All Involved
Page 36
AK: assault rifle originally manufactured in the Soviet Union, and abbreviation of AK-47, itself an acronym of Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947—which is a combination of the weapon’s automatic capability, its inventor’s surname (Mikhail Kalashnikov), and the year it was invented
All involved: slang for someone participating in gang activity
AO: Apparatus Operator, a driver and operator of the ladder truck during firefighting missions
Bala: literally, “bullet”
Banda: a traditional form of Mexican music that incorporates brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments
Bomber: graffiti term for someone who takes part in graffiti, often on clandestine missions; a bomber typically tags one pen name (e.g., FREER or JUKER) repeatedly, as opposed to executing more complex pieces
Bombing: graffiti term for the act of putting aerosol on walls for public display, typically painting many surfaces in an area
Bonjuk: a Korean stew, typically rice based, resembling porridge
C-Spine: abbreviation of cervical spine, typically referring to a collar needed to immobilize the cervical vertebrae of the neck after an injury
Cabrón: all-purpose vulgarity that can mean “swine,” “bastard,” or “fucker,” depending on context and tone
Carnicería: a meat market or butcher shop that may sell groceries as well
Cerote: a piece of excrement; in slang, typically used by Mexicans or Chicanos to denigrate Salvadorians
Chavala: someone who acts or dresses like a gangster; a female child or young person, the diminutive form (chavalita) means “little girl”
Chichis: female breasts
Chilaquiles: a traditional Mexican breakfast dish made by quartering and lightly frying a corn tortilla before pouring salsa or molé over it; this dish can also include eggs or meat
Chola/cholo: a Chicano gangster, typically favoring a style of fashion unique to Southern California: flannel shirt, wifebeater, and khakis
Chorizo: a spicy pork sausage
CHP: California Highway Patrol
Clica (or click): a gang, or a neighborhood portion of a larger gang; in graffiti, the terms click and crew are most frequently reversed, with click meaning a smaller group and crew connoting a larger grouping
CO: Commanding Officer
Compadre: literally, “buddy” or “friend”
Controla: literally, “control,” typically used in conjunction with a click and city name, signifying that said click controls the stated area
Crew: in gang terms, a smaller grouping within a gang or click; in graffiti, the terms click and crew are most frequently reversed, with click meaning a smaller group and crew connoting a larger grouping
Cucaracha: literally, “cockroach”
Culero: literally, “an asshole”; used by Mexicans in reference to a “coward” or an “asshole”
Culo: literally, “ass”
Dušo: a term of endearment, literally “my soul” in Croatian
El rey ha muerto; viva el rey: literally, “the king is dead; long live the king”
EMS: Emergency Medical Services
EMT: Emergency Medical Technician, someone trained to administer first aid and lifesaving procedures during emergency situations
Enchilada: a Latin American dish of a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a chili pepper sauce; can be filled with a variety of ingredients, including meat, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, seafood, or a combination of these
EOC: Emergency Operations Center
Ese (or esé): Chicano slang, typically used between men to express “dude” or “man”; can be used derogatorily (typically with the accent on the second e, as in esé) or in a familiar, nonthreatening manner
FCP: Field Command Post
Fe: literally, “faith,” but can also mean “intention” or “will”; although in the immediate aftermath of being shot and in shock, Big Fate mishears the word first as “Fate” and ends up taking his name from it
Felicidades: literally, “congratulations,” typically used on special occasions such as a birthday, a wedding, or Christmas
Gabachos: a derogatory term for English-speaking people of non-Latino descent
G/Gee: gangster, or gangbanger
Gee’d up: someone who recognizably dresses the part of a gangster
Goldarn: euphemism for “goddamn,” most typical in the southern United States
Grip: slang for “many” or “a lot”
Grito (or Grito Mexicano): a high-pitched, often musical cry
Hijo de su chingada madre: literally, “son of your fucking mother” or “son of a fucking bitch”; typically considered the worst insult in the Latino communities, particularly among Mexicans, due to its historical meaning (“son of a raped woman”); the verb chingar comes from a Nahuatl (Aztec) word meaning “to rape”; when Spaniards arrived in the Americas, their raping of the indigenous women was so widespread that chingar became a curse, similar to the word fuck in English
Hina: a desirable girl or possibly a girlfriend
’Hood: abbreviation of “neighborhood,” typically an area with distinctive characteristics relating to the residents’ ethnicity or socioeconomic status; often used interchangeably with “ghetto” or “the projects”
Huevos: literally, “eggs,” or in slang, “testicles”
ICU: Intensive Care Unit
ILWU: International Longshoreman and Warehouse Union
Jefe: literally, “boss”
Juice card: slang for the most powerful or influential person in a given area; though it is not physically real, it is considered something that is held, similar to the way a boxer holds a title belt
Keys: another slang term for power; similar to a juice card—though they are not a physical set of keys, they are considered something that is held, similar to the way a boxer holds a title belt
Kruškovac: a Croatian liqueur distilled from fermented pears
La clica es mi vida: literally, “the click is my life”
LAFD: Los Angeles Fire Department
LAPD: Los Angeles Police Department, the city’s policing body
LASD: Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, the county’s policing body
Layup (or layup spot): a consistently used temporary parking area, usually off a main bus route, where drivers park a bus in order to change shifts or leave a bus if it is in immediate need of maintenance and is not capable of returning to the nearest bus depot
Lengua: literally, “tongue,” most frequently beef tongue cooked and served as food
Lentejas oaxaqueñas: a lentil-based Mexican dish, typically spicy-sweet and meatless
Leva: a traitor or sellout
Loca/loco: literally, “crazy”
Machismo: strong masculine pride, possibly chauvinistic in nature
Manflora: Mexican Spanish slang for “lesbian,” or “gay”
Mayate(s): literally a “black, dung-eating beetle,” it is slang most frequently used by Mexicans and Chicanos to denigrate dark-skinned people
Mi corazón: a tear of endearment, literally, “my heart”
Mi vida loca: literally, “my crazy life,” frequently used to describe gang life
Molé: a traditional Mexican chili-based sauce that can be made with a variety of ingredients
Neo-Geo: a popular 24-bit video gaming console developed by SNK; released in 1990, the system was discontinued in 1997
Neta (or la neta): the absolutely true, or literally, “the truth”; also used interchangeably with “really?” or “seriously?”
