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1
00:00:47,045 --> 00:00:49,214
- What's up? What's up?
- Hey.
2
00:00:52,250 --> 00:00:53,418
What's up, fellas?
3
00:00:55,487 --> 00:00:57,423
My name's Danny Trejo,
4
00:00:57,555 --> 00:01:01,760
some of you might have seen me
once in a while on TV.
5
00:01:01,895 --> 00:01:05,664
I, uh, I'm kind of
at a loss for words
6
00:01:05,798 --> 00:01:07,033
'cause I, uh..
7
00:01:07,165 --> 00:01:10,602
First of all,
I, I love doing this,
8
00:01:10,736 --> 00:01:12,704
you know,
this is one of the things
9
00:01:12,837 --> 00:01:16,475
that has kept me out of prison
since 1969.
10
00:01:17,909 --> 00:01:20,045
My number was B-948.
11
00:01:36,728 --> 00:01:38,230
I remember
this director once said,
12
00:01:38,364 --> 00:01:41,868
"Danny, kick in this door
and intimidate."
13
00:01:42,001 --> 00:01:44,303
I kick in the door...
14
00:01:44,436 --> 00:01:47,305
"Cut!" He said,
"Where did you study?"
15
00:01:47,439 --> 00:01:51,677
Dale's Market,
the Far East Market, Vonz.
16
00:01:56,281 --> 00:01:57,950
Alright, fellas, let's do this.
17
00:02:02,888 --> 00:02:06,058
They make movies and
stories about guys like Danny,
18
00:02:06,191 --> 00:02:08,260
and actors are portraying
those people.
19
00:02:09,594 --> 00:02:11,163
Danny is that guy.
20
00:02:14,901 --> 00:02:18,104
He's been in trouble
since he was a kid.
21
00:02:18,237 --> 00:02:21,441
It just got worse and worse
as he grew older.
22
00:02:24,075 --> 00:02:27,680
I'm always astonished
by how he lived that life
23
00:02:27,812 --> 00:02:29,181
and survived.
24
00:02:31,950 --> 00:02:34,085
A lot of times you cannot
make an amends for that,
25
00:02:34,218 --> 00:02:35,587
you can't clean that up.
26
00:02:37,956 --> 00:02:41,593
I feel Danny has paid his debt
to society.
27
00:02:41,727 --> 00:02:43,663
I don't think
Danny feels he has.
28
00:02:46,465 --> 00:02:48,268
Falling down
is one thing.
29
00:02:51,836 --> 00:02:54,572
What do you do
when you get back up?
30
00:02:54,706 --> 00:02:56,042
That's Danny's life.
31
00:03:10,256 --> 00:03:13,693
And it all comes back
to where he started.
32
00:03:23,301 --> 00:03:27,939
My dad grew up
in Pacoima, California.
33
00:03:28,074 --> 00:03:30,376
He actually grew up
in this house
34
00:03:30,509 --> 00:03:32,344
that we're,
that we're in right now.
35
00:03:32,478 --> 00:03:35,181
Back when there was
a dairy farm over there,
36
00:03:35,313 --> 00:03:36,715
dirt roads, dirt allies,
37
00:03:36,848 --> 00:03:40,385
just poor Mexican neighborhood.
38
00:03:40,519 --> 00:03:41,854
This was
life without seat belts,
39
00:03:41,987 --> 00:03:43,389
life without cell phones,
40
00:03:43,521 --> 00:03:45,924
life without
some houses having telephones.
41
00:03:46,058 --> 00:03:48,193
From the time you were four,
you just went out the door
42
00:03:48,326 --> 00:03:50,930
and hopefully you came home
at dark.
43
00:03:51,062 --> 00:03:53,265
Pacoima
and San Fernando
44
00:03:53,399 --> 00:03:56,068
was just transitioning
from farm land.
45
00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:58,204
When I moved out there
in the mid '50s,
46
00:03:58,336 --> 00:04:01,441
it was orange groves, we moved
right into an orange grove.
47
00:04:01,574 --> 00:04:04,410
We turned on the faucets
and mud would come out.
48
00:04:04,543 --> 00:04:06,913
Pacoima and Sylmar
and all those communities
49
00:04:07,045 --> 00:04:09,715
were really just starting
to grow up.
50
00:04:09,848 --> 00:04:11,783
There used to be
this old man that walked around
51
00:04:11,917 --> 00:04:13,586
with this pony.
52
00:04:13,718 --> 00:04:15,353
I don't know what he charged,
but I remember
53
00:04:15,486 --> 00:04:17,689
my mom seen the pony,
I got on it,
54
00:04:17,824 --> 00:04:19,091
and they put
this little scarf on me,
55
00:04:19,225 --> 00:04:22,227
I took a picture
with that pony.
56
00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:26,432
It was this kind
of sense of ownership
57
00:04:26,565 --> 00:04:29,735
that all the kids had.
We were creating this.
58
00:04:30,937 --> 00:04:34,273
Chevys, low riders,
59
00:04:34,406 --> 00:04:36,175
big Buicks.
60
00:04:36,307 --> 00:04:38,576
Back in the days
in San Fernando, Pacoima,
61
00:04:38,711 --> 00:04:40,079
they did a lot of cruising,
everybody
62
00:04:40,211 --> 00:04:42,079
was really into their cars.
63
00:04:42,213 --> 00:04:44,916
Particularly
with the Mexican community,
64
00:04:45,050 --> 00:04:47,653
the Chicano community,
it wasn't to get the fast car,
65
00:04:47,786 --> 00:04:49,822
the vroom, the race car,
the thoroughbred
66
00:04:49,954 --> 00:04:51,423
that could
make it across lifers.
67
00:04:51,557 --> 00:04:53,824
They were show horses,
they did slow,
68
00:04:53,959 --> 00:04:57,161
so they paraded around
with their little slow moves.
69
00:04:57,295 --> 00:04:58,997
It wasn't like,
"Look at me be fast."
70
00:04:59,130 --> 00:05:01,265
It was, "Look at me be slow,
71
00:05:01,399 --> 00:05:03,135
to admire the power."
72
00:05:05,504 --> 00:05:07,539
I remember cruising around
when I was 13 years old
73
00:05:07,673 --> 00:05:09,641
in the backseat with a,
74
00:05:09,774 --> 00:05:12,745
a... a cord of Miller Highlight.
Yeah.
75
00:05:12,879 --> 00:05:15,814
I couldn't wait till I could
get, you know, a... a car,
76
00:05:15,947 --> 00:05:18,584
a convertible,
a sun low or something.
77
00:05:20,952 --> 00:05:24,622
How you doing? Alright!
78
00:05:24,757 --> 00:05:28,560
Machete cruises!
79
00:05:28,694 --> 00:05:30,830
Right now we're in a '60...
80
00:05:30,963 --> 00:05:34,167
I'm sorry, a '56 Chevy Bel Air.
81
00:05:34,300 --> 00:05:37,970
350 Chevy engine.
And this is a monster.
82
00:05:38,103 --> 00:05:40,706
Now this is Branford, this is
the street that I lived on.
83
00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:42,507
It was really
a good neighborhood.
84
00:05:42,641 --> 00:05:44,610
You know what I mean?
85
00:05:52,285 --> 00:05:54,554
Oh...
86
00:05:56,154 --> 00:05:59,057
I can actually beat that guy,
isn't it?
87
00:05:59,190 --> 00:06:01,760
Oops. Foot took over.
88
00:06:04,797 --> 00:06:08,368
I love that.
89
00:06:10,869 --> 00:06:12,638
Neighborhoods
were neighborhoods.
90
00:06:12,771 --> 00:06:15,174
When the lights went down,
you know, the sun went down,
91
00:06:15,307 --> 00:06:17,242
things changed.
92
00:06:17,375 --> 00:06:19,310
The kids
didn't have anything to do
93
00:06:19,444 --> 00:06:21,879
and there was no money and there
was no employment for them
94
00:06:22,014 --> 00:06:23,415
or nothing,
your parents were gone,
95
00:06:23,548 --> 00:06:27,786
working probably,
so they got into mischief.
96
00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:29,088
The atmosphere
of Pacoima
97
00:06:29,221 --> 00:06:31,389
was that of a lot of tension.
98
00:06:31,524 --> 00:06:34,427
Pacoima was like the murder
capital of Los Angeles
99
00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:36,728
at the time.
100
00:06:36,862 --> 00:06:40,532
Pacoima, San Fernando,
North Hollywood, Van Nuys,
101
00:06:40,665 --> 00:06:44,536
all the Latin communities
used to, like, just be at war.
102
00:06:44,670 --> 00:06:46,506
There were
no automatic weapons,
103
00:06:46,639 --> 00:06:48,439
there was none of this
people driving down
104
00:06:48,574 --> 00:06:51,377
and shooting everybody
to get one person.
105
00:06:51,509 --> 00:06:53,512
There was no head of the Mafia
106
00:06:53,646 --> 00:06:56,247
because the Mafia
hadn't even been formed yet.
107
00:06:56,380 --> 00:07:01,219
It was a lot more civilized,
but it was still there.
108
00:07:06,725 --> 00:07:08,494
That's my old
junior high school right there,
109
00:07:08,627 --> 00:07:12,465
Pacoima Junior High.
We were, like, crazy there.
110
00:07:15,067 --> 00:07:17,201
This is
Pacoima Middle School.
111
00:07:17,336 --> 00:07:19,403
It used to be Pacoima
Junior High School,
112
00:07:19,538 --> 00:07:21,105
and then they changed it.
113
00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:23,475
Everybody calls it
Ritchie Valens Middle School
114
00:07:23,608 --> 00:07:25,810
'cause he went here.
115
00:07:25,944 --> 00:07:30,149
Me, Mike Cerno,
Malcolm Armaderas,
116
00:07:30,281 --> 00:07:33,451
Julian Valdez, Eddy Valenzuela,
117
00:07:33,584 --> 00:07:35,654
they were like my dogs, man.
118
00:07:37,723 --> 00:07:40,526
I got here in 1957, I think,
119
00:07:40,660 --> 00:07:42,994
when I moved into Pacoima.
120
00:07:43,127 --> 00:07:45,730
I got kicked out of here,
went to San Fernando,
121
00:07:45,865 --> 00:07:49,768
but I never got in,
I got in a fight on the steps.
122
00:07:49,901 --> 00:07:51,402
None of those buildings
were there.
123
00:07:51,536 --> 00:07:53,072
There, there used to be an alley
that went all the way
124
00:07:53,206 --> 00:07:54,674
like that way,
there was old houses,
125
00:07:54,807 --> 00:07:57,643
and we used to steal wine
out of Dale's Market
126
00:07:57,776 --> 00:08:00,179
and go drink in that alley.
127
00:08:00,312 --> 00:08:03,314
Hi, how are you? What's up?
128
00:08:03,449 --> 00:08:05,117
It's a weird trip, boy.
129
00:08:09,788 --> 00:08:13,425
We first got our television,
I was about ten.
130
00:08:13,559 --> 00:08:17,629
And I missed
about 15 days of school.
131
00:08:23,836 --> 00:08:26,605
Growing up,
he's always loved Westerns,
132
00:08:26,737 --> 00:08:29,040
and if you love Westerns,
you loved John Wayne.
133
00:08:31,076 --> 00:08:32,510
When I was
12 years old,
134
00:08:32,644 --> 00:08:35,813
I found out John Wayne
was an actor,
135
00:08:35,947 --> 00:08:39,585
and that was a real shock to me
136
00:08:39,717 --> 00:08:41,586
because we thought
137
00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:45,090
that The Duke
was a historical figure.
138
00:08:45,222 --> 00:08:46,692
When my kids were little
139
00:08:46,826 --> 00:08:48,826
and John Wayne
came on the screen,
140
00:08:48,961 --> 00:08:50,195
I'd say,
"Stand up, it's John Wayne,"
141
00:08:50,328 --> 00:08:51,529
and they would actually,
like, stand up
142
00:08:51,663 --> 00:08:54,567
and we would all salute
John Wayne.
143
00:08:54,700 --> 00:08:56,701
He's like,
"That's The Duke,
144
00:08:56,836 --> 00:08:58,604
you have to salute The Duke."
145
00:08:58,736 --> 00:09:02,339
He always had
these great sayings.
146
00:09:02,474 --> 00:09:06,746
"Life is really tough. It's
even tougher if you're stupid."
147
00:09:09,346 --> 00:09:10,750
I like that.
148
00:09:11,817 --> 00:09:13,418
He was a hero.
149
00:09:13,552 --> 00:09:15,721
He didn't have to wear tights,
he didn't have a cape,
150
00:09:15,854 --> 00:09:17,989
you know, he didn't fly,
he just kicked ass.
151
00:09:21,493 --> 00:09:23,562
Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez,
152
00:09:23,696 --> 00:09:25,697
he worked with John Wayne!
153
00:09:25,831 --> 00:09:28,834
He was actually
one of the first Latins.
154
00:09:28,967 --> 00:09:31,169
When you saw him, you knew
155
00:09:31,302 --> 00:09:34,273
that your limit just increased.
156
00:09:34,405 --> 00:09:37,708
Wait till I show you
what is in this package.
157
00:09:37,842 --> 00:09:41,979
In my neighborhood,
you could either be a laborer
158
00:09:42,114 --> 00:09:43,783
or a criminal.
159
00:09:43,916 --> 00:09:46,585
I mean, you just didn't see
a lot of lawyer Mexicans
160
00:09:46,717 --> 00:09:48,386
and a lot of doctors.
161
00:09:48,519 --> 00:09:50,422
...she could have climbed down.
162
00:09:50,554 --> 00:09:54,993
When I saw
Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez...
163
00:09:56,861 --> 00:10:01,466
you had another,
wow, you could do that.
164
00:10:12,409 --> 00:10:13,778
And here's where I grew up was,
I was about
165
00:10:13,912 --> 00:10:15,647
13 years old right here.
166
00:10:15,780 --> 00:10:17,482
I used to come home drunk,
167
00:10:17,615 --> 00:10:19,250
and on this big old wide street,
168
00:10:19,384 --> 00:10:23,121
I'd try to make a U-turn
and still crash into the curb.
169
00:10:24,423 --> 00:10:28,059
My dad left my real mom.
170
00:10:28,192 --> 00:10:32,931
I was three, and I moved in
with my grandma.
171
00:10:33,065 --> 00:10:35,967
I lived
with a lot of girl cousins.
172
00:10:36,100 --> 00:10:39,605
Yeah, it was like
a real happy time in my life.
173
00:10:39,738 --> 00:10:42,040
Grandma was cool.
174
00:10:42,173 --> 00:10:44,043
That's why I started dancing,
175
00:10:44,176 --> 00:10:47,879
"American BandStand" and all
that, so I could always dance.
176
00:10:49,181 --> 00:10:51,317
Nine women.
177
00:10:51,450 --> 00:10:55,387
And all of a sudden I move in
with my grandfather,
178
00:10:55,519 --> 00:10:59,824
and my dad
and my dad's six brothers.
179
00:11:02,528 --> 00:11:04,529
So shit really changed.
180
00:11:06,499 --> 00:11:10,969
Kind of like going, like, from
Shirley Temple to John Wayne.
181
00:11:11,101 --> 00:11:13,437
You find out real quick
little boys don't do pee-pee
182
00:11:13,572 --> 00:11:14,807
sittin' down.
183
00:11:17,174 --> 00:11:21,813
My dad was my first role model,
but...
184
00:11:25,450 --> 00:11:26,886
It wasn't very, uh...
185
00:11:28,919 --> 00:11:30,722
huggy,
186
00:11:30,855 --> 00:11:34,960
I... I-love-you kind of guy.
187
00:11:35,092 --> 00:11:39,530
Not too much good happened
between me and my dad.
188
00:11:39,663 --> 00:11:41,066
He would tell me that
189
00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:43,435
"Man, I wasn't really
that good at working."
190
00:11:43,568 --> 00:11:46,003
"And every time
my, my dad will see me,
191
00:11:46,138 --> 00:11:47,572
he'll get pissed off
and he'll say,
192
00:11:47,706 --> 00:11:49,841
'Man, go inside
and go wash dishes,
193
00:11:49,975 --> 00:11:52,110
go and help your mom
wash dishes!'"
194
00:11:52,243 --> 00:11:54,913
We come
from the same neighborhood,
195
00:11:55,046 --> 00:11:58,450
His father was mean,
my father was mean, you know?
196
00:12:00,418 --> 00:12:03,388
A big old smack in the head.
197
00:12:03,522 --> 00:12:06,291
"My job
is to support this family.
198
00:12:06,423 --> 00:12:08,592
Don't ask for anything else."
199
00:12:08,726 --> 00:12:11,163
I know that sounds harsh
and it sounds like he was mean,
200
00:12:11,296 --> 00:12:13,232
but that's just the way it was.
201
00:12:16,467 --> 00:12:19,703
In this neighborhood,
success is like a, a house,
202
00:12:19,837 --> 00:12:21,774
a car and a camper.
203
00:12:21,907 --> 00:12:23,942
And I... I think
my dad was just kind of saying,
204
00:12:24,076 --> 00:12:27,178
"Is that all there is?
You know, is that all there is?"
205
00:12:27,312 --> 00:12:31,115
You know, and then kind of
disappointed at the end,
206
00:12:31,250 --> 00:12:35,788
you know what I mean, the "Wow,
is that all there is?" You know?
207
00:12:37,655 --> 00:12:39,690
He was real strict
with him.
208
00:12:39,825 --> 00:12:43,795
His mom, Alice,
would come to the rescue.
209
00:12:43,927 --> 00:12:46,097
Alice
was not his birth mother,
210
00:12:46,231 --> 00:12:47,598
but was his mother.
211
00:12:47,731 --> 00:12:51,269
When Danny moved back
to live with his father,
212
00:12:51,403 --> 00:12:53,337
he was already married
to Alice,
213
00:12:53,471 --> 00:12:56,075
and Alice never had
children of her own,
214
00:12:56,207 --> 00:12:58,009
but Danny was her son.
215
00:12:58,143 --> 00:12:59,911
That's his mom,
that's the person
216
00:13:00,044 --> 00:13:01,346
that was there for him.
217
00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:04,249
Alice was there,
always, for him.
218
00:13:04,381 --> 00:13:07,117
She'd been with me
since I was three.
219
00:13:07,251 --> 00:13:10,622
She would always say something
to throw water
220
00:13:10,755 --> 00:13:14,058
on whatever was happening
with me and my dad.
221
00:13:14,192 --> 00:13:16,562
One of her dreams
was to have a restaurant.
222
00:13:16,695 --> 00:13:18,664
So we'd talk about
a restaurant.
223
00:13:18,797 --> 00:13:20,298
"Hey, mom, yeah,
and we can do this
224
00:13:20,432 --> 00:13:21,832
and you can make your tacos."
225
00:13:21,966 --> 00:13:23,269
And my dad would always, like,
226
00:13:23,402 --> 00:13:26,172
"Ahem. Hey,
we got a kitchen right there..."
227
00:13:27,706 --> 00:13:30,576
He was like the,
the Mexican Archie Bunker.
228
00:13:37,716 --> 00:13:40,619
My dad, I think
he hated his younger brother
229
00:13:40,751 --> 00:13:42,153
'cause I worshipped him.
230
00:13:42,287 --> 00:13:44,822
My dad knew
what Gilbert was doing,
231
00:13:44,956 --> 00:13:47,158
and they, they couldn't
keep me away from him.
232
00:13:47,293 --> 00:13:49,727
I remember when I graduated
from junior high school,
233
00:13:49,860 --> 00:13:52,798
graduated on a Friday.
234
00:13:52,931 --> 00:13:56,301
My dad found me passed out
in Gilbert's front yard
235
00:13:56,433 --> 00:13:58,836
on Wednesday.
236
00:13:58,971 --> 00:14:02,640
To know Danny
is you must know of Gilbert.
237
00:14:06,311 --> 00:14:09,147
My uncle was doing
robberies and shooting dope.
238
00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:12,250
God, man, it was like, always
had a car, always had money
239
00:14:12,384 --> 00:14:15,620
and never had a sweat ring.
240
00:14:16,989 --> 00:14:18,657
When my Uncle Gilbert
was on the run,
241
00:14:18,791 --> 00:14:20,893
he used to sneak in
to that window.
242
00:14:21,025 --> 00:14:22,560
That was before we had bars,
243
00:14:22,693 --> 00:14:26,964
before my mom lived alone,
and so that was my room.
244
00:14:27,097 --> 00:14:30,201
He didn't fit in real well
with his older brothers.
245
00:14:30,335 --> 00:14:31,802
I didn't fit in with anybody,
you know,
246
00:14:31,936 --> 00:14:34,339
so me and him just really like,
247
00:14:34,472 --> 00:14:37,007
became inseparable.
248
00:14:37,142 --> 00:14:39,211
When he talks about
Gilbert, he talks about
249
00:14:39,344 --> 00:14:42,347
the clothes he wore and
pulling up in the new Cadillac
250
00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:44,215
and the money
he was throwing around.
251
00:14:44,349 --> 00:14:46,918
That was amazing to see
as an eight-year-old,
252
00:14:47,052 --> 00:14:49,788
nine-year-old boy, just like,
"Wow, he's got the girls,
253
00:14:49,922 --> 00:14:53,057
the car, the money.
I want that."
254
00:14:53,192 --> 00:14:57,195
All my friends' older brothers
255
00:14:57,328 --> 00:14:59,864
and sisters...
256
00:15:00,831 --> 00:15:03,100
respected Gilbert.
257
00:15:03,235 --> 00:15:05,470
So when I was with him,
258
00:15:05,602 --> 00:15:09,073
I automatically got that "Wow."
259
00:15:09,206 --> 00:15:10,775
Everybody knew.
260
00:15:12,777 --> 00:15:15,547
Gilbert goes by,
let Gilbert go by.
261
00:15:15,679 --> 00:15:18,282
You know, that's how it was.
262
00:15:18,416 --> 00:15:21,020
He was a real gangster.
263
00:15:21,153 --> 00:15:22,519
Great sense of humor,
264
00:15:22,653 --> 00:15:24,923
and if you pissed him off,
he'd kill you.
