introduced her to the world of drug trafficking. They had three sons: Dixon, Uber, and Osvaldo, who would later follow their mother’s footsteps in the cocaine business
Griselda and Carlos moved to New York City in the early 1970s, where they started smuggling cocaine into the United States. They used innovative methods, such as hiding the drug in suitcases, shoes, and even lingerie with secret compartments. They soon amassed a fortune and a reputation in the underworld
However, their marriage did not last long. Griselda divorced Carlos in 1975, after suspecting him of cheating on her and stealing money from their operation. She also allegedly ordered his murder a few years later, earning her the nickname of the “Black Widow”.
Griselda Blanco Wiki/Bio
| Name | Griselda Blanco |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Griselda Blanco Restrepo |
| Nicknames | The Black Widow, The Godmother of Cocaine, The Queen of Narco-Trafficking, La Dama de la Mafia |
| Birth date | February 15, 1943 |
| Birth place | Cartagena, Colombia |
| Death date | September 3, 2012 |
| Death place | Medellín, Colombia |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wounds |
| Ethnicity | Colombian |
| Nationality | Colombian |
| Religion | Born-again Christian (later in life) |
| Occupation | Drug lord |
| Spouses | Carlos Trujillo (divorced), Alberto Bravo (killed), Darío Sepúlveda (killed), Unknown fourth husband |
| Children | Dixon Trujillo, Uber Trujillo, Osvaldo Trujillo, Michael Corleone Blanco |
| Parents | Ana Lucía Restrepo and Fernando Blanco |
| Siblings | Nury del Socorro Restrepo de Valencia |
| Convictions | Federal conspiracy to manufacture, import into the United States, and distribute cocaine; Florida second degree murder (3 counts) |
| Criminal penalty | Federal 15 years imprisonment; Florida 20 years imprisonment |
| Affiliations | Medellín Cartel (alleged) |
| Links | Wikipedia- @Griselda_Blanco Homepage- Newsunzip |
Second Marriage and Rise to Power
After divorcing Carlos, Griselda Blanco married her second husband, Alberto Bravo, a fellow drug trafficker who had connections with the Medellín Cartel, the most powerful criminal organization in Colombia at the time. The cartel was led by Pablo Escobar, who would later become Griselda’s rival and enemy.
Together, Griselda and Alberto expanded their cocaine empire, importing tons of the drug from Colombia to the United States every month. They also recruited and trained hundreds of hitmen, known as sicarios, who carried out their orders with ruthless efficiency. She was especially feared for her cruelty and violence, as she did not hesitate to kill anyone who crossed her or threatened her business. She was also known for her lavish lifestyle, spending millions of dollars on mansions, cars, jewelry, and parties.
However, Griselda’s success also attracted the attention of the authorities, who launched a massive operation to capture her and her associates. In 1975, she was indicted on federal drug conspiracy charges, along with 30 of her subordinates. Facing a possible life sentence, she fled back to Colombia, leaving behind her husband and her sons.
In Colombia, Griselda Blanco continued her drug business, but she also faced a new challenge: her husband Alberto. She accused him of stealing money from their operation and cheating on her with another woman. She confronted him in a nightclub in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, and a violent shoot-out ensued. She shot Alberto several times, killing him, but she also suffered two bullet wounds in her stomach. She survived the attack, but she lost her second husband and her unborn child, as she was pregnant at the time.
Net Worth
| Year | Net Worth |
|---|---|
| 2010 | Estimated $500 million |
| 2011 | Estimated $500 million |
| 2012 | Estimated $500 million |
Height, Weight
- Height: 5’0″
- Weight: Unknown
- Eye color: Brown
- Body measurements: Unknown
- Skin color: Light tan
- Hair color: Black, later dyed blonde
Third Marriage and Miami Wars
After recovering from her injuries, Griselda Blanco married her third husband, Darío Sepúlveda, a young and handsome drug trafficker who worked for her. They had a son, Michael Corleone Blanco, whom she named after the main character of The Godfather, her favorite movie.
In the late 1970s, Griselda returned to the United States and moved to Miami, Florida, where she established her new headquarters. She also brought her youngest son with her, while leaving her other sons in Colombia under the care of her mother.
Miami was a booming city, with a large population of Cuban immigrants and tourists. It was also a strategic location for the cocaine trade, as it was close to the Caribbean and Central America, where the drug was produced and transported. Griselda Blanco took advantage of this opportunity and created a network of distributors, suppliers, and smugglers, who delivered her cocaine to various cities across the United States. She also hired more sicarios, who protected her territory and eliminated her competitors.
Griselda’s return to the United States coincided with the beginning of a violent and bloody conflict, known as the Miami Drug Wars, that lasted throughout the 1980s. The wars involved various factions of drug traffickers, who fought for control of the lucrative cocaine market.
The wars also involved the Medellín Cartel, who saw her as a threat and a rival. The cartel was led by Pablo Escobar, who had become the most powerful and notorious drug lord in the world. Escobar and Griselda had a personal and professional animosity, as they competed for the same market and had different visions of the drug business. Escobar wanted to create a monopoly and a political movement, while she wanted to keep a low profile and a family-oriented operation.