O.G.: Original Gangster, typically describing someone who has been in the gang life for an extended period of time
Ojos: eyes
Pachuco cross: often associated with gang involvement and tattooed in the webbing of the left hand between thumb and index finger, it is a cross symbol with lines radiating from its top
Packing: slang for carrying a concealed weapon, most frequently a gun
Paisa (short
for paisano): literally, “countryman” or someone of rural origin
Palillo: toothpick
Panadería: a bakery that may also sell groceries
Panocha: pejorative slang, literally means “cunt”
Papas: potatoes, or sometimes potato fries
Pinche: a Mexican Spanish curse and intensifier, similar to fucking, though not indicative of sexual intercourse
Plaqueasos: lettered graffiti, most frequently done in aerosol on outdoor walls, often signifying a gang, a gang member, or gang territory
Por favor: please
Pozole: a Mexican stew, most frequently made with maize and chicken or pork
Prima/primo: cousin, its masculine or feminine form depends on gender of relation
Prométeme: literally, “promise me”
Puchica: Salvadorian slang for “shit” or “damn,” derived from the indigenous dialect, Caliche
Pueblo: an American Indian settlement, typically consisting of adobe buildings of one or two stories
Puta/puto: an all-purpose vulgarity that can mean “bastard,” “asshole,” “whore,” or “son of a bitch,” and the insult can be intensified by changing the gender of the noun to the opposite of the person being targeted
Qué onda vos: literally, “what’s up, dude?”; Central American (especially Salvadorian) Spanish differs from Mexican Spanish in its utilization of the “vos” form, which is a second person singular pronoun and is used beside, or in place of, tu
Qué pasa: literally, “what’s up?” or “what’s going on?”
Queso: cheese
Quincé (short for quinceañera): literally, “fifteen,” or an abbreviation for the celebration in Latino communities where a girl becomes a woman, or reaches maturity, at fifteen years of age; it is similar to a cotillion or coming-out ball
Raza (or La Raza): literally, “race” or “the Race”/“the People,” this term can also express unity and/or racial pride among Latinos
RN: Registered Nurse
RTD: Rapid Transit District, this government body overseeing public transportation in Los Angeles merged with the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission on April 1, 1993, forming the current mass transit body in the city—Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority, or LACMTA (also known as MTA)
Salsa: literally, “sauce,” typically one tomato based, though it can also be green (verde), black (negra), or even made with an onion base
Salvi: Chicano slang for someone from El Salvador, often derogatory; or a familiar, nonthreatening expression of identity between Salvadorians
Señor Suerte: literally, “Mr. Lucky,” an iconic character composed of a stylized, mustachioed skull wearing sunglasses, a fedora, a fur collar, and crossing its bony fingers; created by artist Chaz Bojorquez in 1969, he later ceased painting it altogether as it had been adopted as the primary symbol of the Avenues, an L.A. street gang
Sherm: PCP (phencyclidine), also known as angel dust, a hallucinogenic drug; in reference to a joint or cigarette dipped in liquid PCP
Shotty (or shotties): slang for shotgun(s)
Símon: Mexican Spanish phrase meaning “of course” or “absolutely”
Slanging: the act of selling or dealing drugs
STL: Strike Team Leader
Tagger: term used for graffiti artists who most frequently write their pen names on public walls to promote the individual graffiti writer, not a gang
Tamales: a pastry made of cornmeal dough, typically filled with meat or cheese and baked in a corn husk
Tia/tio: aunt or uncle, its masculine or feminine form depends on gender of relation
Tienes pisto: literally, “do you have money?”; pisto is a Central American Spanish (especially Salvadorian) term for money
Toy: term used by graffiti artists to either refer to novices, or graffiti done by novices
TRW: abbreviation of Thompson Ramo Woolridge; an American aerospace and engineering corporation, it became the victim of a hostile takeover by Northrop Grumman in 2002
UCLA: abbreviation of University of California, Los Angeles
Varrios (or barrios): literally, “neighborhood”
Vato: Mexican slang for “man,” there is a certain seriousness implied in the word
Veterano: literally, “veteran”; an amount of experience is conveyed with the word, and when used in Latino gang culture suggests that such a person has frequently participated in criminal activities
Viejo: literally, “old,” typically meant to refer to an “old man”
Wet (or getting wet): slang for PCP use, or to add a dose of PCP to a cigarette or joint by dipping it in a vial of the substance
Whitecoats: slang for hospital emergency personnel who wear white coats, typically doctors or, occasionally, nurses
Wifebeater: a cotton undershirt, typically a white tank top
For further information on Chicano culture, please see: Chicano Folklore: A Guide to the Folktales, Traditions, Rituals, and Religious Practices of Mexican-Americans by Rafaela G. Castro
Citations
The quote from Joe McMahan that begins Day 2 was transcribed from a live television report made during the riots for 7 Live Eyewitness News.