265
00:15:25,057 --> 00:15:26,792
He turned me on to grass,
I was about eight,
266
00:15:26,924 --> 00:15:29,193
and my mom and dad
did everything to try
267
00:15:29,326 --> 00:15:31,096
to keep me away from him,
but you know,
268
00:15:31,229 --> 00:15:35,200
things kind of
had already lost control.
269
00:15:35,332 --> 00:15:39,036
Scary when you see
a certain type of kid
270
00:15:39,171 --> 00:15:42,807
vibrate towards that direction
so radically, so quickly.
271
00:15:42,941 --> 00:15:46,412
Danny was in a high-stakes
world from a very young age.
272
00:15:48,312 --> 00:15:51,283
My dad was always a fighter,
that was his thing.
273
00:15:51,417 --> 00:15:54,653
This is a, a picture of him
at 18 getting pulled away
274
00:15:54,787 --> 00:15:57,523
from a fight at the park,
right here.
275
00:15:59,157 --> 00:16:00,926
She looks just pissed.
276
00:16:05,230 --> 00:16:07,164
Well, Uncle Gilbert
taught him how to box,
277
00:16:07,298 --> 00:16:09,100
started him boxing.
278
00:16:09,234 --> 00:16:11,636
He became very good
at it.
279
00:16:11,769 --> 00:16:14,139
He was
a welterweight champion
280
00:16:14,272 --> 00:16:18,210
in his paratrooper unit, 101st.
281
00:16:18,342 --> 00:16:20,678
He was in the golden gloves,
282
00:16:20,812 --> 00:16:22,147
and I was his sparring partner.
283
00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:23,581
I was really his punching bag,
284
00:16:23,715 --> 00:16:25,450
but so I had to learn
how to fight,
285
00:16:25,582 --> 00:16:28,086
or get my, get my head beat in.
286
00:16:31,121 --> 00:16:33,824
You know,
he's got this aura about him.
287
00:16:33,958 --> 00:16:37,495
He's gonna really do something,
you know?
288
00:16:39,464 --> 00:16:41,834
Drugs got him.
289
00:16:47,004 --> 00:16:48,873
Danny noticed
the change,
290
00:16:49,006 --> 00:16:51,542
and that's when they had
started using heroin.
291
00:16:56,614 --> 00:16:58,584
I can remember the day
292
00:16:58,716 --> 00:17:00,851
that I wanted to be
just like him.
293
00:17:00,985 --> 00:17:04,556
My grandfather
was like a tyrant.
294
00:17:04,689 --> 00:17:06,658
And I'll never forget,
he was mad at me and Gilbert,
295
00:17:06,791 --> 00:17:11,395
he was standing in front of us
and he was screaming
296
00:17:11,528 --> 00:17:13,699
and I knew he was gonna hit me,
297
00:17:13,832 --> 00:17:15,166
and I'm kind of like wincing
298
00:17:15,299 --> 00:17:17,234
so I won't shit
and he won't hit me,
299
00:17:17,368 --> 00:17:20,538
and then I look over
at my uncle
300
00:17:20,672 --> 00:17:22,574
and he's going...
301
00:17:24,809 --> 00:17:26,477
He's falling asleep!
302
00:17:26,611 --> 00:17:29,714
We're staring in the face
of death, he goes...
303
00:17:31,449 --> 00:17:33,017
And he walked into his room,
304
00:17:33,151 --> 00:17:35,921
and Gilbert goes...
305
00:17:36,054 --> 00:17:38,690
"Did he hit us?" You know?
306
00:17:38,823 --> 00:17:42,027
I just, I prayed to God,
"Let me be like that."
307
00:17:45,829 --> 00:17:48,199
Danny realized
at that young age,
308
00:17:48,333 --> 00:17:51,103
he has
a secret escape-hatch mechanism
309
00:17:51,236 --> 00:17:53,605
that he can access...
310
00:17:53,738 --> 00:17:57,609
to get away from the violence
in the household,
311
00:17:57,742 --> 00:18:00,310
and whatever that is,
I want it.
312
00:18:00,444 --> 00:18:01,812
'Cause I was scared
of my grandfather,
313
00:18:01,945 --> 00:18:03,981
I was scared of my dad, uh,
314
00:18:04,115 --> 00:18:06,050
I wasn't scared of Gilbert.
315
00:18:08,051 --> 00:18:09,386
When he was 12,
316
00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,657
he took
his first shot of heroin.
317
00:18:14,593 --> 00:18:16,561
Two weeks later,
318
00:18:16,694 --> 00:18:18,663
he was no longer
like this cool Gilbert,
319
00:18:18,797 --> 00:18:20,597
he was like crazy.
320
00:18:20,731 --> 00:18:24,101
He is going through withdrawals,
he's sick.
321
00:18:24,236 --> 00:18:26,905
I seen him.
Oh, he's like this...
322
00:18:27,038 --> 00:18:29,606
And he had
my grandfather's syringe.
323
00:18:29,740 --> 00:18:31,542
My grandfather was a diabetic.
324
00:18:31,676 --> 00:18:34,411
He says, "Get outta here."
I said, "No, give me some!"
325
00:18:34,546 --> 00:18:37,081
"Give me some or I'm gonna
tell." That's how young he was.
326
00:18:37,214 --> 00:18:38,616
"Give me some
or I'm gonna tell."
327
00:18:38,750 --> 00:18:39,750
He's like, "Wait a minute,"
328
00:18:39,884 --> 00:18:42,886
so he says, "Hold this."
329
00:18:43,020 --> 00:18:45,956
So I'm holding this belt
for him like this.
330
00:18:46,089 --> 00:18:49,727
It's a glass syringe,
so when the needle registered,
331
00:18:49,861 --> 00:18:52,964
it does this
little atomic-bomb thing. Tsshh.
332
00:18:53,096 --> 00:18:54,999
And then, bam, he hits, he says
333
00:18:55,133 --> 00:18:58,103
"Let it go," and I let it go.
334
00:18:58,236 --> 00:19:01,439
And when I let it go, I seen
335
00:19:01,571 --> 00:19:05,041
this whole change come over him.
336
00:19:05,175 --> 00:19:08,212
From this crazy,
337
00:19:08,346 --> 00:19:09,713
to this huh,
338
00:19:09,847 --> 00:19:12,216
he's back to that guy
that could go to sleep
339
00:19:12,349 --> 00:19:15,719
in front of the, the dragon.
340
00:19:15,853 --> 00:19:18,056
He gave me a fix,
341
00:19:18,189 --> 00:19:20,225
a couple of drops of his cotton,
342
00:19:20,357 --> 00:19:23,694
and the next thing I remember
I was soaking wet
343
00:19:23,828 --> 00:19:26,931
sitting outside
in my grandmother's yard just,
344
00:19:27,065 --> 00:19:28,366
I'd overdosed.
345
00:19:32,236 --> 00:19:33,505
You're not thinking, "Oh, well,
346
00:19:33,637 --> 00:19:34,838
now I don't have to worry
about school,
347
00:19:34,972 --> 00:19:36,139
I don't have to worry
about errands,
348
00:19:36,273 --> 00:19:37,607
I don't have to worry
about this."
349
00:19:37,741 --> 00:19:40,511
Nothing! It's just gone.
350
00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:46,283
I just decided
"This is what I'm gonna do
351
00:19:46,416 --> 00:19:49,520
because this is all there is."
352
00:19:51,489 --> 00:19:54,526
And then all I remember
is hearing the ice-cream truck
353
00:19:54,659 --> 00:19:56,361
and getting some ice cream.
354
00:19:59,530 --> 00:20:01,432
Fuck, man, the thing is,
355
00:20:01,566 --> 00:20:04,369
is it's only blissful
the first time.
356
00:20:04,501 --> 00:20:07,405
Every time after that
it just becomes a chase.
357
00:20:09,140 --> 00:20:10,742
The thing about drugs
and alcohol is
358
00:20:10,875 --> 00:20:12,711
you're trying to survive
something that in a way
359
00:20:12,844 --> 00:20:16,081
your psyche can't match
at that point,
360
00:20:16,213 --> 00:20:18,416
and so you, you get these things
361
00:20:18,549 --> 00:20:21,051
that are like a blanket,
you know, and they help
362
00:20:21,185 --> 00:20:22,687
until the day you realize,
363
00:20:22,820 --> 00:20:25,723
"Oh, that, that blanket's
strangling me now."
364
00:20:32,797 --> 00:20:36,834
That began the life of
learning how to sustain that,
365
00:20:36,968 --> 00:20:41,339
so they taught him
how to rob liquor stores
366
00:20:41,472 --> 00:20:42,940
and convenience stores,
367
00:20:43,074 --> 00:20:47,079
and the crimes
just escalated from there.
368
00:20:47,211 --> 00:20:51,081
His dad started calling
this side of the family to say
369
00:20:51,215 --> 00:20:53,417
"I don't know what to do
with him, help."
370
00:20:53,550 --> 00:20:55,418
When I realized
Gilbert was doing robberies,
371
00:20:55,553 --> 00:20:59,524
I, I thought
it was kind of heroic.
372
00:20:59,656 --> 00:21:02,993
You know,
I didn't think it was bad.
373
00:21:03,127 --> 00:21:04,995
His Uncle Gilbert
374
00:21:05,128 --> 00:21:07,497
and a friend of his,
his crime partner,
375
00:21:07,632 --> 00:21:10,235
they showed up
on the front lawn here.
376
00:21:10,367 --> 00:21:11,970
Each of them
377
00:21:12,103 --> 00:21:16,073
handed my dad $10.
378
00:21:16,207 --> 00:21:19,010
I knew they did
a robbery, they told me.
379
00:21:19,144 --> 00:21:23,181
So I had $20 in $1 bills.
380
00:21:23,315 --> 00:21:25,650
I remember holding it, I
remember looking at these guys,
381
00:21:25,784 --> 00:21:27,652
I remember seeing their cars,
382
00:21:27,785 --> 00:21:31,556
everything that I ever
wanted in life at like,
383
00:21:31,690 --> 00:21:33,991
nine years old,
that's what I want to do.
384
00:21:42,032 --> 00:21:45,135
First robbery
was the Far East Market.
385
00:21:47,873 --> 00:21:49,574
Had a gun.
386
00:21:49,707 --> 00:21:52,110
A revolver that didn't stay up.
387
00:21:52,242 --> 00:21:54,412
It would fall,
you had to hold it like this.
388
00:22:04,588 --> 00:22:06,289
We went in the store,
I'm holding the door,
389
00:22:06,423 --> 00:22:08,725
Richard's saying, "Give me the
money," to the lady, you know,
390
00:22:08,858 --> 00:22:11,528
"Give me the money,"
so she gave him the, the $8
391
00:22:11,662 --> 00:22:12,864
that were in the cash register,
392
00:22:12,998 --> 00:22:15,633
but then said,
"No, no, in the box!"
393
00:22:15,767 --> 00:22:18,635
And he pointed to the box,
that's when the gun opened.
394
00:22:18,769 --> 00:22:21,638
I started laughing,
she started screaming,
395
00:22:21,772 --> 00:22:23,907
Richard grabbed the $8.
396
00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:26,243
We ran, we ran down Lankersham.
397
00:22:26,376 --> 00:22:28,180
We didn't use that gun anymore.
398
00:22:29,847 --> 00:22:32,582
Shotgun is probably
the best deterrent
399
00:22:32,717 --> 00:22:34,786
for heroes there is.
400
00:22:34,919 --> 00:22:36,888
You know,
a shotgun will make people
401
00:22:37,020 --> 00:22:40,357
think twice of becoming GI Joe.
402
00:22:40,490 --> 00:22:41,992
So was that
your go-to gun?
403
00:22:42,126 --> 00:22:45,496
Yeah. Sawed-off shotgun.
That's what my uncle gave me.
404
00:22:48,333 --> 00:22:50,502
Right...
405
00:22:54,172 --> 00:22:55,574
That there, up there, upstairs,
406
00:22:55,707 --> 00:22:58,710
that used to be a,
a, like a little hall,
407
00:22:58,844 --> 00:23:01,679
and they had a poker game
up there. We took that down.
408
00:23:01,811 --> 00:23:04,514
Now the guard was over here
where the steps were
409
00:23:04,648 --> 00:23:07,117
and we just did a walk by
and stuck a gun in his mouth
410
00:23:07,251 --> 00:23:09,619
and just kind of, uh,
tied him up
411
00:23:09,753 --> 00:23:12,256
and then went up,
kicked in the door.
412
00:23:17,994 --> 00:23:19,930
What spurred a robbery for me
413
00:23:20,065 --> 00:23:22,200
was not seeing anybody
in the liquor store...
414
00:23:25,435 --> 00:23:29,441
or watching somebody
come out of the bank.
415
00:23:29,574 --> 00:23:33,979
If you're gonna be a criminal,
be a criminal 24 hours a day.
416
00:23:40,483 --> 00:23:43,086
We did a gang of them in '65,
417
00:23:43,220 --> 00:23:46,223
and I was only out a 100 days.
418
00:23:46,357 --> 00:23:50,694
Hamburger joints, delis,
convenience stores.
419
00:23:50,827 --> 00:23:54,264
Most of the liquor stores
in San Fernando Valley.
420
00:23:54,398 --> 00:23:58,402
Ralves, Dale's Market,
White Front.
421
00:23:58,536 --> 00:24:00,904
They used to rob
White Front stores,
422
00:24:01,038 --> 00:24:03,908
like the Best Buys of their day,
that was an appliance store,
423
00:24:04,041 --> 00:24:06,144
they had washing machines,
televisions.
424
00:24:06,278 --> 00:24:07,945
I remember those
when I was a little kid.
425
00:24:08,078 --> 00:24:10,413
My dad used to take us there
to go shopping.
426
00:24:10,548 --> 00:24:14,484
Burglaries,
and they liked to steal cars.
427
00:24:14,618 --> 00:24:16,320
You'd go into a liquor store,
428
00:24:16,453 --> 00:24:18,022
pull the pin out
over the counter and say,
429
00:24:18,155 --> 00:24:19,789
"Give me everything
or I'm dropping it."
430
00:24:19,923 --> 00:24:21,792
It started out as a, a rouse.
431
00:24:21,925 --> 00:24:24,361
We walked in
and pulled out this grenade,
432
00:24:24,496 --> 00:24:27,532
and the guy got so scared,
said, we said, uh,
433
00:24:27,664 --> 00:24:31,469
"It's a robbery,"
and emptied out his cash box.
434
00:24:31,603 --> 00:24:34,038
Even to this day
I'm like, "Who does that?"
435
00:24:34,171 --> 00:24:36,106
It's like the wild west.
436
00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:40,644
Totally unfathomable for me.
437
00:24:40,778 --> 00:24:42,614
To me it's mind boggling
that you would
438
00:24:42,747 --> 00:24:45,317
rob a place called Patties
or Bob's Big Boy,
439
00:24:45,450 --> 00:24:48,119
two, like, legendary places
right next to Warner Brothers,
440
00:24:48,251 --> 00:24:49,854
like where everybody
and their mother went.
441
00:24:49,988 --> 00:24:53,257
But he robbed that place.
Still it blows my mind.
442
00:24:53,390 --> 00:24:57,362
He had to be high.
You know, like, it was crazy.
443
00:24:57,494 --> 00:25:02,332
It was hard to reconcile
what I knew intellectually
444
00:25:02,465 --> 00:25:05,001
with what I knew,
like, intimately about my dad,
445
00:25:05,135 --> 00:25:08,338
and it was almost like
hard to believe
446
00:25:08,472 --> 00:25:10,574
that he had been that person.
447
00:25:10,708 --> 00:25:13,011
If you're dedicated
to that life,
448
00:25:13,144 --> 00:25:17,548
I... I think guilt
isn't a, an emotion or a feeling
449
00:25:17,682 --> 00:25:19,683
that you really deal with
450
00:25:19,817 --> 00:25:21,987
simply because,
otherwise, you know,
451
00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,389
hell, you, you rob a guy
and tell him you're sorry
452
00:25:25,522 --> 00:25:27,157
and give him back his money,
you know? So...
453
00:25:27,291 --> 00:25:29,927
Drugs take care
of a lot of things,
454
00:25:30,060 --> 00:25:32,496
any kind of feeling you got.
455
00:25:32,630 --> 00:25:35,833
It's almost like, you ever seen
one of those little squirrels
456
00:25:35,967 --> 00:25:37,735
in a cage running around?
457
00:25:37,867 --> 00:25:40,236
Well, that's the kind of way
this thing is.
458
00:25:40,371 --> 00:25:43,374
It's something that
you just can't walk away from
459
00:25:43,507 --> 00:25:46,544
because it's your way of life.
460
00:25:46,678 --> 00:25:51,016
Me and about 10-15 guys,
a whole car load,
461
00:25:51,148 --> 00:25:54,017
we're, like, cruising down
Van Nuys Boulevard,
462
00:25:54,151 --> 00:25:58,323
and we saw this old house
with a bunch of cars,
463
00:25:58,455 --> 00:26:00,324
you know, parked in front of us.
464
00:26:00,458 --> 00:26:02,593
Something's going on in there,
you know?
465
00:26:02,727 --> 00:26:05,162
Three bottles of wine,
half pint of whiskey,
466
00:26:05,296 --> 00:26:09,400
I was already loaded on pills,
and a 38 snub nose,
467
00:26:09,534 --> 00:26:11,236
and kicked in the door,
468
00:26:11,368 --> 00:26:13,637
and the first thing we saw
was a big sign that said
469
00:26:13,770 --> 00:26:15,240
"We care."
470
00:26:15,373 --> 00:26:17,976
They walk into a,
a 12-step meeting.
471
00:26:18,108 --> 00:26:20,544
He said,
"And I told all my friends
472
00:26:20,678 --> 00:26:22,147
they need to stay together,
473
00:26:22,279 --> 00:26:24,248
and they're all in little groups
with these guys,
474
00:26:24,382 --> 00:26:25,983
and they're hugging them!"
475
00:26:26,116 --> 00:26:29,286
All these people just, "Hi,
welcome! Come on in!" You know?
476
00:26:29,420 --> 00:26:32,557
Somebody ac... ac... actually
asked me to join them, they said
477
00:26:32,691 --> 00:26:36,059
"Why don't you join us?"
you know...
478
00:26:36,193 --> 00:26:40,130
And this guy actually told me
"If you leave the program,
479
00:26:40,265 --> 00:26:44,069
you will die, go insane
or go to jail."
480
00:26:46,503 --> 00:26:48,305
It really turned out to be true.
481
00:26:48,439 --> 00:26:49,940
When that started happening
to me,
482
00:26:50,074 --> 00:26:52,410
I never forgot
what that old geezer had said.
483
00:26:52,542 --> 00:26:55,746
I hate to say old guy,
'cause he was like, 40.
484
00:27:04,188 --> 00:27:05,890
I got the shit
kicked out of me
485
00:27:06,023 --> 00:27:07,757
by the cops, regularly.
486
00:27:07,892 --> 00:27:09,427
Nine times out of ten
when the cops
487
00:27:09,559 --> 00:27:12,329
kicked the shit out of us,
we had it coming.
488
00:27:12,462 --> 00:27:14,464
In and out of Youth Authority,
non-stop.
489
00:27:14,598 --> 00:27:15,798
I mean, he'd get out,
go right back,
490
00:27:15,932 --> 00:27:17,535
get out, go right back.
491
00:27:17,667 --> 00:27:19,369
I mean, that's where he grew up.
492
00:27:19,503 --> 00:27:21,371
When I got
to Juvenile Hall,
493
00:27:21,506 --> 00:27:22,974
there were
so many Mexicans there,
494
00:27:23,106 --> 00:27:25,442
I thought
Mexicans were supposed to go.
495
00:27:25,576 --> 00:27:29,279
It's almost like school.
496
00:27:29,413 --> 00:27:30,780
When I went
to county jail,
497
00:27:30,914 --> 00:27:34,183
I learned how to steal,
how to manipulate,
498
00:27:34,317 --> 00:27:35,952
how to get the best jobs.
499
00:27:36,086 --> 00:27:38,990
You learn what you learn
in there.
500
00:27:41,325 --> 00:27:44,828
Danny reminded me
of me when I was younger.
501
00:27:44,962 --> 00:27:46,763
He was so hip,
the balls of his feet
502
00:27:46,896 --> 00:27:48,365
would tickle him when he walked.
503
00:27:48,499 --> 00:27:51,035
He'd come up to me
and he'd smile at me,
504
00:27:51,167 --> 00:27:53,804
just look, that look he has,
and he said...
505
00:27:55,506 --> 00:27:57,541
"What are you gonna teach me,
old man?"
506
00:27:57,674 --> 00:27:59,644
And I said, uh, "Nothing,
507
00:27:59,777 --> 00:28:03,847
I'm gonna give you some previews
of coming attractions, punk."
508
00:28:03,980 --> 00:28:06,616
And he turned on his heel
and went away.
509
00:28:06,750 --> 00:28:08,986
The next time I saw him, uh,
510
00:28:09,119 --> 00:28:11,821
he looked at me and, you know,
"What do you think now?"
511
00:28:11,955 --> 00:28:14,858
And I said,
"Danny, the only thing
512
00:28:14,992 --> 00:28:16,493
that's gonna beat you
to San Quentin
513
00:28:16,627 --> 00:28:18,529
is the headlights on the bus."
514
00:28:21,065 --> 00:28:22,700
When I went to prison,
515
00:28:22,834 --> 00:28:25,670
I sold four ounces of sugar
to a Federal agent,
516
00:28:25,803 --> 00:28:28,073
bunko sales, no drugs at all.
517
00:28:29,673 --> 00:28:31,008
He didn't have nothing,
518
00:28:31,142 --> 00:28:34,045
so he filled up
these bags full of sugar,
519
00:28:34,179 --> 00:28:36,013
came back,
sold it to the under cover,
520
00:28:36,145 --> 00:28:39,015
and the under cover's
telling him, "Is it pure?"
521
00:28:39,148 --> 00:28:40,784
Danny's like, "Yeah, it's pure."