The Miami Drug Wars were characterized by extreme violence and brutality, as the drug traffickers used guns, bombs, and assassinations to eliminate their enemies and intimidate the authorities. The wars also affected the innocent civilians, who witnessed the carnage and the chaos on the streets. The wars resulted in hundreds of homicides per year, making Miami one of the most dangerous cities in the United States.
Griselda Blanco was one of the main protagonists and instigators of the Miami Drug Wars. She was responsible for many of the murders, kidnappings, and bombings that occurred during the wars. She was also notorious for her innovative and ruthless methods of killing, such as using motorcycles, remote-controlled cars, and airplanes to execute her targets. She was especially infamous for ordering the murder of anyone who owed her money, betrayed her, or simply annoyed her. She did not spare anyone, not even women, children, or family members. She was also accused of killing her own godson, who was the son of one of her closest associates.
Some of the most notorious murders that Griselda was involved in or ordered were:
- The Dadeland Mall Massacre: On July 11, 1979, two of her sicarios entered a liquor store at the Dadeland Mall in Miami, where they opened fire with machine guns, killing two men and injuring several others. The men were rival drug dealers who had failed to pay Griselda for a shipment of cocaine. The attack was so brutal and shocking that it attracted national attention and marked the beginning of the Miami Drug Wars.
- The Murder of Alfredo and Grizel Lorenzo: On February 5, 1982, she ordered the murder of Alfredo and Grizel Lorenzo, a married couple who worked for her as money launderers. Griselda suspected that they had stolen money from her and had cooperated with the authorities. She sent two of her sicarios to their home in Miami, where they shot and killed them in front of their three children.
- The Murder of Arthur and Martha Escobar: On November 12, 1982, she ordered the murder of Arthur and Martha Escobar, the brother and sister-in-law of Pablo Escobar. She wanted to send a message to Pablo, who had tried to kill her several times. She hired a hitman, who posed as a flower delivery man and entered their home in Medellín, Colombia, where he shot and killed them.
- The Murder of Johnny Castro: On April 6, 1984, Griselda ordered the murder of Johnny Castro, a former lover and associate who had betrayed her and joined forces with Pablo Escobar. She hired a hitman, who followed Castro to a nightclub in Miami, where he shot and killed him.
- The Murder of Barry Seal: On February 19, 1986, she ordered the murder of Barry Seal, a former pilot and drug smuggler who had worked for her and the Medellín Cartel. Seal had become an informant for the DEA and had testified against several drug traffickers, including Griselda. She hired three hitmen, who ambushed Seal at a parking lot in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where they shot and killed him.
Arrest and Imprisonment
Griselda Blanco’s reign of terror came to an end on February 17, 1985, when she was arrested by the DEA in her home in Irvine, California. She was extradited to New York, where she faced trial for the 1975 drug conspiracy charges. She pleaded not guilty and hired a team of lawyers, who managed to get the case dismissed on technical grounds. However, she was not released, as she still faced other charges in Florida and New Jersey.
In 1988, she was transferred to Miami, where she was tried for three counts of first-degree murder, including the Dadeland Mall Massacre and the Lorenzo couple murder. She faced the death penalty if convicted. However, her trial was marred by corruption, scandal, and controversy. One of the key witnesses against her, Jorge “Rivi” Ayala, a former sicario who had confessed to killing dozens of people on her orders, was found to have had phone sex with two of the female jurors. The judge declared a mistrial and dismissed the jurors.
In 1994, Griselda was finally convicted of one count of second-degree murder, for the death of Alfredo Lorenzo. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but she was credited for the time she had already served. She was also indicted for the murder of Barry Seal, but the case was dropped due to lack of evidence.
In prison, Blanco maintained a low profile and a religious demeanor. She read the Bible, prayed, and attended church services. She also received visits from her family, especially her youngest son, Michael, who remained loyal to her. She also corresponded with her other sons, who were also in prison for drug-related crimes.
In 2004, Griselda was released from prison and deported back to Colombia. She settled in Medellín, where she lived under a false identity and avoided the public eye. She also reportedly underwent plastic surgery to change her appearance and evade possible enemies.
Death and Legacy
Griselda’s life came to a violent end on September 3, 2012, when she was assassinated by a motorcycle gunman outside a butcher shop in Medellín. She was 69 years old. The motive and the identity of the killer remain unknown, but some speculate that it was a revenge attack by one of her many enemies or a former associate.
Griselda’s death marked the end of an era, as she was one of the last surviving figures of the Miami Drug Wars and the Medellín Cartel. She was also one of the most influential and notorious drug traffickers in history, who left behind a legacy of blood, money, and power. She was also a complex and contradictory character, who was both a ruthless killer and a devoted mother, a cunning leader and a vulnerable victim, a feared boss and a loyal friend.
Her life and crimes have inspired many books, documentaries, movies, and TV shows, such as Cocaine Cowboys, The Godmother, Griselda, and Queen of the South. She has also been portrayed by various actors, such as Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ana de la Reguera, and Jennifer Lopez. She has also influenced the culture and the music of Colombia and the United States, as she has been referenced by many artists, such as Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Pitbull.
Griselda Blanco was a woman who defied the norms and the expectations of her time and her society. She was a woman who rose from poverty and abuse to wealth and fame. She was a woman who challenged the male-dominated world of drug trafficking and became one of its most powerful and feared leaders. She was a woman who lived and died by her own rules and her own choices. She was a woman who made history.