The quote from LAPD Chief Daryl Gates that appears in “The Facts” and the quote from Rodney King that begins Day 3 can be found in Official Negligence: How Rodney King and the Riot Changed Los Angeles and the LAPD by Lou Cannon.
The quote from Major General James D. Delk that begins Day 5 can be found in his book, Fires & Furies: The L.A. Riots.
The quote from Lieutenant Dean Gilmour that begins Day 6 can be found in Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 by Anna Deavere Smith. The [sic] added was my own, as there is no “Hollingback Division” in Los Angeles. There is, however, a Hollenbeck.
I am greatly indebted to all three books and their authors for broadening my understanding of the events that took place from April 29 to May 4, 1992.
Except for Anthony’s speculation on the amount of bullets fired after two days of rioting, or the 9.15 million L.A. County population (L.A. Almanac), every statistic used in this book was found in either Cannon’s or Delk’s work.
Throughout this process, the Los Angeles Times was an absolutely invaluable resource for my research. The headlines used in this book are real.
Acknowledgments
Álvaro, who was the absolute guiding force for this book; thank you for helping me to plan every crime in the novel as if it were real. I could not have written this without your input and great generosity.
Evan Skrederstu, who never hesitated to listen or tell me what worked and what didn’t.
Everyone else in UGLAR (Unified Group of L.A. Residents): Chris Horishiki Brand, Espi, and Steve Martinez—without you all, this book would not exist.
Stanley Corona, who shared with me how deeply the riots impacted his family.
LAFD Battalion Chief (Ret.) Ron Roemer and Engineer (Ret.) John Cvitanich, as well as Captain Skelly, Engineer Zabala, and Firefighters Meza and Bennett of 112s.
California Highway Patrol Captain (Ret.) Chuck Campbell.
Marisa Roemer, who listened to every chapter the moment it was written and always knew what rang true and what plot needed to go where.
William J. Peace, M.D., who oversaw all medical references in this book.
My entire family—most especially Grandmother Annazell, Mom, Dad, Brandon, Karishma, Big Sister Char, and Alexa—who motivate me by loving me more every time I fail.
Kevin Staniec, Corrie Greathouse, and my incredibly supportive artistic family at Black Hill Press, who are always there for me.
Chapman University Independent Study (Editing) students Jennifer Eneriz and Zoe Zhang, who copyedited the text, fact-checked for historical accuracy, and provided vital language assistance during the glossary creation process.
Gustavo Arellano and P. S. Serrato, who are tremendous teachers of Southern California culture in their own inimitable ways.
Bryce Carlson, who never grew
tired of talking L.A. or schooling me on sound effects—shimp, indeed, sir.
Lizzy Kremer, Harriet Moore, Laura West, Emma Jamison, Alice Howe, and Nicky Lund at David Higham, who believed in this work from day one.
Simon Lipskar at Writers House, who made an exception for me, and Kassie Evashevski at UTA, who helped make a dream come true.
Last, but never least, there are a number of people who participated in the research and background that led to this book who wish to remain anonymous. I will always keep your trust. Please know this novel would not have been possible without your insight and I cannot thank you enough for sharing with me.
About the Author
Photograph © by Sam Tenney
RYAN GATTIS is the author of the novels Roo Kickkick & the Big Bad Blimp and Kung Fu High School, as well as the novellas The Big Drop: Homecoming and The Big Drop: Impermanence. He lectures at Chapman University and is a member of the urban art group UGLAR. Gattis lives in Los Angeles.
WWW.RYANGATIS.COM
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Also by Ryan Gattis
THE BIG DROP: IMPERMANENCE
THE BIG DROP: HOMECOMING
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ROO KICKKICK & THE BIG BAD BLIMP
Credits
COVER DESIGN BY SARA WOOD
COVER PHOTOGRAPH © BY ZUMA PRESS, INC./ALAMY
ENDPAPER ART © BY EVAN SKREDERSTU
Copyright
All Involved is a work of fiction. While based on true events, the characterizations and specific incidents presented are totally products of the author’s imagination.
ALL INVOLVED. Copyright © 2015 by Ryan Gattis. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.