522
00:28:40,917 --> 00:28:43,553
You know,
it's pure sugar, right?
523
00:28:43,688 --> 00:28:46,524
He said they kicked
his ass when they caught him.
524
00:28:46,656 --> 00:28:51,060
He said they kicked his ass
all the way to the station.
525
00:28:51,194 --> 00:28:54,264
A brand-new 1965 Buick.
526
00:28:54,397 --> 00:28:56,867
I'll never guess I was
on the floor of the back seat,
527
00:28:57,999 --> 00:28:58,869
this guy's punching the shit
out of me, right,
528
00:28:59,002 --> 00:29:01,872
and beating me all the way
from North Hollywood
529
00:29:02,006 --> 00:29:04,042
to the Federal building
downtown.
530
00:29:04,174 --> 00:29:07,377
"Where's my money?
Give me my money?"
531
00:29:07,511 --> 00:29:10,013
"What do you got to say?"
And my face is on the ground.
532
00:29:10,147 --> 00:29:13,451
"What do you got to say?"
I said, "Is this a new car?"
533
00:29:13,584 --> 00:29:16,921
I'm like, 'cause it smelled,
it had that smell.
534
00:29:17,054 --> 00:29:21,392
And I said, "I'm bleeding
all over your new car."
535
00:29:21,525 --> 00:29:24,394
I had to plead guilty
to a bunko sales
536
00:29:24,528 --> 00:29:26,564
which carries six to ten years.
537
00:29:28,898 --> 00:29:32,903
When I left the joint,
I had a, a sawed-off shotgun,
538
00:29:33,037 --> 00:29:37,741
two pistols, uh, about $8000
539
00:29:37,875 --> 00:29:40,943
and a... hand grenade.
540
00:29:41,077 --> 00:29:45,182
And, uh, I... I buried 'em.
541
00:29:45,316 --> 00:29:46,616
This was my stash place.
542
00:29:46,750 --> 00:29:50,788
I had a 4x4 hole right here
543
00:29:50,921 --> 00:29:54,092
with a lid and grass on top.
544
00:29:54,224 --> 00:29:56,394
My mom and dad were talking
about putting sprinklers
545
00:29:56,527 --> 00:29:59,997
in the backyard,
and I told my mom,
546
00:30:00,131 --> 00:30:03,334
"Be real careful around,
547
00:30:03,467 --> 00:30:05,637
around the waterfall."
548
00:30:10,641 --> 00:30:12,744
He ended up
in San Quentin.
549
00:30:24,821 --> 00:30:26,289
I don't know
how it is now,
550
00:30:26,423 --> 00:30:29,058
but when you're on a CDC bus,
551
00:30:29,192 --> 00:30:33,064
it's the only bus
on the freeway.
552
00:30:33,196 --> 00:30:37,334
Everybody knows
you're a criminal.
553
00:30:37,468 --> 00:30:41,706
Seeing people pass by,
people working in the street,
554
00:30:41,838 --> 00:30:45,208
you know you screwed up.
555
00:30:45,342 --> 00:30:49,180
I've known people
that have hung themselves
556
00:30:49,313 --> 00:30:51,249
in the county jail
557
00:30:51,382 --> 00:30:55,818
because they were so afraid
they were going to prison.
558
00:30:55,952 --> 00:30:58,856
Unless you've grown up
in that system...
559
00:31:00,156 --> 00:31:01,792
you're scared to death of it.
560
00:31:03,594 --> 00:31:05,496
How long were you
in San Quentin for?
561
00:31:05,628 --> 00:31:07,064
Which time?
562
00:31:08,965 --> 00:31:11,802
I've been arrested 78 times.
563
00:31:13,371 --> 00:31:16,173
I got five felony convictions.
564
00:31:16,307 --> 00:31:20,009
I was a resident
vacationing at San Quentin.
565
00:31:20,144 --> 00:31:22,546
I was actually in
when they were shooting
566
00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:25,548
"Blood In Blood Out"
in the '90s.
567
00:31:25,682 --> 00:31:28,519
I seen a few,
few things in there
568
00:31:28,652 --> 00:31:30,788
that I, I wanted my mommy,
you know what I mean,
569
00:31:30,922 --> 00:31:32,789
I wanted,
I wanted to come home.
570
00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:38,095
When you're driving
up that wall in Quentin,
571
00:31:38,228 --> 00:31:41,265
you see that gun tower
right in front,
572
00:31:41,397 --> 00:31:44,568
you know
that once you go in there,
573
00:31:44,701 --> 00:31:46,637
you're not coming out.
574
00:31:47,671 --> 00:31:49,774
This is the big house.
575
00:31:51,342 --> 00:31:53,244
The gas chamber's here.
576
00:31:58,315 --> 00:32:00,351
The minute
the bus stops,
577
00:32:00,484 --> 00:32:03,920
the tension starts.
578
00:32:04,054 --> 00:32:05,422
As soon
as you get off that bus,
579
00:32:05,556 --> 00:32:08,792
you gotta get butt-naked,
and it's freezing.
580
00:32:08,925 --> 00:32:11,061
People are screaming
and yelling behind the gates,
581
00:32:11,194 --> 00:32:13,029
you know, it's like
everything that you've seen.
582
00:32:13,163 --> 00:32:14,264
You hear this engine...
583
00:32:18,001 --> 00:32:21,405
And all it is
is everybody talking.
584
00:32:21,538 --> 00:32:26,176
If you've ever been next to
someone that's insanely angry,
585
00:32:26,309 --> 00:32:30,146
just so fucking angry,
just crazy rage,
586
00:32:30,279 --> 00:32:32,182
if you can imagine
587
00:32:32,316 --> 00:32:36,153
4000 guys that angry,
588
00:32:36,286 --> 00:32:38,122
that kind of rage,
589
00:32:38,255 --> 00:32:41,125
that's the tension
in San Quentin.
590
00:32:41,259 --> 00:32:43,861
They might be
laughing and joking,
591
00:32:43,994 --> 00:32:45,962
but one little spark
or something,
592
00:32:46,096 --> 00:32:49,032
oh, everybody's back
to being the Incredible Hulk
593
00:32:49,165 --> 00:32:52,470
without being green. Madness.
594
00:32:53,805 --> 00:32:58,609
You have to be able
to control that
595
00:32:58,742 --> 00:33:00,444
and make it caution
596
00:33:00,577 --> 00:33:04,648
because when you start
getting paranoid,
597
00:33:04,781 --> 00:33:07,451
people get paranoid of you.
598
00:33:07,585 --> 00:33:09,319
It could be...
599
00:33:10,953 --> 00:33:12,823
somebody didn't get a letter.
600
00:33:14,258 --> 00:33:16,093
Somebody forgot a birthday.
601
00:33:16,226 --> 00:33:19,930
It could be somebody woke up
on the wrong side of the bed.
602
00:33:20,064 --> 00:33:22,767
Anything can get you killed
in prison.
603
00:33:22,900 --> 00:33:25,603
Size, strength means nothing!
604
00:33:25,736 --> 00:33:28,405
Everybody knows
four inches of steel,
605
00:33:28,538 --> 00:33:31,808
thirty-five pounds of pressure,
bang, you're done.
606
00:33:31,942 --> 00:33:35,145
You see this guy, ah,
get stabbed in the back.
607
00:33:35,278 --> 00:33:38,515
He's walking around
the upper yard.
608
00:33:38,648 --> 00:33:40,516
Reaching for this knife,
coughing up blood,
609
00:33:40,651 --> 00:33:41,885
reaching for this... Ah!
610
00:33:42,019 --> 00:33:45,189
And everybody started laughing!
611
00:33:45,323 --> 00:33:48,426
What a fucked-up place.
612
00:33:48,558 --> 00:33:51,060
You're either alpha
or you're not.
613
00:33:51,194 --> 00:33:53,696
Someone's either gonna say,
"What size shoes do you got on?"
614
00:33:53,830 --> 00:33:56,833
And if you don't crack 'em
in their head that first second,
615
00:33:56,967 --> 00:33:58,536
you're soft.
616
00:33:58,669 --> 00:34:00,371
They know
they can get over on you.
617
00:34:02,105 --> 00:34:04,474
I know I'm an alpha guy,
you know?
618
00:34:04,607 --> 00:34:07,010
Danny's for sure
an alpha guy.
619
00:34:07,144 --> 00:34:10,514
One of the things
that Gilbert did was teach me
620
00:34:10,648 --> 00:34:13,317
that in... in prison there's
only predators and prey,
621
00:34:13,451 --> 00:34:14,851
that's it.
622
00:34:14,985 --> 00:34:18,923
If my enemy is down the tier
in a cell
623
00:34:19,056 --> 00:34:22,259
and I hear him
sharpening a knife,
624
00:34:22,393 --> 00:34:26,931
well, I'd better
stab that guy first thing,
625
00:34:27,063 --> 00:34:28,531
as quick as I can.
626
00:34:28,666 --> 00:34:31,803
I can't wait for him
to attack me.
627
00:34:34,905 --> 00:34:37,108
Two guys that I'd, I'd robbed,
literally,
628
00:34:37,240 --> 00:34:39,476
in, in Youth Authority,
Tyrone, says,
629
00:34:39,610 --> 00:34:42,980
"Hey, this guy's here,"
you just get a magazine,
630
00:34:43,112 --> 00:34:45,715
just put a magazine here
and a magazine in the back.
631
00:34:45,849 --> 00:34:49,219
I walked out of the cell
and I went to the, the corner,
632
00:34:49,353 --> 00:34:53,590
I turned around, bam,
this guy hit me with this shank.
633
00:34:53,724 --> 00:34:56,594
Whoa, urgh, kind of knocked
the breath out of me.
634
00:34:56,726 --> 00:34:58,494
Tyrone was right behind me,
just came around,
635
00:34:58,628 --> 00:35:00,163
whomp, whomp, whomp, hit him.
636
00:35:00,297 --> 00:35:03,266
I was like,
"Ah! Oh, yeah, magazine!"
637
00:35:05,202 --> 00:35:09,105
It happened so quick,
I forgot I had the magazine.
638
00:35:09,239 --> 00:35:12,076
And this guy ran down,
bleeding, you know?
639
00:35:12,208 --> 00:35:17,047
Tyrone threw a knife,
came down real slow, you know?
640
00:35:17,181 --> 00:35:19,150
"Well, what happened?"
"I don't know."
641
00:35:19,282 --> 00:35:21,152
If you were on fire
I wouldn't piss on you.
642
00:35:21,284 --> 00:35:23,253
I had no, I had no...
643
00:35:24,721 --> 00:35:26,056
You know, no feeling.
644
00:35:28,125 --> 00:35:31,795
The conflict is
I know it's wrong to do this,
645
00:35:31,929 --> 00:35:33,764
but I do it anyhow.
646
00:35:33,898 --> 00:35:36,700
You go into a shell
647
00:35:36,833 --> 00:35:40,203
and you protect that shell
at all cost.
648
00:35:40,338 --> 00:35:42,340
Even if you decide
that you're a predator,
649
00:35:42,472 --> 00:35:44,375
that doesn't mean that the dude
you're coming up against
650
00:35:44,509 --> 00:35:46,677
hasn't decided
he's a predator, too.
651
00:35:46,809 --> 00:35:50,547
That's a level of stress
that the human body was not,
652
00:35:50,681 --> 00:35:52,449
was not built to deal with.
653
00:36:02,592 --> 00:36:03,494
Back then, you know,
San Quentin
654
00:36:03,626 --> 00:36:05,262
was a level-four prison.
655
00:36:05,394 --> 00:36:08,931
It was a gladiator school.
I mean, it was rough.
656
00:36:09,065 --> 00:36:12,635
San Quentin and Folsom
were both on the same level.
657
00:36:12,769 --> 00:36:14,804
Both straight killer prisons.
658
00:36:14,938 --> 00:36:16,873
In the 60s,
there's drama everywhere
659
00:36:17,007 --> 00:36:18,442
with the racial tension.
660
00:36:18,576 --> 00:36:20,309
The Aryan Brotherhood formed,
661
00:36:20,443 --> 00:36:23,847
Mexican Mafia formed,
you know, protection.
662
00:36:25,782 --> 00:36:28,318
We had
some stone killers.
663
00:36:28,452 --> 00:36:30,287
One of my best friends,
he was, you know,
664
00:36:30,420 --> 00:36:33,124
one of the top dogs
in the, in the Mexican Mafia,
665
00:36:33,257 --> 00:36:37,595
so I was left
to my own hustle.
666
00:36:37,728 --> 00:36:39,063
I had pretty good backing,
you know,
667
00:36:39,197 --> 00:36:41,065
I had pretty good guys,
crime partners,
668
00:36:41,197 --> 00:36:43,533
that were with me.
Tyrone, double murder, you know?
669
00:36:43,666 --> 00:36:46,702
Cookie, double murder.
Frog, double murder.
670
00:36:46,836 --> 00:36:49,539
You know, we had this
little protection ring going.
671
00:36:49,673 --> 00:36:53,275
If you think somebody's
after you, then you tell us,
672
00:36:53,409 --> 00:36:56,946
we'll take care of it,
but you're gonna pay us.
673
00:36:57,079 --> 00:36:58,882
Sometimes they want to be,
you know, big dog,
674
00:36:59,016 --> 00:37:00,418
"Nah, I can take care
of myself,"
675
00:37:00,550 --> 00:37:02,853
but this is
a completely different element.
676
00:37:02,985 --> 00:37:04,688
The guards can only control
677
00:37:04,822 --> 00:37:08,092
so much of what happens
on the yard.
678
00:37:08,224 --> 00:37:10,427
And then you fall
under that wing of those guys
679
00:37:10,561 --> 00:37:14,030
and in a sense
they become property.
680
00:37:14,164 --> 00:37:17,768
Keep my cell clean,
you know, my shoes were shiny,
681
00:37:17,902 --> 00:37:20,436
make sure my laundry got done,
that kind of stuff.
682
00:37:20,570 --> 00:37:24,273
And then other people had
parents to send money to my mom.
683
00:37:24,407 --> 00:37:26,009
How shiny
were your walls in your...
684
00:37:26,143 --> 00:37:29,213
I had waxed walls.
685
00:37:29,346 --> 00:37:31,681
I've met guys
that did time with him
686
00:37:31,815 --> 00:37:35,686
that still look at him like,
not 'cause he's a movie star.
687
00:37:35,818 --> 00:37:37,554
They just remember
who he was.
688
00:37:51,067 --> 00:37:53,003
His name
rang through every prison.
689
00:37:53,137 --> 00:37:56,073
They knew he was coming,
they always knew he was coming.
690
00:37:59,076 --> 00:38:00,844
The boxing
probably didn't hurt either.
691
00:38:00,976 --> 00:38:03,446
Back then, uh,
it sounds cliche,
692
00:38:03,581 --> 00:38:06,416
but people used to fight
with their fists.
693
00:38:06,550 --> 00:38:09,053
He became very good at it.
694
00:38:09,186 --> 00:38:14,258
He was a 1966, '67 and '68
San Quentin Champion.
695
00:38:14,391 --> 00:38:16,960
I remember Eddie Bunker
telling me
696
00:38:17,094 --> 00:38:19,963
that he was badass.
697
00:38:20,096 --> 00:38:22,065
People just knew
that I could fight,
698
00:38:22,199 --> 00:38:24,934
so I got to the joint,
I'm just like, automatic,
699
00:38:25,068 --> 00:38:27,403
hey, come on,
I'll fight the champ.
700
00:38:29,539 --> 00:38:32,175
Some people get in the library
to do time,
701
00:38:32,309 --> 00:38:34,411
some people, you know,
do crossword puzzles,
702
00:38:34,545 --> 00:38:37,114
some people play chess.
I trained.
703
00:38:37,248 --> 00:38:40,516
That's what kept me sane.
704
00:38:40,650 --> 00:38:43,053
Soledad, same thing,
I won titles.
705
00:38:45,289 --> 00:38:47,825
As you can imagine
in San Quentin,
706
00:38:47,958 --> 00:38:52,061
the boxing rules
may not be exactly,
707
00:38:52,195 --> 00:38:54,297
you know,
what they are on the street.
708
00:38:54,431 --> 00:38:56,967
I got great elbows.
709
00:38:57,099 --> 00:39:00,170
God, first thing I did
was hit somebody with an elbow.
710
00:39:00,304 --> 00:39:01,872
The, the ref might have been
a friend of yours,
711
00:39:02,005 --> 00:39:06,309
so if you elbowed somebody,
he didn't see it.
712
00:39:06,443 --> 00:39:08,144
People were
betting on him,
713
00:39:08,278 --> 00:39:11,715
so when he won fights,
made him more popular.
714
00:39:11,847 --> 00:39:13,550
Mexicans don't know
what exhibition means.
715
00:39:13,684 --> 00:39:16,353
No, we got money on you,
you know?
716
00:39:16,487 --> 00:39:18,122
That prison
boxing program
717
00:39:18,255 --> 00:39:22,660
probably kept him alive,
a lot of that, that time.
718
00:39:32,835 --> 00:39:34,704
At that time,
the powers that be
719
00:39:34,838 --> 00:39:37,307
in the prison system were like,
"Whoa, man,
720
00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:39,510
the Mexicans are starting
to get really organized here,
721
00:39:39,643 --> 00:39:42,244
we got to start
shuffling them around."
722
00:39:42,378 --> 00:39:45,348
That's why Danny and those guys
moved so much.
723
00:39:45,481 --> 00:39:47,284
Because at the time
they were just so confused
724
00:39:47,416 --> 00:39:48,719
about the leadership.
725
00:39:48,853 --> 00:39:50,753
Over the decade
that he spent doing it,
726
00:39:50,887 --> 00:39:53,090
he ended up in all of them.
727
00:39:53,224 --> 00:39:54,925
Every one in the state.
728
00:39:55,059 --> 00:39:58,295
Soledad, San Quentin,
Vacaville, Susanville,
729
00:39:58,427 --> 00:40:01,898
Sierra, Tracy, Folsom and Chino.
730
00:40:02,900 --> 00:40:04,969
Wow.
731
00:40:05,101 --> 00:40:09,705
He was
a travelling man.
732
00:40:09,838 --> 00:40:11,807
And so
they would move him out,
733
00:40:11,942 --> 00:40:14,277
like even with the story
of his tattoo.
734
00:40:14,411 --> 00:40:18,014
The big-ass tattoo
on his chest, well...
735
00:40:18,148 --> 00:40:22,519
comes from Excellent Tamale
wrapper.
736
00:40:22,652 --> 00:40:24,753
Guy named
Harry "Superjew" Ross,
737
00:40:24,887 --> 00:40:27,757
everybody was getting
Mexican flags or Aztec wares
738
00:40:27,891 --> 00:40:31,894
and, see, I got a beautiful
lady, we put the outline
739
00:40:32,028 --> 00:40:33,364
and then I got kicked out
of Quentin,
740
00:40:33,496 --> 00:40:35,197
I had to go to Folsom.
741
00:40:35,331 --> 00:40:37,233
He was on the Sallyport
742
00:40:37,367 --> 00:40:39,937
and I was being transferred,
I was on the bus,
743
00:40:40,070 --> 00:40:42,706
and he was screaming,
"Don't let anybody touch it!"
744
00:40:42,838 --> 00:40:45,241
"That's my first tattoo,
I want to finish it!"
745
00:40:45,375 --> 00:40:47,311
"I'll be in Folsom to meet you!"
746
00:40:47,443 --> 00:40:49,512
"Okay!"
747
00:40:49,646 --> 00:40:52,916
We could have kissed,
it'd have been a love story.
748
00:40:53,048 --> 00:40:54,650
He started having them
all over his body,
749
00:40:54,784 --> 00:40:57,119
that was extreme
for those days.
750
00:40:57,253 --> 00:41:00,123
This one is...
751
00:41:00,257 --> 00:41:01,959
We did this in Soledad.
752
00:41:02,092 --> 00:41:04,862
It's a peacock, but, but if you,
but if you look at this,
753
00:41:04,994 --> 00:41:07,130
the other side is a monster.
754
00:41:07,264 --> 00:41:10,432
The story was
in everything beautiful,
755
00:41:10,567 --> 00:41:12,101
there's that other side.
756
00:41:12,235 --> 00:41:14,171
Who notices this real quick?
757
00:41:14,304 --> 00:41:16,173
If I have a shirt like this,
758
00:41:16,306 --> 00:41:18,641
kids'll go,
"Look, mommy, a monster!"
759
00:41:20,643 --> 00:41:23,980
Prison tattoos end up
with a lot more meaning
760
00:41:24,114 --> 00:41:27,416
than just a, a whim,
an "Oh, let's get a tattoo,"
761
00:41:27,550 --> 00:41:28,851
you know, on the streets.
762
00:41:28,985 --> 00:41:33,624
This is like a... a block of time
in your life.
763
00:41:33,757 --> 00:41:35,693
It's funny 'cause you're ruining
state property.
764
00:41:38,829 --> 00:41:42,766
That loss of time is something
that's always a regret.
765
00:41:42,898 --> 00:41:45,635
And as many years later
as it's been, I still, like,
766
00:41:45,768 --> 00:41:49,004
"Man, I lost time
in the middle of the '90s."
767
00:41:49,139 --> 00:41:50,874
Danny lost the '50s and '60s.
768
00:41:51,007 --> 00:41:52,842
You know what I mean?
Like, those were great times.
769
00:41:57,112 --> 00:42:00,550
At times you...
770
00:42:00,684 --> 00:42:03,053
you kind of realize
what you're becoming.
771
00:42:05,054 --> 00:42:07,190
Playing dominoes,
a lot of people around us
772
00:42:07,324 --> 00:42:09,226
and it's a big game,
lot of money game,
773
00:42:09,358 --> 00:42:11,594
and I'm killing,
I set the spinner,
774
00:42:11,728 --> 00:42:13,430
it's double five,
you know, I was like,
775
00:42:13,563 --> 00:42:15,731
"I got you, you guys are mine."
776
00:42:15,865 --> 00:42:19,068
Voom-voom-voom, boom,
this guy falls on the,
777
00:42:19,202 --> 00:42:20,670
on the table
and he's just bleeding,
778
00:42:20,804 --> 00:42:22,572
somebody just hit him bad.
