Part 2 of Susan Goldsmith's series on LA's Mexican Mafia tells the "Greek Tragedy" story of Max Torvisco, a "nerdy kid" who grew up to become one of the underworld's most feared and sadistic capos. Using exclusive documents obtained from the FBI and Torvisco's testimony against other gang members, Goldsmith spent two months researching and writing the series for New Times Los Angeles..

Continue ReadingNew Times LA Opens Chilling Window into LA Underworld

In a New Times LA exclusive, Susan Goldsmith obtains chilling court-sealed FBI documents that have never seen the light of day until this week’s edition of the alternative newsweekly. Using internal FBI reports and transcribed recordings made by FBI informants and agents in meetings with members of the Mexican Mafia, Goldsmith’s 6500-word story of mob violence questions why the FBI failed to make arrests with such ample evidence of conspiracy to commit murder.

Continue ReadingNew Times LA Breaks Mafia Informant Murder Story