779
00:42:22,706 --> 00:42:24,807
Everybody started getting away
and I'm screaming,
780
00:42:24,940 --> 00:42:26,643
"No, wait, wait,
hold on, hold on!"
781
00:42:26,777 --> 00:42:30,481
I'm screaming,
"I got a fives, I got five!"
782
00:42:30,614 --> 00:42:32,382
I remember I was in my cell
and I,
783
00:42:32,514 --> 00:42:35,585
I, I still had my dominoes,
784
00:42:35,719 --> 00:42:39,255
and the thought,
"What the fuck am I becoming?"
785
00:42:39,389 --> 00:42:42,693
You know, this guy dying,
you know, he had a mom, a dad,
786
00:42:42,826 --> 00:42:44,728
a brother, a sister, maybe kids,
787
00:42:44,860 --> 00:42:48,931
and I'm screaming
about my fives!
788
00:42:49,065 --> 00:42:53,769
He knew that day that,
that he was, he was changed.
789
00:42:53,902 --> 00:42:56,639
He wasn't, you know,
Danny anymore, he was,
790
00:42:56,773 --> 00:43:00,443
he was, he was just inmate.
791
00:43:01,677 --> 00:43:03,112
For a split second,
792
00:43:03,246 --> 00:43:06,983
I felt so bad about myself,
793
00:43:07,117 --> 00:43:10,253
and then the other part
jumped in,
794
00:43:10,387 --> 00:43:13,089
"Fuck that dude, man,
he fucked up my game."
795
00:43:16,726 --> 00:43:18,661
People talk about
correctional facilities
796
00:43:18,795 --> 00:43:22,065
as if they are
correctional facilities. No.
797
00:43:22,197 --> 00:43:23,966
It's a place to remind you
that you're shit.
798
00:43:24,099 --> 00:43:26,769
So when you get back out there,
you act like shit.
799
00:43:26,903 --> 00:43:29,639
And you'll always be shit.
800
00:43:29,773 --> 00:43:33,476
May 5, 1968,
801
00:43:33,610 --> 00:43:36,713
Cinco de Mayo.
802
00:43:36,847 --> 00:43:39,583
They had a baseball game,
they used to let free people
803
00:43:39,715 --> 00:43:43,219
come in and play baseball
with the convicts.
804
00:43:43,353 --> 00:43:45,289
Me, Ray Pacheco
and Henry Quijada,
805
00:43:45,422 --> 00:43:47,423
we were like, drunk and loaded,
806
00:43:47,556 --> 00:43:49,558
and Ray had come down
from Atascadero,
807
00:43:49,693 --> 00:43:52,095
so medications
and shock treatments
808
00:43:52,228 --> 00:43:53,663
and everything
were wearing off.
809
00:43:53,797 --> 00:43:56,166
It was a third baseman
chewing gum,
810
00:43:56,298 --> 00:43:58,967
and I just joking,
I just kept saying,
811
00:43:59,101 --> 00:44:02,638
"Don't, don't mess with
that guy, he knows karate."
812
00:44:02,771 --> 00:44:06,208
All of a sudden Ray just jumped
up and just grabbed that guy.
813
00:44:06,342 --> 00:44:08,845
Pulled out his lip,
trying to get the gum
814
00:44:08,978 --> 00:44:11,346
and big old riot started.
815
00:44:11,481 --> 00:44:14,985
When something like that
happens, it's just like, boom!
816
00:44:17,853 --> 00:44:20,155
Wow, like everybody
starts throwing rocks
817
00:44:20,289 --> 00:44:23,458
and throwing shit,
and Ray's pounding on this guy,
818
00:44:23,592 --> 00:44:25,795
Henry kicks him cold.
819
00:44:25,929 --> 00:44:29,199
It was alleged that I,
that I grab, I threw a rock
820
00:44:29,333 --> 00:44:32,869
and Lieutenant Gibbons, bang,
got hit in the head.
821
00:44:33,003 --> 00:44:35,305
Slow motion,
like he watched it go,
822
00:44:35,438 --> 00:44:39,175
and he watched it, and
he watched it hit the sergeant.
823
00:44:39,309 --> 00:44:41,778
And it was just like, "No!"
824
00:44:41,911 --> 00:44:45,715
Captain Rogers was going
like this, he was pointing.
825
00:44:45,847 --> 00:44:47,851
What this means,
826
00:44:47,983 --> 00:44:52,621
it's for the gun tower
to shoot where he's pointing.
827
00:44:52,755 --> 00:44:56,358
So I, I followed his finger,
828
00:44:56,492 --> 00:44:58,728
and it was at me and Ray.
829
00:44:58,862 --> 00:45:02,264
Crack, we fell, and I fell
on top of him, and Ray said,
830
00:45:02,398 --> 00:45:04,433
"Danny, don't let him hurt me,
don't let him hurt me."
831
00:45:04,567 --> 00:45:09,039
And I said, "Oh, I think
they're done hurting us."
832
00:45:09,172 --> 00:45:13,110
At the time it would be
attempted murder on a guard...
833
00:45:15,244 --> 00:45:16,712
which would get you
the death penalty.
834
00:45:30,626 --> 00:45:32,929
We went to the hole.
835
00:45:33,061 --> 00:45:34,864
I'm looking at the wall,
836
00:45:34,998 --> 00:45:38,068
and in my cell
somebody had gotten feces,
837
00:45:38,202 --> 00:45:42,773
and it says,
"God sucks... God sucks."
838
00:45:42,905 --> 00:45:45,576
The thought hit me...
839
00:45:47,476 --> 00:45:49,278
ever since like, grammar school,
840
00:45:49,411 --> 00:45:53,048
I've always had these teachers
that said "Great potential,"
841
00:45:53,181 --> 00:45:55,418
and it all just felt like shit.
842
00:45:55,552 --> 00:45:57,720
No matter how popular
I was in school,
843
00:45:57,853 --> 00:46:00,323
no matter how cool I was,
844
00:46:00,456 --> 00:46:04,994
no matter how everybody
liked me, it was done.
845
00:46:05,128 --> 00:46:08,332
I know what's gonna happen,
they're gonna kill me.
846
00:46:09,766 --> 00:46:13,170
It just doesn't go any further.
847
00:46:16,405 --> 00:46:18,507
Solitary confinement
makes you
848
00:46:18,641 --> 00:46:22,311
think about your family,
849
00:46:22,445 --> 00:46:25,749
who your friends really are,
850
00:46:25,882 --> 00:46:28,284
who really loves you.
851
00:46:28,418 --> 00:46:30,554
Recreate days
of your life in your mind
852
00:46:30,686 --> 00:46:32,654
when you're a little kid
when everything was okay.
853
00:46:32,789 --> 00:46:36,393
You do plays in your head, you
re-watch movies in your mind.
854
00:46:36,527 --> 00:46:38,894
You try not to lose it.
855
00:46:39,027 --> 00:46:40,896
But you just keep
from going crazy
856
00:46:41,030 --> 00:46:44,601
by making yourself crazy.
857
00:46:44,735 --> 00:46:47,237
I was in the hole and I was
running around the cell,
858
00:46:47,369 --> 00:46:51,307
and I would act out
"The Wizard Of Oz."
859
00:46:51,440 --> 00:46:52,674
"Give me those shoes, Dorothy."
860
00:46:52,809 --> 00:46:54,845
All this whole crazy movie
861
00:46:54,978 --> 00:46:58,380
just to keep my brain going.
862
00:46:58,514 --> 00:47:01,050
"The lollipop guild,"
all that shit.
863
00:47:01,184 --> 00:47:04,187
Guards would walk by my cell
and say, "Shut up, Trejo!"
864
00:47:04,320 --> 00:47:08,724
"You killed my sister,"
and, and they'd keep walking.
865
00:47:08,858 --> 00:47:12,129
You have to cope
in whatever way that you can.
866
00:47:12,262 --> 00:47:14,163
For him it was
"The Wizard Of Oz."
867
00:47:19,768 --> 00:47:21,971
The hole's usually,
like, quiet during the day.
868
00:47:22,105 --> 00:47:23,340
At night you go crazy,
you know?
869
00:47:23,472 --> 00:47:26,009
I mean, just go berserk.
870
00:47:26,143 --> 00:47:28,478
Sometimes he said the
guard would listen to a radio.
871
00:47:30,447 --> 00:47:32,882
The Beatles song came out,
the first time we heard,
872
00:47:33,014 --> 00:47:34,483
that, uh...
873
00:47:36,418 --> 00:47:38,221
♪ Judy Judy ♪
874
00:47:38,353 --> 00:47:40,689
The hole went
like completely quiet!
875
00:47:40,822 --> 00:47:43,326
♪ Hey Jude ♪
876
00:47:43,460 --> 00:47:44,661
♪ Don't make it... ♪
877
00:47:44,793 --> 00:47:47,396
Slowly but surely,
878
00:47:47,530 --> 00:47:49,800
they all start
going to the bars.
879
00:47:49,932 --> 00:47:51,568
And everybody was trying
to hear it, it came out
880
00:47:51,701 --> 00:47:53,702
of the speakers, everybody was
trying to hear, trying to hear.
881
00:47:53,835 --> 00:47:56,138
♪ Judy Judy Judy Judy Judy ♪
882
00:47:56,271 --> 00:47:58,740
They just went brr!
It just blew up.
883
00:47:58,875 --> 00:48:02,378
♪ Judy Judy
Judy Judy Judy Judy ♪
884
00:48:02,512 --> 00:48:05,114
There's different songs
that stick with you,
885
00:48:05,248 --> 00:48:07,684
songs that remind you of
your wife, your kids, you know,
886
00:48:07,818 --> 00:48:11,721
songs that, that take you
all the way back to high school.
887
00:48:11,855 --> 00:48:14,856
♪ Jude Jude Jude
Jude Jude Jude ♪
888
00:48:14,990 --> 00:48:17,527
♪ Ah ah ah ah ♪♪♪
889
00:48:31,173 --> 00:48:33,576
I remember asking God...
890
00:48:35,311 --> 00:48:38,081
to just let me die
with dignity.
891
00:48:39,382 --> 00:48:40,884
"Don't let me scream, yell
892
00:48:41,016 --> 00:48:43,786
and call for my mom
and shit my pants."
893
00:48:43,920 --> 00:48:47,624
"Just let it get back to my guys
894
00:48:47,757 --> 00:48:50,059
that, yeah,
he went out like a champ."
895
00:48:50,193 --> 00:48:53,363
"And if you do, Lord,
896
00:48:53,496 --> 00:48:56,099
I will say your name every day,
897
00:48:56,233 --> 00:48:59,635
and I will do whatever I can
for my fellow prisoner...
898
00:49:00,871 --> 00:49:02,639
from now on."
899
00:49:04,539 --> 00:49:07,177
We all say
those little prayers
900
00:49:07,309 --> 00:49:10,813
at the moment of like,
impending doom,
901
00:49:10,947 --> 00:49:13,516
but I think that was one
902
00:49:13,650 --> 00:49:16,353
that he kind of
couldn't take back.
903
00:49:21,224 --> 00:49:24,460
The guard that had
been hit with a rock
904
00:49:24,594 --> 00:49:28,264
couldn't identify
who had thrown the rock.
905
00:49:28,396 --> 00:49:30,866
If he had said,
906
00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:33,036
"Danny Trejo threw that rock..."
907
00:49:34,103 --> 00:49:36,004
that's it.
908
00:49:36,139 --> 00:49:38,474
One word, you know,
909
00:49:38,608 --> 00:49:42,345
and that's,
that's a pretty crazy way
910
00:49:42,478 --> 00:49:44,614
to like, cheat death.
911
00:49:46,548 --> 00:49:49,452
Danny
had his life back.
912
00:49:51,320 --> 00:49:55,158
I started
trying to do good.
913
00:49:55,291 --> 00:49:58,327
I didn't think of it
as reforming,
914
00:49:58,460 --> 00:50:02,698
I thought about
keeping a promise.
915
00:50:02,831 --> 00:50:07,369
In keeping that promise,
I became a better person.
916
00:50:07,503 --> 00:50:09,639
I remember the day
before I got out,
917
00:50:09,771 --> 00:50:13,476
I was laying on my bunk,
I'd given away all my stuff.
918
00:50:13,610 --> 00:50:18,315
And I remember when this guy
named Johnny Harrison
919
00:50:18,447 --> 00:50:22,518
that I met at the end of 1962
in prison,
920
00:50:22,652 --> 00:50:26,556
he said, "Why don't you give
yourself a break and join us?"
921
00:50:30,126 --> 00:50:32,394
And I made a promise to myself
922
00:50:32,527 --> 00:50:35,998
that I was gonna go
to an AA meeting
923
00:50:36,132 --> 00:50:38,501
before I did anything else.
924
00:50:43,172 --> 00:50:47,809
I ended up getting out
August 23, 1969.
925
00:50:53,715 --> 00:50:55,217
I remember when I first
got out of the joint,
926
00:50:55,351 --> 00:50:57,920
the first thing I saw
in the bus depot was,
927
00:50:58,054 --> 00:51:00,889
wow, a puppy!
928
00:51:01,023 --> 00:51:03,491
Wow! A doggie! Mwah!
929
00:51:03,626 --> 00:51:05,695
Look how pretty.
930
00:51:08,498 --> 00:51:12,369
I called this guy, Frank Russo,
Frank Russo, Frank Russo.
931
00:51:12,501 --> 00:51:13,869
And I always say that
'cause he told me
932
00:51:14,003 --> 00:51:15,439
never to mention his name.
933
00:51:17,440 --> 00:51:20,242
He pulls up, I got in his car,
and he says, "What's up?"
934
00:51:20,376 --> 00:51:23,612
And I said, "You know what,
I wanna go to my mom's."
935
00:51:23,746 --> 00:51:27,250
He came back here
to this, to this house.
936
00:51:27,382 --> 00:51:29,785
He walked up
to the metal gate
937
00:51:29,918 --> 00:51:34,757
and he said
my grandmother opened the door,
938
00:51:34,889 --> 00:51:37,793
but she didn't unlock
the screen door
939
00:51:37,927 --> 00:51:39,262
when she saw him.
940
00:51:39,396 --> 00:51:41,564
I said, "Mom, can I stay
a couple of days?"
941
00:51:41,697 --> 00:51:43,399
"My parole plans fell through."
942
00:51:43,532 --> 00:51:45,434
And my mom turned to my dad
943
00:51:45,568 --> 00:51:47,369
who was sitting right there,
and said,
944
00:51:47,503 --> 00:51:51,606
"Dan, Danny wants to know if
he can stay a couple of days."
945
00:51:51,740 --> 00:51:54,443
And, uh, my dad said,
"Yeah, tell him yes,"
946
00:51:54,577 --> 00:51:57,480
without looking up from the TV.
947
00:51:57,612 --> 00:51:59,982
Walked into my bedroom
and I'm sitting in my bedroom
948
00:52:00,115 --> 00:52:02,085
and I'm rocking
and I'm thinking
949
00:52:02,217 --> 00:52:03,485
"This is the same bedroom
I was in
950
00:52:03,619 --> 00:52:05,121
when I was 13 years old."
951
00:52:05,253 --> 00:52:07,990
You know, tough-ass convict,
26 years old,
952
00:52:08,123 --> 00:52:10,525
armed robber,
and you're at mommy's,
953
00:52:10,659 --> 00:52:12,194
and your dad
didn't even say hello,
954
00:52:12,327 --> 00:52:14,630
he doesn't really
want you here.
955
00:52:14,764 --> 00:52:17,367
I was hating myself,
I started hating myself.
956
00:52:18,601 --> 00:52:20,503
My dad hated tattoos,
957
00:52:20,637 --> 00:52:23,172
and I wanted
to get back at him.
958
00:52:23,306 --> 00:52:26,643
I got up and I went
and I sat front on the ottoman
959
00:52:26,775 --> 00:52:28,777
in front of his television set.
960
00:52:28,911 --> 00:52:32,214
I had taken off my shirt,
I had a big tattoo on my chest,
961
00:52:32,347 --> 00:52:33,615
and I was just getting ready
to say, "Hey,
962
00:52:33,750 --> 00:52:35,318
what's up with you?"
You know and...
963
00:52:35,451 --> 00:52:39,956
My mom comes out,
perfect timing,
964
00:52:40,088 --> 00:52:43,659
"Mijo, you want
some cookies and milk?"
965
00:52:43,793 --> 00:52:45,929
All of that bad-ass
just, like,
966
00:52:46,061 --> 00:52:50,132
totally fell off of him.
967
00:52:50,266 --> 00:52:54,704
We have this idea of
how things are supposed to be
968
00:52:54,838 --> 00:52:56,105
and how they're gonna be,
969
00:52:56,239 --> 00:52:59,876
but we forget all the hurt
and disaster
970
00:53:00,009 --> 00:53:03,112
and riots that we've caused.
971
00:53:03,246 --> 00:53:05,514
I forget all that stuff,
you know, and, uh...
972
00:53:10,286 --> 00:53:12,688
So he called Frank
and, and ended up
973
00:53:12,822 --> 00:53:14,923
going to a meeting with him
that night.
974
00:53:20,695 --> 00:53:24,534
Best thing I ever
could have done in my life
975
00:53:24,668 --> 00:53:29,372
that welcomed me, because
people in AA and NA don't say,
976
00:53:29,505 --> 00:53:32,442
"Oh, you've been in prison."
It's almost an asset.
977
00:53:35,378 --> 00:53:36,746
When he made
the decision
978
00:53:36,878 --> 00:53:38,213
that he wasn't going back
and that
979
00:53:38,347 --> 00:53:39,782
he was gonna be different,
980
00:53:39,916 --> 00:53:43,119
he had to completely
break that down.
981
00:53:46,288 --> 00:53:47,824
I remember going to talk
to one of my sponsors,
982
00:53:47,956 --> 00:53:50,393
a guy named Sam Hardy.
983
00:53:50,527 --> 00:53:51,894
He always had that shit
in his mouth
984
00:53:52,027 --> 00:53:54,163
like a hillbilly, you know?
985
00:53:54,297 --> 00:53:58,835
And he says
"Danny, everything about you...
986
00:54:01,036 --> 00:54:03,572
is meant to intimidate,
everything."
987
00:54:03,706 --> 00:54:06,709
"The way you talk,
the way you walk,
988
00:54:06,842 --> 00:54:08,443
the way you look at people."
989
00:54:08,577 --> 00:54:11,280
"Your survival meant
striking first."
990
00:54:11,414 --> 00:54:14,617
"Your survival meant...
991
00:54:14,750 --> 00:54:16,918
killing somebody
if you had to."
992
00:54:17,052 --> 00:54:20,422
"You have got to do things
for other people
993
00:54:20,556 --> 00:54:24,927
and not expect
any kind of reward."
994
00:54:25,061 --> 00:54:27,930
He learned
how to help other people.
995
00:54:28,063 --> 00:54:29,732
He used to take
the trash cans out
996
00:54:29,865 --> 00:54:31,568
for the next-door neighbor.
997
00:54:33,068 --> 00:54:35,672
Mowing somebody's lawn
998
00:54:35,804 --> 00:54:37,773
just to help somebody.
999
00:54:37,907 --> 00:54:41,244
It just kept going
and kept going.
1000
00:54:41,376 --> 00:54:43,012
He started giving out
his number,
1001
00:54:43,146 --> 00:54:46,449
and people
would just call him up.
1002
00:54:46,581 --> 00:54:48,750
When I got a car, I'd
give people a ride to meetings,
1003
00:54:48,884 --> 00:54:51,920
you know, and, uh,
I'd listen to their shit.
1004
00:54:53,789 --> 00:54:57,125
I started working
for Carleasy Auto Wrecking.
1005
00:54:57,259 --> 00:54:59,228
Gilbert had been out
of the joint probably two weeks
1006
00:54:59,362 --> 00:55:03,398
or a week and a half, and he
pulls up in a new Lincoln,
1007
00:55:03,532 --> 00:55:07,236
and he asked me,
"What the fuck are you doing?"
1008
00:55:07,369 --> 00:55:09,505
And I said, "Shut up, Gilbert,
I'm working."
1009
00:55:09,639 --> 00:55:11,775
"I know, but this is
embarrassing. Oh, shit."
1010
00:55:11,907 --> 00:55:13,442
You know,
"We playing in dirt all day,"
1011
00:55:13,576 --> 00:55:16,012
and, and he goes "Here."
1012
00:55:16,146 --> 00:55:19,448
And he gave me two quarters of
heroin and he gave me a $1000.
1013
00:55:19,581 --> 00:55:21,182
He put a $1000 here,
and he says,
1014
00:55:21,317 --> 00:55:23,987
"You know what, look, get
yourself together, get out..."
1015
00:55:24,119 --> 00:55:25,387
"Start, you know,
going to work for me."
1016
00:55:25,521 --> 00:55:27,690
"I got the bag.
I'm doing real well," and...
1017
00:55:27,822 --> 00:55:30,893
This is my John Wayne, right?
This is the guy.
1018
00:55:31,027 --> 00:55:33,195
"Gilbert, fuck you.
I can't, man."
1019
00:55:33,329 --> 00:55:35,531
And that's the first time
I ever walked away from him.
1020
00:55:35,664 --> 00:55:38,468
I grabbed the 1000 bucks.
1021
00:55:38,601 --> 00:55:40,570
But I went to the back and I'm
just sitting there thinking,
1022
00:55:40,702 --> 00:55:42,237
"God, man."
1023
00:55:42,371 --> 00:55:44,240
Frank came out, and he says,
1024
00:55:44,373 --> 00:55:46,141
"Danny, I... I know
how you feel."
1025
00:55:46,275 --> 00:55:49,479
"Please just wait.
Just wait a couple of months."
1026
00:55:49,612 --> 00:55:51,514
"You know what's gonna happen."
1027
00:55:51,648 --> 00:55:53,215
And, you know,
two-three months later,
1028
00:55:53,349 --> 00:55:55,051
Gilbert shot it out
with the police somewhere,
1029
00:55:55,184 --> 00:55:57,721
you know,
went back to the joint.
1030
00:56:00,188 --> 00:56:03,458
It's a way of life
for some people
1031
00:56:03,592 --> 00:56:06,028
that they can't escape.
1032
00:56:06,161 --> 00:56:09,331
My Uncle Gilbert
couldn't escape it.
1033
00:56:09,465 --> 00:56:11,867
You know, my little brother
couldn't escape it.
1034
00:56:13,936 --> 00:56:16,338
When he died, he had
two ounces of heroin on him,
1035
00:56:16,472 --> 00:56:19,342
a couple of thousand dollars
and some cocaine.
1036
00:56:19,474 --> 00:56:22,545
He overdosed and died.
My cousin found him.
1037
00:56:28,985 --> 00:56:31,887
That was
like his big brother.
1038
00:56:32,021 --> 00:56:33,756
Even though Danny
had veered from that path,
1039
00:56:33,889 --> 00:56:35,858
you know, his, he just
loved Gilbert to death,
1040
00:56:35,992 --> 00:56:39,128
you know, he just,
that was his everything.
1041
00:56:39,260 --> 00:56:41,197
When Gilbert's son was little,
1042
00:56:41,329 --> 00:56:44,065
Danny took him as his own
to raise him,
1043
00:56:44,199 --> 00:56:46,402
but, you know, that,
1044
00:56:46,536 --> 00:56:49,739
he was already
on another path, too.
1045
00:56:49,871 --> 00:56:52,074
After we had him
for a while, he was doing good
1046
00:56:52,208 --> 00:56:54,110
and his mom
wanted him back, so...
1047
00:56:54,242 --> 00:56:55,878
She immediately lost control
1048
00:56:56,012 --> 00:56:58,515
and he just started hanging out
at the park again.
1049
00:57:00,014 --> 00:57:02,684
At the age of 17,
1050
00:57:02,818 --> 00:57:04,787
went to the pen, uh,
second-degree murder,
1051
00:57:04,920 --> 00:57:07,623
him and about three guys,
and, uh,
1052
00:57:07,757 --> 00:57:11,460
shot out of a car
and killed somebody, and, uh...
1053
00:57:11,594 --> 00:57:13,695
He was just a kid,
he was 17 years old.
1054
00:57:13,829 --> 00:57:15,631
He was caught up
in the game.
1055
00:57:15,764 --> 00:57:18,400
You know,
drugs and everything else.
1056
00:57:18,534 --> 00:57:20,903
How long has Gilbert
been, uh, incarcerated?
1057
00:57:21,036 --> 00:57:22,605
Thirty-eight years.
1058
00:57:24,873 --> 00:57:26,342
I've still not seen
anybody
1059
00:57:26,474 --> 00:57:28,643
make it as a drug addict
1060
00:57:28,777 --> 00:57:31,847
or as a full-fledged alcoholic.
1061
00:57:31,981 --> 00:57:35,418
They die, they go insane
or they go to jail.
1062
00:57:42,724 --> 00:57:45,760
I became a drug counselor.
1063
00:57:45,893 --> 00:57:50,165
It wasn't as much money,
but it was really rewarding.
1064
00:57:50,300 --> 00:57:53,402
It's a place that he could,
he could speak true from.
1065
00:57:53,536 --> 00:57:55,938
Let me make the mistakes
of my youth
1066
00:57:56,070 --> 00:57:59,741
so you don't have to make them
for yourselves.
1067
00:57:59,875 --> 00:58:03,478
Danny was very infamous
in AA, NA, CA.
1068
00:58:03,612 --> 00:58:08,416
People flew him around
the United States to speak.
1069
00:58:08,550 --> 00:58:10,853
He had an opportunity
to be a drug counselor.
1070
00:58:10,987 --> 00:58:12,989
That opportunity led him
to an opportunity
1071
00:58:13,121 --> 00:58:14,455
to help somebody one night,
1072
00:58:14,590 --> 00:58:17,326
to guide him
into his first movie.
1073
00:58:22,764 --> 00:58:27,135
He'd been out
of prison for almost 20 years.
1074
00:58:27,268 --> 00:58:31,873
One of the kids
that he was helping called him.
1075
00:58:32,007 --> 00:58:34,976
Danny was watching
"Johnny Carson."
1076
00:58:35,110 --> 00:58:38,246
He said, "Hey, man, there's
a lot of blow down here."
1077
00:58:38,380 --> 00:58:40,482
"Hey, whoa, whoa, hold on. hey,
I'll be there right now."
1078
00:58:40,617 --> 00:58:43,752
And he ended up
going to this warehouse.
1079
00:58:43,885 --> 00:58:47,322
He walked inside the warehouse
and it was a movie set,
1080
00:58:47,456 --> 00:58:49,992
the movie set
of "Runaway Train."
1081
00:58:50,125 --> 00:58:52,827
There were a bunch of guys
all dressed in their blues
1082
00:58:52,960 --> 00:58:54,829
like they had been in prison.
1083
00:58:54,963 --> 00:58:56,898
I'm watching
all these guys
1084
00:58:57,032 --> 00:58:59,567
in these prison uniforms going
1085
00:58:59,702 --> 00:59:04,140
"Mother, eh, watch out, punk,
eh. Does this look tough?"
1086
00:59:04,273 --> 00:59:06,909
I go, "Yeah,
be somebody's wife in prison."
1087
00:59:07,043 --> 00:59:10,479
This guy came up to him and
said, "You want to be an extra?"
1088
00:59:10,612 --> 00:59:12,414
Danny's like, "Extra what?"
1089
00:59:12,547 --> 00:59:14,216
He goes,
"Can you play a convict?"
1090
00:59:14,349 --> 00:59:16,351
He goes, "I'll give it a shot."
1091
00:59:16,485 --> 00:59:19,821
"We'll pay you 50 bucks a day."
And he goes, "Shit, okay!"
1092
00:59:19,956 --> 00:59:23,025
"You guys don't know,
but those blues on me,
1093
00:59:23,157 --> 00:59:25,060
they just hang just right."
1094
00:59:25,193 --> 00:59:27,230
So as he's taking his shirt off,
1095
00:59:27,362 --> 00:59:30,231
Eddie Bunker, screenwriter,
saw the tattoo
1096
00:59:30,365 --> 00:59:34,202
and goes, "Oh, my God, I know
you, you're Danny Trejo."
1097
00:59:34,336 --> 00:59:38,606
"You're the boxing champion,
you know, amongst other things."
1098
00:59:38,740 --> 00:59:41,476
And he said,
"We need somebody to train
1099
00:59:41,610 --> 00:59:44,480
one of the actors how to box."
1100
00:59:44,612 --> 00:59:46,981
And I said, "What's it pay?"
1101
00:59:47,115 --> 00:59:50,420
And he said, "320 a day."
1102
00:59:50,552 --> 00:59:52,788
I said, "How bad do you
want this guy beat up?"
1103
00:59:52,922 --> 00:59:54,624
"No, no, you gotta be careful,
this actor's
1104
00:59:54,757 --> 00:59:57,860
really high-strung, man,
he, he might sock you,"
1105
00:59:57,992 --> 01:00:01,396
I said, "For 320 bucks, give him
a stick. Are you crazy?"
1106
01:00:01,530 --> 01:00:03,431
"I've been beat up for free,
homes!"
1107
01:00:03,565 --> 01:00:07,569
By this time, the director who
is a, is a Russian aristocrat
1108
01:00:07,702 --> 01:00:12,373
came by
and started doing these...
1109
01:00:12,507 --> 01:00:15,276
And Danny's going,
"What gang sign is that?"
1110
01:00:15,411 --> 01:00:19,213
And he's looking
at the tattoo,
1111
01:00:19,347 --> 01:00:23,885
he said, "You, you be in movie,
you be in my movie."
1112
01:00:24,018 --> 01:00:25,820
I remember he said,
"And you be my friend."
1113
01:00:25,954 --> 01:00:28,423
If you've been in prison,
you don't like people saying,
1114
01:00:28,557 --> 01:00:32,027
"You be my friend."
1115
01:00:32,159 --> 01:00:34,996
Andre then kissed me, he, like,
kissed me on one cheek,
1116
01:00:35,130 --> 01:00:37,800
kissed me on the other cheek
and walked away, right?
1117
01:00:37,934 --> 01:00:39,301
And I remember telling Eddie,
1118
01:00:39,434 --> 01:00:41,702
"Look, if I'm gonna be kissing
that old man,
1119
01:00:41,836 --> 01:00:43,005
I want more money."
1120
01:00:43,139 --> 01:00:44,774
And he goes,
"No, no, he's European."
1121
01:00:44,907 --> 01:00:47,109
I didn't know Europeans kissed!
1122
01:00:47,242 --> 01:00:48,377
That was
his introduction
1123
01:00:48,510 --> 01:00:50,646
was "Runaway Train."
1124
01:00:50,780 --> 01:00:54,283
And that's a funny part
of his story.
1125
01:00:54,416 --> 01:00:58,054
It was like going
from Pacoima to Mars.
1126
01:00:58,186 --> 01:01:00,822
He'd never been to Hollywood...
1127
01:01:00,956 --> 01:01:03,325
...in East Hollywood.
1128
01:01:03,458 --> 01:01:05,426
One day he got paid
1129
01:01:05,561 --> 01:01:07,796
and he thought
he got paid too much.
1130
01:01:07,929 --> 01:01:10,132
The first check was more than
what I had added up
1131
01:01:10,264 --> 01:01:12,268
on 320s. I mean what?
1132
01:01:12,400 --> 01:01:14,103
And I, I remember sticking
that check in my pocket,
1133
01:01:14,235 --> 01:01:16,103
phew, I'm splitting,
I'm going to the bank
1134
01:01:16,237 --> 01:01:17,705
to cash it,
because they blew it,
1135
01:01:17,838 --> 01:01:20,208
they gave me a lot more money
than I'd added up.
1136
01:01:20,342 --> 01:01:21,676
"No, no, no,
that's what you get paid."
1137
01:01:21,809 --> 01:01:23,846
"You get paid that every week.
It's okay."
1138
01:01:23,978 --> 01:01:26,114
He just couldn't believe it.
1139
01:01:26,248 --> 01:01:27,348
You're not only
going from
1140
01:01:27,483 --> 01:01:31,220
a class shift in perspective,
1141
01:01:31,353 --> 01:01:36,091
you're also going from
a cultural shift in perspective.
1142
01:01:40,394 --> 01:01:42,331
Eddie was Danny's guide
1143
01:01:42,463 --> 01:01:46,034
on how to be successful
in Hollywood.
1144
01:01:46,168 --> 01:01:48,771
Eddie had
an incredible high IQ.
1145
01:01:48,903 --> 01:01:52,541
He had served time,
longer than Danny did.
1146
01:01:52,675 --> 01:01:56,077
He had been on the streets
since he was eight.
1147
01:01:56,210 --> 01:02:01,015
He would diagram robberies
and he'd sell them.
1148
01:02:01,150 --> 01:02:03,318
Eddie actually knew
my Uncle Gilbert.
1149
01:02:03,452 --> 01:02:07,223
My Uncle Gilbert had bought
robberies from Eddie.
1150
01:02:07,356 --> 01:02:08,991
He brought Danny
into the business
1151
01:02:09,125 --> 01:02:12,894
and really taught him the ins
and outs of another gang,
1152
01:02:13,027 --> 01:02:14,395
as you might wanna call it,
1153
01:02:14,530 --> 01:02:16,198
you know,
'cause Hollywood is like that.
1154
01:02:16,331 --> 01:02:17,333
If you don't know
your way around,
1155
01:02:17,467 --> 01:02:19,067
you can get in trouble.
1156
01:02:19,201 --> 01:02:20,903
They used to pay extras
every day,
1157
01:02:21,036 --> 01:02:23,105
about 300 extras
on "Runaway Train."
1158
01:02:23,237 --> 01:02:25,707
They would bring Eric
his per diem,
1159
01:02:25,840 --> 01:02:28,009
they would bring John Voight
his per diem.
1160
01:02:28,143 --> 01:02:29,445
I remember sitting
in the parking lot
1161
01:02:29,577 --> 01:02:31,380
smoking a cigarette,
and I watched this guy
1162
01:02:31,512 --> 01:02:33,415
pull up, right, and I see him
with a big briefcase,
1163
01:02:33,548 --> 01:02:35,583
and he's walking by, right?
1164
01:02:35,717 --> 01:02:37,286
Damn, you know,
1165
01:02:37,418 --> 01:02:39,887
and I know it's nothing
but cash in that briefcase.
1166
01:02:40,021 --> 01:02:43,092
And I remember Eddie Bunker
coming by, "The fuck you doing?"
1167
01:02:43,224 --> 01:02:45,594
I say, "Sit in the car,
watch this, check this out."
1168
01:02:45,728 --> 01:02:47,663
Eddie goes, he's in there,
1169
01:02:47,795 --> 01:02:49,797
"That's it? Oh."
And I go, "Yeah, that's it."
1170
01:02:49,931 --> 01:02:53,503
Six, seven, eight-thousand
dollars in that thing.
1171
01:02:53,635 --> 01:02:56,905
And Eddie says
"That's chump change,
1172
01:02:57,039 --> 01:02:58,273
that's what
you're talking about,
1173
01:02:58,407 --> 01:02:59,574
that's just chump change."
1174
01:02:59,708 --> 01:03:01,976
He says,
"Danny, the way you look,
1175
01:03:02,110 --> 01:03:05,079
and the way you act...
1176
01:03:05,213 --> 01:03:08,384
you stick with this program,
that'll be chump change."
1177
01:03:08,516 --> 01:03:11,553
"You'll carry that around
in your pocket."
1178
01:03:11,686 --> 01:03:15,423
"Hollywood wants people
that can act tough."
1179
01:03:15,557 --> 01:03:17,425
"They don't want tough guys."
1180
01:03:17,559 --> 01:03:21,597
"You have to disarm people
immediately."
1181
01:03:21,731 --> 01:03:23,299
I go, "What do you mean, Eddie?"
He says, "You know what?"
1182
01:03:23,431 --> 01:03:24,966
"People are afraid of you,
Danny."
1183
01:03:25,099 --> 01:03:27,135
"We're on a movie set
and people are afraid of you."
1184
01:03:27,268 --> 01:03:30,905
"Because we have this look
that says I will kill you,
1185
01:03:31,039 --> 01:03:33,976
I will kill the people
that dry clean your clothes."
1186
01:03:40,148 --> 01:03:42,150
My career
took off immediately.
1187
01:03:42,284 --> 01:03:45,653
It was almost like doing porn,
every time I walked on to a set
1188
01:03:45,786 --> 01:03:47,054
the first thing
the director said,
1189
01:03:47,188 --> 01:03:48,656
"Uh, take off your shirt,"
1190
01:03:48,791 --> 01:03:50,793
'cause they wanted to see
that tattoo.
1191
01:03:52,594 --> 01:03:55,497
This girl was interviewing me,
and she said,
1192
01:03:55,630 --> 01:03:57,498
"Aren't you afraid
of being typecast?"
1193
01:03:57,632 --> 01:03:58,967
I said, "What are you
talking about?"
1194
01:03:59,101 --> 01:04:00,369
"Well Danny,
you're always playing
1195
01:04:00,501 --> 01:04:03,137
the mean Chicano dude
with tattoos."
1196
01:04:03,271 --> 01:04:04,907
I thought about it, I said,
1197
01:04:05,039 --> 01:04:08,043
"I am the mean Chicano dude
with tattoos,
1198
01:04:08,175 --> 01:04:10,444
so it's like,
somebody finally got it right."
1199
01:04:14,650 --> 01:04:16,285
You never went
to acting school...
1200
01:04:16,418 --> 01:04:20,188
Well, I, actually, I trained in
at San Quentin Drama Arts.
1201
01:04:20,322 --> 01:04:22,458
Yeah.
1202
01:04:22,590 --> 01:04:25,860
The good thing is I got to learn
kind of on... on the job
1203
01:04:25,994 --> 01:04:28,797
because the first five years
of my career,
1204
01:04:28,929 --> 01:04:30,865
I just played Inmate Number One.
1205
01:04:31,000 --> 01:04:34,168
Prisoner Number One,
Number Ten.
1206
01:04:34,302 --> 01:04:36,672
- Cholo Number One.
- Ese Number One.
1207
01:04:36,804 --> 01:04:39,741
Gangster Number One,
Gangster Number Two.
1208
01:04:39,875 --> 01:04:42,878
- Inmate with tattoos.
- Man Yelling.
1209
01:04:43,010 --> 01:04:45,012
You know, I'll be the bad guy,
I'll be the good guy,
1210
01:04:45,146 --> 01:04:47,014
I'll be the guy
that sells flowers,
1211
01:04:47,148 --> 01:04:49,384
you know, I'll be the
dry cleaner, it doesn't matter.
1212
01:04:49,518 --> 01:04:52,186
I'm acting,
and what am I getting paid?
1213
01:04:52,320 --> 01:04:53,555
The year I was born was the year
1214
01:04:53,688 --> 01:04:57,224
he had his first character
with a name.
1215
01:05:01,362 --> 01:05:03,098
"Death Wish 4."
1216
01:05:05,534 --> 01:05:07,103
With Charles Bronson.
1217
01:05:08,536 --> 01:05:10,205
Art Sanella.
1218
01:05:10,338 --> 01:05:11,773
He grabs Charles Bronson
by the arm and says,
1219
01:05:11,907 --> 01:05:14,409
"Hey, don't I know you
from somewhere?"
1220
01:05:14,543 --> 01:05:16,378
Hey, don't I know you
from some place?
1221
01:05:16,510 --> 01:05:19,081
I don't think so.
1222
01:05:19,213 --> 01:05:21,717
Charles Bronson throws water
in his face and blows him up,
1223
01:05:21,849 --> 01:05:24,952
because
it's a "Death Wish" movie.
1224
01:05:25,085 --> 01:05:27,055
We were on that movie
set and we're having a blast
1225
01:05:27,188 --> 01:05:29,690
and Perry Lopez
is this old guy.
1226
01:05:29,824 --> 01:05:31,726
This kid got shitty with him.
1227
01:05:34,096 --> 01:05:36,731
I thought
that they knew each other.
1228
01:05:36,864 --> 01:05:40,135
Then the kid comes out again
and says, "I went to Julliard"
1229
01:05:40,268 --> 01:05:42,404
or whatever,
"There's only one director."
1230
01:05:42,538 --> 01:05:45,507
So finally I said
"Wait a minute, bitch,
1231
01:05:45,641 --> 01:05:47,675
I know who the piss
you think you are,
1232
01:05:47,809 --> 01:05:51,112
but I just nominate him
director."
1233
01:05:51,246 --> 01:05:54,349
"You do whatever the fuck he
says or I'll beat you to death."
1234
01:05:54,483 --> 01:05:56,151
I, but I'm trying
to stay in character.
1235
01:05:56,284 --> 01:05:59,587
I said, "Well, your character is
about to get his ass beat, okay,
1236
01:05:59,722 --> 01:06:02,424
so now just lighten up, and I
think you owe him an apology."
1237
01:06:02,556 --> 01:06:05,860
And he goes,
"Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Lopez."
1238
01:06:05,994 --> 01:06:07,628
And then I turn around,
1239
01:06:07,762 --> 01:06:11,133
and the director,
standing right there.
1240
01:06:11,266 --> 01:06:14,234
The last thing you want
in the world
1241
01:06:14,369 --> 01:06:16,238
is for a director to hear
1242
01:06:16,371 --> 01:06:18,807
you're gonna beat
one of his actors to death.
1243
01:06:18,940 --> 01:06:23,477
And I remember him
looking at me and saying...
1244
01:06:23,612 --> 01:06:25,114
"We've had a little problem
with him."
1245
01:06:25,246 --> 01:06:27,681
"I, I don't think
he'll be a problem anymore."
1246
01:06:27,815 --> 01:06:29,317
And he walked away.
1247
01:06:29,451 --> 01:06:32,186
Charles Bronson is right there.
1248
01:06:32,320 --> 01:06:36,792
I turn around, he's looking
at me and he goes...
1249
01:06:36,925 --> 01:06:38,860
"You're some kind of
drug counselor, aren't you?"
1250
01:06:38,994 --> 01:06:41,630
And I'm, "Yes."
1251
01:06:41,764 --> 01:06:44,032
This Charles Bronson, man,
I'm a bitch, okay?
1252
01:06:44,166 --> 01:06:46,835
And he goes...
1253
01:06:46,969 --> 01:06:48,336
"I like the way
you counsel people."
1254
01:06:48,469 --> 01:06:51,806
And walked away.
1255
01:06:51,940 --> 01:06:54,675
I think that's one of the best
advice that he ever gave me.
1256
01:06:54,809 --> 01:06:56,644
The whole world can think
you're a movie star,
1257
01:06:56,778 --> 01:06:58,079
but you can't.
1258
01:06:58,213 --> 01:07:00,082
I love that one.
1259
01:07:00,215 --> 01:07:03,919
I would think somebody
like Danny would automatically
1260
01:07:04,052 --> 01:07:05,887
be like, "I would kill
a motherfucker like you
1261
01:07:06,021 --> 01:07:07,823
ten years ago."
1262
01:07:07,956 --> 01:07:10,925
And just brush it off.
1263
01:07:11,059 --> 01:07:14,463
This is a guy who's seen blood,
he's seen death,
1264
01:07:14,597 --> 01:07:17,632
just to get
to age 15-16 years old.
1265
01:07:17,766 --> 01:07:21,037
Hollywood, that's what this is.
It's, it's eh.
1266
01:07:27,943 --> 01:07:30,345
"Blood In Blood Out"
called my agency.
1267
01:07:30,478 --> 01:07:33,348
I talked to Taylor Hackford
and I really liked it.
1268
01:07:33,481 --> 01:07:35,416
I think that was one
of the first times that my dad
1269
01:07:35,550 --> 01:07:39,655
went back to prison
after getting out of prison.
1270
01:07:39,789 --> 01:07:41,690
People were
yelling our name, you know,
1271
01:07:41,822 --> 01:07:43,591
"Perry, hey, what's up!"
You know?
1272
01:07:43,726 --> 01:07:47,863
"Trejo! Hey, come to my cell!"
1273
01:07:47,996 --> 01:07:50,764
I first saw him,
I believe it was "Desperado."
1274
01:07:50,898 --> 01:07:53,935
I was like, "Who's that dude?
He looks creepy as fuck!"
1275
01:07:54,068 --> 01:07:56,438
"Like, damn, what the hell?"
1276
01:07:58,273 --> 01:08:00,809
I sent Danny
into an audition.
1277
01:08:02,043 --> 01:08:04,246
There really wasn't sides.
1278
01:08:04,378 --> 01:08:06,981
I needed a silent assassin
who had these knives,
1279
01:08:07,115 --> 01:08:08,784
and so I told
the casting director,
1280
01:08:08,916 --> 01:08:11,420
"Find me somebody
who just looks really menacing
1281
01:08:11,552 --> 01:08:13,288
because he's not gonna have
any dialogue."
1282
01:08:13,420 --> 01:08:15,456
And then he walked in,
and it was like, "Holy shit."
1283
01:08:15,590 --> 01:08:17,291
And he looked at me and said,
1284
01:08:17,425 --> 01:08:20,429
"You look like the bad guys
in my high school."
1285
01:08:20,561 --> 01:08:24,599
And I said, "I am the bad guys
in your high school."
1286
01:08:26,268 --> 01:08:27,903
I had never seen Danny
in my life
1287
01:08:28,036 --> 01:08:30,905
before he showed up on the set.
1288
01:08:31,039 --> 01:08:32,975
No matter how early you got up,
he was up
1289
01:08:33,108 --> 01:08:35,244
standing outside your door,
really, he...
1290
01:08:35,377 --> 01:08:37,913
Literally, it was, "Hey, Dan."
"Hey, you wanna go for a walk?"
1291
01:08:38,046 --> 01:08:41,482
He was an interesting character
right from the beginning.
1292
01:08:41,617 --> 01:08:43,452
I met Salma Hayek,
1293
01:08:43,585 --> 01:08:46,887
and she's like just
go-to-hell gorgeous.
1294
01:08:47,021 --> 01:08:48,355
I just walked up to her,
I just told her,
1295
01:08:48,489 --> 01:08:51,760
"Look, go, go pick two banks,
1296
01:08:51,893 --> 01:08:53,162
I'll rob 'em for you."
1297
01:08:53,295 --> 01:08:55,497
Salma's so funny,
she goes, "Just two?"
1298
01:08:55,631 --> 01:08:58,333
When I saw him
for the first time, he saw me,
1299
01:08:58,466 --> 01:09:02,036
and he runs over to me
and ripped his shirt off.
1300
01:09:03,738 --> 01:09:07,141
And he said,
"I knew you before I knew you!"
1301
01:09:07,275 --> 01:09:10,045
"I dreamt you
before I knew you!"
1302
01:09:10,177 --> 01:09:14,148
And, and sure enough, there was
a, a picture of a woman
1303
01:09:14,282 --> 01:09:16,784
that looks exactly like me.
1304
01:09:16,918 --> 01:09:18,787
And I showed her my tattoo,
I said,
1305
01:09:18,920 --> 01:09:20,654
"That's a picture of you,
honey."
1306
01:09:20,788 --> 01:09:24,792
She goes
"Wow, I'm really flattered."
1307
01:09:24,926 --> 01:09:27,496
Robert Rodriguez,
you know, is related.
1308
01:09:27,630 --> 01:09:30,131
They didn't find out
until they were actually on set
1309
01:09:30,265 --> 01:09:33,768
and filming that they were
cousins through marriage.
1310
01:09:33,902 --> 01:09:36,438
We found out we were
second cousins down the line.
1311
01:09:36,572 --> 01:09:38,806
That's cool, uh,
make my part bigger, homes.
1312
01:09:38,939 --> 01:09:40,942
"Put me in, coach, put me in,
coach, give me a line, give..."
1313
01:09:41,076 --> 01:09:42,543
I said, "No, I'm not gonna
give you a line."
1314
01:09:42,676 --> 01:09:44,779
"If I give you a line,
it'll blow the whole mystique."
1315
01:09:44,912 --> 01:09:47,381
Danny doesn't have any lines
in the whole movie,
1316
01:09:47,515 --> 01:09:49,284
which is interesting
because you always remember
1317
01:09:49,417 --> 01:09:51,152
his character,
the guy with the knives.
1318
01:09:51,286 --> 01:09:53,355
But he didn't say one thing
in the whole movie.
1319
01:09:53,488 --> 01:09:55,590
"Hey, give me a line, homes,
I'm your cousin."
1320
01:09:55,722 --> 01:09:57,859
You know what I mean?
"No, Danny, no, hold on."
1321
01:09:57,993 --> 01:09:59,561
And then he'd have me
in these scenes, it's,
1322
01:09:59,694 --> 01:10:00,996
"Well, just give him a look,
give..."
1323
01:10:01,130 --> 01:10:03,265
"Robert, give me a line, man."
1324
01:10:03,398 --> 01:10:05,667
And somebody asked me,
1325
01:10:05,800 --> 01:10:08,704
"Uh, Danny, you... you know,
you didn't speak a word
1326
01:10:08,837 --> 01:10:11,039
and yet your character
was so strong."
1327
01:10:11,171 --> 01:10:14,042
"Was that an actor's choice?"
I said, "Absolutely!"
1328
01:10:16,878 --> 01:10:20,381
I think Robert gave me
the finger, I'm not sure.
1329
01:10:20,515 --> 01:10:23,418
Going to prison
and having to be that scary
1330
01:10:23,551 --> 01:10:25,654
without saying anything?
1331
01:10:25,787 --> 01:10:28,356
When he was on screen,
like, took over.
1332
01:10:28,489 --> 01:10:32,726
That really drove him forward.
1333
01:10:36,564 --> 01:10:38,832
He always talks about "Heat."
1334
01:10:38,966 --> 01:10:41,769
He said,
"Sis, if I get this role,
1335
01:10:41,903 --> 01:10:44,073
that takes me
to another level."
1336
01:10:47,208 --> 01:10:51,679
I think it represented
a turning point in my life.
1337
01:10:51,813 --> 01:10:54,750
Robert De Niro.
Come on, man. "Taxi?"
1338
01:10:54,882 --> 01:10:58,153
Al Pacino?
You know, John Voight.
1339
01:10:58,286 --> 01:11:00,889
I'll be your Huckleberry, shit.
1340
01:11:01,023 --> 01:11:02,724
This is it,
the top of the line,
1341
01:11:02,858 --> 01:11:04,927
and I got to work with him,
I got to talk to him,
1342
01:11:05,060 --> 01:11:07,462
I got to eat lunch with him.
1343
01:11:07,595 --> 01:11:10,297
You're no longer
like just a bad guy.
1344
01:11:10,431 --> 01:11:12,900
You're like a actor.
1345
01:11:13,033 --> 01:11:16,304
On "Heat"
he served as a consultant.
1346
01:11:16,438 --> 01:11:20,742
He and Eddie Bunker,
they, they were the criminals.
1347
01:11:20,875 --> 01:11:23,645
"So how would we do this?"
"Well..."
1348
01:11:23,779 --> 01:11:26,715
No, you do it this way,
no, you gotta do it this way.
1349
01:11:26,847 --> 01:11:30,918
John Voight's character
was based on Eddie.
1350
01:11:31,051 --> 01:11:34,221
John Voight
went into the makeup trailer,
1351
01:11:34,355 --> 01:11:36,757
stuck a picture up there
1352
01:11:36,891 --> 01:11:38,460
and said,
"That's what I wanna look like."
1353
01:11:38,594 --> 01:11:39,961
People who didn't know
Eddie would say,
1354
01:11:40,094 --> 01:11:44,298
"Wow, is that it?"
No, John Voight.
1355
01:11:44,431 --> 01:11:47,603
Michael Mann did a movie
called the "Jericho Mile."
1356
01:11:47,735 --> 01:11:49,970
He won't cop to it,
but the reality is
1357
01:11:50,104 --> 01:11:51,906
he did Folsom Prison.
1358
01:11:52,039 --> 01:11:56,711
In order to get
the Mexicans to work...
1359
01:11:56,845 --> 01:12:01,216
y... you gotta kind of talk
to the un... union...
1360
01:12:01,349 --> 01:12:04,153
Union leaders, the guys
that are kinda in control.
1361
01:12:04,286 --> 01:12:07,622
My dad's Uncle Gilbert,
he was still in prison.
1362
01:12:07,756 --> 01:12:10,125
We ended up talking
to my Uncle Gilbert Trejo,
1363
01:12:10,257 --> 01:12:12,527
and a couple
of the other shot callers,
1364
01:12:12,661 --> 01:12:14,462
and, and so when I showed up
on "Heat,"
1365
01:12:14,595 --> 01:12:16,063
he came to me and he said,
1366
01:12:16,198 --> 01:12:21,036
"Danny? Do you care
if we call you Gilbert Trejo?"
1367
01:12:22,970 --> 01:12:25,939
And I, I mean, I wanted a homage
to my uncle, you know?
1368
01:12:26,073 --> 01:12:28,876
I said "No, man, thank you."
1369
01:12:29,010 --> 01:12:33,382
If you watch "Heat," my name
is Gilbert Trejo in that movie.
1370
01:12:35,850 --> 01:12:38,519
It was actually like
one of the few movies
1371
01:12:38,653 --> 01:12:43,057
that he's been in that
I was kind of traumatized by.
1372
01:12:43,192 --> 01:12:45,661
We were sitting there
and just like...
1373
01:12:45,793 --> 01:12:47,295
Like watching the screen,
looking over,
1374
01:12:47,429 --> 01:12:48,829
making sure he's still there,
watching the screen,
1375
01:12:48,963 --> 01:12:51,132
looking over,
making sure he's still there.
1376
01:12:54,836 --> 01:12:57,539
It was
a very real death to me.
1377
01:13:00,240 --> 01:13:01,274
Why'd you do it?
1378
01:13:01,408 --> 01:13:04,211
Knowing my dad's history,
1379
01:13:04,345 --> 01:13:06,079
it was too real for me.
1380
01:13:06,213 --> 01:13:07,715
They made me.
1381
01:13:07,849 --> 01:13:10,784
Robert asked me, he said,
1382
01:13:10,918 --> 01:13:14,122
"How do you wanna play this,
Danny?"
1383
01:13:14,255 --> 01:13:16,391
And I said, "I don't know, Bob.
What do you think?"
1384
01:13:16,524 --> 01:13:18,894
Notice I said Bob. "I don't
know, Bob. What do you think?"
1385
01:13:19,027 --> 01:13:20,529
And he says, "Well, you know,
Danny, I think you're dead,
1386
01:13:20,662 --> 01:13:22,564
I think you're already dead,
I think you just got
1387
01:13:22,697 --> 01:13:25,300
enough breath
to beg me to kill you."
1388
01:13:25,432 --> 01:13:28,403
Don't leave me
like this.
1389
01:13:28,537 --> 01:13:31,539
I know for Danny
that was the heaviest moment
1390
01:13:31,672 --> 01:13:36,110
of his film career
was his death in "Heat."
1391
01:13:36,243 --> 01:13:38,512
For this boy from Pacoima
who'd been through
1392
01:13:38,646 --> 01:13:40,716
all of these institutions,
1393
01:13:40,849 --> 01:13:43,952
Danny's death in "Heat"
was the most beautiful
1394
01:13:44,086 --> 01:13:46,755
and almost the hardest one
to watch.
1395
01:13:46,887 --> 01:13:48,957
It's where his life
could have gone.
1396
01:13:56,430 --> 01:13:57,898
When you find
really good people, working
1397
01:13:58,033 --> 01:13:59,634
with them on one movie
is almost a crime.
1398
01:13:59,768 --> 01:14:02,570
You're using one facet of their
personality and talent.
1399
01:14:02,703 --> 01:14:05,239
And now,
for your viewing pleasure.
1400
01:14:05,373 --> 01:14:09,109
I thought, my God, I gotta put
him in, in a, in a kid's film.
1401
01:14:09,243 --> 01:14:13,148
So that's when I got Danny
and put him in "Spy Kids."
1402
01:14:13,282 --> 01:14:15,315
You wouldn't just cast him
in a role like that
1403
01:14:15,449 --> 01:14:16,751
'cause you never
would have seen it.
1404
01:14:16,884 --> 01:14:18,287
I saw it, you know, day to day.
1405
01:14:18,420 --> 01:14:19,854
That's... that's just
who he was.
1406
01:14:19,987 --> 01:14:22,623
And I thought it was
a fascinating juxtaposition
1407
01:14:22,756 --> 01:14:24,491
of personality
and what you would think
1408
01:14:24,625 --> 01:14:27,494
that person's personality is
just by looking at him,
1409
01:14:27,627 --> 01:14:29,162
by profiling him.
1410
01:14:29,296 --> 01:14:31,298
What are you working on?
1411
01:14:31,432 --> 01:14:33,467
World's smallest camera.
1412
01:14:33,601 --> 01:14:34,903
Then he was Uncle Machete.
1413
01:14:35,036 --> 01:14:36,237
I don't see it.
1414
01:14:36,371 --> 01:14:38,472
Kids started recognizing him,
1415
01:14:38,605 --> 01:14:40,442
and the parents are kind of like
1416
01:14:40,574 --> 01:14:42,810
"Why does my kid know
who this dude is?"
1417
01:14:42,944 --> 01:14:44,646
And no one knows
what you do for a living.
1418
01:14:44,779 --> 01:14:47,415
I think we all have
uncles like that.
1419
01:14:47,548 --> 01:14:49,083
He got
a whole other audience,
1420
01:14:49,216 --> 01:14:50,951
kids would flock to him
when they would see him,
1421
01:14:51,086 --> 01:14:53,188
so that opened up
a whole other world.
1422
01:14:53,320 --> 01:14:56,289
That was when you knew
he was really gonna make it
1423
01:14:56,423 --> 01:14:57,759
was when they would
let him live.
1424
01:14:57,891 --> 01:14:59,193
It was like, "Oh, we're not just
1425
01:14:59,327 --> 01:15:00,929
killing him off
in the first 15?"
1426
01:15:01,061 --> 01:15:03,131
That was when you knew,
oh, he's gonna be a star.
1427
01:15:05,801 --> 01:15:07,568
If you ever see
a movie called "Sherrybaby,"
1428
01:15:07,702 --> 01:15:09,971
there's no violence,
he's not a tough guy,
1429
01:15:10,104 --> 01:15:12,006
it's just
straight, dramatic acting.
1430
01:15:12,140 --> 01:15:14,643
He's amazing.
Never had an acting lesson.
1431
01:15:14,775 --> 01:15:17,545
My name's Dean,
I'm an alcoholic and an addict.
1432
01:15:17,679 --> 01:15:19,313
Hi, Dean.
1433
01:15:19,447 --> 01:15:21,650
I was the nice guy,
I was the guy that helped her,
1434
01:15:21,783 --> 01:15:23,318
everybody else was,
like, ripping her off,
1435
01:15:23,452 --> 01:15:25,220
and she had just
gotten out of prison,
1436
01:15:25,354 --> 01:15:26,588
so everybody was kind of like
1437
01:15:26,721 --> 01:15:28,856
abusing her,
taking advantage of her.
1438
01:15:28,989 --> 01:15:31,592
It ended up
a really great movie.
1439
01:15:31,725 --> 01:15:34,161
He first
started getting jobs,
1440
01:15:34,296 --> 01:15:35,697
we'd be on the way to school,
1441
01:15:35,829 --> 01:15:37,865
and he would say, "Oh, hold on,
hold on, hold on,"
1442
01:15:37,998 --> 01:15:40,702
and just pull into this,
like, whole different world,
1443
01:15:40,835 --> 01:15:42,369
this, you know,
these movie sets
1444
01:15:42,503 --> 01:15:46,140
and then we just wouldn't
go to school that day.
1445
01:15:46,274 --> 01:15:49,411
Within a span of a few years,
he shot "Desperado," "Heat,"
1446
01:15:49,543 --> 01:15:52,680
"From Dusk Till Dawn"
and "Con Air."
1447
01:15:54,481 --> 01:15:56,216
If it wasn't
for Benny Urquidez,
1448
01:15:56,350 --> 01:15:58,752
five-time
world kickboxing champion,
1449
01:15:58,886 --> 01:16:01,255
I probably would have
killed somebody on that set.
1450
01:16:01,389 --> 01:16:04,225
What they did, they got
all the wannabe tough guys
1451
01:16:04,358 --> 01:16:05,460
in Hollywood.
1452
01:16:05,594 --> 01:16:07,228
Everything was a contest
1453
01:16:07,362 --> 01:16:08,628
on this, you understand?
1454
01:16:08,762 --> 01:16:11,800
If you spit...
1455
01:16:11,932 --> 01:16:15,871
somebody else
would immediately spit further.
1456
01:16:16,003 --> 01:16:17,805
They're all talking about
all their badass stories,
1457
01:16:17,939 --> 01:16:20,041
and, you know, everybody's done
1458
01:16:20,173 --> 01:16:23,810
some amazingly wonderful violent
things and how tough they are,
1459
01:16:23,944 --> 01:16:26,981
and Danny's just sitting
back there, sitting like this.
1460
01:16:27,114 --> 01:16:28,916
Nick gets up, Cage,
Nick gets up, and he goes,
1461
01:16:29,051 --> 01:16:30,719
"Well, I don't know
about all of you,
1462
01:16:30,851 --> 01:16:35,090
but the only person here
I'm afraid of is Danny."
1463
01:16:35,222 --> 01:16:38,893
And I wanted to say, "Why me?"
1464
01:16:39,027 --> 01:16:41,896
I'd be scared of me
in an alley, too.
1465
01:16:44,365 --> 01:16:45,600
By the time "Con Air"
came out, we were like,
1466
01:16:45,733 --> 01:16:47,534
"Whoa, your arm got cut off!"
1467
01:16:47,668 --> 01:16:50,904
Left his arm hanging,
and the tattoos, you know?
1468
01:16:51,038 --> 01:16:53,474
I was like,
"Damn, look at that shit!"
1469
01:16:53,608 --> 01:16:55,043
Some of the celebrities
that have killed me,
1470
01:16:55,176 --> 01:16:57,912
I've been killed
by some bad ones.
1471
01:16:58,046 --> 01:17:00,649
Mickey Rourke killed me
in a movie a long time ago.
1472
01:17:00,782 --> 01:17:02,382
50 Cent killed me.
You know that's...
1473
01:17:02,516 --> 01:17:06,320
Now wait a minute,
that's, that's like, cool.
1474
01:17:06,454 --> 01:17:10,091
There have been quite a few...
1475
01:17:10,225 --> 01:17:13,161
Shot, stabbed,
needles in the neck,
1476
01:17:13,293 --> 01:17:17,032
head chopped off,
hung, blown up.
1477
01:17:17,164 --> 01:17:19,699
The first one
that I remember watching
1478
01:17:19,833 --> 01:17:21,702
was "Dusk Till Dawn."
1479
01:17:21,836 --> 01:17:25,340
I took my daughter and my son.
Danielle was six.
1480
01:17:28,342 --> 01:17:29,845
He like,
melts into the pool table
1481
01:17:29,978 --> 01:17:32,180
and his eyes
go into the pool sockets,
1482
01:17:32,314 --> 01:17:36,017
and I distinctly remember
jumping out of my seat like,
1483
01:17:36,150 --> 01:17:37,217
"That was the coolest thing.."
1484
01:17:37,351 --> 01:17:39,720
"Oh, that was so cool!"
1485
01:17:39,854 --> 01:17:42,824
"Your eyes went into
the pool pockets!"
1486
01:17:42,957 --> 01:17:45,994
All, all the people
looked at me like, "Whoa!"
1487
01:17:46,127 --> 01:17:48,329
He jumps on an elevator
to chase a hero
1488
01:17:48,462 --> 01:17:51,132
and he's on the roof of the
elevator and he shoots it up,
1489
01:17:51,265 --> 01:17:53,367
but then the hero
hits the up button,
1490
01:17:53,501 --> 01:17:55,869
and it squishes him and like,
blood comes through the holes
1491
01:17:56,003 --> 01:17:57,706
and I remember seeing that
as a kid, you know,
1492
01:17:57,838 --> 01:17:59,740
I was just like, damn.
1493
01:17:59,873 --> 01:18:03,577
TV in "Halloween..."
1494
01:18:03,711 --> 01:18:06,548
smashed over his head by Mikey.
1495
01:18:06,680 --> 01:18:09,216
There's a badger
or something that
1496
01:18:09,350 --> 01:18:11,653
is at crotch level in a cage
or something, you know?
1497
01:18:11,786 --> 01:18:16,024
Basically, his genitalia
is eaten off by a crazy badger.
1498
01:18:16,157 --> 01:18:17,992
Dang.
1499
01:18:18,125 --> 01:18:21,128
You see the one
where his head is on a turtle?
1500
01:18:21,261 --> 01:18:23,163
I remember when Gloria
called me into the office
1501
01:18:23,297 --> 01:18:26,635
and said, "Hey, Dan, you wanna
do a Hollywood's first?"
1502
01:18:26,768 --> 01:18:28,670
'Cause we love
doing a Hollywood's first.
1503
01:18:28,802 --> 01:18:32,974
"You're gonna cross the desert
on a tortoise."
1504
01:18:33,106 --> 01:18:37,144
And I'm thinking
it must be like a... a cartoon
1505
01:18:37,278 --> 01:18:38,713
'cause it's gotta be
a pretty big tortoise.
1506
01:18:38,846 --> 01:18:40,148
I was,
"Well, I'll ride a tortoise."
1507
01:18:40,280 --> 01:18:42,884
"Well, you don't
exactly ride it,
1508
01:18:43,018 --> 01:18:44,351
your head is."
1509
01:18:47,021 --> 01:18:49,524
"Oh, so they're
decapitating me?" "Yeah."
1510
01:18:49,658 --> 01:18:52,827
"And, and how much
are they paying me?"
1511
01:18:52,961 --> 01:18:55,695
"Okay, I'll do it."
1512
01:18:55,829 --> 01:18:57,097
"Hey, we saw you get killed."
1513
01:18:57,231 --> 01:18:58,833
"Yeah, what, did you see me
go to the bank?"
1514
01:19:01,869 --> 01:19:04,271
Kill me, kill me, kill me!
1515
01:19:04,405 --> 01:19:06,073
As the movies
started coming out,
1516
01:19:06,207 --> 01:19:08,243
the crowds started
getting bigger.
1517
01:19:10,377 --> 01:19:12,813
There was this character
that Robert had come up with,
1518
01:19:12,947 --> 01:19:15,884
Machete, the wrong Mexican.
1519
01:19:17,618 --> 01:19:19,387
When I went
to do "Grindhouse,"
1520
01:19:19,520 --> 01:19:21,922
Quentin and I were coming up
with a bunch of fake trailers,
1521
01:19:22,056 --> 01:19:25,092
and I said, "I got a fake
trailer, it's 'Machete.'"
1522
01:19:25,225 --> 01:19:27,127
There's Blaxploitation
films from the '70s,
1523
01:19:27,261 --> 01:19:29,330
but there was no Mexploitation
movies. Huh, why not?
1524
01:19:29,462 --> 01:19:31,265
Let's go back in time
and pretend
1525
01:19:31,399 --> 01:19:33,000
there were
Mexploitation movies,
1526
01:19:33,134 --> 01:19:35,837
and it'll be a Mexploitation
film called "Machete."
1527
01:19:35,970 --> 01:19:37,505
You're flying, you know,
in the air with
1528
01:19:37,637 --> 01:19:39,673
this motorcycle
that's got a machine gun on it,
1529
01:19:39,806 --> 01:19:42,676
you don't have to see where
you land, you cut out of it.
1530
01:19:42,810 --> 01:19:45,447
It got such a huge reaction
in the theater,
1531
01:19:45,579 --> 01:19:46,913
but we thought that was it.
1532
01:19:47,047 --> 01:19:49,015
We didn't think
we were gonna make a film.
1533
01:19:49,149 --> 01:19:52,420
By 2010,
I'd gotten so much comments
1534
01:19:52,554 --> 01:19:53,954
from people saying,
"When's that movie coming out?"
1535
01:19:54,087 --> 01:19:55,023
They thought
it was a real movie,
1536
01:19:55,155 --> 01:19:56,858
they were excited to see it.
1537
01:19:56,992 --> 01:19:59,092
Danny was like
"The white people have Superman
1538
01:19:59,225 --> 01:20:00,929
"and the black people
have Hancock
1539
01:20:01,061 --> 01:20:03,296
and the Mexicans need Machete!"
1540
01:20:03,430 --> 01:20:05,966
I was like, "Oh, my God."
1541
01:20:06,100 --> 01:20:09,002
"This is freaking insane.
Seriously?"
1542
01:20:09,136 --> 01:20:12,206
"I'm in."
1543
01:20:12,340 --> 01:20:14,641
Danny Trejo's going to be
the leag, lead,
1544
01:20:14,774 --> 01:20:18,778
and he gets the girl? Girls?
Ah, I'm in for that.
1545
01:20:18,912 --> 01:20:20,814
You ain't gotta tell me twice,
I played a fucking dude
1546
01:20:20,948 --> 01:20:22,750
in a movie, like, I don't care.
1547
01:20:22,884 --> 01:20:25,086
I like the crazier the better.
1548
01:20:25,220 --> 01:20:26,587
And then
Robert called me and said
1549
01:20:26,720 --> 01:20:29,456
"I want you to come in
and play a priest
1550
01:20:29,591 --> 01:20:31,826
and you're his brother."
So, okay, cool.
1551
01:20:31,960 --> 01:20:35,497
Oh, crucifixion.
Yeah, that's a novel twist.
1552
01:20:37,265 --> 01:20:39,267
And the cast
just kept growing.
1553
01:20:39,400 --> 01:20:41,802
De Niro signed on
and Jessica Alba signed on,
1554
01:20:41,935 --> 01:20:44,438
you know, I guess it's not
a $5 million movie anymore.
1555
01:20:44,572 --> 01:20:46,774
We had some bad dudes
in that thing, we had...
1556
01:20:46,908 --> 01:20:48,443
Don Johnson.
You know what I mean?
1557
01:20:48,576 --> 01:20:50,377
Like, come on, "Miami Vice."
1558
01:20:50,511 --> 01:20:52,680
De Niro shows up,
he's there, and Danny's like,
1559
01:20:52,813 --> 01:20:55,884
"Oh, Robert De Niro's here." He
goes like, "How are you, sir?"
1560
01:20:56,016 --> 01:20:58,318
We're between the two trailers
and I'm like this and we walked
1561
01:20:58,452 --> 01:21:00,488
and, oh, he goes like,
1562
01:21:00,622 --> 01:21:05,460
"You, hey, you. Huh. You."
1563
01:21:05,592 --> 01:21:07,528
"Number one on the call sheet."
1564
01:21:07,662 --> 01:21:11,499
That means you're lead,
"You're number one, huh, you."
1565
01:21:11,632 --> 01:21:13,967
And all I could think
of saying was,
1566
01:21:14,100 --> 01:21:17,438
"Can I get you some coffee,
Mr. De Niro?"
1567
01:21:17,570 --> 01:21:19,873
How can you say you're the lead
with Robert De Niro
1568
01:21:20,007 --> 01:21:22,077
in the movie? You know what
I mean? It's like, he's the man.
1569
01:21:24,045 --> 01:21:25,746
At the time it was a,
it was a big deal.
1570
01:21:25,880 --> 01:21:28,884
- It was a big deal for Danny.
- He was a fuckin' doll.
1571
01:21:29,016 --> 01:21:31,952
The coolest dude,
the, the sweetest man.
1572
01:21:32,086 --> 01:21:35,623
It's that kid spirit
that keeps him like, rawr.
1573
01:21:35,756 --> 01:21:37,958
I kill Steven Seagal.
1574
01:21:38,091 --> 01:21:40,127
I was the first one
to ever kill him.
1575
01:21:43,363 --> 01:21:45,132
The first ten minutes
of "Machete,"
1576
01:21:45,265 --> 01:21:47,768
I've never laughed so hard
and wanted to throw up
1577
01:21:47,902 --> 01:21:48,869
at the same time.
1578
01:21:56,543 --> 01:21:57,878
It was an exploitation film,
1579
01:21:58,012 --> 01:22:00,381
so it needed to be
really over the top.
1580
01:22:00,515 --> 01:22:02,083
I mean, the ideas
had to be really crazy,
1581
01:22:02,216 --> 01:22:03,884
everything, all the kills
had to be really crazy.
1582
01:22:06,220 --> 01:22:08,956
Uh, he's in the hospital
and he needs to go down a floor
1583
01:22:09,090 --> 01:22:11,559
and he just heard a doctor say
that the human intestine
1584
01:22:11,692 --> 01:22:13,560
is 60 feet long.
1585
01:22:13,694 --> 01:22:14,996
He's gonna cut the guy open,
1586
01:22:15,128 --> 01:22:17,298
use his intestine
to repel down.
1587
01:22:21,903 --> 01:22:23,604
And the most famous line
he has,
1588
01:22:23,738 --> 01:22:25,573
I think Stephen King called it
the line of the year
1589
01:22:25,706 --> 01:22:27,541
that year
in "Entertainment Weekly"
1590
01:22:27,675 --> 01:22:29,109
came from Danny,
'cause Danny calls me
1591
01:22:29,243 --> 01:22:30,945
all the time,
he's always calling me.
1592
01:22:31,078 --> 01:22:33,413
I say, "Danny, you call me
all the time. Just text me."
1593
01:22:33,546 --> 01:22:34,781
"It's easier 'cause
then I can look at the text
1594
01:22:34,914 --> 01:22:35,983
and I can just answer back."
1595
01:22:36,117 --> 01:22:38,319
He said, "Machete don't text."
1596
01:22:38,452 --> 01:22:40,387
And I said, "Oh, shit, I'm gonna
put that in the movie."
1597
01:22:42,289 --> 01:22:43,958
You could have
at least texted me!
1598
01:22:45,926 --> 01:22:47,929
Machete don't text.
1599
01:22:50,564 --> 01:22:52,232
It was great
to take somebody who's
1600
01:22:52,365 --> 01:22:54,935
a character actor, who's
worked in that many movies
1601
01:22:55,069 --> 01:22:58,739
and give a role that he defined.
1602
01:22:58,872 --> 01:23:01,775
It changed the paradigm
of who could be a leading man,
1603
01:23:01,908 --> 01:23:04,577
who can be
the... the star of this movie.
1604
01:23:04,712 --> 01:23:06,947
Who at the time was 69,
1605
01:23:07,081 --> 01:23:09,115
69-year-old badass.
1606
01:23:09,250 --> 01:23:12,319
Can't make this stuff up,
it's weirder than the movies.
1607
01:23:14,288 --> 01:23:16,490
That would never have happened
in Hollywood before.
1608
01:23:18,560 --> 01:23:21,796
"Machete" represented freedom
1609
01:23:21,929 --> 01:23:23,530
for Danny,
1610
01:23:23,663 --> 01:23:26,634
liberation from...
1611
01:23:26,766 --> 01:23:30,037
the old stereotype
of the prisoner.
1612
01:23:31,605 --> 01:23:34,974
You're done with that.
You're a hero now.
1613
01:23:35,109 --> 01:23:37,412
You're gonna be Machete.
1614
01:23:42,115 --> 01:23:44,518
He made it
to that last step...
1615
01:23:44,652 --> 01:23:47,654
Everybody
from here to Mexico
1616
01:23:47,788 --> 01:23:49,556
knows who Machete is.
1617
01:23:49,689 --> 01:23:51,525
I had no idea,
I never did
1618
01:23:51,658 --> 01:23:54,362
until, until people started
passing my house,
1619
01:23:54,494 --> 01:23:56,497
screaming, "Machete!"
1620
01:23:56,630 --> 01:23:57,998
And now it's like
everywhere I go,
1621
01:23:58,131 --> 01:23:59,900
it's Machete still.
1622
01:24:00,033 --> 01:24:02,168
Former President
Barack Obama sees Danny,
1623
01:24:02,302 --> 01:24:03,871
"Machete!"
1624
01:24:04,003 --> 01:24:05,573
Hey, what's up?
1625
01:24:05,706 --> 01:24:08,275
Uncle Machete says
do good in school!
1626
01:24:10,377 --> 01:24:13,213
He's got a machete
in his pool.
1627
01:24:13,346 --> 01:24:17,117
This Mexican became
a big actor all of a sudden.
1628
01:24:17,251 --> 01:24:18,586
He was so
in the zeitgeist,
1629
01:24:18,720 --> 01:24:20,554
there was even
like a Snickers commercial.
1630
01:24:20,688 --> 01:24:23,324
Shut up! I've got to teach
Peter a lesson.
1631
01:24:23,457 --> 01:24:25,525
- Marsha, eat a Snickers.
- Why?
1632
01:24:25,658 --> 01:24:29,162
You get a little hostile
when you're hungry. Better?
1633
01:24:29,296 --> 01:24:30,363
Better.
1634
01:24:30,497 --> 01:24:33,000
He's become this brand.
1635
01:24:33,134 --> 01:24:35,769
Trejo's Tacos. Unbelievable,
La Brea, n... near Olympic...
1636
01:24:35,903 --> 01:24:38,005
Yeah,
they're really, really healthy.
1637
01:24:38,139 --> 01:24:40,775
Action figures to memes,
1638
01:24:40,908 --> 01:24:44,078
to people getting
the Machete face
1639
01:24:44,211 --> 01:24:47,615
with the thing out
and tattooed on their backs.
1640
01:24:47,747 --> 01:24:51,085
This guy comes up and said,
"Will you sign my back?"
1641
01:24:51,219 --> 01:24:52,587
And I say, "What?"
And he says, "Yeah."
1642
01:24:52,720 --> 01:24:54,521
And he turns around
and he has this,
1643
01:24:54,654 --> 01:24:56,724
the big picture of Machete.
1644
01:24:56,858 --> 01:24:59,627
I signed his back, and he,
you know, tattooed my name,
1645
01:24:59,761 --> 01:25:02,262
and I told him, "We're still not
taking a shower together,
1646
01:25:02,395 --> 01:25:04,798
I don't care."
1647
01:25:07,167 --> 01:25:08,568
"Don't try to snuggle."
1648
01:25:08,702 --> 01:25:13,207
It's insane the amount of films
that he does.
1649
01:25:13,341 --> 01:25:15,410
He might do
two or three films a month.
1650
01:25:17,912 --> 01:25:19,480
I'll crush you
1651
01:25:19,613 --> 01:25:23,617
like the rest of you!
1652
01:25:23,751 --> 01:25:25,152
Once in a while
I have a script there,
1653
01:25:25,286 --> 01:25:26,654
and I go, "What's the name
of this movie?"
1654
01:25:26,787 --> 01:25:30,191
He goes, "I don't know,
I just know my part."
1655
01:25:30,324 --> 01:25:31,824
Just tell us where
we are and what we're doing.
1656
01:25:31,958 --> 01:25:35,028
- Okay. Uh, Mikey, where are we?
- Outlaw Studios.
1657
01:25:35,162 --> 01:25:37,365
We're at, right now
we're at Outlaw Studios
1658
01:25:37,497 --> 01:25:39,634
and we're getting to do,
getting ready to do
1659
01:25:39,766 --> 01:25:42,769
a cartoon called "Country Club."
1660
01:25:42,904 --> 01:25:45,172
"Hey, Robert,
I'm in, I'm in Dallas, Texas,
1661
01:25:45,305 --> 01:25:47,307
filming a movie
with Mickey Rourke."
1662
01:25:47,440 --> 01:25:49,510
"Oh, that's great man.
What's it called?"
1663
01:25:51,078 --> 01:25:52,646
"Man, I work!"
1664
01:25:52,779 --> 01:25:53,847
He didn't know
what it was called,
1665
01:25:53,980 --> 01:25:55,148
he doesn't know where he is.
1666
01:25:55,283 --> 01:25:58,152
2002, you appeared
in nine films.
1667
01:25:58,286 --> 01:25:59,887
True or false.
1668
01:26:00,020 --> 01:26:01,688
Oh, false.
1669
01:26:01,823 --> 01:26:04,792
I think I ap... appeared in 11.
1670
01:26:04,926 --> 01:26:07,862
IMDB has me
at 360 or something.
1671
01:26:07,996 --> 01:26:10,698
I have no idea, I don't count.
1672
01:26:10,831 --> 01:26:13,234
No shit! Fucker.
1673
01:26:15,336 --> 01:26:18,905
But a lot of those are
porno movies, right, you know?
1674
01:26:19,038 --> 01:26:22,041
Eddie's widow
texted us recently,
1675
01:26:22,176 --> 01:26:24,878
and she texted us
that my dad had reached
1676
01:26:25,011 --> 01:26:26,713
over 300 movies,
1677
01:26:26,846 --> 01:26:29,182
and that John Wayne
had only done,
1678
01:26:29,317 --> 01:26:31,051
I think, it was like 200?
1679
01:26:31,185 --> 01:26:33,821
She was like, so, you know,
1680
01:26:33,953 --> 01:26:35,822
it's time to stop saluting
John Wayne.
1681
01:26:37,457 --> 01:26:39,125
De Niro told him,
1682
01:26:39,260 --> 01:26:43,364
"Take everything they offer you
because they forget quick."
1683
01:26:43,497 --> 01:26:46,234
"I'm on the cover
of 'Prison Life!'"
1684
01:26:46,367 --> 01:26:48,002
I don't know if that was a joke
or not or if there
1685
01:26:48,135 --> 01:26:49,869
really is something called
"Prison Life."
1686
01:26:50,003 --> 01:26:52,338
"Robert, I'm on the cover
of 'Prison Life!'"
1687
01:26:52,472 --> 01:26:54,341
It was like he made it.
1688
01:26:54,475 --> 01:26:56,077
I have to look up and see if
there really is a "Prison Life"
1689
01:26:56,210 --> 01:26:58,811
or if that was a joke,
sometimes I can't tell.
1690
01:27:14,395 --> 01:27:16,931
When Danny's mom died...
1691
01:27:17,064 --> 01:27:20,201
I get a call,
it was his agent Gloria.
1692
01:27:20,333 --> 01:27:22,502
She calls me, she goes,
"Craig, I have some bad news."
1693
01:27:23,671 --> 01:27:26,173
"Danny's mom passed away."
1694
01:27:26,306 --> 01:27:27,841
I say, "Danny, I have to tell
you something." He goes "What?"
1695
01:27:27,975 --> 01:27:30,912
I said, "Your mom passed away."
1696
01:27:31,045 --> 01:27:33,113
I could actually
feel myself shut down,
1697
01:27:33,247 --> 01:27:35,750
boom, boom, boom,
just like at all levels.
1698
01:27:37,216 --> 01:27:39,052
He looks at me and he goes,
1699
01:27:39,185 --> 01:27:41,121
"I... is this real? Am I awake?"
1700
01:27:43,090 --> 01:27:46,827
This is somebody who had
their mother for 70 years.
1701
01:27:46,960 --> 01:27:50,097
It had a big, big impact
on his life.
1702
01:27:50,230 --> 01:27:52,166
I think more so than
his father.
1703
01:27:55,368 --> 01:27:57,670
When Alice died,
it was really heavy.
1704
01:27:57,805 --> 01:28:01,742
He was in London
doing the Muppet movie.
1705
01:28:01,876 --> 01:28:03,476
He was standing
pretty strong.
1706
01:28:03,610 --> 01:28:05,479
He had convinced himself
that he was gonna
1707
01:28:05,613 --> 01:28:07,314
push himself through this.
1708
01:28:07,447 --> 01:28:08,615
I was just fine
1709
01:28:08,748 --> 01:28:12,853
until that little... green frog
1710
01:28:12,985 --> 01:28:15,355
came up to me,
and I'll never forget it,
1711
01:28:15,489 --> 01:28:17,824
the guy's like this,
and he goes,
1712
01:28:17,957 --> 01:28:21,661
"Danny, I'm, I'm really sorry
about your mommy."
1713
01:28:21,795 --> 01:28:24,297
I go, "Fuck!" I just baw...
1714
01:28:24,431 --> 01:28:26,833
And I ran to the bathroom.
1715
01:28:26,967 --> 01:28:28,301
My mom had something
to do with me
1716
01:28:28,435 --> 01:28:30,270
because when my dad died,
nothing,
1717
01:28:30,404 --> 01:28:32,172
I showed nothing
1718
01:28:32,305 --> 01:28:33,740
'cause I had to take care
of my mom,
1719
01:28:33,873 --> 01:28:35,141
and I couldn't take care of her
1720
01:28:35,275 --> 01:28:37,177
feeling my dad's death.
1721
01:28:37,310 --> 01:28:38,679
And she says,
I'll never forget it,
1722
01:28:38,811 --> 01:28:40,279
"Well, you better not do that
when I die."
1723
01:28:40,413 --> 01:28:42,815
I said, "Shut up, mom,
you're not gonna die."
1724
01:28:42,949 --> 01:28:45,519
So I think when, when,
1725
01:28:45,653 --> 01:28:47,788
when I, like, locked up,
1726
01:28:47,921 --> 01:28:49,822
I could see her going, "No, no,
no, you're not going to,
1727
01:28:49,957 --> 01:28:51,359
I'll send the frog."
1728
01:28:53,226 --> 01:28:55,363
When I flew back, they had...
1729
01:29:00,234 --> 01:29:03,537
they had put together
the most beautifulest funeral
1730
01:29:03,671 --> 01:29:06,039
that my mom could have.
1731
01:29:06,172 --> 01:29:08,341
I think
he really has seen,
1732
01:29:08,475 --> 01:29:10,677
especially in the last
probably eight to ten years,
1733
01:29:10,810 --> 01:29:13,046
the value of life,
and the value of his,
1734
01:29:13,180 --> 01:29:15,215
and... and morbidity,
and as you get older
1735
01:29:15,349 --> 01:29:17,551
and his friends have passed,
and you really see
1736
01:29:17,684 --> 01:29:20,854
how precious life is,
and he has.
1737
01:29:20,988 --> 01:29:25,159
A lot of Danny's
friends are gone, you know?
1738
01:29:26,627 --> 01:29:27,661
But he has us.
1739
01:29:42,243 --> 01:29:43,844
Tonight you'll be speaking
1740
01:29:43,978 --> 01:29:48,382
to about 500 people
of all walks.
1741
01:29:48,515 --> 01:29:50,284
One of the reasons
I'm here today
1742
01:29:50,417 --> 01:29:54,689
is that I'm gonna be speaking
to a, a lot of, uh, students
1743
01:29:54,822 --> 01:29:58,225
that are going into the,
I would say, service, you know,
1744
01:29:58,358 --> 01:30:00,627
like, helping addicts
and helping alcoholics,
1745
01:30:00,761 --> 01:30:04,298
and then I'm speaking
with at-risk youth tonight.
1746
01:30:04,430 --> 01:30:06,265
I wanna invite anybody
and everybody
1747
01:30:06,399 --> 01:30:08,402
that wants to come tonight,
tell 'em you know me,
1748
01:30:08,536 --> 01:30:11,404
you can get in.
1749
01:30:11,537 --> 01:30:12,572
Thank you.
1750
01:30:14,440 --> 01:30:16,275
Danny still speaks
at prisons and schools
1751
01:30:16,409 --> 01:30:17,911
in whatever city we're at.
1752
01:30:18,045 --> 01:30:21,949
It's very strange.
1753
01:30:22,082 --> 01:30:24,083
He feels like
the day he stops doing that
1754
01:30:24,216 --> 01:30:27,587
is when he's, he's dead,
he's gone.
1755
01:30:29,023 --> 01:30:30,891
- How you doing? Good.
- I'm okay.
1756
01:30:31,024 --> 01:30:32,426
I'm Danny Trejo.
1757
01:30:32,560 --> 01:30:36,363
Can I see your program
for a second?
1758
01:30:36,497 --> 01:30:39,300
This is the flier
I was telling you about.
1759
01:30:39,432 --> 01:30:40,967
- Have you seen it?
- Oh, that's me.
1760
01:30:42,936 --> 01:30:45,372
Go straight ahead,
we're like 30 seconds away.
1761
01:30:47,573 --> 01:30:48,742
Straight ahead.
1762
01:30:53,847 --> 01:30:55,783
Boy.
1763
01:30:55,916 --> 01:30:57,884
- Hey!
- Hi.
1764
01:31:15,969 --> 01:31:18,639
Um, you all know
who Danny Trejo is,
1765
01:31:18,771 --> 01:31:20,440
so I'm gonna let him
tell you his story now.
1766
01:31:20,573 --> 01:31:21,674
Danny Trejo.
1767
01:31:31,551 --> 01:31:33,987
I sure hope you don't mind,
but...
1768
01:31:34,121 --> 01:31:35,588
I fall off of chairs like that.
1769
01:31:40,261 --> 01:31:43,063
My name's Danny Trejo and
I'm an addict and an alcoholic.
1770
01:31:43,195 --> 01:31:45,498
Hey, Danny.
1771
01:31:45,631 --> 01:31:47,466
Newcomers
to being clean and sober,
1772
01:31:47,600 --> 01:31:50,237
we talk about
expecting a miracle,
1773
01:31:50,371 --> 01:31:53,073
and people wait for a miracle.
1774
01:31:53,207 --> 01:31:56,544
If you're an addict,
or an alcoholic,
1775
01:31:56,676 --> 01:31:59,345
if you wake up clean and sober,
1776
01:31:59,479 --> 01:32:01,914
you're already in the miracle,
1777
01:32:02,047 --> 01:32:05,385
and so the miracle starts
the minute I wake up.
1778
01:32:11,658 --> 01:32:14,495
Hey, what's up, boys?
What's up? How you doing?
1779
01:32:27,474 --> 01:32:29,442
He's been through
a lot of shit.
1780
01:32:29,576 --> 01:32:33,680
That's a guy who understands
like hell, you know?
1781
01:32:33,814 --> 01:32:35,582
He knows what it looks like,
what it smells like,
1782
01:32:35,716 --> 01:32:37,118
what it tastes like.
1783
01:32:42,021 --> 01:32:46,659
They found a ten-centimeter
tumor on my liver.
1784
01:32:46,793 --> 01:32:48,828
I don't care who you are,
you get cancer,
1785
01:32:48,962 --> 01:32:51,566
start feeling sorry for
yourself, you're like, Why me?"
1786
01:32:51,698 --> 01:32:53,833
And then all of a sudden
the thought hit me,
1787
01:32:53,966 --> 01:32:57,937
"Man, imagine if I had this
in prison."
1788
01:32:58,070 --> 01:33:01,708
"Thank God I didn't get this
while I was in prison."
1789
01:33:01,841 --> 01:33:03,577
I beat it, I'm cancer-free.
1790
01:33:06,512 --> 01:33:10,050
Wow, what a journey.
What an unbelievable journey.
1791
01:33:28,034 --> 01:33:29,970
That means open the gate.
1792
01:33:31,171 --> 01:33:32,206
Wow.
1793
01:33:34,073 --> 01:33:36,210
What does
the psychological effect
1794
01:33:36,342 --> 01:33:39,579
of being in prison, how does it
affect you later in life?
1795
01:33:39,712 --> 01:33:40,947
We're gonna get you
through the scanner.
1796
01:33:41,081 --> 01:33:42,716
- I'm Danny Trejo.
- Any metal.
1797
01:33:42,849 --> 01:33:44,985
Uh, watch, belts.
1798
01:33:45,118 --> 01:33:46,319
In your head
you're brought right back
1799
01:33:46,453 --> 01:33:47,922
to everything you went through.
1800
01:33:49,756 --> 01:33:51,692
No one in their right mind
wants to do that.
1801
01:33:54,427 --> 01:33:56,029
No one.
1802
01:33:56,162 --> 01:33:59,099
I don't, I wouldn't want to,
but Danny does it.
1803
01:34:00,935 --> 01:34:03,704
- Alright, sir, thank you.
- Thank you.
1804
01:34:03,837 --> 01:34:07,675
This is a hot, hot place.
1805
01:34:10,077 --> 01:34:12,146
Not a lot of weight lifting
right now.
1806
01:34:29,695 --> 01:34:31,364
- Thank you, ma'am.
- Mm-hmm.
1807
01:34:31,497 --> 01:34:32,465
What's up? What's up?
1808
01:34:32,599 --> 01:34:35,036
- Hey.
- Hey, Machete.
1809
01:34:36,470 --> 01:34:38,072
What's up, fellas?
1810
01:34:38,204 --> 01:34:39,239
I think
that everybody
1811
01:34:39,372 --> 01:34:41,341
has a turning point in life.
1812
01:34:41,475 --> 01:34:43,210
My name's Danny Trejo.
1813
01:34:43,344 --> 01:34:47,114
A marker that says
either I'm gonna grow
1814
01:34:47,247 --> 01:34:50,183
or I'm gonna
stay this way forever.
1815
01:34:50,317 --> 01:34:51,851
I love to catch them
movie stars
1816
01:34:51,985 --> 01:34:53,487
coming out of their trailer
like this.
1817
01:34:56,189 --> 01:34:58,158
"Hey,
did you do coke?"
1818
01:34:58,291 --> 01:35:00,226
"Oh, fuck! Fuck you!"
1819
01:35:02,529 --> 01:35:04,531
Oh, hey, hey!
1820
01:35:04,664 --> 01:35:07,132
Hey, how good, how good is it?
1821
01:35:07,266 --> 01:35:09,202
Really? Hey, come on, man!
1822
01:35:09,336 --> 01:35:11,972
Oh, fuck 'em. You know what I
mean? Don't do drugs around me.
1823
01:35:12,105 --> 01:35:14,041
'Cause they don't have
the problem.
1824
01:35:14,175 --> 01:35:17,978
Me, I use drugs, alcohol,
I break out penitentiaries.
1825
01:35:18,110 --> 01:35:20,014
Them fuckers go home.
1826
01:35:20,146 --> 01:35:23,015
Everything good that's happened
to me has happened
1827
01:35:23,149 --> 01:35:25,417
as a direct result
of helping someone else.
1828
01:35:25,551 --> 01:35:27,720
Remember that. Everything.
1829
01:35:27,854 --> 01:35:30,423
The little guys in whatever
neighborhood you're from
1830
01:35:30,556 --> 01:35:32,059
are looking up at you
1831
01:35:32,192 --> 01:35:34,862
because their picture
of the penitentiary
1832
01:35:34,994 --> 01:35:36,229
is not the real deal.
1833
01:35:36,363 --> 01:35:38,065
These guys
are in juvenile hall saying,
1834
01:35:38,198 --> 01:35:39,733
"Gee, when I get
to the band home,
1835
01:35:39,865 --> 01:35:41,368
"I'll be running shit, yeah,
1836
01:35:41,501 --> 01:35:43,237
like my Uncle Choo Choo,
I'll be running shit."
1837
01:35:43,369 --> 01:35:45,238
You know, and with you guys,
no, no, no,
1838
01:35:45,372 --> 01:35:48,609
you gotta shower with
50 fuckers, do you understand?
1839
01:35:48,742 --> 01:35:50,543
Try not to brush up
against anybody.
1840
01:35:50,676 --> 01:35:53,813
And then you gotta shower
trying not to look.
1841
01:35:54,581 --> 01:35:55,649
If you don't...
1842
01:35:57,685 --> 01:36:00,720
you tarnish that image
of where you've been.
1843
01:36:03,890 --> 01:36:06,660
One day, that's all I got,
all I got is one day.
1844
01:36:06,792 --> 01:36:08,962
Do you understand?
Now how do I wanna live today?
1845
01:36:09,095 --> 01:36:11,230
That's it.
Just what do I wanna do today?
1846
01:36:11,364 --> 01:36:13,099
Man,
if, if you're doing time going,
1847
01:36:13,233 --> 01:36:15,601
"Fuck, I got five years, fuck,
I got.."
1848
01:36:15,735 --> 01:36:19,939
"Oh, fuck, now I got four years,
366 days,
1849
01:36:20,073 --> 01:36:22,509
364 days, 360, oh, my..."
1850
01:36:22,641 --> 01:36:24,278
You... you're not gonna
make it home.
1851
01:36:24,411 --> 01:36:27,279
So I say you gotta take
one day at a time, you know?
1852
01:36:27,413 --> 01:36:28,681
Just one day at a time,
1853
01:36:28,814 --> 01:36:32,418
let me see what I can accomplish
in one day.
1854
01:36:32,551 --> 01:36:35,354
And life's gonna get better
and better and better.
1855
01:36:35,488 --> 01:36:38,192
That's a promise,
you stay clean and sober,
1856
01:36:38,324 --> 01:36:41,595
your life will get
progressively better.
1857
01:36:41,728 --> 01:36:43,529
I really wanna thank you guys.
I mean that.
1858
01:36:43,662 --> 01:36:45,498
This was a pleasure for me
and a...
1859
01:36:53,774 --> 01:36:54,909
Thanks, guys.
1860
01:36:59,813 --> 01:37:03,417
I would rather
shoot for the moon and miss
1861
01:37:03,550 --> 01:37:06,953
than aim for the gutter
and make it.
1862
01:37:07,087 --> 01:37:09,990
A lot of these guys, they shot
for the gutter. They made it.
1863
01:37:10,122 --> 01:37:11,791
For me to come out and to say,
"Wait a minute,
1864
01:37:11,925 --> 01:37:15,628
there's a better way,"
people listen.
1865
01:37:15,762 --> 01:37:19,332
Not so much Danny Trejo,
but the guy from "Spy Kids,"
1866
01:37:19,466 --> 01:37:21,936
the guy from "Heat,"
the guy from "Desperado."
1867
01:37:22,069 --> 01:37:25,305
If they're Mexican, the guy
from "Blood In Blood Out."
1868
01:37:25,438 --> 01:37:29,176
When they hear somebody
that's been through it say,
1869
01:37:29,309 --> 01:37:33,313
"Help somebody every day,"
it sticks to their mind.
1870
01:37:33,447 --> 01:37:37,217
I know that I gave these guys
just, just a day, you know,
1871
01:37:37,350 --> 01:37:41,155
they got to do another day,
it was just break the monotony.
1872
01:37:41,287 --> 01:37:44,790
If that's all it was for 'em,
good, I did my job, you know,
1873
01:37:44,925 --> 01:37:46,527
I mean, I gave 'em a day.
1874
01:38:04,911 --> 01:38:08,349
They're letting us pick up
Gilbert Trejo right here.
1875
01:38:08,481 --> 01:38:11,551
They wouldn't let us pick him up
at the front gate.
1876
01:38:11,685 --> 01:38:14,387
That's shitty.
1877
01:38:14,520 --> 01:38:17,358
Thirty-eight years! Damn!
1878
01:38:18,824 --> 01:38:21,761
What were you doing in 1979?
1879
01:38:21,895 --> 01:38:25,766
To be able to stay alive
that long in prison?
1880
01:38:25,899 --> 01:38:28,067
That's a miracle.
1881
01:38:33,739 --> 01:38:36,609
♪ Having broke down ♪
1882
01:38:38,779 --> 01:38:41,882
♪ Having left out ♪
1883
01:38:44,451 --> 01:38:46,487
♪ Then I looked down ♪
1884
01:38:50,023 --> 01:38:54,228
♪ Walk out of here ♪
1885
01:38:56,829 --> 01:38:59,465
♪ As I walk out... ♪
1886
01:38:59,599 --> 01:39:01,634
What up, homie?
1887
01:39:02,868 --> 01:39:04,604
♪ I walked out ♪
1888
01:39:07,239 --> 01:39:10,577
♪ As I walk out... ♪
1889
01:39:15,548 --> 01:39:17,250
- How you doing?
- How you doing? I'm Mario.
1890
01:39:17,382 --> 01:39:18,484
Alright, Mario.
1891
01:39:21,020 --> 01:39:22,255
I told 'em, "You know what,
fuck that,
1892
01:39:22,389 --> 01:39:23,457
I'm leaving everything."
1893
01:39:27,292 --> 01:39:28,394
Thank you.
1894
01:39:28,528 --> 01:39:30,396
♪ I looked out ♪
1895
01:39:33,099 --> 01:39:34,802
- How's that?
- It's perfect.
1896
01:39:47,881 --> 01:39:49,650
I still owe a lot,
you know, and,
1897
01:39:49,783 --> 01:39:52,118
and I don't think
I'll ever be paid up,
1898
01:39:52,252 --> 01:39:55,255
but it sure is fun
getting there.
1899
01:39:55,389 --> 01:39:57,390
He still
lives in Pacoima.
1900
01:39:57,524 --> 01:40:00,661
He didn't move out,
he didn't go somewhere else.
1901
01:40:00,793 --> 01:40:02,662
He came back here.
1902
01:40:02,796 --> 01:40:05,231
He still supports
the neighborhood,
1903
01:40:05,364 --> 01:40:06,865
the mechanics
in the neighborhood,
1904
01:40:07,000 --> 01:40:08,569
the stores
in the neighborhood.
1905
01:40:08,702 --> 01:40:11,637
This is basically
every Latin's dream.
1906
01:40:11,770 --> 01:40:14,307
- Oh, get down, get down.
- Oh, yeah. Really.
1907
01:40:14,440 --> 01:40:18,978
To have a '64 Chevy in Pacoima
is like the dream come true.
1908
01:40:19,112 --> 01:40:21,014
Christmas,
he goes downtown,
1909
01:40:21,146 --> 01:40:23,850
he buys a bunch of toys
and he literally drives around
1910
01:40:23,984 --> 01:40:27,654
stopping people on the street
and giving them toys.
1911
01:40:27,787 --> 01:40:29,588
Right now
in the trunk of his car
1912
01:40:29,722 --> 01:40:32,091
there's
stacks of thermal underwear
1913
01:40:32,225 --> 01:40:33,659
and socks and you can,
sometimes you're like,
1914
01:40:33,792 --> 01:40:35,360
"Ah, I can't even fit my stuff
in there."
1915
01:40:35,494 --> 01:40:37,197
Whether
it's dogs being neutered...
1916
01:40:37,331 --> 01:40:39,666
I've been locked up
about three months.
1917
01:40:39,800 --> 01:40:43,168
That's 15 days human time.
1918
01:40:43,302 --> 01:40:46,104
Or teenagers,
he'll show up.
1919
01:40:46,238 --> 01:40:48,875
...is that you're not listening
to them, they'll come up...
1920
01:40:51,645 --> 01:40:53,680
What does the community
of Pacoima mean to you?
1921
01:40:53,813 --> 01:40:57,283
Everything, everything,
like family... Hi, Benz!
1922
01:40:57,417 --> 01:40:59,286
That's Chubby's wife,
she's awesome.
1923
01:41:01,054 --> 01:41:03,257
Wow, nobody was grateful
to have Danny around,
1924
01:41:03,390 --> 01:41:05,057
nobody was happy to have
Danny around at one time,
1925
01:41:05,192 --> 01:41:06,859
and now they're thrilled.
1926
01:41:06,993 --> 01:41:08,262
I remember a time
that they wouldn't let me
1927
01:41:08,395 --> 01:41:10,096
in their house,
you know, and the cops,
1928
01:41:10,229 --> 01:41:13,032
they'd stop me all the time
and up against the wall,
1929
01:41:13,167 --> 01:41:15,068
"We know you got something,
search the car..."
1930
01:41:15,201 --> 01:41:17,869
And nine times out of ten,
I did. You know what I mean?
1931
01:41:18,003 --> 01:41:20,573
And usually they'd stop me
with guns drawn.
1932
01:41:20,707 --> 01:41:23,276
Now it's like a completely
different thing, it's like,
1933
01:41:23,409 --> 01:41:27,780
you know, some of them are
like actually friends of mine.
1934
01:41:27,914 --> 01:41:30,884
They started work
on this giant mural of him
1935
01:41:31,016 --> 01:41:33,753
right here,
right up the street.
1936
01:41:33,886 --> 01:41:35,221
And I go, "You see, homie,
1937
01:41:35,354 --> 01:41:37,523
in Hollywood
they give you stars."
1938
01:41:37,657 --> 01:41:39,693
"In Pacoima
they give you murals, man."
1939
01:41:39,826 --> 01:41:41,694
And he was like, "Yay!"
You know what I mean?
1940
01:41:41,828 --> 01:41:43,797
I think he probably
tagged that wall at one time,
1941
01:41:43,930 --> 01:41:46,533
and they covered it
with his mural.
1942
01:41:46,666 --> 01:41:49,069
The town
that he terrorized in his youth
1943
01:41:49,202 --> 01:41:51,938
now has a mural of him because
of all the good that he did
1944
01:41:52,070 --> 01:41:54,707
that outweighed everything.
1945
01:41:54,841 --> 01:41:56,910
We're talking
about the guy who's mom
1946
01:41:57,042 --> 01:42:01,881
didn't unlock the screen door
when he, when he got out.
1947
01:42:02,015 --> 01:42:04,584
I don't think
he ever, he ever thought
1948
01:42:04,717 --> 01:42:07,253
that he'd have
something like that. Not here.
1949
01:42:20,900 --> 01:42:23,604
Even though
he comes from that lifestyle,
1950
01:42:23,737 --> 01:42:26,005
he went all the way
around the block,
1951
01:42:26,139 --> 01:42:30,643
and this is him now
and this is who he represents.
1952
01:42:30,777 --> 01:42:33,313
So that mural on the wall
don't only represent him,
1953
01:42:33,445 --> 01:42:35,983
it represents a lot of Latinos,
1954
01:42:36,115 --> 01:42:40,019
a lot of people
that changed their lives.
1955
01:42:40,153 --> 01:42:41,989
It's hope,
it's the idea
1956
01:42:42,122 --> 01:42:45,324
that I don't have to be
a product
1957
01:42:45,457 --> 01:42:47,728
of everything
that I am at the moment.
1958
01:42:49,194 --> 01:42:50,730
I can evolve.
1959
01:42:51,863 --> 01:42:54,132
I can change.
1960
01:42:54,266 --> 01:42:58,572
I can dream now,
and it's okay.
1961
01:42:58,704 --> 01:43:02,007
And that's what anybody
who makes it out of the ghetto
1962
01:43:02,140 --> 01:43:05,210
into the spotlight
of public life
1963
01:43:05,345 --> 01:43:07,948
is doing for their people.
1964
01:43:08,081 --> 01:43:11,150
And now I think
he knows who he is completely.
1965
01:43:13,286 --> 01:43:15,655
Pound that. Boom.
1966
01:43:17,623 --> 01:43:20,025
Wow, I love it,
I love seeing families, man.
1967
01:43:20,158 --> 01:43:21,560
Yeah?
1968
01:43:21,694 --> 01:43:22,661
See what we were talking about
1969
01:43:22,796 --> 01:43:24,664
about parents having time?
1970
01:43:24,797 --> 01:43:26,832
There, those parents
are making time,
1971
01:43:26,966 --> 01:43:28,467
and that's what's
the most important thing
1972
01:43:28,601 --> 01:43:31,704
in the kid's lives
is their time.
1973
01:43:31,837 --> 01:43:33,840
I'm not supposed to be living
this life of mine
1974
01:43:33,972 --> 01:43:35,975
and neither is he.
1975
01:43:36,109 --> 01:43:40,347
If we don't take this
to pass it on to somebody else
1976
01:43:40,479 --> 01:43:44,717
so they can pass it on
to somebody else...
1977
01:43:44,850 --> 01:43:45,885
what good is it?
1978
01:43:47,520 --> 01:43:48,920
How easy
would it have been
1979
01:43:49,055 --> 01:43:52,091
to just completely write off
that guy
1980
01:43:52,225 --> 01:43:55,028
who hit a rock
over a guard's head
1981
01:43:55,161 --> 01:43:57,563
in 1968?
1982
01:43:59,698 --> 01:44:03,769
Addicted to heroin
since he was 12.
1983
01:44:03,904 --> 01:44:07,741
More robberies under his belt
than stories we could tell.
1984
01:44:10,010 --> 01:44:12,445
How easy would it have been
to write that guy off?
1985
01:44:14,247 --> 01:44:17,417
That's what Danny represents.
1986
01:44:17,550 --> 01:44:22,154
He represents what happens
if you let your heart open
1987
01:44:22,287 --> 01:44:24,956
and decide
to let love conquer hate.
1988
01:44:28,360 --> 01:44:31,898
It's that chess piece
that starts off as a pawn
1989
01:44:32,032 --> 01:44:33,900
and makes it all the way
to the other side
1990
01:44:34,033 --> 01:44:36,168
of the chess board,
and now you get to choose
1991
01:44:36,301 --> 01:44:39,471
between all of these parts
that you wanna be.
1992
01:44:39,604 --> 01:44:41,607
My grandfather, Dionisio Trejo,
1993
01:44:41,740 --> 01:44:44,744
right now is saying
"He finally made it."
1994
01:44:44,877 --> 01:44:48,948
He's my idol, you know?
I mean, I look up to him.
1995
01:44:49,082 --> 01:44:51,184
I want to be like him
when I grow up.
1996
01:44:53,920 --> 01:44:55,588
People will make
their judgments
1997
01:44:55,721 --> 01:45:00,292
about famous people
however they want.
1998
01:45:00,426 --> 01:45:03,830
My dad is someone
I'm proud to call my dad.
1999
01:45:06,800 --> 01:45:10,235
You're either
gonna stay, come what may,
2000
01:45:10,368 --> 01:45:13,839
and have a better life,
or die, go insane, go to jail.
2001
01:45:13,972 --> 01:45:15,175
It's that simple.
2002
01:45:16,475 --> 01:45:17,909
Today I choose a better life,
2003
01:45:18,043 --> 01:45:19,813
and my life is a dream.
2004
01:45:21,480 --> 01:45:22,648
Well...